Well, I made it down to reception on Monday in time to check out. Handy they have a box to drop your card into for express checkout, considering there's almost never anyone at the desk.. So off I went. And it drizzled on me, which it hadn't been supposed to. Turned out to be a relatively short hop to Central Station, though.
I had to pick up my ticket, but wouldn't you know it - no machines! So I had to queue at the desk. It was just after 11 at this point - I'd had to check out for 11, and had been early. So the guy couldn't find my name, and asked whether I'd booked for the 12.35. Nope, the 2.05. He found my ticket, and as I was so early, I asked whether I could switch to that one. He said it'd cost me £10 extra. I passed.
I took a quick look around the station, returned to the desk, and paid the £10 - it was still cheaper overall than not booking in advance. There's practically nothing there! It's quite tiny, for such a significant station - northern terminus of the Enterprise! Apart from the ticket desk, there's a shop, a cafe, a toilet, a bakery stall, and a couple of vending machines. I didn't fancy anything in the cafe, so I bought a sandwich in the shop and sat in the seating area to eat it.
By the time I had, the chap had announced that the queue for the Dublin train started over there. I had to chase him across the station to ask him whether that was for the 12.35 - there was another train leaving just before that, which turned out to be a connecting train for the Enterprise. If you should need it. The departure boards had just stopped working, so I was as confused as many people there. Anyway, yes, that was the train, and I duly queued.
When we were eventually allowed to board, I was delighted to find plenty of unreserved seats - given my recent experience with Virgin Trains, where they all seemed to be taken! (nominally, at least). Nice little traffic-light type lights over the seats make it easy to see, too - green for unreserved, orange and red for reserved. I quickly found myself a forward-facing window seat, and had a comfy and pleasant trip south. I dozed a bit, and might have dozed more, except for the excitedly barking dog at one end of our carriage, and the child that screamed as though they were in The Exorcist at the other..
I arrived at Connolly Station, and had to make my way to Heuston. It's a bit far to walk, particularly with luggage - I did it, once, and wouldn't fancy repeating the experience. Time was, the only public transport option was the #90 bus - well, I consulted Google Maps, which sensibly suggested the Luas! It is actually slightly more expensive, but so much handier with bags - and, of course, not as dependent on traffic. There's a stop at Connolly, but Google Maps suggested trying the next stop along, where trams are much more frequent - turn right at the corner. I picked up a Leap card last time I was there - similar to the Oyster card, it gives cheaper travel across the city - and, of course, is handier than cash. And sure enough, the tram was along in no time.
So it was that I arrived at Heuston at 3.20. Here, they have machines - where I picked up my ticket, booked for 5.25. Now, there was a train leaving at 3.30.. which also connected with the third train I needed, to travel the final leg to Sixmilebridge. But you know, I had it in mind to pick up a birthday card for my mother, whose birthday was last week, and a box of chocolates - these things I could find in Heuston, but not if I rushed for the train. Plus, what would I do if I arrived down in Clare a couple of hours early? It wasn't as though my mother would want to go out to eat at that hour! And it wasn't as though I could change my journey for €10.. I'd have to buy a completely new ticket! Nah, I decided to wait it out.
So, I bought a card, pen, and box of chocolates. And the paper. Checked out the carvery in The Galway Hooker pub - but honestly, it didn't look too appetising, so I stuck to a sandwich in the cafe outside. Space heaters kept me warm while I ate and wrote the card - I was to wish, later, that I'd just stayed there, but it has no view of the departures board, so I moved. And after that, never stopped moving - it was too cold to be stationary. It's a feckin' barn of a place, draughts from every angle. A mint hot chocolate from the stall did help - although I could have done without the cream, which didn't have time to dissolve, and just ended up as a lump at the bottom.
It took forever for our platform to be announced, as I paced in the cold, and kids bashed the poor piano that was advertising a piano repair company. Strikes me that, if that piano survives all that treatment, it'll be a great advertisement! Finally, it was with a great sense of gratitude that we scurried to our train when it was announced. For once, I had a reservation, and gratefully took my seat - with lights on the tables, my table companion wondered whether we'd stumbled into First Class, as we're not accustomed to such luxury! Me, I was impressed that the reservations are now given as LCD displays - I remember when they were scribbled on slips of paper, and shoved into the join between seat and headrest..
Only thing was, I had really nowhere to stow my bag. There doesn't seem to be a luggage section, it was too heavy to go in the overhead rack, and the spaces between the seats now - sensibly - house bins. I ended up shoving it in the wheelchair space at the end of the carriage. Another comfy journey, during which I dozed substantially. And wow, decent WiFi!
As we approached Limerick, a helpful announcer told us that the train to Sixmilebridge was leaving from Platform 4. Great - considering that Google Maps said I had all of five minutes to make the connection! I couldn't even remember where that was. In scurrying off the train, I nearly came a cropper on something that had been spilled on the dining car floor. Well, I did manage to find the door for Platforms 3 and 4, which had a massive queue - automatically joined that, and in trying to find out whether I was in the right place, had some trouble getting the youth in front of me to respond, since he had earphones in. When he did, it was to say that no, that wasn't the train he was queueing for.. queue the lady behind me exclaiming to her companion, "I told you so!", as we all legged it past the queue.
I think the smaller, two-car train at Platform 4 was waiting for us - at any rate, it left just a couple of minutes after I sat down. I'd missed the announcement that explained the stops, but as I suspected, Sixmilebridge is the first. I disembarked into the freezing cold, and hiked over to where I'd left my car - and so it was that I made it back to my mother's, around 9pm. Rather exhausted, and not really in the mood for my mother's poodle's shenanigans.
Really, it's been great, without work to occupy me for the last couple of days. But you know, I had to do something for Hallowe'en.. and realistically, that was going to be a film. Particularly as tomorrow is a Holy Day of Obligation, so my mother needed to be taken to Mass, which placed some constraints on when I could leave, as the only local Mass was a vigil Mass, tonight. Now, Limerick has a good selection of films, these days - it had to be something relevant to the day, though, which left three: Halloween (2018), Slaughterhouse Rulez, and Venom. Slaughterhouse Rulez actually scored highest on IMDB (typically for a Simon Pegg film, its rating has crashed since!), but it's a comedy, and I decided to go for straight horror, since it was available. So that meant Halloween. And as the Odeon had showings at 9, 10, and 11 - and is less than 2/3 the price of the Omniplex - that was the clear winner. Mind you, as I remarked to my mother, going to Mass followed by a slasher film was an interesting juxtaposition..
Well, Mass was done nice and quickly, I dropped my mother home and took off into the night. I even remembered the way to the cinema - which is quite good, considering I hadn't been there in years! Busy, busy car park - Ireland, they say, has the largest cinema-going population in Europe. (I blame the weather, as usual.) I parked as close as possible, and shivered my way over - where I discovered that every one of the ticket machines was out of service, so I had to queue at the counter. Well, at least it got rid of some cash for me. Seating is unreserved, so I just specified the showing I wanted - managed to get the next one, at 9 - and headed to the toilet. When I came out, it was still 25 minutes before showtime - I asked the usher, who said certainly, it was open! How handy - I'm not used to screens opening so early. So I went in and chose a comfy seat - I see they still have the old Storm logo, from before they were bought by Odeon!
Five minutes before start time, a very zen logo was displayed - all exploding particles and soft noises. Doubtless to try to calm down the audience before the show got underway - and indeed, the cinema (a pretty large size) was mostly full, most people arriving just before the feature. They were pretty well-behaved, to their credit. Some ads, some trailers, and we were into the feature.
Yep, another instalment in the franchise. This is the 40th anniversary of the fantastic original, written and directed by John Carpenter, and starring Jamie Lee Curtis (the original "screamer") as the hapless babysitter, pursued by a crazed serial killer with a big knife, and wearing an iconic, featureless mask. Well, Carpenter and Curtis are back as executive producers on this - a major draw is the return of Curtis, who reprises her role as Laurie Strode, 40 years older: and the best of all is the return of Carpenter's terrific music! It is such a treat when they use that in a chase sequence - although, to their credit, it's not over-used.
This is what you might call a female empowerment horror. Laurie has spent her life compensating for her helplessness on that original night, and has now turned her house into a fortress, complete with a kick-ass arsenal in an underground bunker. She has a daughter, Judy Greer, whom social services removed from her care when she was 12, considering her upbringing to be unsuitable: involving, as it did, the bunker, gun training, combat training.. you know the sort of thing. She, herself, is now all grown up and married, with a teenage daughter of her own, who feels an affinity to her crazy grandmother. (It occurs to me that these people must have had their daughters damn young - only 40 years have passed, as is confirmed in the script, and Laurie was about the same age in the original film that her granddaughter is now, in her late teens..)
The men in this film - our famous villain aside - are hopeless. There's no mention of Judy Greer's father, and her husband is a pompous ass, who makes inappropriate comments, is never of any use, and always thinks - erroneously - that he knows best. The officials are predictably at sixes and sevens, the boyfriends stoned and/or drunk. Nope, it's up to Laurie and clan to save the day.
It does deliver the scares. And oh, thank you for that glorious clip of music! Many scenes are reprised from the original - a treat for fans - particularly at the start of the film. Note the similar decor in parts, the similarities with scenes of Michael stalking the streets full of trick 'r treaters. Specific scenes that are reproduced include one of Laurie's granddaughter, sat at the back of a classroom, bored and staring out the window, to see someone standing on the opposite side of the road, staring back at her. Mental patients wandering the streets at night, dazed. A couple of murders are committed in like manner to the original. We get teenagers walking down streets lined with autumn leaves. We get a car driving around in the background, perhaps stalking the characters. We get a horny babysitter, inviting friends over. We get someone falling from a roof, apparently dead - and when we look back, the body is gone. We get Laurie's granddaughter, running through the neighbourhood screaming - she doesn't have to do it for so long though, these neighbours are much more helpful!
The film starts with two rather annoying investigative journalists, looking into the story for a podcast. Don't worry (spoiler!), they don't last too long. I'll say this, this film makes us care much more for the victims than does the original - there's not a murder that occurs but we're disturbed by. Which might be why I spent much of the film with my hands to my mouth. I did also notice a distinct lack of sex / nudity in this one, in comparison with the original. In the original, I got the impression that Michael was punishing people for having sex - not sure whether he has any particular motivation here, apart from people who get in his way, and of course, Laurie, for whatever reason. Ergo, we have a much higher body count - I estimated 18, perhaps 19.
In summary, not the classic that the original is, but a worthy successor, and definitely scary enough to watch on Hallowe'en. Outside, it was like a fridge - the car needed demisting, and the drive back, over the mountain, was quite scary in dense fog. Perfect weather for the day that was in it! but I was glad I hadn't had to wait for a later showing.
On Monday, I'm back up to Dublin. U2 again, dont'cha know? Staying in the Clayton again, which is a hop, skip and jump from the 3Arena, where there are concerts on Monday and Tuesday. Would you believe, I've just spent 10 months clicking on the Ticketmaster website to see whether they had a ticket drop, so I could get a ticket to Monday's concert - the only Dublin one I didn't have. Would you believe further, last night I randomly clicked on it again, on the way to do something else - and there they were. You just have to persist. Within the next 10 minutes, I had a lower-tier ticket! Well, my return train ticket is for that day - might be a rush across town, but I should do it.
Next Wednesday, I fly back to London (BA) - purely so I can work on the 8th, before flying back to Dublin that night! Was supposed to be Cityjet, but they've now ended their flight schedule after this month - so now I'm going Ryanair. Same hotel, same venue, same band - on the 9th and 10th. I fly back on the 11th, exhausted, and finished with U2 concerts for the year!
On the 12th, I booked for Macbeth, at the Wanamaker Playhouse. And then Let's Do This finally posted that date for the Shirt Tail Stompers at Wilton's - well, I couldn't miss that! Funnily enough, London Social Detours have now advertised the same thing (and are charging more, as usual) - there's a terrible rivalry between the groups, with the leader of the latter group thinking she has prior claim to the floorspace. Sparks might fly. Meantime, anyone want a spare ticket for Macbeth?
On the 13th, we have our monthly team outing - probably just the two of us, but hey.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct.
On the 15th, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London again. And it being a Funzing event (like all of Walking in London's) I scoured my old Funzing discount codes, and discovered that Funzing_Fb20 seems to be working again - for all of them I've recently booked! So, a 20% discount - better than any recently offered on their Facebook page. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 19th, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at a recent event! I've actually asked whether they're now defunct - we'll see whether I get a response.
On the 20th, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.
On the 21st, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!
On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!
On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.
On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On the 25th, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.
On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.
On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour.
On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd of December, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
On the 4th, I'm off to the Bush, for Drip.
On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue.
On the 6th, Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. Whether this event happens is anyone's guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way. But then Henning, with the London European Club, advertised a Happy Xmaths evening at Imperial College, the same night! Festive fun for maths geeks - sign me up. Plus it's free - you just have to register with Eventbrite. And it'll be great to get back with this group. And since I booked the walk with Funzing, I've cancelled and will get a full refund. And I feel no sadness at missing an evening with Hazel, after what's been happening.
On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!
On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.
On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.
On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!
And on the 11th of December, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
Sunday, 28 October 2018
Concert: U2 (Tuaisceart na hÉireann #2)
Headed out to find food- in the opposite direction to that I've been going in, which took me to University Road, which has lots of eateries! I started on the left with Holohan's, but it looked a bit gourmet for my taste, so I tried next door at Villa Italia. With a selection and price that appealed, and looking cosy, I said I'd try it.
It was buzzing inside, but they made me up a table in the corner, and a smiley, friendly server made sure I was taken care of. It's quite intimate, the space broken up into lots of nooks and crannies. The decor is Italian rustic, terracotta floor tiles, an Italianesque fountain beside me. Other tables are beside fake windows.
I chose garlic bread to start, followed by a chicken escalope in a white wine sauce, topped with ham and cheese. I had a side of mushrooms in garlic butter, and a carafe of pinot grigio.
The garlic bread was very tasty- plenty of garlic butter- although it was the wrong kind of bread, with too thick a crust. The main course was lovely, and came with a small portion of vegetables. The mushrooms were delicious, the wine excellent. But the highlight was the chocolate cake, served with a hot chocolate fudge sauce that gave me a reason to use up the scoop of cream! Oh yes, I can see why the queue extended onto the road as I left - I was lucky to beat the rush!
Eventually, I made my way to the concert- slightly earlier than last night. Same entrance, but up the other stairs for the other side, for once. So, I was halfway between the I and E stages again.
Oh, so close. I was a bit worried about the very small child sitting behind me with her dad, but jeez, once we began to stand, she was right there with us, jumping around like a mad thing.
setlist
For the second night in a row, I think Bono was impressed with the audience reaction- justifiably, and well done them! And a funny thing happened during his stint as MacPhisto- he looked right in my direction, pointed and gave a thumbs-up. Perhaps he recognised me from previous shows- there've been a few now where I've been near the stage. Now, there's an awesome thought..
Speaking of whom, MacPhisto's speech tonight was interesting. He challenged us to recognise him, then said, "What, haven't you ever seen a politician?" He then told us about his latest recruit, Mr. "Bossanova" (Bolsonaro), the far-right politician who's just been elected President of Brazil.
Pride, as usual, saw the guitarists make their way to the sides. Tonight, Adam was right at the end of our flight of stairs- and Lord help anyone trying to keep the aisles clear, as they rushed to get a picture. He was nearly close enough to fall on top of. The song, last night dedicated to John Hume, was tonight dedicated to both him and David Trimble, who won the Nobel Peace prize, 20 years ago this month, for the Good Friday Agreement. One of the things that Brexit is putting an end to.
I'm glad to see they found the pre-British version of the video for Get Out of Your Own Way, rather than just cutting it short. As last night, the parting message was to trust each other, regardless of what happens with the border. Another amazing concert- and the crowd tried to sing 40 as we left, before being shut down by the piped music. As we made our way home, several different U2 songs could be heard from different quarters. And oh, the icy air was sweet after the heat and sweat of the arena.
I've now used up most of my cash, glad not to be left with any weird NI notes that aren't accepted in Britain (Danske Bank, anyone?) Tomorrow, I'm taking the train down to my mother for a week - makes more sense than jetting back and forth to her! Hope I make my connection in Dublin- I should have an hour, but Dublin can be troublesome to get across.
On the 5th, I'm back up to Dublin. U2 again, dont'cha know? Staying in the Clayton again, which is a hop, skip and jump from the 3Arena, where there are concerts on the 5th and 6th. Would you believe, not even I could swing a ticket for the 5th - well, I'll just rock up on the day, and hopefully I can get something at the box office. I have heard of such things happening. I've had stranger things happen!
On the 7th, I fly back to London (BA) - purely so I can work on the 8th, before flying back to Dublin that night! Was supposed to be Cityjet, but they've now ended their flight schedule after this month - so now I'm going Ryanair. Same hotel, same venue, same band - on the 9th and 10th. I fly back on the 11th, exhausted, and finished with U2 concerts for the year!
On the 12th, I booked for Macbeth, at the Wanamaker Playhouse. And then Let's Do This finally posted that date for the Shirt Tail Stompers at Wilton's - well, I couldn't miss that! Funnily enough, London Social Detours have now advertised the same thing (and are charging more, as usual) - there's a terrible rivalry between the groups, with the leader of the latter group thinking she has prior claim to the floorspace. Sparks might fly. Meantime, anyone want a spare ticket for Macbeth?
On the 13th, we have our monthly team outing - probably just the two of us, but hey.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct.
On the 15th, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London again. And it being a Funzing event (like all of Walking in London's) I scoured my old Funzing discount codes, and discovered that Funzing_Fb20 seems to be working again - for all of them I've recently booked! So, a 20% discount - better than any recently offered on their Facebook page. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 19th, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at Monday's event!
On the 20th, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.
On the 21st, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!
On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!
On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.
On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On the 25th of next month, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.
On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.
On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour.
On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd of December, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
On the 4th, I'm off to the Bush, for Drip.
On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue.
The 6th could be interesting - Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. We shall see whether this event happens, I guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way.
On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!
On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.
On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.
On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!
And on the 11th of December, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!
It was buzzing inside, but they made me up a table in the corner, and a smiley, friendly server made sure I was taken care of. It's quite intimate, the space broken up into lots of nooks and crannies. The decor is Italian rustic, terracotta floor tiles, an Italianesque fountain beside me. Other tables are beside fake windows.
I chose garlic bread to start, followed by a chicken escalope in a white wine sauce, topped with ham and cheese. I had a side of mushrooms in garlic butter, and a carafe of pinot grigio.
The garlic bread was very tasty- plenty of garlic butter- although it was the wrong kind of bread, with too thick a crust. The main course was lovely, and came with a small portion of vegetables. The mushrooms were delicious, the wine excellent. But the highlight was the chocolate cake, served with a hot chocolate fudge sauce that gave me a reason to use up the scoop of cream! Oh yes, I can see why the queue extended onto the road as I left - I was lucky to beat the rush!
Eventually, I made my way to the concert- slightly earlier than last night. Same entrance, but up the other stairs for the other side, for once. So, I was halfway between the I and E stages again.
Oh, so close. I was a bit worried about the very small child sitting behind me with her dad, but jeez, once we began to stand, she was right there with us, jumping around like a mad thing.
setlist
- The Blackout
- Lights of Home
- I Will Follow
- All Because Of You
- Beautiful Day
- Zoo Station
- The Fly
- Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
- Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Intermission - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me)
- Elevation
- Vertigo / It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It) (snippet) / (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (snippet)
- Even Better Than The Real Thing
- Hall of Mirrors (snippet) / Acrobat
- The Showman (Little More Better) (snippet) / You're The Best Thing About Me
- Summer Of Love
- Pride (In The Name Of Love)
- Get Out Of Your Own Way
- New Year's Day
- City Of Blinding Lights
- One / Hear Us Coming (snippet)
- Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
- 13 (There Is A Light)
encore(s):
For the second night in a row, I think Bono was impressed with the audience reaction- justifiably, and well done them! And a funny thing happened during his stint as MacPhisto- he looked right in my direction, pointed and gave a thumbs-up. Perhaps he recognised me from previous shows- there've been a few now where I've been near the stage. Now, there's an awesome thought..
Speaking of whom, MacPhisto's speech tonight was interesting. He challenged us to recognise him, then said, "What, haven't you ever seen a politician?" He then told us about his latest recruit, Mr. "Bossanova" (Bolsonaro), the far-right politician who's just been elected President of Brazil.
Pride, as usual, saw the guitarists make their way to the sides. Tonight, Adam was right at the end of our flight of stairs- and Lord help anyone trying to keep the aisles clear, as they rushed to get a picture. He was nearly close enough to fall on top of. The song, last night dedicated to John Hume, was tonight dedicated to both him and David Trimble, who won the Nobel Peace prize, 20 years ago this month, for the Good Friday Agreement. One of the things that Brexit is putting an end to.
I'm glad to see they found the pre-British version of the video for Get Out of Your Own Way, rather than just cutting it short. As last night, the parting message was to trust each other, regardless of what happens with the border. Another amazing concert- and the crowd tried to sing 40 as we left, before being shut down by the piped music. As we made our way home, several different U2 songs could be heard from different quarters. And oh, the icy air was sweet after the heat and sweat of the arena.
I've now used up most of my cash, glad not to be left with any weird NI notes that aren't accepted in Britain (Danske Bank, anyone?) Tomorrow, I'm taking the train down to my mother for a week - makes more sense than jetting back and forth to her! Hope I make my connection in Dublin- I should have an hour, but Dublin can be troublesome to get across.
On the 5th, I'm back up to Dublin. U2 again, dont'cha know? Staying in the Clayton again, which is a hop, skip and jump from the 3Arena, where there are concerts on the 5th and 6th. Would you believe, not even I could swing a ticket for the 5th - well, I'll just rock up on the day, and hopefully I can get something at the box office. I have heard of such things happening. I've had stranger things happen!
On the 7th, I fly back to London (BA) - purely so I can work on the 8th, before flying back to Dublin that night! Was supposed to be Cityjet, but they've now ended their flight schedule after this month - so now I'm going Ryanair. Same hotel, same venue, same band - on the 9th and 10th. I fly back on the 11th, exhausted, and finished with U2 concerts for the year!
On the 12th, I booked for Macbeth, at the Wanamaker Playhouse. And then Let's Do This finally posted that date for the Shirt Tail Stompers at Wilton's - well, I couldn't miss that! Funnily enough, London Social Detours have now advertised the same thing (and are charging more, as usual) - there's a terrible rivalry between the groups, with the leader of the latter group thinking she has prior claim to the floorspace. Sparks might fly. Meantime, anyone want a spare ticket for Macbeth?
On the 13th, we have our monthly team outing - probably just the two of us, but hey.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct.
On the 15th, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London again. And it being a Funzing event (like all of Walking in London's) I scoured my old Funzing discount codes, and discovered that Funzing_Fb20 seems to be working again - for all of them I've recently booked! So, a 20% discount - better than any recently offered on their Facebook page. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 19th, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at Monday's event!
On the 20th, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.
On the 21st, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!
On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!
On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.
On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On the 25th of next month, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.
On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.
On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour.
On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd of December, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
On the 4th, I'm off to the Bush, for Drip.
On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue.
The 6th could be interesting - Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. We shall see whether this event happens, I guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way.
On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!
On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.
On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.
On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!
And on the 11th of December, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!
Concert: U2 (Tuaisceart na hÉireann #1)
Fáilte! Now in Belfast. Yep, U2 again. I get busier when they come around these parts. Staying in the Crescent Townhouse, walking distance from the SSE Arena, where the concerts take place today and tomorrow. I had fun the other day, when the hotel contacted me to let me know that my payment card had been declined! Odd, considering I paid through Expedia, in full, at the time of booking. A lovely lady from Expedia sorted it, calling the hotel for me and instructing me to stay on the line while she sorted it. No probs, we were now good to go.
It was doubly vexing on Friday when, having belatedly remembered that I hadn't checked in for my flight, I discovered that I couldn't! The website didn't seem to recognise my reference number - not that it's especially easy to tell what that is, from the information that Expedia gives. (I also booked this with them, but separately.) A phone call to FlyBe confirmed that yes, I was booked with them. Mind you, she didn't seem to be able to make sense of my reference number either! Had to ask for the ticket number.
I left in decent time - took the Tube to Bank, then the DLR straight there. 35 mins or so in total. And one thing I love about City Airport- apart from how close it is - is that they have a long line of check in kiosks just as you get off the train. Avoids so much stress!
My trolley bag - which generally qualifies as hand luggage - turned out to be too big for the overhead compartment pf this small, turbo-prop plane. I ended up having to stuff it under the seat in front of me! Sort of. Upshot was, I had no legroom. Other than that, the flight was pleasant- what a shame that my bag wasn't one of those they identified as too big, before we boarded..
And so to Belfast. Technically at the same temperature as London, it's suffering Arctic winds, and is absolutely freezing! I was suffering at the airport. Flew into George Best Belfast City Airport, which Google Maps says you can walk from to the train station. Not so much- there's no pathway!
There was supposed to be a courtesy bus to the station, but it has to be booked, and there didn't seem to be anyone there to do that! Neither did I have cash for either regular bus or taxi. Got cash.. and said sod it, I'm getting a taxi- Belfast is really full of them. I checked online to see what I'd have to pay, to make sure I had enough. At the taxi rank, a most convivial chap hailed me a taxi, opened the door for me, and took my bag. And wouldn't you know it, what I was charged was much less than what I'd been quoted online. Good to remember.
There was no-one on reception- there isn't, after 6pm- so I poked my head into the adjoining cafe, where the guy behind the counter got me someone to check me in. Unfortunately, I'm on the top floor.. and there's no lift. Although she did offer to get someone to help with my bag.
Upstairs- the room's fine, with a couple of snags. Firstly, when I arrived, the radiator was turned off and the place was freezing! Now, the bed is comfy, and I have plenty of bedding- and with seven routers in the hotel, the free WiFi is excellent. Minor remaining quibbles include the awkwardly placed sockets, and the alarm clock whose time needs setting, and I can't figure out how to do it. There's also the safe, which doesn't have the reset button that is mentioned in the instructions..
More photos here. Looks fine from the photo, but it rained shortly after. I am in Ireland, after all!
Took my time heading out- I was thinking of the Titanic exhibition, which I'd heard great things about. I set out on foot, lest I see a restaurant on the way - the breakfast offered in the hotel cafe is too vegan for my liking, and they hadn't started with lunch yet. I noticed, en route, that I've accidentally fetched up in a Loyalist area! Not an issue these days, but time was I'd have been taking my life in my hands, with my Southern Irish accent, staying in a UVF community! Every time I walk to or from the hotel, I see another mural.
What I found first, before a restaurant, was St. George's Market - an excellent mixture of handicrafts, antiques, and food - although I fancied something a bit more upmarket to eat. I really enjoyed wandering it, though, to the sound of a pop duo performing in the centre.
And so, finally, on to the Titanic Quarter, passing the SSE on the way. My God, it was cold- being by the water, it's very exposed, and there was a strong, icy breeze. I still hadn't found a decent eatery - Belfast doesn't seem packed with them. So that was my first mission in the exhibition building, which turns out to have a pub that does sandwiches, and a self-service bistro, both on the ground floor. Vexingly, everything in the complex accepts Euros - if I'd known, I could have brought some!
So, I queued at the bistro. First counter is desserts, where I wisely decided to grab one straight away. It was lunchtime, and very crowded- I worried that, if I came back for one later, I'd lose my seat. It also turned out that, by the time I got to eat my chocolate cake, they were all gone from the shelf! You have been warned.
At the hot food counter, the lady asked whether there was anyone else for takeaway. Well, no, I wanted to eat it there- it wasn't until I was nearly at the till that I realised she'd meant "was there anyone for hot food?"! So I went back and queued again, and got a very moreish plate of tasty bang bang chicken, potatoes and veg, with gravy. And a glass of wine. £20.45 for all that, and as I was queueing, a manager asked how many were in my party, and found me a seat. Crowded, yes, and the only real choice here, but well worth a visit.
The centre also includes a decent, Titanic-related gift shop, but not much else. So I bought myself an exhibition ticket- I got mine from a kiosk, which had less of a queue, but they also seem to sell them at the visitor centre, which had no queue at all, and which I don't think they're supposed to. It was 2.10 at this point- with timed entry every 15 minutes, the next availability was at 3! So I took a seat, well away from the doors, which were letting in a terrible draught. While I was waiting, a wedding party arrived! Well, I suppose, why not? Terribly inappropriately dressed though, in strapless dresses with thigh-high slits, only a pashmina for warmth! Some people have no sense.
After the 2.45 crowd had gone in to the exhibition, I approached- and was just let straight in to the queue. There's an optional photograph in front of a green screen, on which is later imposed some period background, and you get to hold an old suitcase. They cost £10 at the end - I passed.
You can get audio guides when you're buying your ticket, at the desks - I do recommend them if you're not familiar with the history, as the full context of the time isn't completely explained. I made do with the explanatory flier - I see they have them in several languages, including Irish and Scots Gaelic! You can pick them up at the entrance to the exhibition.
The exhibition spans Floors 1 to 4. Floor 1 describes how Belfast was an industrial giant in the years leading up to Titanic. You also get a sense of the politics of the time, although it would probably take another whole exhibition to go into it properly:
Wend your way through this to the lift up to Level 4 - it has an industrial feel, because you're now learning what it was like to be in the steelworks. On Level 4, you can take a fairground ride, if you like- six different languages available on the cars, which seat six people. The staff select the language. I really recommend this- ir changes level and direction as you wind through the sculpture, but it's gentle, and really gives a sense of the working conditions.
After that, a very thorough exhibit describes the design of Titanic, with evocative representations of the sleeping quarters, and descriptions of how they ordered the best of everything. So poignant, given what happened- and the description of the sinking is most moving, with transcripts of the radio transmissions and audio from the survivors. There's a reproduction of a lifeboat, a description of the investigation, a panel about media representations. And as you make your way downstairs again, you can watch a film shot in a submersible investigating the wreck, learn about the debris field, and also about ocean exploration in general.
It's a fabulous undertaking, well worth the £18.50 adult admission fee, which includes access to the SS Nomadic, docked alongside, which is the White Star Line's last surviving ship. You can leave your visit to that till the day after your visit to the exhibition- but I'm not that pushed. Titanic tickets can be combined with other attractions- see the website for details.
Back to the hotel and out of the wind. Of course, my key card didn't work, and I had to grab the manager before she left for the day, and get her to fix it. Rested up a bit and charged my phone before heading back to the SSE - I tell you, that U2 fleece I bought is proving invaluable against the cold! On the way, I ran into two nice Belgian chaps, whose first concert of the tour it was. I was happy to reassure them both that yes, we'd be on time- they never have come on at the appointed time- and yes, this tour is phenomenal.
Stairs down to navigate again, but a gentlemanly usher offered me his arm. There isn't really an upper tier here- just a line of what look like corporate boxes along the top. As for my seat- jeez, I thought it was excellent. It was the cheapest ticket for me of the whole tour, at the £100 mark, but where I was, I could see the main screen and the screen at the back, which often shows something slightly different. I was delighted to be on the corner, where people are often more enthusiastic. And particularly, I was practically one with the standing fans - really felt like part of the U2 army, and the energy was phenomenal, the ground vibrating under our feet and excitable gans all around.
Heading out later for food, and the second concert. Tomorrow, I'm taking the train down to my mother for a week - makes more sense than jetting back and forth to her! Hope I make my connection in Dublin- I should have an hour, but Dublin can be troublesome to get across.
On the 5th, I'm back up to Dublin. U2 again, dont'cha know? Staying in the Clayton again, which is a hop, skip and jump from the 3Arena, where there are concerts on the 5th and 6th. Would you believe, not even I could swing a ticket for the 5th - well, I'll just rock up on the day, and hopefully I can get something at the box office. I have heard of such things happening. I've had stranger things happen!
On the 7th, I fly back to London (BA) - purely so I can work on the 8th, before flying back to Dublin that night! Was supposed to be Cityjet, but they've now ended their flight schedule after this month - so now I'm going Ryanair. Same hotel, same venue, same band - on the 9th and 10th. I fly back on the 11th, exhausted, and finished with U2 concerts for the year!
On the 12th, I booked for Macbeth, at the Wanamaker Playhouse. And then Let's Do This finally posted that date for the Shirt Tail Stompers at Wilton's - well, I couldn't miss that! Funnily enough, London Social Detours have now advertised the same thing (and are charging more, as usual) - there's a terrible rivalry between the groups, with the leader of the latter group thinking she has prior claim to the floorspace. Sparks might fly. Meantime, anyone want a spare ticket for Macbeth?
On the 13th, we have our monthly team outing - probably just the two of us, but hey.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct.
On the 15th, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London again. And it being a Funzing event (like all of Walking in London's) I scoured my old Funzing discount codes, and discovered that Funzing_Fb20 seems to be working again - for all of them I've recently booked! So, a 20% discount - better than any recently offered on their Facebook page. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 19th, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at Monday's event!
On the 20th, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.
On the 21st, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!
On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!
On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.
On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On the 25th of next month, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.
On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.
On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour.
On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd of December, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
On the 4th, I'm off to the Bush, for Drip.
On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue.
The 6th could be interesting - Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. We shall see whether this event happens, I guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way.
On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!
On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.
On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.
On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!
And on the 11th of December, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!
It was doubly vexing on Friday when, having belatedly remembered that I hadn't checked in for my flight, I discovered that I couldn't! The website didn't seem to recognise my reference number - not that it's especially easy to tell what that is, from the information that Expedia gives. (I also booked this with them, but separately.) A phone call to FlyBe confirmed that yes, I was booked with them. Mind you, she didn't seem to be able to make sense of my reference number either! Had to ask for the ticket number.
I left in decent time - took the Tube to Bank, then the DLR straight there. 35 mins or so in total. And one thing I love about City Airport- apart from how close it is - is that they have a long line of check in kiosks just as you get off the train. Avoids so much stress!
My trolley bag - which generally qualifies as hand luggage - turned out to be too big for the overhead compartment pf this small, turbo-prop plane. I ended up having to stuff it under the seat in front of me! Sort of. Upshot was, I had no legroom. Other than that, the flight was pleasant- what a shame that my bag wasn't one of those they identified as too big, before we boarded..
And so to Belfast. Technically at the same temperature as London, it's suffering Arctic winds, and is absolutely freezing! I was suffering at the airport. Flew into George Best Belfast City Airport, which Google Maps says you can walk from to the train station. Not so much- there's no pathway!
There was supposed to be a courtesy bus to the station, but it has to be booked, and there didn't seem to be anyone there to do that! Neither did I have cash for either regular bus or taxi. Got cash.. and said sod it, I'm getting a taxi- Belfast is really full of them. I checked online to see what I'd have to pay, to make sure I had enough. At the taxi rank, a most convivial chap hailed me a taxi, opened the door for me, and took my bag. And wouldn't you know it, what I was charged was much less than what I'd been quoted online. Good to remember.
There was no-one on reception- there isn't, after 6pm- so I poked my head into the adjoining cafe, where the guy behind the counter got me someone to check me in. Unfortunately, I'm on the top floor.. and there's no lift. Although she did offer to get someone to help with my bag.
Upstairs- the room's fine, with a couple of snags. Firstly, when I arrived, the radiator was turned off and the place was freezing! Now, the bed is comfy, and I have plenty of bedding- and with seven routers in the hotel, the free WiFi is excellent. Minor remaining quibbles include the awkwardly placed sockets, and the alarm clock whose time needs setting, and I can't figure out how to do it. There's also the safe, which doesn't have the reset button that is mentioned in the instructions..
More photos here. Looks fine from the photo, but it rained shortly after. I am in Ireland, after all!
Took my time heading out- I was thinking of the Titanic exhibition, which I'd heard great things about. I set out on foot, lest I see a restaurant on the way - the breakfast offered in the hotel cafe is too vegan for my liking, and they hadn't started with lunch yet. I noticed, en route, that I've accidentally fetched up in a Loyalist area! Not an issue these days, but time was I'd have been taking my life in my hands, with my Southern Irish accent, staying in a UVF community! Every time I walk to or from the hotel, I see another mural.
What I found first, before a restaurant, was St. George's Market - an excellent mixture of handicrafts, antiques, and food - although I fancied something a bit more upmarket to eat. I really enjoyed wandering it, though, to the sound of a pop duo performing in the centre.
And so, finally, on to the Titanic Quarter, passing the SSE on the way. My God, it was cold- being by the water, it's very exposed, and there was a strong, icy breeze. I still hadn't found a decent eatery - Belfast doesn't seem packed with them. So that was my first mission in the exhibition building, which turns out to have a pub that does sandwiches, and a self-service bistro, both on the ground floor. Vexingly, everything in the complex accepts Euros - if I'd known, I could have brought some!
So, I queued at the bistro. First counter is desserts, where I wisely decided to grab one straight away. It was lunchtime, and very crowded- I worried that, if I came back for one later, I'd lose my seat. It also turned out that, by the time I got to eat my chocolate cake, they were all gone from the shelf! You have been warned.
At the hot food counter, the lady asked whether there was anyone else for takeaway. Well, no, I wanted to eat it there- it wasn't until I was nearly at the till that I realised she'd meant "was there anyone for hot food?"! So I went back and queued again, and got a very moreish plate of tasty bang bang chicken, potatoes and veg, with gravy. And a glass of wine. £20.45 for all that, and as I was queueing, a manager asked how many were in my party, and found me a seat. Crowded, yes, and the only real choice here, but well worth a visit.
The centre also includes a decent, Titanic-related gift shop, but not much else. So I bought myself an exhibition ticket- I got mine from a kiosk, which had less of a queue, but they also seem to sell them at the visitor centre, which had no queue at all, and which I don't think they're supposed to. It was 2.10 at this point- with timed entry every 15 minutes, the next availability was at 3! So I took a seat, well away from the doors, which were letting in a terrible draught. While I was waiting, a wedding party arrived! Well, I suppose, why not? Terribly inappropriately dressed though, in strapless dresses with thigh-high slits, only a pashmina for warmth! Some people have no sense.
After the 2.45 crowd had gone in to the exhibition, I approached- and was just let straight in to the queue. There's an optional photograph in front of a green screen, on which is later imposed some period background, and you get to hold an old suitcase. They cost £10 at the end - I passed.
You can get audio guides when you're buying your ticket, at the desks - I do recommend them if you're not familiar with the history, as the full context of the time isn't completely explained. I made do with the explanatory flier - I see they have them in several languages, including Irish and Scots Gaelic! You can pick them up at the entrance to the exhibition.
The exhibition spans Floors 1 to 4. Floor 1 describes how Belfast was an industrial giant in the years leading up to Titanic. You also get a sense of the politics of the time, although it would probably take another whole exhibition to go into it properly:
Wend your way through this to the lift up to Level 4 - it has an industrial feel, because you're now learning what it was like to be in the steelworks. On Level 4, you can take a fairground ride, if you like- six different languages available on the cars, which seat six people. The staff select the language. I really recommend this- ir changes level and direction as you wind through the sculpture, but it's gentle, and really gives a sense of the working conditions.
After that, a very thorough exhibit describes the design of Titanic, with evocative representations of the sleeping quarters, and descriptions of how they ordered the best of everything. So poignant, given what happened- and the description of the sinking is most moving, with transcripts of the radio transmissions and audio from the survivors. There's a reproduction of a lifeboat, a description of the investigation, a panel about media representations. And as you make your way downstairs again, you can watch a film shot in a submersible investigating the wreck, learn about the debris field, and also about ocean exploration in general.
It's a fabulous undertaking, well worth the £18.50 adult admission fee, which includes access to the SS Nomadic, docked alongside, which is the White Star Line's last surviving ship. You can leave your visit to that till the day after your visit to the exhibition- but I'm not that pushed. Titanic tickets can be combined with other attractions- see the website for details.
Back to the hotel and out of the wind. Of course, my key card didn't work, and I had to grab the manager before she left for the day, and get her to fix it. Rested up a bit and charged my phone before heading back to the SSE - I tell you, that U2 fleece I bought is proving invaluable against the cold! On the way, I ran into two nice Belgian chaps, whose first concert of the tour it was. I was happy to reassure them both that yes, we'd be on time- they never have come on at the appointed time- and yes, this tour is phenomenal.
Stairs down to navigate again, but a gentlemanly usher offered me his arm. There isn't really an upper tier here- just a line of what look like corporate boxes along the top. As for my seat- jeez, I thought it was excellent. It was the cheapest ticket for me of the whole tour, at the £100 mark, but where I was, I could see the main screen and the screen at the back, which often shows something slightly different. I was delighted to be on the corner, where people are often more enthusiastic. And particularly, I was practically one with the standing fans - really felt like part of the U2 army, and the energy was phenomenal, the ground vibrating under our feet and excitable gans all around.
setlist
- The Blackout
- Lights of Home
- I Will Follow
- Gloria / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet) /Patti Smith's Gloria (snippet)
- Beautiful Day
- Zoo Station
- The Fly
- Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
- Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Intermission - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me)
- Elevation
- Vertigo / Rebel Rebel (snippet)
- Even Better Than The Real Thing
- Hall of Mirrors (snippet) / Acrobat
- You're The Best Thing About Me
- Summer Of Love
- Pride (In The Name Of Love)
- Get Out Of Your Own Way
- New Year's Day
- City Of Blinding Lights
- One / Invisible (snippet)
- Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
- 13 (There Is A Light)
encore(s):
My section was standing from the start of the concert- and as usual, it was funny to see people trying to figure out where the band were, as they performed the first song! The whole arena was standing from I Will Follow, and indeed was in fine voice- as was Bono. And this was the first show of the tour where I got a hug! Mind you, I wasn't the only one he was hugging.. My usher was trying to keep people out of the aisles, but gave up eventually.
Interesting change in the show now- the EU flag still appears, but there's no emphasis on the UK being part of it. The video sequence for Get Out of Your Own Way ends abruptly, to avoid that. Of course, he doesn't need to push the anti-Brexit agenda here - the whole island is in favour of remaining in the EU. Which is one thing the North has in common with the Republic.
I'm naming this my second-best show of the tour so far- after Manchester #2 and pushing London #2 to third place. Because of being part of that incredible energy.
On the way home, I stopped off at a Chinese- Ternary is open till 2am on Saturdays! How handy- and just around the corner from the hotel. It, and the streets, were full of naughty nurses, demons, and clowns, this being the weekend before Hallowe'en. Indeed, one reveller in the restaurant was in such a state that, every time she needed the facilities (which happened a lot), her friend had to lead her by the elbow.
Me, I had chicken satay skewers for starter, chicken in chili and honey sauce for main, and some excellent wine. I wouldn't have the skewers again- the sauce was lovely, but the chicken was as dry as paper. So much for it being a starter- my main course arrived when I'd had just one of the three skewers! Never mind, the main course was much better. Service was good, and at just over £25 for a starter, main, side, and two glasses of wine, I think it was very good value. Oh, and my key card worked to get me back in - I'm betting that the young employee who checked me in accidentally coded it for just one night initially.
I'm naming this my second-best show of the tour so far- after Manchester #2 and pushing London #2 to third place. Because of being part of that incredible energy.
On the way home, I stopped off at a Chinese- Ternary is open till 2am on Saturdays! How handy- and just around the corner from the hotel. It, and the streets, were full of naughty nurses, demons, and clowns, this being the weekend before Hallowe'en. Indeed, one reveller in the restaurant was in such a state that, every time she needed the facilities (which happened a lot), her friend had to lead her by the elbow.
Me, I had chicken satay skewers for starter, chicken in chili and honey sauce for main, and some excellent wine. I wouldn't have the skewers again- the sauce was lovely, but the chicken was as dry as paper. So much for it being a starter- my main course arrived when I'd had just one of the three skewers! Never mind, the main course was much better. Service was good, and at just over £25 for a starter, main, side, and two glasses of wine, I think it was very good value. Oh, and my key card worked to get me back in - I'm betting that the young employee who checked me in accidentally coded it for just one night initially.
On the 5th, I'm back up to Dublin. U2 again, dont'cha know? Staying in the Clayton again, which is a hop, skip and jump from the 3Arena, where there are concerts on the 5th and 6th. Would you believe, not even I could swing a ticket for the 5th - well, I'll just rock up on the day, and hopefully I can get something at the box office. I have heard of such things happening. I've had stranger things happen!
On the 7th, I fly back to London (BA) - purely so I can work on the 8th, before flying back to Dublin that night! Was supposed to be Cityjet, but they've now ended their flight schedule after this month - so now I'm going Ryanair. Same hotel, same venue, same band - on the 9th and 10th. I fly back on the 11th, exhausted, and finished with U2 concerts for the year!
On the 12th, I booked for Macbeth, at the Wanamaker Playhouse. And then Let's Do This finally posted that date for the Shirt Tail Stompers at Wilton's - well, I couldn't miss that! Funnily enough, London Social Detours have now advertised the same thing (and are charging more, as usual) - there's a terrible rivalry between the groups, with the leader of the latter group thinking she has prior claim to the floorspace. Sparks might fly. Meantime, anyone want a spare ticket for Macbeth?
On the 13th, we have our monthly team outing - probably just the two of us, but hey.
On the 14th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at last for Love Lies Bleeding, at the Print Room at the Coronet. Got my ticket from London Theatre Direct.
On the 15th, I'm going to try the Seven Deadly Sins Pub Naughty History Tour. Walking in London again. And it being a Funzing event (like all of Walking in London's) I scoured my old Funzing discount codes, and discovered that Funzing_Fb20 seems to be working again - for all of them I've recently booked! So, a 20% discount - better than any recently offered on their Facebook page. Then I'm back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 19th, News of the Strange, from the Crick Crack Club, at Soho Theatre. The club does have a Meetup group, but it seems to have gone dormant, and is no longer advertising upcoming events. Not that that stops the organiser from attending - I'm sure I saw her at Monday's event!
On the 20th, back with UITCS for Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. Two long ones on this occasion - this is Programme Four: Moonlight & Night School.
On the 21st, back at last with The London Jazz Meetup, who are off to the London Jazz Festival for a concert by the Faraj Suleiman Quartet at King's Place. UK premiere, apparently!
On the 22nd, with UITCS at the Garrick for Don Quixote. The only cheap tickets left for this were terrible, so I went a bit upmarket. A bit - I'm still behind a pillar!
On the 23rd, I'm on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we get ghost-hunting equipment, which could make it interesting - I don't fancy the dowsing rods, myself, but we'll see. Walking in London, again. Discounted, again. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price.
On the 24th, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On the 25th of next month, back at last to Winter Wonderland! That evening, I'm off to Cirque Berserk - an annual tradition for me. The latest show is the cheapest, so that's the one I booked.
On the 26th, I'm back with UITCS for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On the 27th, I'm going to see Company, by Sondheim, at the Gielgud. No tickets available for the upper levels on the official site - they must all have been bought up by resellers! Cheapest I found was with OfficialLondonTheatre, run by See Tickets.
On the 28th, I'm with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour.
On the 29th, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd of December, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
On the 4th, I'm off to the Bush, for Drip.
On the 5th, LDN Talks @ Night and London Speaks Sessions (both Funzing) advertised a "Winterville" talk on The Science of Santa, where we get the scientific explanation of how he does it. Taking place at The Windmill. However, seems they meant the day before, when of course I'm busy. So instead I'm going to True West, with Kit Harington, at the Vaudeville. Cheapest tickets from the venue.
The 6th could be interesting - Hazel of Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts, London Guided Walks (and, indeed, Walking in London) has a Christmas Carol Tour. Now, the last two events I booked with her turned out to be no-shows.. the first might not have been her fault, as she was advertising someone else's event, but the second, she just missed the ball on and left three of us standing on a street corner. We shall see whether this event happens, I guess! Now, it's technically more expensive if you book on Funzing - but if you have my discount ;-) it comes down to the same price she charges on her own site, without the booking fee! So I did it that way.
On the 7th, back with UITCS at the Royal Court, for The Cane. Got the very last ticket, phew!
On the 8th, with them again at the Orange Tree Theatre for The Double Dealer.
On the 9th, the Crick Crack Club is back at the British Museum for I Know Not, an afternoon of Sufi legend.
On the 10th, I'm off to the Bridge Theatre for A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter, by Martin McDonagh. Starring Jim Broadbent, this is a dark take on Hans Christian Anderson!
And on the 11th of December, I'm going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems!
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