So, I was to be glad I'd set my alarm - I needed it. Managed to check out in time, and even took the earlier train. I did my now-regular thing of sitting in an unoccupied "reserved" seat - this seems to be a good option if it's nearly departure time, and seating is limited. I can only imagine that these seats are booked for free, and the people responsible just don't manage to catch the train. Or perhaps they find a better seat. Daft system, if all of these "reserved" seats are left empty, with such a seat shortage - certainly, no-one came to claim mine. And if I wanted quiet, of course all I had to do was connect to the train's WiFi - the signal is so poor that nothing can get through! If I actually wanted to do anything online, I had to turn off WiFi..
Just as well I caught that train, as it was delayed. And then, of course, I was just in time to miss my bus. Ran home to drop my luggage - I didn't even have time to go to the loo before setting off again! I arrived, panting, with minutes to spare, and joined the small group outside the Barbican for the Smithfield & Clerkenwell Walk: Guts & Glory. This was with Walking in London - but more specifically, with Katie of Look Up London! Excellent - I was booked for this in July, but she had to cancel. She's one of the best around. 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.
Hell, I've missed this woman's enthusiasm! She so obviously loves what she does - and it's always worth doing her tours, as even on a path I've trodden so often before, she finds so much new! For instance, I hadn't known that 9,000 people live in the City, and 5,000 of those in the Barbican.. We soon made our way to Charterhouse Square, and paused outside "Poirot's building" (used in the tv series). Mostly, however, we spent a long time in front of the Charterhouse itself - I've never heard so much of its history. The first of the "guts and glory" here, as she described how the monks stood up to Henry VIII. Not to mention the brief lecture on the plane trees that fill the square.
On to St. Bartholomew's. I've been in this churchyard on many's the walk, but only once inside, back when I saw Richard II played along the main nave. This is probably because there's an entrance fee - included in the price of today's walk. They actually have a list, at the cash desk, of the films shot here - it's certainly photogenic, and very good value for the £5 they charge:
More photos here. On then, past the memorials at Smithfield, and into the market itself - where we were educated on the developments in phonebox technology!
And I bet you don't know what this really is..
We finished up in Clerkenwell, where Knights Hospitaller gave way to coffee-house revolutionaries:
Always a pleasure to go on her walks - I hope there are many more. I see she also has her Blue Badge for guiding now - well done! Delighted I rushed back for it. Mind you, afterwards, I was too tired to walk back - took a bus instead.
Tomorrow, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club for Buddha Babies, again at Soho Theatre. Naturally, not advertised on their Meetup group. I wonder whether that's now defunct, as they have advertised no upcoming events.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I don't have to travel so far to see U2 - they're playing the O2 in London. These tickets, I got my address changed in time for, it seems - they've just arrived. Helen is going on Tuesday.. sat in the corporate box, poshly! Nah, I'd rather be closer and sweatier, thanks! I wonder how many of them stand during the show.. I am absolutely mithered with Twickets alerts for ticket offers for these shows!
Thursday is my colleague's last day before he quits for a new life in Stockholm - we're headed out that night. Amazing that I still had that day free when we arranged it!
On Friday, I fly to Belfast. Yep, U2 again. I get busier when they come . Staying in the Crescent Townhouse, walking distance from the SSE Arena, where the concerts take place on Saturday and next Sunday. On the 29th, I'm taking the train down to my mother for a week - makes more sense than jetting back and forth to her!
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! Eh, 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, so discounted again! 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.
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 of next month, 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 (and the same discount) 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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