Tonight, I was on a Paranormal Activity Tour - ooh! Now, for this one, we got ghost-hunting equipment, which made it interesting. Walking in London, again. Therefore Funzing, so discounted by 20%, again, with the code Funzing_Fb20. And this was after my loyalty discount - so I got it at better than half price! which is good, considering the price. Another separate group advertising through Funzing - these are Lantern Ghost Tours (LGT), who it turns out also organised last week's Seven Deadly Sins Pub Tour, and the London Bridge Ghost Tour I did back in the summer. New kids on the block, I guess.
Late enough that I had no problem getting there in time - especially on a Friday, with everyone wanting to get away early. Mercifully, today was a lot milder than it has been recently. Again, I walked to the walk, which, again, was outside Farringdon Station. When our guide arrived, she turned out to be Australian - just like last week's. Mind you, that tour company turns out to be Australian too, so I guess that might have something to do with it. Anyway, she had with her a large kitbag of paranormal equipment, which she promised we'd get to use.
I have to admit, I did not expect to be impressed as I duly was by this walk. Sure enough, we didn't really cover much new ground for me - apart from the first alley we went down, where we found some street art with a difference!
Late enough that I had no problem getting there in time - especially on a Friday, with everyone wanting to get away early. Mercifully, today was a lot milder than it has been recently. Again, I walked to the walk, which, again, was outside Farringdon Station. When our guide arrived, she turned out to be Australian - just like last week's. Mind you, that tour company turns out to be Australian too, so I guess that might have something to do with it. Anyway, she had with her a large kitbag of paranormal equipment, which she promised we'd get to use.
I have to admit, I did not expect to be impressed as I duly was by this walk. Sure enough, we didn't really cover much new ground for me - apart from the first alley we went down, where we found some street art with a difference!
We swiftly made our way to Smithfield, where she unzipped her bag of wonders. Standing near the trees where the executions happened, her first piece of equipment was something I'd never heard of. She opened a box and unwrapped a protective cloth, to remove a most evocative, ornate black picture frame - with a black panel in the centre. This was a "black mirror", and the idea is to gaze into it - without staring - and see your face morph into something else. Or disappear entirely. So, the same as scrying, basically. I didn't try this - some others did, and all reported seing some kind of effect on their faces.
And so on to the eternally evocative St. Bart's, where we stood outside before entering the cemetery, as she said, to "practice". Dowsing rods, this time. And this was where it got interesting, with immediate activity as soon as people took the rods in their hands. Not one person tried it but got a strong response. Our guide sounded surprised by the amount of activity, apparently directed at the church rather than anywhere else.
The rods were still active in the cemetery, although people found it hard to get a coherent response. I ended up with an EMF meter, but they weren't picking up much here. When you think about it, as she later pointed out, we have much more energy than any supernatural beings - and if moving a light metal rod is that unusual, it's not hard to imagine that they lack energy.
We stopped at Pie Corner, and heard the tale of Scratching Fanny of Cock Lane - which the guide couldn't help giggling at. She stopped at the side of the road to tell us the "true" story of Sweeney Todd - I'm not convinced. And so, finally, back to The Viaduct - strangely, much quieter than on Thursday of last week! Where she left us to get a drink while she set up a Ouija board in the cellar.. by the time she got back, two ladies had only just finally decided on which gin they were having from the extensive menu, so we ended up waiting a while for them to finish them.
So I got into the famous cellar of The Viaduct at last! I've heard so much about it. The entrance is through a door marked "Staff Only", and down a perilous flight of stairs to a freezing room full of kegs, connected to the taps upstairs. Boards on the walls have ghostly quotes, and there are testimonials from ghost hunting groups. Unfortunately, the dark side rooms where the ghost tour go are teeny - thank goodness there weren't many people on the walk!
The Ouija board was set up on a shelf in one of these, two EMF readers and a white light source beside it. Otherwise, it was pitch dark. She began by passing the white light around all of us, creating, as she said, a "white circle of protection". Ouija, they say, is dangerous, as it invites the spirit world to communicate with ours in the most direct way possible; as she moved the light, she invoked the spirits there to respect us, as we would respect them, and appealed to them not to follow any of us from that place.
I had a go, but we got nothing - despite huge spikes from the EMF readers. When she tried herself, with one other, she finally asked whether the spirit wanted us to go. At which point the planchette moved to "GOODBYE". In other words, the cellar ghost - who has a reputation for grumpiness - was telling us politely to sod off. So we did, after another protective light circle.
I seriously loved this tour, and would highly recommend it. (Hey, and no coughing fit!) Tomorrow, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
And so on to the eternally evocative St. Bart's, where we stood outside before entering the cemetery, as she said, to "practice". Dowsing rods, this time. And this was where it got interesting, with immediate activity as soon as people took the rods in their hands. Not one person tried it but got a strong response. Our guide sounded surprised by the amount of activity, apparently directed at the church rather than anywhere else.
The rods were still active in the cemetery, although people found it hard to get a coherent response. I ended up with an EMF meter, but they weren't picking up much here. When you think about it, as she later pointed out, we have much more energy than any supernatural beings - and if moving a light metal rod is that unusual, it's not hard to imagine that they lack energy.
We stopped at Pie Corner, and heard the tale of Scratching Fanny of Cock Lane - which the guide couldn't help giggling at. She stopped at the side of the road to tell us the "true" story of Sweeney Todd - I'm not convinced. And so, finally, back to The Viaduct - strangely, much quieter than on Thursday of last week! Where she left us to get a drink while she set up a Ouija board in the cellar.. by the time she got back, two ladies had only just finally decided on which gin they were having from the extensive menu, so we ended up waiting a while for them to finish them.
So I got into the famous cellar of The Viaduct at last! I've heard so much about it. The entrance is through a door marked "Staff Only", and down a perilous flight of stairs to a freezing room full of kegs, connected to the taps upstairs. Boards on the walls have ghostly quotes, and there are testimonials from ghost hunting groups. Unfortunately, the dark side rooms where the ghost tour go are teeny - thank goodness there weren't many people on the walk!
The Ouija board was set up on a shelf in one of these, two EMF readers and a white light source beside it. Otherwise, it was pitch dark. She began by passing the white light around all of us, creating, as she said, a "white circle of protection". Ouija, they say, is dangerous, as it invites the spirit world to communicate with ours in the most direct way possible; as she moved the light, she invoked the spirits there to respect us, as we would respect them, and appealed to them not to follow any of us from that place.
I had a go, but we got nothing - despite huge spikes from the EMF readers. When she tried herself, with one other, she finally asked whether the spirit wanted us to go. At which point the planchette moved to "GOODBYE". In other words, the cellar ghost - who has a reputation for grumpiness - was telling us politely to sod off. So we did, after another protective light circle.
I seriously loved this tour, and would highly recommend it. (Hey, and no coughing fit!) Tomorrow, I'm off on my own to see A Small Place, at the Gate.
On Sunday, 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 Monday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Programme Three of Pinter at the Pinter - Pinter plays at the Pinter Theatre. This time, it's Landscape / A Kind of Alaska / Monologue.
On Tuesday, 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 Wednesday, I was with Walking in London again for the Haunted London Pub Tour (also LGT). But we've now arranged our team night out for that night.
ON Thursday, I'm back with UITCS at the National for Hadestown. Then back to Ireland again for the weekend.
On the 3rd, I'm back to the National for I'm Not Running.
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. Plus it's free - you just have to register with Eventbrite. I thought it'd 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. But gee, this evening is proving to be one of the more popular- now a colleague has booked it for his leaving do. So I'm now going to that instead. Nibbles arranged at The Enterprise.
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, a full 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! Our new starter saw it last night, and proclaimed it "weird". Well, weird is good.
On the 11th, I was going with North London Friends to The Convert, at the Young Vic. Discounted top-price seats, it seems! And then, the Crick Crack Club sent around an advertising email - and damnit if they haven't arranged a meeting that night! The House of Nine Lives is at the British Library, and has Nell Phoenix, Tim Ralphs, and TUUP talking about pussycats. Irresistible. However, I don't get my money back for the play unless they sell on the ticket - hopefully they can.
The 12th is our office Christmas party, but Let's Do This has now advertised a Christmas dinner- which sounds a more attractive prospect. So I'm doing that instead. Places filled up quickly with regulars.
On the 13th, I'm thrilled to be going to Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, at Sadler's Wells, with UITCS. He's a fantastic choreographer, but I've never before gotten around to seeing this all-male version. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
And on the 17th, the Crick Crack Club is performing Gilgamesh, at Soho Theatre. With Ben Haggerty in the spotlight, this will be a treat! Sold out, of course - you have to book these things early. Meeting Helen for a meal beforehand.
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