The day was spent flinging all the possessions on - and in - my desk into a crate, supplied by the company, which would magically be transported to the new office. Excluding whatever we needed to work from home this week, while the move is in progress. Amazingly, it all got done, and I was ready in time to head down the road with the others - only a 20-minute walk, and only one of the group decided it was too far from him and he'd take the Tube.
Bounce has an unprepossessing entrance - once inside, it's left for the public bar and restaurant, right for the private room that we had reserved. It's a large room, antler-type handles on the doors, three ping pong tables, seating around the edges, a bar at one end (which was free) and hooks and shelves for coats and bags at the other. Drinks were strategically dotted about the place so we didn't have to go to the bar, necessarily, and I quickly availed myself of one.
Gotta say, we have some competitive types - ping pong balls were slamming from tables on all sides. Happily, they actually employ ball collectors to gather them up, in a clever gadget resembling a tennis racquet with elastic strings, and a net on top; so they just wander about with these, pressing the balls into them, and when the net is full, they tip it up over one of the ice buckets they use to store them - they fall through a hole at the other end of the net.
After a while, attention shifted from straightforward matches to the interactive table in the middle, and in particular to a game where people chose characters, then took turns to compete at a game of aiming at the right character on the other side of the net. Good fun, it attracted quite a crowd:
I couldn't stay long though - had to be at Stansted at 6 on Thursday morning, for a trip to Nuremberg Christmas market with London European Club! Not only that, but I had secured a new flat, where I intended to stay on Wednesday night - a lot closer to Liverpool Street, to catch the train to Stansted. So I was waiting for the food, which started with some rounds of canapés - the best was the fried chicken, which unfortunately only came out once. The food seemed to finish with a round of pizzas, after which I called it a night, at only 8pm, and hurried back to the office, where I'd left most of the stuff I needed to move.
Bloody 'ell, I had a rough night of it though, back and forth with the stuff I'd need to stay in the new place, plus the stuff I'd need to work from there! I was exhausted by the time I turned in, after midnight, following two legs of moving and carrying. Oh, and I had to be up again by 3.30 to catch the train early enough to be at the airport in time. Pity, then, that my sleep was disturbed by the howling of the wind down the blocked-up chimney behind the head of the bed - I've since shoved that bed over to the other wall.
And so that trip took up the weekend. We also did some travelling in the area. Helen liked the sound of it, and came too: sadly, not my Crick Crack friend, who couldn't swing the holiday time. I bought Lonely Planet's chapter on Bavaria, downloaded it, and shared it with her - isn't it handy how you can buy individual chapters? Mercifully, although the crazy woman was supposed to go on this, she pulled out. And we had a ball - but a very packed time. More to follow.
Wouldn't you know it, our flight back on Sunday night was cancelled - there'd been a snowstorm in Stansted. Fully two days later was the first flight we could get back there - so I missed a couple of things I'd booked; on Monday - having taken the day off work - I was booked for the Barbershop Chronicles. At the National. And on Tuesday, I booked a Funzing talk - Interviews With a Serial Killer, courtesy of London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. For which, with their new loyalty scheme, I earned £10 credit! Not so shabby.. But it wasn't very Christmassy, all the same, and I subsequently booked an evening at Keats House, with London Social Detours. Where they explored Christmas in the Romantic era - ahh! Sadly, neither was now possible.
Back at last, and tonight, my last visit of the year to Sands Films - finally advertised on Meetup, through the World Music Meetup, TunedIn London has a concert by Plastikes Karekles, a Greek group. The friend I've been persuading to go to the Crick Crack events had suggested that night for a nostalgic trip, by some of us, to Top Secret - I would rather do that, but unfortunately he couldn't get anyone else to agree, so we postponed the idea.
Tomorrow, my friends who came to Soho a while ago are headed to Wilton's Music Hall, for something called The Box of Delights. And for once, I'm letting them decide for me, and am going myself too.
On Friday, my final trip of the year to the Crick Crack Club - Jan Blake is performing Masters of Hex at the British Library. Along with Ben Haggerty and TUUP. Same friend going with me as did on the 29th, and Helen too - and the same lunatic. Who will probably avoid us, and good enough for her. Next day, I'm back to Ireland for Christmas.
Flying back to London on the 2nd of January, and on the 3rd I've booked to see Stewart Lee at Leicester Square Theatre. Determinedly not in the front two rows - not for a comedy show!
On the 4th of January, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (Happy New Year to them!), who are off to see Hanna, at the Arcola.
On the 5th of January, I thought Time Out threw me a curiously interesting event - so I'm going on this Space Descent VR experience, at the Science Museum. I'll have to leave work early for it - there are timed slots, and it consists of wearing goggles, and living the experience of a descent to earth, with the astronaut Tim Peake narrating in your ears.
On the 6th of January, Crick Crack is back! Happy New Year to them too. The story of When Time Began is being told at King's Place. Creation myths. And wouldn't you know it, we're being treated to a host of performers - the husband and wife team, Emily and Nick Hennessy, and co-founder of the club, the amazing Ben Haggerty. Accompaniment provided by the wonderful musician, Sheema Mukherjee.
On the 7th of January, another Happy new Year - this time to Let's Do This, who are off to an art exhibition. Gilbert & George: the Beard Pictures and their Fuckosophy. Sorry, but that is the title. Showing at the White Cube Gallery. Honestly, but for the group that's hosting, I wouldn't bother..
And finally, more art on the 8th of January, which I'll probably enjoy more. I'm taking the day off to go see Reflections at the National Gallery - an exhibition of Pre-Raphaelites, which, with a free day, I can peruse at my leisure. As inspired by a walk by the excellent London Literary Walks - roll on the summer, and a return of those!
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