Talk: Seven Wonders of the Solar System

Tonight, finally back with Funzing! LDN Talks @ Night (I thought they were changing their name to Funzing Talks - perhaps not yet) and London Speaks Sessions were talking about the Seven Wonders of the Solar System, at Cafe 1001. Yeuch - can't stand the place: hipster central. Still, at least I could walk there..

And walk there I did! first time since I moved. When I eventually tore myself from a friendly, but overly chatty, co-worker I haven't spoken to in a while. I could just feel I was going to be late - so, ASAP, off I dashed. I might have taken the bus instead, except Google Maps got the time wrong again - when I got to the stop and saw I had another 10 minutes to wait, I realised I'd be faster walking! At least I was already going in the right direction.

Not hard - straight down Commercial Road, hanging a left eventually - I was coming at it from the opposite direction to usual, but it was easy enough. Unfortunately, I was a little late - good job I knew where I was going, as there were no signs, and nobody to guide me. So, through the crowd listening to the band - as I figured, the music proved quite distracting during the talk; this is a terrible venue for talks. Still, for once, there were people that took it upon themselves to close the doors if things outside got too loud.

Someone hopped up when I came in, and checked off my name on his laptop. The room was mostly full, but not entirely - I had no trouble getting a seat. She'd started already - but the guy who checked my name assured me that she hadn't gone far. Indeed, I can only have missed at most one planet - I don't recall her saying anything about Mercury. No problem about me arriving late, at least - and I wasn't the only one, someone crept in half an hour later..

She proceeded to make her way out past the planets - starting with the moon, then Venus, then each of the planets in order, heading out to the edge (and including Pluto, yay! Hated it when they downgraded that.) The images in her slideshow were awesome - I was soon lost in them. It's hard not to be, when faced with real-life wonders like this - the sheer size and scale of what she was discussing are unimaginable. The colours, which she assured us were real, were incredible. And much of the talk centred on massive volcanoes, craters.. the feasibility of life.. the vast distances involved.

There was an interval, which she extended because she'd got through the first bit so quickly. I got a drink at the bar, and asked about nibbles - nope, I'd have to go to the cafe downstairs. Nuts to that - I sat down again. After the interval, we were onto her pet project - Saturn. I can see why - with its famous rings, it's easily the most photogenic planet. The amazing pictures in this section, she explained, were the result of the Cassini Mission - and she enthralled us with talk of how a mission could last for 35 years, and how upset the people working on this mission were when the probe crashed into the planet, a few months ago. She revealed how one said that the data returned would take 100 years to analyse properly..

Plenty of people were taking pictures of the slides. I might have myself, but my phone was practically dead, and I needed to check my walk back.. This was a really great talk, delivered by someone obviously well used to public speaking. Scholarly rather than entertaining, this was one that didn't need a song and dance act - the planets spoke for themselves.

Outside afterwards, it was pissing with unforecast rain. And on the walk home, one of my principal irritations was having to skirt great hordes of joggers! I wonder whether this is a year-round thing, or just for the more uncomfortable months.. At least my phone lasted long enough for me to find my way. Tomorrow, I had RSVPed with London Science Talks and Museums Meetup, for a Science Museum late. But hey, it's free - so I had no problem cancelling when Let's Do This advertised a meal the same evening. Turkish, I believe, with a drink at the George Inn beforehand. Closer to me, too.

I start February with two from Up in the Cheap Seats. On Thursday, I'm at John in the National. And on Friday, my now-nearby venue, finally - I'm at Sadler's Wells Sampled. Hey, I can walk there and back, again..

On Saturday, I'm finally back with Anthony's Cultural Events and Walking Activities Group (fairly trips off the tongue, that!) for a free walk - Secret Diaries and Public Spaces: the Legacy of Pepys and Wren. As run by Walk London. I had a great time with this group before - it's a shame they so frequently clash with other things I'm doing.

On Sunday, another walk, with Funzing, via Walking in London - Forgotten Old London is one I've had my eye on for a while. And that evening, someone suggested a classical concert in King's Place - well, whyever not? So I booked. Close enough to walk home after, too.

And on Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at Hampstead Theatre, for Dry Powder.