Made my way by bus, again - very similar to Monday night's journey, I took the 29 (which was obliging enough to arrive just as I did) to the top of Tottenham Court Road. Now, Google Maps wanted me to carry on to the next stop,at the other side of the crossroads, then cross the road for a bus to carry me back around the corner, down Euston Road to where I was headed. But the traffic was like treacle, and I reasoned - correctly - that I'd never make it to the next stop in time. Instead, I got off a stop early and rounded the corner just in time to catch any one of a number of buses going my way.
Got off at Baker Street - instructions were to meet at the Sherlock Holmes statue. I had to cross the road to it - and with all the trees, couldn't see it at all. Google Maps, as usual, proved my saviour, and when you finally see it, you can't mistake it:
And there they were, clustered around the base. Some familiar faces, and we had a lovely chat before the organiser decided not to wait for any more no-shows, and to make our way to the Royal Academy, where we picked up some free programmes on the way in and sat ourselves at the front row of the gallery:
This was the finale of the Academy's annual Summer Piano Festival, with the performers all final-year students, and the standard was predictably impeccable. The first half saw the Polish Bukolika Trio, interestingly in navy dresses rather than the more conventional black, entertain us with first a Polish composer, Roxanna Panufnik, then a beautiful Rachmaninoff piece, finishing with a trio on popular Irish folk tunes. Apparently, the person who commissioned these was an aficionado of Irish music, but the composer picked such obscure pieces - and mangled them so much - that the person who'd commissioned them cancelled the commission! I had great fun trying to identify them; the first completely stumped me, but I do believe the second was The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy, and the third might have been Lanigan's Ball.
At the interval, I needed the loo, and most of us fancied the bar. Both were in the same direction, but I missed the toilet on the first pass and had to retrace my steps. When I got back to the bar, would you believe, my companions were no further along.. we spent forever in the queue! Apparently, the barman is notorious for it.. As it was, we gulped our drinks, and were still late heading back up and made to send outside for the first piece. Which we could hear just fine from the hall. And I wasn't so pushed about missing Hallelujah Junction anyway - it sounded like a positively violent piece, frankly! And we had great fun out in the hall. When we were finally let in, we saw that the second piano on stage had now been brought into play, aligned with the first, as we now had two pianists - Joseph Havlat and Thomas Ang. I was much happier with the final piece - a Fantasy on Porgy and Bess.
Afterwards, most of us repaired back the way we'd come, to Wetherspoon's. A typically huge building, and we managed to grab a couple of tables, shoved together, near the back. It was really busy, and they mixed up a couple of orders - but when we did get what we'd ordered, it was delicious! And we greatly appreciated the orders that came with a drink included - the wine, as usual here, came on tap.
It was a great night, with a really friendly bunch, and I was so glad I'd come! Just a pity so many of their events are on during the day, and I can't make them. Ah well.. roll on the next. (Although all their upcoming scheduled events are scheduled on weekends I'm away - never mind.) I was close enough to walk home, and yes, forgot the paper I'd brought with me, just as I'd predicted. Never mind, they're free, and I picked up another on the walk.
Tonight, yes, once again I'd booked for free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London. Also advertised by London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK (twice, as usual). But then I booked to go with the London European Club (LEC) to a talk on the relationship between Britain and France, at the LSE. Would've been interesting, but sod it, I then realised I have a late meeting today, and with the talk starting quite early, it's a non-starter. Didn't want to rebook the comedy, having cancelled it. So I had a look at what else was on Meetup - and discovered something interesting. I hadn't been getting a wide variety of things on the main Meetup site - but they've mercifully improved the app. Which is what I happened to consult when I realised I'd have to cancel the talk, since I didn't have a laptop to hand. And lo, the app had LOADS more events. Seriously, there's a real disconnect between the app and the main website. Tons of interesting stuff. And on the app - well, a group called Ealing Ladies Social Group was headed to Terror, at the Lyric Hammersmith. Which sounded the most interesting of all. Not the group, mind, which has far too many rules and regulations for my liking - and they're closed to new members anyway. Nothing to stop me going myself, though..
Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again! Not usual for me to go two weeks in a row.. more details below. On Monday, London Dramatic Arts is off to see The Mentor, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Expensively, as usual. I'm going as well - cheaply, courtesy of Amazon Tickets. Sat in the Grand Circle, I should be able to avoid them- well, they don't approve of members buying separate tickets!
On Tuesday, I cancelled more free comedy in Hammersmith (Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, London Live Comedy, and Discover LDN.UK) for another Funzing talk - The Psychology of Dreams. As advertised by London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. Cancellable, but I'm so far unlikely to do so. (As ever, WELLBEING30 was still giving 30% off most talks, last I looked.)
On Wednesday, back with the LEC, for a concert of Greek music at Sands Films. Looking forward to that - I love the venue, but haven't fancied the last couple of concerts they've had there.
Next Thursday, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK. Did you think I'd actually go? ;-) Well, I'm not - but the reason is an unusual one. My new company is very nice indeed - and they have an annual volunteering day: gardening. I hate gardening. And it's that day. For the whole day, they're at it. And last Monday, the office manager kindly informed us that it was compulsory unless we were on holiday. Huh! Well now, I hate being told what to do. So I've suddenly decided to be on holiday that day - and as it's a Thursday, the next too.
Then comes a weekend I've been looking forward to for a while. Long-anticipated, the European leg of U2's 30th anniversary tour of The Joshua Tree kicks off in Twickenham on the 8th & 9th. 'Mare of a place to see them - after I saw them there in 2005, I swore - never again. Happily, I now know someone living down that direction! :-) Helen is also coming with me to the first concert, and I'm staying with her for the weekend (now starting on Thursday, as she kindly offered). Which sorts transport for the first night - she'll drive. The second night, I'll head back by bus - the train is an absolute nightmare. Anyway, this would have been a weekend in Ireland - hence the trips back two weekends in a row, preceding it.
On the 10th, nothing had been appealing - until I tried the app again on Saturday, and came across a Meetup group called, attractively, Let's Do This! Quite new - anyway, they have organised a trip to see La Voix Humaine, a 40-minute solo opera, performed in English by Opera Up Close. Unassigned seating, but with no booking fee I booked anyway - it's in King's Place, which I love. I'd already found it by the time the Man with the Hat took us there, but it was with him I went the last two times: so this'll be bittersweet. Now, I've booked on my own - and lordy if I didn't discover last night that it's co-run by another couple of the Man with the Hat's old members! I've applied for membership, which has yet to be approved. Great to see the Man with the Hat has left a classical legacy - there are very few Meetup groups doing this sort of thing.
The 11th started out with yet more free comedy in Hammersmith - the same five groups. But then Funzing (the same two groups) rocked up and saved me, with a talk on Blitzed - Drugs in Nazi Germany. Has to be better, frankly.
The 12th, I'm currently still looking at free comedy in Greenwich, with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London.
The 13th, more of the same - in Hammersmith - with the Famous Five (aforementioned) groups - Discover LDN.UK twice, as before. At least the headliner that night is John Hastings, who's guaranteed to be good - and it's a lovely, small venue to see him in. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend.
On the 17th, more comedy - for £3.60, this time. Tez Ilyas is performing at the Pleasaunce, and I know he's good - saw him in Top Secret once, for free..
The 18th, the U2 tour continues - I fly to Barcelona that day, to see them that night! One of their crazy, one-night-only appearances, on what is a very limited tour.
I fly back on the 19th, and that night am - provisionally - booked for more free comedy (quelle surprise). Greenwich, the above three groups. There are some interesting Funzing talks that night, but I've already seen them.
The 20th, I booked another Funzing talk (the above two groups). This is a talk about serial killers, as given by a forensic psychologist that works with the police, and who also gives terrific talks about psychopaths. Highly recommended! She's a terrifically engaging speaker, and looks far too young to be working in such a murky area. Unfortunately, now I've had to cancel - turns out that the much-anticipated first Meetup of Love London for Less is happening that night, so of course I'm headed to that - we're going to the Icebar, where I've never been. Should be interesting. Just a pity the only other instance of that talk I'm missing is sold out - I've added myself to the watchlist.
Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend - first to Dublin (from London City airport, a first for me), for U2's (one-and-only!) concert there.. then down to see my mother for a couple of days, flying back on Tuesday. On the Wednesday.. and Thursday.. free comedy!! First Greenwich, then Hammersmith - the usual groups, on both occasions.
No comments:
Post a Comment