Comedy: Mic Check

Tonight, back to comedy - one of my cheap clubs (CT) sold me a ticket for Mic Check at 2Northdown. (And sent me a dire warning yesterday that late cancellation, or a no-show, would result in my account being blocked. No exceptions.) Gee, if they didn't have such cheap tickets..

Well, it's close enough that it's an easy bus trip, there and back. Easy to find the venue too - they wisely put a sign out front. Now, when I've been here before, it was in summer, and they opened up the whole front wall, which comprises a couple of massive doors - I was glad to see they'd closed it tonight! Took me a minute to figure out where the door was, though. Anyway, they had a list that they checked me off on - there seemed to be a special section for people with CT tickets, with perhaps about seven or so people on it. And the bar - unlike Sunday's - had plenty of white wine! I didn't at all mind being served it in a tumbler. Took a seat near the front. I have to say, it wasn't the warmest - by the time we were halfway through the show, I had to put my coat on again.

I seriously needed some cheering up, after the day I've had. But unfortunately, this wasn't the best place to do it - really, the only acts I liked to any great extent were the MC and the headliner, both of whom were excellent. I had to sit through a lot of dross to get there, though - some very definitely worse than others. Rather glad I don't have any more comedy acts booked that I'm not familiar with - getting sick of being underwhelmed.

Because of the headliner, I'm glad I stayed to the end - I was equally glad to leave. One lady had come with a mobility aid - handy how they could open the front wall to let her out! But I nearly turned into a block of ice while trying to get my phone on a network - it always takes forever, when it's first turned on - and then waiting for the bus. And then walking the short distance from where I got off the bus, against a gale-force, freezing wind. Lordy, was I feeling sorry for myself by the time I got in.

Tomorrow, I booked A Medieval Ghost Story with the Surrey History Meetup, on Teams this time. Tickets from Eventbrite, free when I booked, at least! But you know, they'll probably record it. I hope so, because in the meantime, Invigorate came back with another pub crawl! (AKA Tour of Historic Pubs.) Much closer together this time, thankfully, and all in Southwark, so convenient for me! So I'm going on that, now.

On Thursday, I'm making what used to be my annual pilgrimage to Winter Wonderland! Whee! Particularly as, to get an evening ticket, I had to book three weeks in advance - to combat Covid, they're restricting numbers, and of course, evenings are the hardest to get. Not to mention that they're now charging an entry fee - but that is waived if you book at least £20 of attractions, food or drink in the same transaction. Which I always do - the Cirque Berserk and Magical Ice Kingdom. Looking forward to that hot chocolate with the shot in it already..

And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Assuming the PCR test I do tomorrow - and get the results from on Thursday night - is clear; the Irish government announced this evening that, from Friday, a test is a requirement for everyone entering Ireland, including from Great Britain..

Comedy: David McSavage, Immigrant Comedy, & Film: Caught in the Net

On Saturday, I got an email from the Top Secret Comedy Club - advertising limited, £8 tickets for a David McSavage show yesterday afternoon. Woo, I love that guy! So I booked - jeez, hadn't been there since the heady days of the Man with the Hat..

For brunch yesterday, I fancied something different. Now, Liverpool Street Station is pretty bereft of eateries these days - but I had noticed something called Eataly, just to the side of the entrance. You couldn't miss it, in fact, bedecked in Christmas finery as it is! Well, Italian, I supposed - so I said that'd surely be OK, and I'd try it.

OMG I had no idea what I was to encounter! Firstly, it's massive - spread over two floors, and extending at least the width of two buildings, it has food markets (Italian, of course) both upstairs and down - and the pick n mix downstairs is truly like Santa's Grotto. I wandered through the whole place, mouth agape. You can actually buy takeaway food at the counters too, and signs advertise that they "cook what [they] sell, and sell what [they] cook"!

Now, I was there for a sit-down meal.. they have no fewer than three restaurants. The ground floor has a spectacular cafe, scrumptious cakes as far as the eye can see - the more substantial fare is to be found upstairs, with a restaurant at either end. They have a pasta / pizza restaurant, of course - and at the station end, a grill restaurant called Terra, which was what I plumped for in the end. She was kind enough to give me a quick look at the menu before I decided, and when I said yes, I was quickly shown to a seat.

Longest Italian wine list in London, apparently. I panicked for a minute, thinking they didn't do wine by the glass - turns out that list is there, although more restrictive; just look for the "Be quick, drink wine" page! I had a Pinot Grigio. And then another. It was damn good. Service throughout was flawless - I haven't seen better.

I skipped a starter, and went straight for the main - first steak I've had in ages, which came with (properly triple-cooked) potatoes on a wooden platter, on a trolley. The server gave me the choice of having it on a plate instead, which she assured me was warm, and is what I opted for - so she happily switched everything over for me. Sauce is always served on the side, here. Not that I really needed it, with steak this good - it was served in slices, strewn with rock salt.. and just perfect.

They don't have a huge dessert menu, as it happens - mostly panettone, which seems to be a house specialty. I had the gianduja panettone, which comes with optional sauce, as do they all - so I had the chocolate sauce. It was nice, but I'm not sure I'd choose it again - it's quite substantial, after a main meal!

Throughout, my every need was anticipated. The waiting staff were attentive and friendly - and the bill, at the end, was served to me in a teeny little envelope. :-) I'm looking forward to going back there again - but it won't become a habit. More suited to a treat, given the bill total! But well worth the visit.

And so, off in the cold to Top Secret. As it happened, when I tried the door, it was still locked - and who but David McSavage himself should open it for me! He was perched on a stool when I got down to the performance area, and we had a merry old chat, mainly about Covid. And how underdressed he was, having come straight over from Dublin, where it was apparently warmer. And how the silver lining about the terrible weather was how it had forced the cancellation of I'm a Celebrity.. ;-) So, if you hear him come out with that in a future show, you know where it came from!

Well, he was worried about a low turnout, but by showtime the place was full. And once he removed his cap - we could see he'd gone blonde! Yuck. Ah well, anyway. So, this was just an hour-long taster show that he threw in, perched on another stool, plucking at a guitar. Seemingly unrehearsed. As he said, other comedians appear unrehearsed, but are faking it and their seeming unpreparedness is actually very well-rehearsed indeed. Not him though - he just hasn't rehearsed. And indeed, this is what it looked like - he tried a few jokes on us, but mainly rambled on for an hour or so. In a very funny manner. Being a surreally funny bloke. I do think it helped that by far the majority of the crowd seemed to be Irish, and therefore knew what to expect.. Anyway, I loved it, always love this guy.

And then I was back in the freezing cold again, back with London European Club - we were off to Immigrant Comedy (standup comedy in English) at the Camden Comedy Club. Tickets from Eventbrite.. two shows, we were going to the later one. So, a Day of Comedy, indeed! Well, I had a variety of bus options - one was direct, so I waited for that, shivering. And it dropped me just a short walk away from The Camden Head, which as it turns out has the Comedy Club above it. Now, I have been here before - years ago! With the - now apparently, sadly, defunct - London Literary Walks. Mind you, that was in daylight, and I didn't remember the place!

I tell you this though, based on this trip, I won't forget it in a hurry - first pub I've ever been to that had NO white wine at all! I didn't feel like red - ironically, as that was the colour of my outfit - so that was that! (At least I'd had a glass at Top Secret.) In due course, I did at least find a table.. the others arrived eventually, and we started to chat, and that was fine - although while I was waiting, a lovely little old gent did offer to buy me a drink: not, as he said, in an attempt to pick me up, but just because I was alone, and drinkless. Aww.

Meantime, my phone battery was rapidly running down - something of a worry, as my ticket was on it. Never fear, here they had a list - checked off by the MC, who turned out to be the excellent Radu Isac! The acts themselves.. rather less excellent, I'm afraid, although hey, they tried! This was a night of immigrant comedy - mind you, the first up had a distinctly local accent! (but Polish parents, as he explained). We had Israeli, Serbian.. I thought the most natural of the night were the Italian and the Russian / Ukranian - although the latter did focus particularly on one of our group, which might have been uncomfortable. Ah well, if you will sit in the front row.. Most of the audience were foreign too, with a particularly high Bulgarian contingent! Well, not as polished a show as David McSavage's, but you have to start somewhere..

Afterwards, with my phone dead, I gave up on buses and followed my companions in the direction of the Tube, which at least got me home faster. Not in time to blog though, given how early a start I have on Mondays! Now, this evening was - of course - destined for film.. as usual on Mondays these days, with not so much on Meetup! Well, once I'd eliminated a couple of Indian films I'm just not interested in, top of the list came out to be Caught in the Net, a documentary from Prague about an experiment that was conducted, involving three young (but grown-up) actresses who could pass for children, and were hired to impersonate 12-year-olds online, and see what happened. Only showing in the Picturehouses, and I was originally going to see it in Picturehouse Central, until I discovered it had been cancelled there, for some reason!

Well, next closest was Hackney Picturehouse. I tried to use a Tesco voucher to book - wouldn't take it, for some reason, but at least I got the voucher converted! (It was due to expire tomorrow.) Another of those places I'd been to before, but completely forgotten. Anyway, again I got a single bus there - and did wonder whether I'd be late, given the stop-start traffic. Well, I made it just in time! and then had to figure out where the entrance was. No, not under where it says "Cinema", you actually enter where it says "Kitchen" - and I was glad it was in Screen 5, as that's the only one I could see signs for! So, upstairs, and into a pretty empty screen - it did fill up a little. Nice, soft pullman seats, as always in Picturehouses.

I was just in time - didn't even have time to log into their WiFi. Now, we all know pretty much what to expect from the topic of this film - perhaps what is most astonishing is its predictability. Within five minutes of creating a fake profile for a 12-year-old girl, it had 16 messages - and over the three months of the experiment, the girls were contacted by nearly 2500 different men, generally middle-aged. And generally fond of showing off their body parts. And very persistent about asking the girls to do things they weren't comfortable with. The rules of the experiment were carefully explained - they weren't to lead anyone on in any way, weren't to be flirty. Psychologists and a lawyer were always present on set - they actually built three bedrooms, using the girls' personal possessions, side-by-side, each complete with laptop and mobile phone.

Probably the stand-out moment of the film is the Skype call that one gets from a bloke that's so nice, so normal, that she breaks down in tears. He's the only one whose face is shown. And towards the end, they confront one of the prime offenders - they've concentrated on just a few, and this is one that the makeup artist on set recognised as someone who organises camp trips for children! He's utterly unapologetic, I might add. The closing captions explain that the police later seized the recordings to form the basis of criminal prosecutions - you can't go propositioning 12-year-olds, you know! Ugh, dreadful stuff - as one of the girls remarked, she had nightmares for weeks after.

I had fun on the way home - had to change buses, and Google Maps had me changing from one to another at the same stop! And there I was, getting all annoyed at the driver, because I could see my second bus, at the stop where he was also supposed to let me off! But eh, no - his stop is around the corner - silly Google Maps. At least I didn't have to wait long for the next.

Now, this was the last depressing evening this week. Tomorrow, back to comedy - one of my cheap clubs (CT) sold me a ticket for Mic Check at 2Northdown. (And sent me a dire warning today that late cancellation, or a no-show, would result in my account being blocked. No exceptions.) Gee, if they didn't have such cheap tickets..

On Wednesday, I booked A Medieval Ghost Story with the Surrey History Meetup, on Teams this time. Tickets from Eventbrite, free when I booked, at least! But you know, they'll probably record it. I hope so, because in the meantime, Invigorate came back with another pub crawl! (AKA Tour of Historic Pubs.) Much closer together this time, thankfully, and all in Southwark, so convenient for me! So I'm going on that, now.

On Thursday, I'm making what used to be my annual pilgrimage to Winter Wonderland! Whee! Particularly as, to get an evening ticket, I had to book three weeks in advance - to combat Covid, they're restricting numbers, and of course, evenings are the hardest to get. Not to mention that they're now charging an entry fee - but that is waived if you book at least £20 of attractions, food or drink in the same transaction. Which I always do - the Cirque Berserk and Magical Ice Kingdom. Looking forward to that hot chocolate with the shot in it already..

And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

Conference: SHERF 2021 & Cabaret: Marie Lloyd Stole My Life

Today, back with the Surrey History Meetup group - nominally - for yet another Zoom call. This time, it focused on SHERF 2021 - a day-long conference based on the work of the Surrey Historic Environment Research Framework, and specifically on church archaeology. As promoted by the Surrey Archaeological Society. Didn't think I'd quite be awake for the start, given the time I went to sleep!

And I wasn't. But after I got myself somewhat sorted, I turned it on in the background, and made a few talks.. there was one about the medieval practice of consuming stone dust! Yes, that was indeed a thing - they used to chip away at the stone walls of holy buildings, and save the dust to put in drinks. Hmm. (And nobody objected!) Then I watched a talk about how they think they've discovered the skeleton of some Anglo-Saxon saint - which was interesting - and a talk, massively abridged apparently, about the analysis of graffiti found in some old church. (The lady who kept nodding off during that one should really have turned off her camera.) Gee, imagine, this talk was once half as long again. But I will say this, there is a terrific amount of information to be gleaned in these old churches - they're a fantastic resource. And it's great that Surrey has such a rich historical tradition that they can make a conference around it! More power to them.

But gee, the London International Meetup belatedly advertised something good for this evening. They were off to a cabaret, at the Canal Cafe Theatre - this was Marie Lloyd Stole My Life! Now, TAC got me to a couple of shows here recently, at a cheap rate - pity they don't seem to have tickets for this! Never mind, I bought full-price, for once..

I had to go by Tube, but mercifully skirted the ongoing strike. And when I got there, the organiser was already in the bar, with another - after I'd got a drink, I joined them. Convivial chat followed, and when the time came for us to head upstairs, some loud-voiced person left us in no doubt. I was trying to juggle my drink and phone (complete with e-ticket), but never fear, giving my name was quite sufficient! And with a jazz version of The Little Drummer Boy on in the bar at the interval, and tinsel decorating the banister that led upstairs, you could say they are in the Christmas spirit, I guess..

We got tables near the front (there were five of us, in the end). And what a fun night! So, this is loosely based on the life of music hall performer Nelly Power - she takes the stage for the first half, regaling us with numbers as she describes her story, and how an upstart newcomer (the eponymous Marie Lloyd) nicked her most popular, as well as her manager. The second half, in contrast, concentrates more on the numbers.

Now, I'd heard of some of these - but didn't really know the words to any. But it was lovely to be in the midst of lots of people who did! I love 'em. Had a lovely time, and it was nice to meet all the folks. Very glad I made this last-minute decision! This show finishes tomorrow - very highly recommended, for those who fancy a traditional, music hall vibe.

Also very glad to be in from the cold, now - it's vicious out there. Now, while that conference was on today, I got an email from the Top Secret Comedy Club - advertising limited, £8 tickets for a David McSavage show tomorrow afternoon. Woo, I love that guy! So I've booked - jeez, haven't been there since the heady days of the Man with the Hat..

And I'll be done in time for evening, when I'm back with London European Club - we're off to Immigrant Comedy (standup comedy in English) at the Camden Comedy Club. Tickets from Eventbrite.. two shows, we're going to the later one. So, a Day of Comedy, indeed!

Concert: Yantra

Tonight, back with one of my cheap ticket groups - TAC - for another concert at the Wimbledon Music Festival. This time, it was Yantra, an a cappella group, in the Trinity URC Church. Now, this is a seat-filling service, and on this occasion - as on another recently - they told me that I would be emailed a ticket by the venue on the day. Didn't happen that time - but today, I was emailed a ticket by TicketSource. Which is how I found out that I had a seat near the front, and that the ticket I had paid £3.60 for had a face vale of £30.. Not bad at all!

It's interesting, you know - I only attended this festival on one previous year, as it happens, and on that occasion, booked for a concert in each of the same two venues as this year. And so, reading the accounts back, I realised that this would be the easier to get to - and so it proved. Still Tube, of course. Now, Google Maps was telling me to go to Mansion House and catch a direct District Line train. However - tight for time as usual - I thought I might just hop on the Central Line at St. Paul's, which I'd pass on the way - I could change to the District Line later. Completely forgot about the Tube strike, which closed that line completely today, and which I suddenly remembered hearing about when I saw the closed gates at the station entrance! Not something I typically have to worry about, these days..

Well, on to Mansion House - and was I delighted that the next train along was direct to Wimbledon! Got a seat, of course - this is a good line for this. Unfortunately, it's also good at changing its destination, and after a few stops, we were informed that it wouldn't be going to Wimbledon after all. So a change at Earl's Court was in order - but I was still in good time, and the Wimbledon train didn't take long to come. This is also a good line for people to bring animals onto - we had two lovely doggy companions for a little bit of the journey! And finally, we crept into Wimbledon - the train always creeps in here, taking about five minutes from when you can see the station. But I knew that.

The walk wasn't too long, either - although I don't think that Google Maps' estimate took road crossings into account. (But it was much flatter than my last Wimbledon excursion!) I managed to get there with a couple of minutes to spare - I showed the nice man my ticket and he checked on the screen, to see which side I should go in - there's a partition down the middle, you see. And someone else showed me to my seat, and tried to sell me a festival program as we walked. Well now, I don't go by printed programs in general - and with the festival ending on Sunday, I think she was pushing her luck. I passed. Handily, there was no-one in my row when I took my seat - although the place was so sparsely occupied that the mc urged us to move closer, if we wanted..

Interesting pew configuration - don't really know what's up with it. Anyway, it wasn't long before they came on, the English chap - who seemed the oldest of them - seemingly taking the lead, reading from a script. They performed for about an hour, including an encore that was a reprise of the first piece - and showcased a mixture of traditional folk songs and medieval religious music. Polyphony was achieved by layering tracks of their own voices, and playing them alongside their live singing. Now, this is the sort of music that I'm not completely sure translates well to recordings - certainly, I wasn't initially impressed when I heard them, online. But wow, hearing them live is a whole different story! The mood switched from merry, with catchy folk songs, to intense - and in all, it was a moving experience. Soul food, for the end of the week! Adored the performance - still didn't buy the cd, despite the promise of a discount for cash..!

For my journey home, Google Maps helpfully suggested that I take the (ahem) Central Line. Now, they sent me the warning about the strike - it might help if they read their own messages! Never mind, I simply changed to the Circle Line instead, which got me as close to home as I could possibly go, by Tube.

Tomorrow, back with the Surrey History Meetup group - nominally - for yet another Zoom call. This time, it focuses on SHERF 2021 - a day-long conference based on the work of the Surrey Historic Environment Research Framework, and specifically on church archaeology. As promoted by the Surrey Archaeological Society. Don't think I'll quite be awake for the start, at this rate!

But gee, the London International Meetup finally advertised something good for tomorrow evening. They're off to a cabaret, at the Canal Cafe Theatre - this is Marie Lloyd Stole My Life! Now, TAC got me to a couple of shows here recently, at a cheap rate - pity they don't seem to have tickets for this! Never mind, I bought full-price, for once..

And on Sunday, back with London European Club - we're off to Immigrant Comedy (standup comedy in English) at the Camden Comedy Club. Tickets from Eventbrite.. two shows, we're going to the later one.

Film: The Jump, Musical: The Drifters Girl, & Dance: Outwitting the Devil

Well, film on Tuesday again. Top of the list was The Jump, only showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury, and is a documentary about a Lithuanian sailor, back in the days of the Soviet Union, who chose to defect to the United States by jumping from his ship onto an American one. Didn't do him much good - they sent him back! but the whole thing blew into a political storm. Sounded interesting. As long as it wasn't as much as half sold out, I kept an eye on it.

Well, it wasn't on until late, so I stayed late in the office again. I could walk. Except that I got caught up in doing something, so it'd have to be public transport for me to get there in time. Google Maps told me I'd make it by bus.. and I made it to the stop just in time for the bus that they'd predicted would come. Then checked my Buses Due app.. to be given the harsh news that it wasn't due for a quarter of an hour! Oh hell, that was all I needed, after a hard day. The only thing for it now was to scurry asap to St. Paul's and catch the Tube, which is what I did. I had to change in Holborn, startling a rat as I disembarked - and why, oh why, do they make you climb two sets of stairs, and leave the escalator for going down? I eventually arrived at the cinema about five minutes late, which wasn't bad. And had a third set of steps to climb as I exited the Tube. So I didn't completely miss out on exercise!

At the cinema, I walked straight into an "event" on the ground floor (the cinemas are in the basement). So I had to buy my ticket downstairs - as I eventually gleaned, although a combination of my stressed demeanour and the assistant's muffled voice behind her mask meant she had to tell me twice. And when I got through that hurdle, I forgot completely where the screen was! Ended up nearly going out through the emergency exit before I realised. And when I got in, someone had his stuff on my seat. So I sat in the one beside, and was quite glad nobody came along to move me.

It's a dramatic, Cold War tale - this guy was in the Soviet navy, off the coast of the US, and the US coastguard came along to see what they were doing. And they started throwing stuff to each other, from one ship to the other, until the Soviet officers objected to the American magazines. Whereupon our protagonist got the idea - just to jump for it! Now, this comprehensive documentary also interviews a couple of officers on the US ship, and one remarked that 4.15pm was the worst time of day to defect, because all the politicos were leaving the office for the day! They couldn't get anyone on the phone, so figured they'd better send him back - wow, what a furore that caused! The story of how he came to the US in the end is fascinating, and as well as archive footage, the documentary has him visit New York, where he used to live, and also follows him around his home in Lithuania - which he and his wife returned to, after independence. A well-rounded documentary, and a fascinating glimpse into this period in history.

And on the way home, I got off at the stop across from my flat - which, according to Google Maps, was not an option for me. Well, nuts to that.

The past two days, for the first time in a while, I was back with Up in the Cheap Seats. Yesterday, we went to see The Drifters Girl, a musical about the female manager of The Drifters, played by Beverley Knight. Playing in the Garrick, and wouldn't you know, when I was checking it out, I saw a message from a member who couldn't go, and was willing to give away her ticket for free to the first person to get in touch. Well, it just goes to show, you can't even give tickets away - this was three days later, and I said I'd take the chance - sure enough, I was the first! It's a physical ticket, which she posted to me - I just had to remember to take it with me! Not often, these days, I get a physical ticket. Oh, and yippee, Rear Stalls!

I decided to pop the ticket in my bag the night before - and just as well, with me in a rush yesterday morning! No email from the theatre, it seems, as they'd said they'd send, with instructions about what to do, and when to be there.

But I left work for the theatre in good time - in fact, I was the first of the group to arrive! Pleasantly, when I came to the auditorium, they were playing music from the era. Plenty of time to bag a drink - and as I sipped it, at the exit from the bar, I spotted a couple of the group over the other side. So I made my way over there - and we spent a good half hour chatting. Problem was, it was pretty cramped - people were having to push past us to go to the bar or toilet, and we duly made for our seats - some were sitting upstairs too, which was a consideration.

As you can see, the pillar "in my sightline" wasn't an impediment at all. Few people were wearing masks until an usher went around with a large sign, urging us to do so, when a lot complied. Anyway, the show started about 15 minutes late - apparently there was a to-do, with a large group of people near the front sitting in the wrong seats! This wasn't the only kerfuffle with the audience last night - a number of our group who were sitting upstairs apparently had terrible trouble with people near them who not only wouldn't stop talking through the show, but became quite belligerent when challenged! As someone remarked, theatre etiquette has really gone downhill since lockdown..

Well, we got the story of The Drifters - but what everyone's really there for is the actual music, and there's plenty of it - as usual, more of their back catalogue than you realised was theirs! And throughout, it's beautifully sung. Beverley Knight herself doesn't get much opportunity to sing until the end of the first half, when a showstopping number brings us to the interval. She is heard a bit more after that - and I distinctly remember being about to take a sip of wine while she was belting out a number, only to stop with the glass halfway to my mouth! Truly, she blew us away. And by the end, we were only too ready to rise to a standing ovation - and to sing along. (Mind you, some had started already, and a group just behind me were very merry after a trip to the bar at the interval..)

Terrific musical performance - plenty of laughs, too. Highly recommended if you're into the old classics. Runs until the 26th March. And it was great to see some folks I literally hadn't seen in years.

I was looking forward to tonight, when we were headed to Sadler's Wells for an Akram Khan production, the UK Premiere of Outwitting the Devil. Part of their Carnival of Shadows tour. And ooh, the first time I'd have been there since lockdown!

Of course, our office has now started serving free beer (and, crucially, wine) on Thursdays, so naturally, I imbibed before setting off. And the new office, with its single-kitchen layout, means a lot more mingling between the different departments. Indeed, I networked happily until I decided I really had to tear myself away - it was a pity, I was enjoying it. As it was, I'd have been able to walk if I'd left earlier - instead, I had a number of potential buses to choose from.

Just missed one - which I could have caught, if I hadn't been unsure it was the right one: caught another - and treated myself to a ride up in the lift, as I was already late. (Happily, not late for the show, just a little late to meet the group.) And again, it was great to see people I hadn't seen in so long.. had a good old chat until it was time to go in.

So, this is straight through without an interval.. and a more intense, creepy piece I defy you to find. (So, I loved it.) Nobody, but nobody, seems to have figured out exactly what the plot is, but as ever, it looks great, looks and sounds eerie, and grabbed my attention throughout. If you want to give it a shot, it's running until Saturday, with decent availability. Under-5s not allowed. And with it having no interval, it was over early enough for me to blog!

Tomorrow, back with one of my cheap ticket groups - TAC - for another concert at the Wimbledon Music Festival. This time, it's Yantra, an a cappella group, in the Trinity URC Church.

On Saturday, back with the Surrey History Meetup group - nominally - for yet another Zoom call. This time, it focuses on SHERF 2021 - a day-long conference based on the work of the Surrey Historic Environment Research Framework, and specifically on church archaeology. As promoted by the Surrey Archaeological Society.

And on Sunday, back with London European Club - we're off to Immigrant Comedy (standup comedy in English) at the Camden Comedy Club. Tickets from Eventbrite.. two shows, we're going to the later one.

Talk: Dissolution of the Monasteries - Superstition, Scandal & Dodgy Dealing

So, I flew back to London last night. The weather's really turned cold, so I brought my warm coat, which has been in Ireland since March of last year (which did give me the chance to get it cleaned, as it sorely needed). And boy, was I glad I had, when we landed in Stansted and there was (ahem) ONLY ONE BUS to take us all from the nearly full plane to the terminal, as we had landed miles away, as usual, and at that time of night, that was our only option. Ah, the minutes we spent standing in the freezing cold breeze for another, which I thought must be like the initial experience of people exiled to Siberia. Particularly for the poor Ryanair employee who chaperoned us, and pointed out that he himself was only wearing a light suit, while pleading with us not to blame him, it wasn't his fault! Well no, it's the perpetual fault of the indifferent management of Stansted, who really do treat customers worse than cattle. As usual, a strong contender for Worst Airport in Europe.

Anyway, today, as mentioned previously, I was thinking of film again. What was coming up tops was Khel Khel Mein, a film about students learning the truth about Bangadesh's turbulent past. The ratings are crazy for this - starting at 8.1, within a day it had jumped to 8.3, and then stabilised at 9.1.. Closest showing is in the Vue Westfield Stratford City. Now, at Vue, it's cheaper to book online - but when I tried, their website was broken.

But then, yesterday, I got a last-minute reminder email from the Surrey History Meetup (SHM), for a Zoom talk this evening on Dissolution of the Monasteries - Superstition, Scandal & Dodgy Dealing. I hadn't seen it earlier, as it wasn't among the suggestions for "things to do near London". And I thought, you know what, that sounds more interesting to me. Not to mention that it was free, and I wouldn't have to travel for it - indeed, I'd be able to watch it in the office, and give a good impression by staying longer at my desk! And so I signed up for it - so it's a good thing that cinema website wasn't working.

Mind you, it wasn't the least complicated conference call I've ever done - turns out that the link provided was for registration, as I discovered when the organiser messaged me this morning to point out that I hadn't yet registered! which I promptly did. Then I had to forward the email I got following registration to my work email address - we can't access third-party email sites from our work computers any more - and when I clicked the link in that, in time for the talk.. I was asked for a passcode! Spent some anxious minutes thinking I hadn't got one, until I looked more closely at the email, and discovered a passcode in the subject line. I got in slightly late, but they didn't start for 10 minutes anyway. And I wasn't the only one with that problem - one woman spent 25 minutes looking for it, before posting a message on the event page. Just as well I was able to help her.

The talk was hosted by the Dorking Local History Group. Well apparently, this lady has given a few talks before, so they weren't so surprised that this one was well-attended, with over 50 participants. The event was advertised as running for two hours - but the talk itself was over in about 50 minutes, and there were about 15 minutes of questions before I logged off.

Not the best history talk I've ever attended, but it was interesting - and she made it fairly entertaining. She's from Yorkshire, but tried to make the talk as relevant as possible to Surrey - and I think she succeeded. Naturally - and despite sundry salubrious tales of debauchery on the part of clerics - the title relates more to the people responsible for the dissolutions, rather than the inhabitants of the religious houses that fell victim to them. With the devious Thomas Cromwell in charge, and assigned the task of dissolving as many as possible, charges were going to be invented, to enable institutions to be dissolved - their riches devolving to the spendthrift Henry VIII, their physical assets being snatched by rapacious local gentry. The clergy had to sign the Act of Supremacy, naming him supreme head of the Church of England, in order to secure a pension - the monks of London's Charterhouse, who refused, were starved to death en masse.

Lead was taken from the roofs, bells were melted down. Interesting anecdotes were included, such as how a local pond was dredged, and a pulpit recovered from the bottom - the clergy hid what they could, to avoid having to give it to Cromwell's agents. Or the stone from the building to be dissolved was used to repair the local church, this at least preserving the masonry for religious use. A few accounts of breweries whose origins lay with dissolved religious houses that had been used to brewing.. and yes, the dissolutions did help with the economy, as businesses that had been ringfenced by the clergy now went public. As well as breweries, think quarries - she used a Yorkshire example for that.

Questions were entered in the chat, and answered at the end. And we were given a Zoom survey, to which 81% responded with a "very good" or "excellent" rating. Great to have such a resource! And they saved me a journey tonight, to a film I was rather indifferent to.

Well, film tomorrow as well. So I checked that film's rating again - and would you credit it, it's now down to 8! meaning that we have a new contender. The Jump, only showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury, is a documentary about a Lithuanian sailor, back in the days of the Soviet Union, who chose to defect to the United States by jumping from his ship onto an American one. Didn't do him much good - they sent him back! but apparently the whole thing blew into a political storm. Sounds interesting - and saves me having to go to Stratford.. Not half sold out yet, so I'm keeping an eye on it.

Wednesday and Thursday, for the first time in a while, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats. On Wednesday, we're off to see The Drifters Girl, a musical about the female manager of The Drifters, played by Beverley Knight. Playing in the Garrick, and wouldn't you know, when I was checking it out, I saw a message from a member who couldn't go, and was willing to give away her ticket for free to the first person to get in touch. Well, it just goes to show, you can't even give tickets away - this was three days later, and I said I'd take the chance - sure enough, I was the first! It's a physical ticket, which she posted to me - now I just have to remember to take it with me! Not often, these days, I get a physical ticket. Oh, and yippee, Rear Stalls!

Looking forward to Thursday, when we're headed to Sadler's Wells for an Akram Khan production, the UK Premiere of Outwitting the Devil. Part of their Carnival of Shadows tour. And ooh, the first time I'll have been there since lockdown!

On Friday, back with one of my cheap ticket groups - TAC - for another concert at the Wimbledon Music Festival. This time, it's Yantra, an a cappella group, in the Trinity URC Church.

On Saturday, back with the SHM group - nominally - for yet another Zoom call. This time, it focuses on SHERF 2021 - a day-long conference based on the work of the Surrey Historic Environment Research Framework, and specifically on church archaeology. As promoted by the Surrey Archaeological Society.

And on Sunday, back with London European Club - we're off to Immigrant Comedy (standup comedy in English) at the Camden Comedy Club. Tickets from Eventbrite.. two shows, we're going to the later one.

Film: The French Dispatch

Yesterday, I flew back to Ireland for the weekend - it's easier to get Friday flights at the moment! But ay, what a journey. As usual, the bulk of the day's work hit in the evening, so I was rushing to get everything I wanted done before I left - then scurried back home, threw my things together, and made it to the station in time for the Stansted Express at 5.10 - they're every half-hour, and I figured the 5.40 wouldn't get me there in time. I'd checked earlier in the afternoon, and those were the minutes past the hour that they were going at - indeed, that they had gone at before. Imagine, then, my frustration when I got there, and discovered that the next train wasn't until 5.24..

Well, at least it had just arrived, so I could make my way straight on - squeezing past the horde of people that had just got off. And I got a seat and settled in for quite a pleasant journey - despite the iffy WiFi. The next problem was when we got to the airport, and were faced with a sea of people queueing for the escalators to the terminal. Moving very, very slowly - because their tickets were being checked, and there were only two staff members checking. We could see how slowly they were going from the slow trickle of people actually making it onto the escalators! I know it's a bottleneck there, but surely they can come up with a better system. As someone standing near me remarked, "outrageous!".

10 minutes then to get out of the train station, and I made it to the security check by 6.30. Which has to be the location of the most scathing indictment of the complete mismanagement of Stansted Airport. 22 security gates - 7 of which were open. Yes, you read that right - 15 were closed. On a Friday evening, five weeks before Christmas, with the airport choc-a-bloc with passengers. The queues were as bad as I've seen them, staff screaming at passengers who were going the wrong way, thinking to save time. And when we finally did get through and went through screening - yes, of course I was picked for the modern style of check, which I always set off. So, despite having nothing about my person that should set off the machinery, set it off I did, and had to take off my shoes and have them scanned separately, then get my (empty) pockets scanned and patted down. I never have this trouble in other airports, you know - so Stansted has both a staffing and an equipment failure.

20 minutes, then, to get through security - it was now 6.50, and my flight was at 7.25. I already had my gate number, thanks to the very efficient Ryanair Travel Assistant. Pity they couldn't move the flight to a closer gate though - this one was right near the back! Well, off I plodded, already weary from security - along the snaking path that leads through what must be one of the longest duty-free areas in the world, through the overcrowded departure lounge, and straight onto the long trudge to the gate. At least I was nearly at the end of this journey when the final call was announced. And I was glad that a couple arrived at the gate just in front of me - made me feel less isolated.

As it was, I was literally the last person onto the plane - I was worried about having to push past others to take my seat (I had a window seat), but would you believe it, the two people booked outside of me never arrived at all. In fact, an announcement was made on the plane, looking for them! Once I stopped panting, from my frantic dash through the airport, I noticed that - as usual - I was getting practically no air from the vent. At least I could also use the one from the seat beside me, which improved things a bit! And maybe it was that one of the attendants noticed me fanning myself with my phone, but once the doors were closed, the air supply increased enormously.

Made it back safely. Phew. Well, I spent a very great amount of time last night checking the London film list for Monday, which only renews on Fridays now. Then I had to get up in time for Tulla post office, which closes at 1pm on Saturdays, and where I pick up my mother's pension. So of course, I missed out on sleep. It's easier to choose for Ireland though, there's far less of a choice. I've gotten into the habit of going to films when I'm in Ireland, so looked for one for today - and if it's Limerick Omniplex, they do like you to book, and they don't have a booking fee. Now, I was thinking of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. But you know something, I was dubious that it just wouldn't live up to the original, which I loved - and having watched a review, I think I'm right. (I recommend starting watching the review at about 54 seconds, to avoid the annoying product ad.) Anyway, the gist of this review is that the director of the new movie is the son of the director of the original, and the new film keeps referencing the old film, rather than standing alone. From my perspective, although it has Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver in it from the original, this new film is a coming-of-age, teen adventure, and I'd miss the wisecracks that so defined the original. So I'm skipping it.

Instead - and before it leaves the local cinemas for good - I booked for The French Dispatch. Also starring Bill Murray, this is an ensemble piece, with Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, Christoph Waltz, Liev Schreiber, Mathieu Amalric, Willem Dafoe, and Edward Norton.. it's set around a newspaper, with Bill Murray as editor, and looked fabulous. Written and directed by Wes Anderson, and I was looking forward to it..

Left a little early, remembering the traffic from the last time! Well gee, but it was worse this time.. too many roadworks on the main street, and it took me ages to get through the centre. I was 15 minutes late by the time I arrived at the cinema - where, at least, there was parking. And wouldn't you know it, what with the Covid scare, security has been increased here, and - to my intense annoyance, especially after yesterday's delays - I was asked, at the door, for ID, and for my vaccination cert. Found them, and got my ticket scanned at the desk - just as well I photographed the QR code from the website after I'd booked, because the image never did display on the email they sent!

So, there I was, rushing again - and yes, it had started by the time I went in; they seem to show far fewer ads these days. I'd have booked an earlier showing, and avoided the traffic, but they didn't have one. Well, this film kind of takes the form of the retelling of different stories, featuring different selections of characters. Unfortunately, I just about missed Bill Murray's - but as I say, at least I knew he was the editor. I gathered that this "French Dispatch" is a kind of supplement to a newspaper based in Kansas, and that the staff inhabit a town by the name of Ennui (boredom), lying on the banks of the river Blasé. (In real life, this was apparently shot in Angouleme, and it looks lovely.)

Ah, I'm sorry I missed the start - I was dead right about this, I absolutely loved it, and found it hilarious! It was nice, too, to hear the giggles of an audience member in the row behind me - I wasn't the only one who appreciated it. I got to see four individual stories, based around journalists on the newspaper. The first is a story written by the "cycling journalist", Owen Wilson - a fun observation of the town, with little vignettes that are gems, but flash by so quickly you might miss them. Like his observation that the town has many cats - we see him having climbed a ladder to roof level, where he is met by dozens of cats, all scattered around the surrounding rooftops..

The other stories are longer and more involved. Story #2 is written by Tilda Swinton, the Arts correspondent, who has written a piece about the violent, convicted killer - and notable artist - Benicio del Toro. He found as his muse a prison guard - Léa Seydoux - and started painting again, as he had in his youth. His talent was noted by a fellow inmate - and art critic - Adrien Brody, who negotiated to promote his work. Henry Winkler is unrecognisable as one of his uncles, who run the family art business with him. Lois Smith plays an elderly and wealthy art investor. And woah, this story is an absolute triumph - possibly my favourite of them all, with Benicio del Toro as the intense and silent, tortured genius. Watch for the scene where he and Adrien Brody have an argument.. Benicio del Toro is in a wheelchair as a result of frustratedly stabbing himself with a palette knife, and ends up chasing Adrien Brody around in it. Pure gold.

Story #3 belongs to Frances McDormand (the only main female character in the film - apart from Lois Smith - who doesn't appear topless - at least - at some point), and is the story of student riots, which take place in the form of chess matches. Christoph Waltz is set up on a blind date with Frances McDormand by mutual friends - but she's much more interested in their son, Timothée Chalamet. Who also turns out to be a leader of the student protests.

And finally, we have a story, related to talk show host Liev Schreiber by the Cookery correspondent, who deviates from the food to mention the plot to capture the Police Commissioner's (Mathieu Amalric) son, as masterminded by master criminal Willem Dafoe, and executed by Edward Norton - the guitar-playing chauffeur.

Eclectic enough for you yet? It's a mad collection of tales, told with completely deadpan, quirky humour. Much of it was apparently inspired by real-life characters, and it's a real love letter to the writers. It's telling when so many big name actors are happy to take cameo roles in a film, as they do here. I adored it, highly recommend it - if you like the trailer, you will love it, no question.

Right, well, I'm back to London tomorrow, and as I mentioned, I'm thinking of film again. What's coming up tops is Khel Khel Mein, a film about students learning the truth about Bangadesh's turbulent past. The ratings are going crazy for this - starting at 8.1, within a day it had jumped to 8.3, and is now stable at 9.1.. Closest showing is in the Vue Westfield Stratford City. Now, at Vue, it's cheaper to book online - but their website seems to be broken.

3 Historic Pubs of London #2 & office drinks

Yesterday, back with Invigorate for a pub crawl! (Oops, I mean a tour of historic pubs..) Now, that was also my birthday! ;-) Glad to be back among people I know.

Handily, these pubs were close enough that I could walk to and from. Ye Olde Mitre, I had been in before - but not for over three years! I entered from the main road - Google Maps was good enough to tell me when I was right on top of it, and looking to the top of the arch that formed the entrance to a narrow laneway, I could see the sign. Just as I was about to head down, however, I was hailed by someone from the group, who astutely pointed me out as a member of the group. So we headed together into the crowded courtyard. Where we picked up another who recognised me - and then yet another.

Well, with no sign of our organiser, I said I'd go and get a drink, which would also allow me to check inside - I couldn't remember whether we were supposed to meet outside or in. And gee, it didn't take me long to spot him, at a long table just inside the door, complete with a sign advertising the group. Well, I went and got the others, and we squished in - and squished in some more when the smaller table, in the corner, was taken by a young couple (who had brought a box of cakes, which we looked at in some interest). They'd reserved it, you see - something our organiser hadn't been allowed to do. Perhaps they didn't want to make a booking for so many people! It is a cosy little pub. The heat from the fire was nice, after the cold outside, and we spent a lovely 40 minutes or so there, before he hurried us on to our next destination.

This was a long walk - we were heading for The Cockpit, which he warned us was even smaller. And so it proved - a former venue for cockfighting, it is overlooked by a gallery - but that's too narrow for people to sit. So what tables there are are on the ground floor - four or so of them. After getting our drinks, we stood for a while - eyeing all the tables. In due course, the occupants of the middle one stood to leave, and we swooped in - I thought one of them was eyeing us most dubiously. Anyway, another convivial chat there - and we picked up someone who'd come straight there; our organiser had suggested that as an option. In this pub, the three of us who were Irish happened to sit together, and I had the most Irish chat I've had in London in years!

They really do hammer home the theme, don't they..?

Not as far at all to the last pub, The Blackfriar, where I'd also been before, but remembered much better than Ye Olde Mitre. Well, but I had gone into this one! Again, we started off standing - but some kindly folks, most of whose party hadn't shown, let us have the end of their table. So we invaded. In the end, however, our organiser secured us tables in the dining area at the back, where I'd never been. And my food order, which I'd originally directed to the table at the other end, where we were sat at first, made its way quite safely there.

The food was most welcome - the breadcrumb coating of the chicken pieces I ordered was a bit burnt, but was salvaged by a lovely dip. And we had a lovely natter - the more so when I was given free rein to waffle about U2.. on and on and on and.. Anyway, I had a fabulous time with what is a great bunch of people! Really couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday.

I was knackered last night - drank more than twice, yesterday, the total amount I'd drunk on any one day since before lockdown! So I crashed, didn't blog. But I'd quite recovered for office drinks this evening - they are reviving the tradition of games and drinks on a Thursday, it seems. And for the first time, they had wine! So I decided just to hang out with them - didn't actually see much gaming, apart from one game of miniature pool. But I had some good catch-ups with folks. More of the same, please! (now that there's an option that's not beer).

Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - it's easier to get Friday flights at the moment!

I've gotten into the habit of going to films when I'm in Ireland, so looked for one for Saturday - and if it's Limerick Omniplex, they do like you to book, and they don't have a booking fee. Now, I was thinking of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. But you know something, I was dubious that it just wouldn't live up to the original, which I loved - and having watched a review, I think I'm right. (I recommend starting watching the review at about 54 seconds, to avoid the annoying product ad.) Anyway, the gist of this review is that the director of the new movie is the son of the director of the original, and the new film keeps referencing the old film, rather than standing alone. From my perspective, although it has Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver in it from the original, this new film is a coming-of-age, teen adventure, and I'd miss the wisecracks that so defined the original. So I'm skipping it.

Instead - and before it leaves the local cinemas for good - I've booked for The French Dispatch. Also starring Bill Murray, this is an ensemble piece, with Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, and who knows whom else.. it's set around a newspaper, with Bill Murray as editor, is all I know, and looks fabulous. Written and directed by Wes Anderson, and I'm looking forward to it..

Comedy: Holier Than Thou

Tonight, the last of three cheap ticket gigs in a row was comedy with TAC - Holier Than Thou is a one-man show about a vicar, playing in the Canal Cafe Theatre. So, Tube again - but only half the journey time of yesterday! And off I set. Google Maps decided that I should get off at Paddington - by which stage I didn't have my paper finished. And Lordy, I knew I should have carried on to Royal Oak, which is slightly closer.. it took me five solid minutes to orient myself correctly in Paddington, despite actually being at the right end! What I wanted was Exit 3, for the Union Canal - and the little blue dot that is supposed to represent me on Google Maps was all confused, and little use.

I made it out eventually. Now, the last time I was here, I alighted at Warwick Avenue - this time, I was on the south side of the canal, and walked past the barges of Little Venice, which would have been lovely in daytime. The couple of bicycles that shared the path with me didn't bother me much, and I finally - and with some relief - came on the pub. With 10 minutes to go to the show, they were letting people in already - I figured I had time to get a drink, which I knew I could bring up with me, and that's what I did. I remembered from last time that they do like to know that I booked with my club, as they keep separate lists, and the lady was indeed grateful to know that. And up I went - it's cafe-style seating upstairs, at round tables, and I got one near the front.

The events offered by these seat-filling services can be very hit-and-miss. Last night's, for example, was excellent! Tonight's, in contrast.. Well, it was ok. A young vicar comes on and has a rant at God for the terrible day he's had. Unfortunately, comedy is subjective - and this subject didn't like this comedy. Whether it was the material or the delivery, something didn't gel. I'll say this, though - he has an outfit change in the middle, and is patently uncomfortable with what he puts on! The funniest thing in the show is watching him try to adjust it so it doesn't display more than it's meant to.. I bet he's dreading having to do that all week!

Despite being advertised as "about 50 minutes", it is about 30 - 35, and I wasn't the only one looking at the time in surprise. As so often, I'm glad I didn't spend full price on it. Runs till Saturday - try and find something different to do, this isn't worth a trip. I took the Tube back from the less complicated Royal Oak, and finished my paper en route.

Tomorrow, back with Invigorate for a pub crawl! (Oops, I mean a tour of historic pubs..) Now, that's also my birthday, so I'm sure I'll get a birthday drink! ;-) Glad to be back among people I know.

I would have travelled somewhere foreign for my birthday, but well, that's not so much of an option these days. Anyway, I'm taking that day off work - so my boss has suggested birthday drinks for me on Thursday, as we should be back in the office by then. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - it's easier to get Friday flights at the moment!

I've gotten into the habit of going to films when I'm in Ireland, so looked for one for Saturday - and if it's Limerick Omniplex, they do like you to book, and they don't have a booking fee. Now, I was thinking of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. But you know something, I was dubious that it just wouldn't live up to the original, which I loved - and having watched a review, I think I'm right. (I recommend starting watching the review at about 54 seconds, to avoid the annoying product ad.) Anyway, the gist of this review is that the director of the new movie is the son of the director of the original, and the new film keeps referencing the old film, rather than standing alone. From my perspective, although it has Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver in it from the original, this new film is a coming-of-age, teen adventure, and I'd miss the wisecracks that so defined the original. So I'm skipping it.

Instead - and before it leaves the local cinemas for good - I've booked for The French Dispatch. Also starring Bill Murray, this is an ensemble piece, with Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, and who knows whom else.. it's set around a newspaper, with Bill Murray as editor, is all I know, and looks fabulous. Written and directed by Wes Anderson, and I'm looking forward to it..