Well, the day of the "smart casual" piano recital finally rolled around. I figured I'd been turning down too many of her invitations, and with nothing better on that day, I said I'd come. Finding something "smart casual" didn't prove too much of a headache in the end. Close to the time I was to leave work, she messaged me again to say she couldn't make it after all - a last-minute emergency. Ah great, and I didn't know anyone else there (actually, there did turn out to be one other person there that I knew, but I didn't get to speak to him over the evening). 22 Mansfield Street was the address I'd been given, and it seems that they run a whole series of classical concerts, in aid of the Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust. They don't seem to advertise these widely - you have to be on the mailing list. With everything else I do, I didn't bother to sign up.
Walking distance from the office, handily - with nobody to meet now, I didn't hurry. Concerts start at 7:30, with drinks beforehand from 7. I arrived sometime after that - a nice young lady took my coat, another kindly pointed out to me that I had a tag showing, and a third served me a glass of prosecco. It turns out that the couple who run the trust only own two floors of this house - but what a house! High ceilings, intricate plasterwork, impressive chandeliers - and in the heart of Mayfair. Must cost a fortune just to maintain, never mind how expensive it'd be to buy..
The pianist was one Gerard Aimontche. The programme was typical for a drawing-room recital - much complicated fingering, lots of notes. The first piece, in a change to the advertised schedule, was Handel - personally, I preferred the Schumann that took us to the interval, and was most taken with the Rachmaninov of the second part, the later pieces being more dramatic, and stronger of feeling. But it was a lovely, refined evening, and at the interval, many people wandered around admiring the several artworks - there was a guide, if you were interested. Art isn't majorly my thing, so I didn't bother - but apparently they are collectors of art, concentrating on artists that are known to them. The canapés at the post-recital reception were absolutely delicious.. and I needn't have worried, I met some very friendly people there. Had a lovely time. Never did meet the person I was to pay, but transferred the money by bank transfer next day - once I got the bank website to work!
Now, I was only 10 minutes' walk from home, so just went back there afterwards; with my laptop living at the office, that meant no blogging that night - and I spent all yesterday doing my film list! Last night, it was originally supposed to be free comedy again - Random London, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, and London Live Comedy were advertising a "Cooking Edition", for which I'd booked. But then I booked a Funzing talk, with those two above-mentioned Funzing groups - ExMI5 Agent Talks Russian Hacking. I got a discount of 30%. (WELLBEING30 is their current 30% discount code.. but you can usually get 10% off with "Fun_Week10", or "Fun_Day10".) And Helen decided she'd come too. We decided to eat at the venue.
She's doing a course in town, and wouldn't you know it, she finished earlier than expected, which left me scrambling a bit to get there at roughly the same time. So I took the Tube to Old Street - and on such a hot day, that wasn't much fun. Not much cooler overground either - but at least, despite all its exits, this station is very well signposted, and it was no trouble to find my way out.
Got to the Trapeze Bar maybe five minutes after Helen, who was ensconced in a booth with a small bucket of popcorn and one of their fetching jam jars with a handle, in which they serve cocktails. Decor had ropes and circus equipment hanging from the ceiling, a clown costume on the wall. It was Happy Hour, the friendly server informed me, with half-price cocktails - but I just had wine. We then had very tasty - if messy - burgers, served, as ever, on those impractical wood platters. Cutlery and napkins were served in a plant pot, chips in a cute little wire basket. There was some confusion over dessert - I think they might have been changing over to the summer menu. At any rate, we weren't getting any, so I had another glass of wine, in lieu.
Funzing had advertised the talk as starting at 7, but of course it was actually 7:30. I was happy to see, for once, that the downstairs bar was open! Another wine for me - well, they only have 175ml glasses here. We got a decent spot near the front - on, might I say, very uncomfortable folding chairs. And I was surprised to see that there was nothing on which to display visuals - how often do you attend a talk with nothing to look at..?
Our speaker, the ex MI5 agent, rocked up and took her position at the mic. Beautiful speaking voice, I must say. The talk itself lasted just about 40 minutes, and was quite fascinating. She explained how she's now more whistleblower than spy, and associated with other whistleblowing organisations. And far from being an explanation about why and how Russians are hacking Western systems - why, her talk focussed on why we think they are at all!
Going back to the Watergate scandal, she pointed out how this forced intelligence agencies to be a bit more transparent - right up to 9/11, when they were once again given free rein to do as they please. Describing Russian actions over the years, she examined many of the stories spread about their aggressive tendencies towards the West, and debunked them. Even the venerable Washington Post, which broke Watergate, came under scrutiny. Seems we're back to the era of hunting for Russians under the bed - as she pointed out, governments need some kind of an enemy, to justify military spending. As the saying goes, "Believe none of what you read, and half of what you see."
Right then, we've been told! Just a shame that there were no visuals - I think they would've helped. There was then a 15-minute break before the Q+A - seems a long time to me - and we decided to leave, Helen by Tube, me by bus via the office, to finish that film list. Which I did, just in time to go home to bed!
Tonight, some more storytelling with the Crick Crack Club. Nick Hennessy is telling the story of The Ruined House of Skin - an Irish one, which I've heard before, but he's one of the best on the circuit, and always worth going to. Now, this is on at the Arthouse in Crouch End again, and after the debacle the last time, with no confirmation email from them, I checked - and don't have one for this either! So, when I was up there the last time, I asked them to print out my receipt, which I've been holding onto carefully ever since. It's now a bit crumpled, but still intact..
Tomorrow, London Dramatic Arts is seeing Gloria in Hampstead Theatre - and since they're getting us to buy our own tickets for once, so am I! Pulitzer-Prize-winning, apparently. The organiser messaged me last night to check I'd bought a ticket - she's used to buying them for us.
On Saturday, I had my eye on Day Trips from London, who are headed on a Lulworth Cove Heritage Site, Corfe Castle Village + Warhead Quay Day Trip. But I was busy when the email came through to advertise it, and wouldn't you know it, by the time I got around to it, it had booked out! Always popular, it seems. Never mind - while I was at Soho Theatre the other night, I was facing the screen advertising future events, and what should I see but that Andrew Maxwell is performing a run there, ending that day. Now, I saw him live once before, and he was fall-off-your-seat hilarious! So I've booked. So much for my Westminster Residents' Card though, which is supposed to give £1 off at this venue - there was no mention of it when I came to book! Bah humbug.. Well, at least it means I can have a lie-in on Saturday..
And on Sunday, I was thinking of a film. Hence the film list. After I deleted all the stuff at the top of the list that isn't showing that day, I was left with The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Never heard of this person, but it turns out to be the story of a transgender gay activist, who died in mysterious circumstances. I couldn't even find a trailer, but the story sounds interesting enough. Showing at the Curzon Aldgate only, and practically sold out when I checked - so I booked.
No comments:
Post a Comment