So, I woke that bit earlier and could already see the sun streaming through the curtains. Good weather, huh? I checked the report, and duly started to dig for light clothes - and sandals. Kitted myself out appropriately, and headed out nice and early, catching two buses to Tower Gateway:
More photos here. Happily, not having seen the entrance to the DLR station on my trip so far, I headed around the other side, and discovered a massive entrance. Now, in my defence, I didn't see a touchpad for Oyster users.. I just swished past the ticket machines, since I didn't need one, and hopped on the train, which was about to depart. It wasn't until further down the line that it occurred to me that I should have touched in somewhere! Ah well, never mind - they don't seem to check on weekends.
And so I alighted, cheaply, on Royal Albert Dock. It was like stepping into an oven - I was glad for every stitch of clothing I wasn't wearing. I could see the crowds and pennants from the station, so decided not to wait for the group - what point was there? The organiser had posted, just as I was leaving, to say that we'd probably split into small groups. How can you manage a large group at an event like this? So, I took a seat before heading off into the sunshine, and messaged to say that I'd do my own thing.
Then I had a stroll:
Wow, we were close to City Airport - in fact, if you heard a loud roaring noise, it was a plane taking off from there. Someone in the group later took a photo that looked as though a plane was going to land on one of the boats.. planespotters' paradise! It's a pity that it sometimes drowned out the drumming from the boats, which gave the rowers their rhythm. I don't know how they managed in the heat.
Me, I'd soon exhausted the stalls - there wasn't anything to buy but food, they were team stalls and advertising, most of which had given up and gone home. So I decided to get some food. There was plenty of choice - mostly Asian, one crepe stall. Unfortunately, the one I chose (Bite Mi) - for its teriyaki chicken noodles - while having a queue that, while long, was no longer than the others, was served by people who were moving really slowly. Like, they have perfected the art of meditative cooking. Which meant I was queueing, in the baking sun, feeling my skin burn, for half an hour or more. Should've done like the Chinese there, and hidden under an umbrella. I'm not joking when I say that, by the time I finally made it to the stall itself to order, I was feeling really woozy - I'm no good at standing anyway, my back goes. And I think I was starting with heatstroke. I was barely able to stand by the time they took my order.. Was I ever grateful to take it, and a fork, and leg it out of there - no napkins visible.
Unable to see anywhere else decent to sit, I decided to take it back to the benches in the DLR station - where I'd have a proper seat, in the shade. And so I ate - it was ok, not terrific - and recovered my strength, and read the messages flooding in from various group members, who were trying to find each other. The messaging stopped when the organiser finally weighed in, to say that some of them were sitting in the shade behind a particular stall, looking at the stage.
Funnily enough, I was now headed over that way again - to the adjacent ice cream van, now that I felt up to it. The queue was about as long as before - but I was through it in a fraction of the time. Because why? Because this guy knew how to serve people quickly! Actually, I have tremendous respect for the stallholders today - the queues were relentless, the work can't have eased up all day, and in this heat.. that noodle stall had literally hundreds of styrofoam containers, ready in packets at the side, to put individual portions in. I was afraid this ice cream guy would run out of something before I got to him.. like ice cream..
But no, I was in luck. And as the people left, he was constantly calling to the next people in the queue - see, that's the way to do it! I'd been going to have a single cone - sod it, I ordered a twin. With a Flake. And a 7Up chaser. Just handy I had the cash from Friday. As I was queueing, I'd spied the group leader, sat in the shade as described - but you know, there wasn't much space there, and frankly, what was on stage was shit. So I went back to the DLR station to eat these. The ice cream wasn't inclined to melt, but it wouldn't have had time anyway, I wolfed it down so fast. And I didn't move again until the 7Up was gone, too.
I schlepped back briefly to see whether I could grab a photo of the tai chi I'd glimpsed earlier, but there was no sign of them. Still shit on stage - so I decided to leave. Tapped in this time. And Google Maps was of the opinion that it'd take me over an hour, now, if I involved a bus, so I didn't - changed to the Tube and walked downhill from Angel, delighted to find that it was cooler around home.
We've got a colleague visiting from abroad the next two days, so I'm leaving those days free, although I must keep an eye on what's on, in case she's interested. Mercifully, it's promised cooler. Then I'd booked with London Literary Walks on Wednesday, for another Sculpture in the City walk. But wouldn't you know it, he just realised that the display only starts later in the month! He's postponed it to next month. Which leaves me free to head back to Sands Films, where Eleanor, courtesy of TunedIn London, and advertised via the London European Club, is hosting a blues concert by Errol Linton. Lovely!
Thursday is the company's monthly social - this month, it's in Junkyard Golf Club. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 11th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for the first time in weeks! Another performance of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical - different every night. At the Lyric again.
On the 12th, another Funzing talk, courtesy of London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night - Inside North Korea. I see the code crazy_fun is still getting a 10% discount.
On the 13th, London Literary Walks is taking us to A Circus School and Shakespeare's Dark Lady.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats - at the Bridge Theatre this time, for My Name is Lucy Barton, starring Laura Linney. I got the very last £15 seat!
And on the 15th, would you credit it, I'm back with London Dramatic Arts! to see Monogamy, at the Park Theatre. Well, it sounds interesting - and they've sold their allocation for this showing, so we're free to buy our own (gee). My good God, it's August since I was last with them..
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