Storytelling: Witch

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago. I needed some distraction, with the ongoing techie problems on my mother's side, her trying to manage her new tablet n all. Turns out it's mostly 3's fault - what a surprise!

I finished something at work (finally!), and dashed out the door - trotting when I saw the bus stopped at the lights, then spent ages waiting, wondering where on earth it had gotten to. It arrived eventually - I caught it five minutes earlier than Google Maps said I should. Which was a good thing, or I'd have arrived late - well, technically, because of course they didn't start on time. Getting off the bus, I saw two groups of kids trick r treating - which was lovely! It's not every area they do it in - obviously, Dalston has that welcoming feel.

Arriving at the pub, I was lucky to run into someone who worked there - yes, the "poetry", as he called it, was upstairs, a band downstairs. I made my way carefully upstairs - without lighting - running into Sarah Liisa Wilkinson at the door! And as I perused the place, looking in vain for a free seat, I ran into Nell Phoenix as well - in fact, Lonan Jenkins checked my ticket. He wasn't actually performing, for once. (Ladies' night, I guess.) It was quickly apparent that they'd sold more tickets than they had seats - I was very lucky to get one in the front, when Sarah Liisa, who was MCing, pointed it out. It wasn't that comfy, but hey - I mean, there were people sitting on the floor, and some standing. To be fair, the seating was eclectic, a mix of sofas, chairs et al, so it would've been hard to estimate capacity. And it was sold out, BTW.

The music downstairs was audible - but unlike all those Funzing talks I've been to, in rooms over pubs, it wasn't really an issue here. The atmosphere was cosy, with rugs on the ceiling and cobwebs along the windows. And we started with Nell..

...who had a most excellent story about useful witchcraft. This was followed by that excellent pair whose names I can never remember, but they are so good..

..with a dystopian tale of a future where mindfulness and recycling are to the fore of human society. More a story of a woman that breaks the mould, this one. And the night was finished by a classical tale from Sarah Liisa. Gee, I never knew that Hecate was involved in the story of Demeter and Persephone!

The musical accompaniment, BTW, was terrific. A great way to spend Hallowe'en - one of the best I've had! (Despite the uncomfortable seat). I left straight afterwards - just in time for a bus. And wow, it was fun on the way home, with all the people who'd dressed up for Hallowe'en parties - there was a guy with a skull face, accompanied by a guy in 17th-century costume; there was a trio of ladies en route to a party, sat by me, who'd gone to terrible pains about their outfits. D' you know, it was worth going out on Hallowe'en, just to see them all! (Dressing up isn't my thing, but I do appreciate it when others make the effort.)

Tomorrow, meeting Ivan, at a friend's house. It'll be a late one. Good chance to blow off steam.

And on Saturday, I booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I knew I'd probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might have gone to a film that day - depending what was on - or, if I didn't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But that since sold out - was bound to happen. Well, I finally did come up with an alternative that made me cancel the ghost tour - another ghost tour! specifically, of the British Museum, with Spooky London. I mean, technically I could probably go to both - I just couldn't be bothered rushing the first to traipse all the way out to Greenwich, for an event that wouldn't be at all sociable! Might get on that walk some day.

Film: Hallowe'en & Birmingham Royal Ballet - Mixed Programme

Was supposed to be back to London on Sunday. Kudos to those who guessed that something got in the way of that! Basically, my mother unexpectedly had to have a run into hospital on Monday - nothing serious, she just needed an iron boost - and there was nobody else to take her. So I had to book another flight. Ryanair was booked out all the way through to today, so I needs must go with Aer Lingus - and their last flight on Monday was potentially too early, so instead I booked myself a painfully early - and painfully expensive - flight on Tuesday morning. Ouch!

Also had to go to great rounds to get the extra, emergency, day off - my boss' email address didn't recognise mine, and I don't have work email on my phone, or his phone number, so I thought of LinkedIn. But he wasn't a contact - I ended up taking out a free trial of LinkedIn Premium (subsequently cancelled, of course), just so I could message him! Which all worked out ok.

On Monday, the Crick Crack Club was back again - Ben Haggarty was in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they did, predictably, sell out. Sadly, of course, because of my changed plans, I missed it. Roll on the next one.. and hopefully I'll get another chance to see this show at a later time.

Well, the most practical thing to do because of the early flight was to spend the night in the airport hotel, the Park Inn - I booked on Booking.com, but I think the price is fairly consistent across platforms anyway. At least it was nice to have another night's hotel stay - only my second this year! And I must say, it was lovely - I got my taxi driver to drop me there, and an ultra-chirpy young lady checked me in, amidst a flurry of Hallowe'en decor. She was also kind enough to let me know that breakfast the following morning would start at 6 - yippee, as for once it was included in the room rate, and the early start meant I could make it!

A lovely, comfy room with a widescreen tv and a lovely, comfy bed, and blackout curtains - I slept deeply before I got up at 5.30. Had a very nice cooked breakfast in an almost empty dining room - the only ones to beat me to it were a couple of Chinese-looking ladies. And then, with a minimal amount of packing to do, it was just a short walk across the car park to the terminal. Just as well, as it was very cold, and had been all week!

Back in London, a long, long Tube ride got me home - where I noticed that some of our neighbours are getting in the spirit of the season!

And then I walked to work - I tell you, I was lucky to make Tuesday's event at all! On Tuesday, I tried to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema was showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounded like fun.. I booked, at least, and a couple of others indicated they'd come.

Unfortunately, the Rivoli ballroom turned out to be a bit of a trek - my first time on the Thameslink! There were only the three of us, in the end, from that group - one arrived before me, one decided to drive, as public transport would take so long - she arrived last. Naturally, I took the wrong exit from the station - but I found my way, through housing estates, back onto the main road with Google Maps. Where.. there were crash barriers all the way down both sides! For goodness' sake, how they expect people to cross.. well, I ran into the first person to arrive (or rather, she ran into me), and we trekked down to where there was a gap in the barriers. On both sides. We arrived at the door of the ballroom - to discover they weren't open yet. Now, I was quite miffed at this - yes, we'd got an email in the morning to say the box office would open at 8, but I really thought we'd have time beforehand to hang out; the film was starting at 8.30 (sharp)! Which didn't leave us much time at all.

In the end, they opened at 7.50 - and we were told, at the door, that it was a cash-only bar. Gee, that was something they really should have told us in advance! Well, cash was available, back across the road.. we went in relays. Inside, it was certainly ornate, and I did wish that I'd taken more pictures. But then, as I say, we didn't really have much time outside of the actual screening.

We nabbed a table at the side, and the one who'd come last snuck in a take-away, as all they were offering at the venue was hot dogs and popcorn. The bar (discreetly hidden on the way to the toilets) was even more ornate, if possible - I wished I'd taken my camera in with me. A huge queue meant that was my only trip of the night. As for the "themed" bar? Didn't happen. The "dressing-up" was restricted to one of the bar staff, who wore a cat-ear headband. There were cocktails, but I stuck to a bottle of wine - which, of course, I shared with the others.

Would you believe, neither of them had ever seen this film before! I had one of them asking me beforehand what it was about, just as it was starting - "You'll find out!", as I said. And I, for one, had a great night - although the sound quality wasn't terrific. I'd said to them that it was a classic.. for one, there's the incomparable soundtrack, right up there with the best of suspenseful music! There's the relentless chase scene, so naturalistic. And there's the classic horror trope, of being chased by something or someone, barely seen, hardly more than a shadow, and pretty much unstoppable. Not much gore in this, either. But let's not forget that this can be viewed as quite a funny film - the characters are likeable, and Carpenter throws in a lot of humour before things get serious. Some unintentional gags, too.. the audience had a lot of fun with it, as did my - slightly nervous - companions!

Afterwards, we chatted - briefly - before we were thrown out: the last to leave, not half an hour after the film finished. Really, for something that was supposed to be an "experience", this was a dead loss - it was pretty much just a straight film showing, no extras, no time even to stay and talk. I guess I'll know in future. We went our separate ways - it was at least great to see the others - and I got a couple of buses home. Which, thankfully, didn't require me to cross the road! I was supposed to have morning meeting next day though, which meant I couldn't blog - of course, it didn't happen, in the end! Spent most of yesterday doing the film list - watch this space..

Last night, back with Meetup at last - Up in the Cheap Seats was at the last night of a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I'd seen part of it before, which I found excellent. More trouble though - the blasted tablet I bought my mother for her birthday, last week, seems to have some trouble running Skype, which she depends on to get to see me. So I was frazzled, after an extended phone call with her during which she completely failed to explain what was going wrong, but still felt like complaining about it a lot. I walked off some of the stress, on my way to the theatre - I see I still have to go around a ton of roadworks, but this time I didn't get lost, for once! Still, by the time I made it there, and up all those stairs, I was well ready for a drink, which I took to where a couple of others who'd arrived early were sitting. Kudos to them, it's hard to get seats in the lobby here!

We stayed and chatted for a bit before it was time to take our seats.. and again, I was in my solitary seat to the side! although there were plenty of free seats in the middle, and lots of people moved down before the start.

Three pieces, two intervals - the first, A Brief Nostalgia, was my favourite. With no narrative to speak of, this was nonetheless a visually stunning piece, the audience split between watching the dancers, frantically moving, and the cavorting shadows they cast on two screens, one to either side. Clever lighting was used to maximum effect, plenty of visual tricks lending sometimes violent imagery to proceedings - helped along by particularly ominous music. Suitably creepy for the week that's in it!

The Suit, by Ballet Black, I've seen before. The only piece in this show with a narrative, it tells the story of a man who leaves for work, but forgets his briefcase. Upon his return for it, however, he finds his wife in flagrante with another man! The lover flees, leaving his clothes behind. The jealous husband makes a thing of the suit, insisting that his wife take it everywhere with her..

The final piece, Nine Sinatra Songs, saw the cast dress in their glad rags, and treat us to what reminded me of nothing so much as an episode of Strictly. (More acrobatic, mind.) A glitter ball was suspended from the ceiling as a series of couples came on and performed sundry ballroom dances.. For me, not all the pieces worked, but mostly it was lovely to watch. I was far more interested in the music though, with a couple of songs I hadn't heard before, and two renditions of My Way. So, in all, a very successful evening, and great to see everyone! Nice to be back with Meetup again.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago. Let's hope they do a good show.. I need some distraction, with the ongoing techie problems on my mother's side.

Tomorrow, meeting Ivan, at a friend's house. It'll be a late one. Good chance to blow off steam.

And on Saturday, I booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I knew I'd probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might have gone to a film that day - depending what was on - or, if I didn't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But that since sold out - was bound to happen. Well, I finally did come up with an alternative that made me cancel the ghost tour - another ghost tour! specifically, of the British Museum, with Spooky London. I mean, technically I could probably go to both - I just couldn't be bothered rushing the first to traipse all the way out to Greenwich, for an event that wouldn't be at all sociable! Might get on that walk some day.

Concert: Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto & Opera: Griselda

With my mother's birthday today - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am. Now, I don't usually go to things when I'm over, as she doesn't get out much any more - but she mentioned to me that there'd been a newspaper article about a performance of Griselda - the first time a Vivaldi opera would be performed in Ireland - tonight only, at the Limetree, and suggested I go. Or, she suggested, there might be something else. Well, the range of nearby venues is limited, so it didn't take long to check - and when I came up with a performance of Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto, with soloist Sheku Kanneh-Mason (the soloist at the Sussexes' wedding), for last night, at the University Concert Hall - I thought that sounded rather unmissable too. So I booked both.

Yesterday was the first rainy day in a few days! so it decided to make up for it by being miserable. I had some errands to run in Limerick that day, so decided to eat near the university - there used to be a good Chinese across the road. Sadly, when I got there, I discovered it's been replaced by another eatery that I didn't fancy. The new restaurant at the university also seems to have vanished. So I fell back on the old reliable of the bar at the Castletroy Park Hotel. Found a parking space quite near the door - which was handy, as it was pouring rain.

Well, the bar here keeps changing its name - but some things never change. I was sat at my table for 10 minutes before I caught anyone's eye to give me a menu. Ordered soup - always advertised as vegetable, it's always a bit sweet, and always looks like a curry: but I like it very much. And I thought I'd have the actual curry for main course. I also ordered a glass of wine.

The soup was served with bread and butter, and without any cutlery. Or a napkin. I figured he'd be getting me those presently - I mentioned to him about my glass of wine, which hadn't yet arrived, and he said someone would bring it soon. (I guess that wasn't in his job description.) Well, seems he wasn't on his way to get me cutlery - perhaps that wasn't in his job description either. I had to wait till I grabbed someone else's attention to get a spoon - then realised I hadn't mentioned the lack of a knife, which I needed to butter the bread, so she had to go back again. A napkin never occurred to her, and I figured I could do without that. Funnily enough, watching where she went, I could see that the cutlery was right beside the kitchen door that the guy had to come out of with the food he was serving. Oh, and the soup was lovely, BTW.

I'd just finished it when the guy who'd taken my order - who hadn't served me after (do they have really segregated jobs here?!) - suddenly noticed that I didn't have any wine! (Happily, I had a large jug of iced water - and even a glass.) He was rather shocked - 20 mins had passed, after all, since he'd - I presume - told someone. So I got wine shortly after. Then my main course arrived, and the waiter asked whether I needed anything else. "A knife and fork?" sez I. He laughed. And I got a napkin with them, even! Pity the curry was quite bland, and the chicken a bit tough - I was sorry I'd gone for that, and shall try to remember not to go for that again. If I come back.

Not a hope I was ordering dessert - even had I fancied anything on the menu, it was time I headed over - parking is tight on concert nights. Naturally, to save time, I walked up to the till to pay - I'd still be there if I waited for someone to bring me the bill. As I paid, I casually remarked that it was hectic that night. He replied that they were inundated, and he had no idea why! Uh, maybe the concert across the road?! Jeez, if they get this flustered every time there's an event in the university - and they're the closest restaurant to the university - I suggest they be avoided on event nights!

Took a while to turn onto the busy main road.. I did get a space down the back of the car park: too far from the door, had my mother come along, but fine for me. The place has changed a bit since I was last there - right from the entrance doors, where they've removed the central, revolving door and replaced it with swing doors, and the side doors are now for disabled access only. They've also replaced the notice boards with a set of changing, electronic displays on one side, and a swish welcome panel on the other!

Upstairs, more surprises - where I spent some time as a PhD student (the research area) is now an outpost of the law department!

And there's now a permanent bar, with decor to match the revamped box office, and much more cafe-style seating on both sides. Yes, someone has really put a lot of thought into it.

I had a glass of wine while I waited for the house to open - it didn't open as soon as it should have, and there was no seating available, so I watched an introductory, aerial video of the campus, on a loop on a screen to the side. I just had time to finish my drink before the doors opened - and had much more, by the time they actually let us in! (There was a problem scanning print-at-home tickets - since I don't have printing facilities at my mother's, I elected to pick mine up at the box office: strangely, though, it arrived by post.)

My seat was in the row we always favoured - Row P has an aisle in front of it, so no-one to block your view: and also a railing, handy for coats, or umbrellas or walking sticks with hooks. I'd forgotten how nice and close to the stage that row is, here! Anyway, the performance was by the ICO, whose administration is based here - and the MC, in his introductory blurb, mentioned that the ICO Youth Orchestra had been performing, which would explain all the young people with instruments, roaming the halls. He also mentioned that this was this soloist's debut performance in Ireland, wooh!

The programme started with some Beethoven - recognisably so, it couldn't have been anyone else. And I was happy, as he's my favourite. This was followed by our star performer, and Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto. A beautiful piece, played with passion and intensity - this finished the first half, and jeez, at the end, he got an almost complete standing ovation, and came on for five bows. Following which, he decided we'd earned an encore, and played some piece that involved plucking the strings. And he finally walked off, carrying the cello like a child, still plucking.. some good showmanship, there.

At the interval, I had some ice cream from the usher - figured I deserved a dessert. The soloist came and went through a door near me, and I couldn't but notice how open he was to all his fans. And how many matronly women were acting like simpering, awestruck teenagers. But he was happy to pose for photos, and selfies, until his minder hurried him away.. to a seat in the front stalls, from which he watched the rest of the concert.

The second half started with a modern piece - Meltwater was better than I've come to expect from modern classical music, and quite nicely evoked glaciers cracking and melting. And our evening finished with a lovely piece by Bizet. Delighted I went, and it was great to see what they've done to the place. Most nostalgic too - I've spent more time on that campus than anywhere else in my adult life!

Today started teeming, but the rain dried off by early afternoon. To be replaced, of course, by bitter cold - no good at all for my sensitive nose. Anyway, I had to take my mother for her flu jab, so had to rise early - no blogging. After yesterday's hoo-ha with food, I ate at my mother's, and headed in later. Just nicely in time to get petrol, find the college, find parking, and make my way to the building with the theatre in it. Now, it's a building on two levels - the theatre, from the side I approached, is on the first floor, and my, but there's a long flight of steps up to it, and to the box office, whose sign is just tantalisingly visible from the bottom. There is a motivational sign, mind:

Panting, I reached the top, queued, and got my ticket. At least they hadn't taken it upon themselves to post it! Meanwhile, I noted the positive development - like the UCH - of more seating round about. Not, of course, that I got any - you have to get here quite early. Never mind, the house was soon open - and I had B1, at the edge of what turned out to be the front row; they hadn't seated anyone in the very front, because they had to squish the orchestra in there. The Irish Baroque Orchestra, as it turned out, and with just a couple of unusual instruments:

The staging, as you'll notice, was split-level - and video screens displayed, like CCTV, what was happening in various parts of the stage. Or what they wanted us to imagine was - a handy way of making it all more realistic. Also handy for seeing what was happening in the corners we couldn't see from the edge..

Again, if you're at all familiar with Vivaldi, this is recognisably a composition of his. I kept noticing familiar riffs. Anyway, this is the story of a king (of Thessaly) who repudiates his wife, Griselda, because - apparently - public opinion has convinced him that she's too "common". However, her enduring love for him, and for their son, keeps her hanging around - so you never know what'll happen!

Lovely music, gorgeously sung. Very blingy costumes, on the part of the upper classes at least. The only thing is.. being baroque, it has all these extra flourishes. And it's as though Vivaldi, upon writing what he considered to be a "good bit", decided to emphasise it. So you find tracts of singing, repeated as many as six times in a row. Continually, throughout. I found myself counting the repetitions, with some irritation. But I did ultimately get into it - and I must say, fair play to them for finding a different way to act, on each repetition! A nice production - and again, great to get back here and see what's happened in my absence.
Nothing else planned for my stay. Back to London on Sunday. On Monday, the Crick Crack Club is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they have now, predictably, sold out.

On Tuesday, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come, with one from Friday expressing interest.

On Wednesday, back with Meetup at last - Up in the Cheap Seats is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.

On the 1st, meeting Ivan.. venue TBC.

And on the 2nd, I booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I knew I'd probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might have gone to a film that day - depending what was on - or, if I didn't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But I now see that's sold out - was bound to happen. Well, I finally did come up with an alternative that made me cancel the ghost tour - another ghost tour! specifically, of the British Museum, with Spooky London. I mean, technically I could probably go to both - I just couldn't be bothered rushing the first to traipse all the way out to Greenwich, for an event that wouldn't be at all sociable! Might get on that walk some day.

Restaurant: Bombay Bustle & Pub: Waxy O' Connor's

On Friday, Helen was in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - a group of us arranged to meet for dinner beforehand at the Slug & Lettuce. A couple of old faces were supposed to be there, whom it'd be great to see!

So I took off nice and early, and got a couple of buses. Actually, the first one I was supposed to get wasn't due for a while, so I took an alternative, when it came - the advantage of knowing the area! It just dropped me a little further away than the other would've. And we made great time - I made the pub 10 minutes earlier than anticipated, and met Helen outside. We actually found the Slug & Lettuce was too busy - and very loud, BTW. So I checked on Google Maps for nearby restaurants - we had a wander down the road, and found ourselves on Maddox Street, between an Indian and a steakhouse. A brief dither - no immediate feedback from the group - so we chose the Indian, Bombay Bustle.

As we weren't entirely sure how many would be coming for food - or, indeed, when exactly they'd arrive - they were good enough to put us at the sharing table, which is certainly large enough, and also positioned just inside the door, so we could see people as they arrived. We ultimately got an initial six that shared food and a bottle of wine; a few that arrived later did their own thing, and a couple that arrived last, and had nothing to do with us, just took the spare seats at the table. We decided just to order a variety of starters to share, and along with the wine, a couple of people had beer (one came in a stein) - we also ordered still water for everyone.

It started well - the wine was lovely, the food really tasty. (Although I've had better peshwari naan - it's not worth the £2 more that they charge than for other naans.) Caveat - the spice is spicy here, proceed with caution! However, I have a couple of major quibbles with the restaurant. Firstly, when I was checking the menu outside the door, I didn't see the more expensive dishes - this is Mayfair, and they know how to charge. The wine was the cheapest on the menu, at £39 a bottle - the lamb samosas were delicious, but for £12 I thought that two, quite small, samosas was quite stingy. There were far more main courses for £20+ than for under £20.

Secondly, when they realised that not everyone was eating - a couple just shared the wine - the management got quite aggressive, saying that they could have sold those seats, and people who weren't eating should have sat at the bar. Well now, that was mean - we were hardly going to split up the group, and we certainly ordered enough food to share; what was it to them if not everyone bothered?! Not to mention that they also had seating downstairs, so they weren't exactly short on space. No, it left me with a bad feeling, and I'd be reluctant to return.

However, by and large the food was delicious, and it was great to see people - even if they did gradually slip away to the concert! Word has it that it was excellent. Not everyone that had said they'd come managed it, but at the end there were two of us left who weren't going to the show - and who decided to find somewhere cheaper, and friendlier, to have a drink. Knowing that everywhere central would be packed, I at least decided to find somewhere big enough to hold the crowds: Waxy O' Connor's it was! where we combed the warren of staircases and rooms, finding a semi-quiet corner with seats. And we stayed until the advent of a live band made it uncomfortably loud. Only one quibble here - the "large" glasses of wine are teeny, less than what I'd be used to for a medium. An annoying trend.

Outside again, we chatted as we parted, until a torrential shower encouraged us to make our various ways home. Hey-ho, we're already thinking of when we can arrange to meet again.

Now, that's the day I should have flown back to Ireland - so I came yesterday instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am. Glad I left a bit earlier than usual yesterday, though - I got up at 5, and needed all that time for a 9.05am departure. For one thing, they made us check in our own bags (check-in was cheaper, this time, so that's what I did) - and that alone took half an hour! Anyway, with that early start, I was somewhat exhausted for the rest of the day, and didn't exert myself to blog.

Back to London next Sunday. On the 28th, the Crick Crack Club is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they have now, predictably, sold out.

On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come, with one from Friday expressing interest.

On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - Up in the Cheap Seats is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.

On the 1st, meeting Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!

And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But I now see that's sold out - was bound to happen.

Storytelling: Melusine

Tonight, the Crick Crack Club (CCC) was back at Rich Mix, with Melusine. TUUP was the headliner on this occasion, which promised to be terrific!

It's a funny thing - whenever I ask Google Maps how long it would take to walk to Rich Mix from the office, it says 30 minutes - when I click on the walking directions, it switches to 31. Which is the difference between me walking and not walking. So, I always end up on the bus - which is what I did this evening. Funny thing happened, though. I usually take the #8 - but I had alternatives, and when one came along first this evening, I said I'd take that. However, I was a bit distracted, sending contact details for someone who's coming along tomorrow to someone else.. well, that's what I'm blaming it on, anyway.

Because I took the #25 instead of the #26.. I was at Aldgate before I noticed, thinking - I wasn't supposed to go this way! So I hopped off there, trotted a bit of the way, took another bus another stretch.. I knew I was going to be late now, but consoled myself with the knowledge that (a) they never start on time and (b) they leave seats near the entrance for latecomers. What was annoying was the thought of how very much easier the journey would have been on the #8, which runs right past the door.

Me, I disembarked - and then looked askance at Google Maps' suggestion to go down Redchurch Street. It's a very good thing that I've been to Rich Mix several times before, and knew the entrance is round the other side - not to mention that Google Maps has sent me to the back door before, both here and elsewhere. (I've complained.)

Anyway, I panted my way in the door - five minutes late - got my ticket, and took the lift to the top floor. Where the nice lady reassured me that they were just about to start. Phew. Well actually, she was being optimistic, because I had time to steer around the people chatting in the middle, head up the stairs, squeeze past several seated people, seat myself, and take off my coat, all before the mc, Ben Haggarty, made his introductions.

Well now, it turns out that this is one of the pieces commissioned on foot of the fundraising drive they did a couple of years ago, for their 30th anniversary! Very glad I contributed to that. And no wonder we got a fancier set than usual. TUUP even brought his band along - they and their equipment were secluded behind the foliage.

And what trippy, psychedelic music, for a trippy, psychedelic show! Even more away with it than usual, TUUP led us through the fascinating tale of Melusine and her sisters; I knew it had something to do with the mythical origins of European royalty, but I had never heard the story proper. The band's music fitted perfectly - and I do hope the rest of the audience, including many newcomers, enjoyed it as much as I did! Certainly, the mixing of European legend with an African style of telling was unique..

I had a much more relaxing walk home. Tomorrow, Helen's in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - a group of us are meeting for dinner beforehand at the Slug & Lettuce. Hence the spreading of contact details - a couple of old faces should be there, whom it'll be great to see! Now, that's the day I should be flying back to Ireland - so I'm going the next day instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am.

On the 28th, the CCC is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they have now, predictably, sold out.

On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come.

On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - Up in the Cheap Seats is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.

On the 1st, meeting Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!

And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But I now see that's sold out - was bound to happen.

Ballet: Manon

Now begins a long period of non-Meetup stuff. Tonight, I headed to the ballet Manon, at the Opera House. Which, blessedly, I can walk to from the office.

Of course, you know what happened - I left it too late to walk! (For goodness' sake..) Well, I might have managed it, but at best would probably have arrived at the door with a couple of minutes to spare, and me having to head all the way up to Level 5. No thanks. Not too late to catch the bus though (for once), which materialised as I approached the stop. Heavy traffic delayed it so I had time to get there, which was good, as no-one else hailed it, wanting to get on. Indeed, I had the whole bus to myself most of the way!

Arrived at the opera house with about 10 minutes to spare - what a luxury. After the most cursory of bag checks (he didn't even ask me to open it!), I headed upstairs. I'm sure they've changed the direction system since I was last here - which was a little while ago; it's much easier now, each door given a unique letter identifier, so it's easy to find the right one. Slightly more trouble to find my seat in the slips, but I did eventually.

The mysterious hand in the photo belongs to a Japanese lady, who was so excited to be there - the lead ballerina is Japanese, as it turns out, and this lady was all thrilled and proud of the fact!

Well, I have to hand it to them - this is a terrific production. Sumptuous to look at, the choreography is as expressive as I've seen it anywhere. The drunk ballet in the second act is a particular highlight. As for the lead ballerina, she glided onstage to a smattering of applause - I don't think my companion was alone in her admiration. And throughout, she was ethereal, and seemed light as a feather. Speaking of interesting visual effects, the swamp mist of the last scene spilled over continuously into the orchestra pit - kudos to the musicians in the back row, for playing through what was at times a dense fog!

Unfortunately, the show lasted half an hour longer than it should have - towards the end of the second act, the lead male dancer started to hobble. Might have been part of the quirky choreography - until he turned and hobbled off. And just to prove the point, someone came on - obviously not part of the production - to say there'd obviously been an accident, and could we bear with them. It was subsequently confirmed that the role would be substituted, but the whole thing added half an hour to the running time. I was just glad it wasn't rescheduled - I'd never fit it in!

At the end, massive bouquets for the leading lady - and a huge round of applause for the stand-in, who had a lot of jumping about to do in the last act. Runs till the 6th - highly recommended. I can't say whether the original cast member will be back, though. I'd forgotten how much hard work is involved in sitting in the slips - had a crith in my neck most of the night. Mind you, the people to my left didn't come back after the first interval - which meant we all had more space. I had somewhere to leave my stuff, and a lady in the middle of the row, who came back after everyone else was seated, decided just to stay at the end! Easier all round.

I had quite an easy journey home - a choice of buses, so I just chose the first to arrive. Which, not being the #11, had no problem bringing me to within sight of my door! Tomorrow, the Crick Crack Club (CCC) is back at Rich Mix, with Melusine. TUUP is the headliner on this occasion, which should be terrific!

On Friday, Helen's in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - we're meeting for dinner beforehand at the Slug & Lettuce. Now, that's the day I should be flying back to Ireland - so I'm going the next day instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am.

On the 28th, the CCC is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they have now, predictably, sold out.

On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come.

On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - Up in the Cheap Seats is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.

On the 1st, meeting Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!

And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But I now see that's sold out - was bound to happen.

Concert: Symphonic Queen

Last night, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) was off to the Albert Hall for Symphonic Queen - the Royal Philharmonic was performing Queen. And, of course, one advantage of Meetup is that you usually meet beforehand - which does give you a buffer, in case you're running late, so you at least make the show! And ooh, it didn't rain yesterday, for once..!

Ah yes, just as well I didn't aim to make it just in time for the show. Because, you see, I left it too late to take the bus again - well, the estimated travel time might just have got me there in time, but probably not. Not to mention that I wanted to meet the others beforehand. So I headed off by Tube. What greeted me when I entered the station was a large sign warning of severe delays. Oh Lordy.. Just at that moment, an announcement clarified that a train had broken down at Notting Hill. Well.. I wasn't going that far on the line. And I had no alternative from there. So off I went.

And it was actually fine - apart from a brief delay at a red light at Oxford Circus, which had me wondering whether I should change lines. But no - I guess they got it sorted pretty fast. And I duly disembarked - at Lancaster Gate. And maybe I should have checked beforehand, but it turns out that I was now on the wrong side of Hyde Park..! Google Maps merrily suggested that I walk through the park. Well, apart from the dubious advice to walk through a city park in the dark - they were actually in the process of locking the gates! Happily, there is at least a road through the park, which I made for - but it did take longer, and I had visions of a repeat of Monday's episode! Mercifully, I eventually panted in to where the group was standing - and boy, was I relieved! And only 20 minutes later than I'd planned.

So.. there was a choir for this, as well as the orchestra. Ladies in front, in colourful, sparkly dresses, they looked like nothing so much as a row of Quality Streets.

Can't say I was enamoured of them. They hardly got up from their seats - not singing at all for most numbers; when they did, it was generally only the chorus. The only number they did anything substantial with was Bohemian Rhapsody, just before the interval. Which, to be fair, was excellent. They did click their fingers for a couple of numbers. Mind you, when they did sing, I often had trouble hearing them over the orchestra.. but the effort was appreciated. Hell, I thought it was a travesty that there was no singing at all for I Want to Break Free - and with so many people bursting into song around me, I think I wasn't the only one. When the lyrics are so familiar..

The concert was generally quite good, but by and large we agreed that the second half was much better - seemed to flow better. Certainly, the opener of We Will Rock You was a damp squib - all you really need for most of that is a drum kit, and the orchestral treatment dampened down the excitement of that, and of several numbers. The melodic ones worked better, of course. But the second half did provide some excellent numbers, and a particular shout out to the drummer, who had a blistering solo at one point, and to whoever was playing electric guitar. By the time they got to the last number of We Are the Champions, they finally seemed to have managed to rock the hall, with most people swaying along. And a reprise of We Will Rock You for the encore - worked, finally. A good night. And great to see everyone!

Afterwards, predictably, and as predicted by the organiser, it was impossible to find each other - well, certainly for me; I was ages coming out, the people on either side of me taking so long to move! And then the saga of getting home - by bus - started. Firstly, it turned out that my regular bus stop was closed for roadworks. Most people headed in the direction the bus would travel in - I decided it was a wiser plan to walk in the other direction, to avoid the crowd. Then there was no sign of my bus - never mind, Google Maps said I could take another bus, which would be along imminently. And it was.

The plan was to hook up from that route with my bus home, the 11. So I got off at the interchange stop, which has one of those dinky new style displays. And I don't know what it is about the 11, but it never seems to be predicted to arrive. Within the next half hour, there was no sign of it appearing. I checked alternatives, and discovered that they'd take another 45 minutes to get home from here - and I could have stayed on my last bus to do it, duh.. So I was just wondering whether to give up and take the Tube: and lo, what comes around the corner, like the proverbial knight on a white charger, but an 11 that must have been just starting its route, and was just turning on its lights. Which I jumped onto. Although I still wasn't believing Google Maps' estimate of a 3-minute journey..!

Well, what with the protests having been outlawed, I see that most of the 11's diversions have been lifted - it's going through Westminster now, without that long detour south of the river. Still has a weird detour around Trafalgar Square though, which took forever to get through. And gee, to finish off the evening.. the final stop was closed (for roadworks), and I needs must get off at the one before, and walk. Took me an hour and a half to get home. And with a meeting scheduled for this morning, I had to be in early - so no blogging last night.

The meeting - as with the one after it - was cancelled in the end. Of course. Now begins a long period of non-Meetup stuff. Tonight, I'm heading to the ballet Manon, at the Opera House. Which, blessedly, I can walk to.

Tomorrow, the Crick Crack Club (CCC) is back at Rich Mix, with Melusine. TUUP is the headliner on this occasion, which should be terrific!

On Friday, Helen's in town, heading to a Midge Ure concert at the Palladium - we're meeting for dinner beforehand at the Slug & Lettuce. Now, that's the day I should be flying back to Ireland - so I'm going the next day instead. And with my mother's birthday during the week - and not having any major holidays booked - I said, why not just take the week off and spend it in Ireland? So I am.

On the 28th, the CCC is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they have now, predictably, sold out.

On the 29th, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come.

On the 30th, back with Meetup at last - UITCS is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.

For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.

On the 1st, meeting Ivan.. he's away most of the time till then, and I'm busy the rest of the time!

And on the 2nd, I've booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I'll probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might go to a film that day - depending what's on - or, if I don't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But I now see that's sold out - was bound to happen.