Rain had been promised - and it didn't disappoint. All day it'd been at it - fortunately, though, not at lunchtime, when our fire alarms went off and we all spent the better part of an hour cooling our heels outside. However, by the time I left for the evening, it was pouring.. happily, my stop wasn't far away, and as I splashed up the road towards it, wouldn't you know, my bus arrived in perfect time! Thank goodness - I was just beginning to think I'd drown.
Half an hour or so later, I disembarked - in slightly lighter rain, I fancied - in Highbury. I wasn't far from the pub where we were to meet - the first bit was the hardest though, having to cross the road, with no official crossing and heavy traffic. Finally, the lights went in my favour - once across, it was down the side lane and left at the end. With the rain still pouring down, I was glad to see the Compton Arms just ahead..
More photos here.. and two of our number were sat in the corner. (As it happened, that was to be half of the total - after me, only one came. Partly on account of the weather, perhaps.) We did stay till 8, just in case the one who'd said he'd come and never cancelled actually showed, but he didn't. Meantime, when I went up for a drink, I was delighted to see Tayto behind the bar! Wow, that's the very first time I've seen it in a London pub!! So I had to have a packet of the old favourite, cheese and onion. And yes, a taste test confirmed that it is real, Irish Tayto. As Stephen, the organiser, said, well, isn't Islington a traditionally Irish area? As if to prove the point, next thing I heard was With or Without You, on the speakers. And I celebrated by having a second pack of Tayto - because, you know, one is never enough.
And too soon, out into the rain. Which showed no sign of easing.
But we ploughed on - it was a fascinating walk, through a fascinating area. We got taken to the former houses of George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh, the pub where U2 performed their first London gig..
..and there were other attractions.
Places I've often visited before included the Almeida, and the King's Head. (Cool area to live in!) And although, as the man said, he was cursed with the weather - freezing last week, pouring this week - we were very glad we'd come. Just the two of us went for a drink afterwards, at The Camden Head - and had a nice chat (over the blaring music) about cosmology and U2. Always worth coming on these evenings - it's a shame I won't be with them for another few weeks.
Anyway. Tonight, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith, with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon & Greenwich, Random London, and London Live Comedy. Something, frankly, that I usually cancel - and eventually, I got an email advertising a film showing tonight. Well, I'd rather go to a film! Did the film list, and eliminated oh, so many films that aren't showing today - or not at a time I can manage (this is also the only evening this week that I have a late meeting). Left at the top of the list is I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary about race in America. Its IMDB rating has actually gone up! which is always unusual. Showing in a few places in town, but the Curzon Bloomsbury is the handiest for me to get home after. Not to mention the cheapest, showing as part of the Thursday DocHouse programme. I've now booked it, since over half the seats were gone already.
Tomorrow, I saw that London Social Detours (a side-shoot of Ken's Events) were charging £3 to go to the free jazz concert at the Royal Academy. So I was going to go on my own. Free. But then the London European Club (LEC) advertised a Norwegian Dixieland concert at Jamboree.. well, that sounded like more fun, so now I'm going to that instead.
On Saturday, I'm doing something local - a guided walk on Residents, Rascals & Riots, in Holborn. With London for a Tenner or Less. Got a message that that group was closing as well - but with a raft of new events suddenly advertised, I guess someone took it over.
On Sunday, London Dramatic Arts (LDAM) is headed out of town. We're going all the way to Northampton, to see a couple of Shakespearian plays, one directed by one of her members. Richard II, to be precise, with Titus Andronicus to whet our appetites. No-one has signed up apart from me, but what the hey I've never been there, so it'll be interesting. Managed to dig out my Rough Guide to England too, when I was in Ireland over the weekend - might photocopy the bit on Northampton!
On Monday, I'm off to Ugly Lies the Bone, at the Lyttleton.
On Tuesday, I'd booked with Funzing UK for an Infinitease Burlesque Show. In Leytonstone, so if anything better came up in the meantime, I was up for it! That's a terribly long way out. Anyway, the other day I got an email about cheap tickets - apparently there's a burlesque festival on - in Hackney, which is a bit closer. And a lot cheaper. So now I'm going to that instead - Funzing can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance without penalty.
Wednesday was supposed to be the Man with the Hat's last event, but he had to cancel. Instead, I discovered that the UL Alumni Association (UL is my alma mater) is holding a talk on Brexit that night. And I was going to go to that - but lo, Funzing came up with something better! So now I'm going to Urban Legends of London.
Next Thursday, Crick Crack is back - at Crouch End Arthouse again, unfortunately. It's just so far! Still going, of course - the more especially because it's Michael Harvey! He's worth the trip. Then I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time!
On the 30h, LDAM are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.
On the 31st, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with the above groups, plus London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (another offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by another Funzing event - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.
On 1 June, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Oh, and the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining!
Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!
The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!
And the 6th June, I'm with the LEC, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.
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