On Tuesday, The Embers Collective was back - at Dalston Eastern Curve Garden this time. Tickets from Eventbrite. There was to be storytelling, there was to be music - and food. And we made that the occasion of this month's social from my last company! It'd be great to see everyone again. And at least I didn't have to depend on the Tube this time - unlike Thursday of last week!
Ah man, it was hot that day! The one day I could go out without a coat. A huge difference from what I'd had at the weekend. I made it first of the group - the garden is open to the public till 7, and was ticket-only after that: but we could go in early, and a stamp on our wrists allowed us to go in and out. Which was handy, as the pizza - available from 7, and for the whole evening! was cash-only. The nearest cash machine turned out to be in the Co-op across the road, just inside the entrance beside the station. Once I'd done that, I queued for a bottle of wine - I'd have shared it with the others, but nobody seemed to want any - and secured a seat near the stage, down at the children's play area at the back, and with a few free seats around for the others.
Well, they arrived eventually - by the time the last of us came, there wasn't a seat left; the place was quite full. But nobody minded in the slightest if you wanted to sit on the ground. Or, indeed, the two kids that decided their best view would be got by sitting on the stage! Deliciously informal, as you'd expect from the venue, as much as from the Embers Collective themselves. And as usual, first up was Lonan Jenkins, with the most traditional tale of the night - the full tale of the Minotaur.
Sarah Liisa Wilkinson also made an appearance, with her tale of Sun, Moon, Sky.. and we got that mad tale again, of how the North Star came to be. The one with the cannibal mother. For my money though, the stars of the night were the pair of young ladies - I didn't get their names - who regaled us with more modern, original stories, and a great dash of humour.
Woodburner provided musical accompaniment throughout (and pointed out how appropriate that they work with the Embers Collective!), and we were well fed, with pizza (kindly brought down by another of the group) and a bag of sandwiches that Ivan had brought. Oh, and a gorgeous, kindly kitty pointed the way to the loos!
Everyone remarked what a lovely venue it was - they hadn't been there before. Perfect in the sunshine, and nicely shaded. But by the end of the event, it was getting really dark, and they chucked us out. We had one final round in the Speakeasy, down the road - and then most went home, and Ivan and I went in search of a hostelry that opened later. After a couple of misdirections by Google Maps - don't believe them on opening hours! - we ended up having one more in Old Street Records: but the music was so loud that we ended up chatting on the street, before calling it a night. Pity we couldn't have found a decent all-night venue, but it was terrific to see everyone - and it's months since I saw Ivan. Roll on the next occasion.. And I had an interesting walk home.
Too late to blog that night, of course. On Wednesday, London Science Events was off to a Science Museum Late. Just remembered last week to book a ticket - although they're free, you do need to book. Ironically, it was the same day that London Literary Walks finally advertised another walk - for that day! Much more interesting, so I went on that instead. It was The Hampstead Walk. I was rather relieved - it took him ages to arrange this, and I was afraid he'd given up!
A short walk from the office got me to a bus that took me all the way there - "there" being The Garden Gate, a most attractive pub in Hampstead. Which - like so much of Hampstead - turned out to be dog-friendly. Well, I approve!
I was the first to arrive - by a nose - apart from the organiser. This was to be one of the better attended walks - it's just as well there was plenty of space in the pub! Plenty of newcomers too, which is always nice. One of the group ordered nibbles, and we had a convivial time until it was (just past) time to leave. The literary references started early..
We climbed lots of hills - yes Mary, hills! - and visited houses where famous people had lived. Like Keats, for example, and Constable. More controversially, we passed the house where Marie Stopes lived, as the organiser remarked that there wasn't so much to joke about in her case. And we agreed how obliging it was of people to leave their curtains and blinds open, so we could admire their interior decor! Including of the house designed by the real-life Goldfinger - strenuously objected to by Ian Fleming, who is said to have named the famous Bond villain after him!
A few of us finished off the night (up some steep steps) in the (again, dog-friendly) Holly Bush - which was very crowded and stuffy, but they were kind enough to let us take our drinks to the dining section, which was more more spacious and cool. And there we bade Mary farewell - she leaves town over the weekend, and who knows when we shall see her more..?
We were there till closing, creeping out quietly, for fear of vicious residents. Gawped at the local estate agents' prices on the way back. And two buses got me all the way home - again, too late to blog, of course.
Now in the middle of a three-day-run with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) - first time in three weeks! Last night, it was HMS Pinafore at Wilton's. As usual, I got tied up at the office, and left a little later than intended - but in time to meet the group, who avoided the crowds by standing outside. Seems they were serving food, for once! but I wasn't hungry anyway. I had one of the high seats on the balcony - literally up in the cheap seats. Gave me a good view of the decor, anyway.
My seat wasn't for everybody, but it's all right - you do have to keep looking to the side, is the main problem. The guy to my right spotted an empty, ground-level seat and made a dive for it - lucky for him there were no ushers near, they're quite officious here! Indeed, a couple of women in the stalls who decided to move from their end seats to equivalent ones a couple of rows in front - it being close to time, the doors closed, and the seats still empty - were immediately instructed, by a nearby usher, to head back where they'd come from! The guys to my left didn't return after the interval, either - they seemed to have been enjoying it, so maybe they just found better seats as well.
Wow, this is a rarity - a completely traditional production! Not only do they wear perfect period costume - rare in itself - but they sing it (most professionally) in operatic style. Which, unfortunately, means that I missed a lot of the lyrics - never been able to get my ear around that style. Someone remarked, at the interval, that he'd seen a production where the audience clapped along to the songs. This production, however, didn't really lend itself to that - it felt a little prim. Still, most professionally done - but not the most enjoyable show I've been to. Lovely to look at, though. Run finishes tomorrow.
Tonight, we're at Treemonisha, by Scott Joplin, at the Arcola. Part of the Grimeborn Opera Festival. So, back to Dalston again! Right around the corner from the garden. Sold out now.
Now, fair enough, I had late nights this week - but mainly, the reason I haven't been able to blog till now is that I was doing my film list! Was thinking about a film for tomorrow, you see. And after all that effort - I didn't like what came top of the list: at least, not more than I liked the idea of a new event posted by UITCS, to see Actually, at Trafalgar Studios. A play about sexual politics sounds like it could be interesting, if done right. So I booked it. Special offer - great value - from Today Tix. Mind you, I just heard there's to be a huge demo outside, with road closures.. should be interesting too! Protesting against the prorogation of Parliament.
On Sunday, I'm off to the Kubrick Exhibition! Taking place at the Design Museum, this should be fascinating - I've seen so many of his films, and I believe some sets have been reconstructed.
On Monday, back to Wilton's - Civilised London is at another jazz night. This time, it's the Hot Club of Jupiter!
On Tuesday, UITCS is at A Very Expensive Poison, at the Old Vic. Still in preview, this is based on a book inspired by recent Russian poisonings.
On Wednesday, my first Meetup with Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff - we're off to Secret River, at the National. And there should be a couple of people there from other groups of mine - nothing like cross-pollination! This one is about the tensions caused by Europeans' arrival in Australia.
On Thursday, back at last with Spooky London! It's ironic, he'd only just said that I'd been to all the pub socials - and I stopped going! Not deliberate, I can assure you.. this time, we're at The George. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 9th, back with London European Club for a night at the Proms - this is Prom 68: Wagner Night. At the Royal Albert Hall, natch.
On the 10th, back at Trafalgar Studios - this time with North London Friends, for The Fishermen.
And on the 11th, I'm back to the Proms, on my own.. Prom 71: Bach Night.
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