Concert: Taboo

The Stansted Express wasn't running again last night, damnit. So I was back on the National Express again - must have just missed one, because almost no-one was queueing when I arrived! The bus came in due course, I gave the driver my bag and filed on with the others. Have to say though, this wasn't as successful a journey as last time - the WiFi quit as soon as we pulled off, I couldn't understand a word the driver said through the tannoy (so it's a good job mine was the last stop!), and at some point the aircon seemed to switch off. What with the lack of fresh air and the constant braking and jolting as we got into the city, I was feeling quite ill by the time we got off - and was glad when we did! despite the lashing rain, that soaked my coat, my jeans, and my case by the time I finally got inside. Bah humbug.

Today's interview went OK, I thought - except that I discovered that the company describes itself as completely remote. I must have made a face, because he hastily confirmed that there is an office I could go to if I wanted. Honestly, who would've thought it was so hard to get a non-remote job?! Anyway, tonight, I booked for another Zoom talk - this was run by a new group to me, The Garden Talks (TGT), and the talk for the evening was Are We Living in the Age of Persecution? Which promised, hopefully, to be more interesting than the last online talk I attended - on canals! But just at the end of last week, Up in the Cheap Seats announced an outing to see Taboo, a charity 25th anniversary concert, celebrating the original musical by Boy George. Taking place at the Palladium, and better than half-price tickets from Show Film First! So I thought that sounded rather better, and booked it. Similarly priced tickets available with London Box Office for today. 

I had to catch two buses - both of which came early and deposited me ahead of time! Heading in, it was weird to be asked for my vaccination cert, which is no longer the case in Ireland - so there I was, fiddling around first for that, then for my ticket. Which SFF had the good sense to email me earlier in the day, complete with a nice, fat barcode to be read. We had all decided to go for the Royal Circle, so I headed up to the bar..

(BTW, I find the photos even better on my new phone, with less glare!) We all found each other in due course, and chatted away happily until we went in. Where we were very happy with our seats (although I had my usual trouble with the stairs):

It started a bit late, and there was some speechifying beforehand.. it was in aid of the Terence Higgins Trust, and Shelter. But when it did finally start, we were treated to a truly camp, truly 80s experience. The character of Boy George was instantly recognisable, in his classic 80s outfit - less so was the real Boy George, everyone wondering which he was! To be fair, there was an awful lot of makeup, wigs, and general mayhem, which would have made it hard to figure out much. Julian Clary was easier to spot! Oh, and I was rather glad to be upstairs, with the audience interaction that was going on..

The house, it was said, was sold out - and at the interval, it certainly seemed so:

The show resonated more with me when they sang Culture Club numbers I knew - but with none of us having seen the original musical, or knowing the story, this abbreviated version ended up being a bit confusing, as the story skipped several important points, making straight for the musical numbers. Ah well, we kind of got it. And we finally figured out which was Boy George! (Still not sure whether he appeared in the first act, though.)

A few of us were sat together, and came out together - unfortunately, there were so many exits that we were never all going to find each other after! But hey, it was fun - and we had Karma Chameleon in our heads, headed back. And I had to change buses again - although it'd have been helpful if Google Maps hadn't wanted me to change at a bus stop that is closed for roadworks!

Tomorrow, I've plumped for something I've seen advertised a lot, but never attended - again on Zoom, this time it's a Free Tuesday Sing-a-long for Health and Pleasure, courtesy of Global Music Fusion & Arts.  As advertised by Free Stuff and Free Events - which might just be the first thing I've done with them. Happens weekly, apparently, lasts an hour - the words are on-screen. Could be good.

On Wednesday, my first Meetup of the year with Civilised London! And as usual, it's dinner - yum! We're off again to Little Georgia, meeting beforehand at The Crown.

On Thursday, heading with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - and I was lucky to see it, what with Meetup not even suggesting the event when I was looking for something that day! If it hadn't been for some mention over the last couple of events with them, of some event happening this week.. Anyway, we're off to see the LSO at the Barbican - wildcard tickets sadly sold out by the time I booked.

On Friday, headed with the London European Club to the Puppet Theatre Barge, for a performance of The Red Balloon!

On Saturday, back with the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners, and Laurence Summers - got the last spot on his Passage through Pimlico walk! which, as he was telling me on Tuesday, is through a not very well-known part of town! Well, this one should at least be warmer, being in daytime.. and we're getting lunch after.

On Sunday - Crick Crack is back! Now, this is an interesting one - Japanese ghost stories, the event is called The Game of Candles, with each story represented by a lit candle, which is blown out when the story is completed. Taking place at the British Museum, Tim Ralphs and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson performing. Sold out now - they're only doing half capacity.

And next Monday - another interesting talk by TGT! This one is What Conditions Create Witch Hunts? Have to say, Meetup seems to have awoken from the doldrums..!

Film: Belfast

I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - surviving the floor full of puddles when I arrived at Stansted - and finally got to pick up my new phone! Still syncing it, mind. Film for the weekend was likely to be Belfast - simply the best thing that's on in the daytime. Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, and describes his childhood there. Jamie Dornan - looking really different, but possibly even more gorgeous, without his beard, plays his and his brother's father, coming back every second weekend from his job in England; Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds are their grandparents. Not much about the Troubles, I heard - after all, his family left before it got too heavy - and the film has earned both praise and criticism for that. Personally, I think we have heard quite enough about them - time to see a different side to the place. Anyway, as usual, I'd see it in the Omniplex.

First off, mind, I went to pick up my mother's pension - she doesn't like to let it build up, and I guess the postmistress doesn't either, what with the constant risk of robbery! And my mother can't go for it herself. But with the post office closing at 1, I figured I'd have time - just - to get in for the film showing at 1.50. After all, I got there a bit before 1. Anyway, it wasn't busy, and I engaged her in conversation, as she's a film buff too. And damnit, if she hadn't had the choice, and gone to see Nightmare Alley! With the same rating as Belfast, I'd frankly much rather have gone to see this one - but it's not showing at matinée times around here at the weekend, and I can't do evenings, what with my mother expecting me to spend time with her. Nuts. And I had to stand and listen to her rave about it.. Grr. Hope I get to see it in due course!

So, off I went - had to get petrol on the way, and traffic was inexplicably heavy - and lo, I was slightly late. No vaccination certificate required on the way in, for once. It had started when I went in - and I'm not sure it's quite fair to say it doesn't deal with the Troubles, because when I went in, a riot was in full progress on-screen! So, what's happening is that a gang of Protestant thugs are targeting their road, trying to intimidate the Catholics living there to move out, and the Protestants peacefully coexisting with them to join the bigots.

Whatever about the other film, I am so glad I saw this one. It's an absolute triumph! Soundtrack by Van Morrison. Funny and poignant and moving and simply the story of a small boy, his first crush, and his family. Oh, and tanks rolling down the road, intimidation, a barricade at the end to stop the men of violence getting through, and vigilantes with flaming torches marching up and down every night, just to make sure the residents are safe. Aye, this was just before the Troubles started, but not much. And I developed a profound sense of nervousness throughout the film, just waiting for the next bad thing to happen - their little terraced house is hardly a defence against bombs and bullets.

But you know, that's not what stayed with me afterwards - no, what I remember most is how touching the personal stories are, and how striking the imagery is! Every shot is beautifully staged, and in the little boy's eyes, the dad - standing up to the thugs - takes on the role of the hero in a Western. And this is a kid who's mad on films - shot mostly in black and white, the film breaks into colour whenever we're shown clips of the films he's watching. (As long as they weren't originally black and white as well!)

It's not a spoiler to say they do leave, in due course - what's interesting is the motivation behind it. And they left just in time.. the film's release coincides nicely with the 50th anniversary of what you might call the real start of the Troubles - tomorrow (Sunday) is the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

The Stansted Express isn't running again tomorrow, damnit. And I come back to London, and we'll see how we go, job-hunt-wise. (Interview on Monday, keep your fingers crossed!)

On Monday, I booked for another Zoom talk - this is run by a new group to me, The Garden Talks (TGT), and the talk for the evening is Are We Living in the Age of Persecution? Which promised, hopefully, to be more interesting than the last online talk I attended - on canals! But just at the end of the week, Up in the Cheap Seats announced an outing to see Taboo, a charity 25th anniversary concert, celebrating the original musical by Boy George. Taking place at the Palladium, and better than half-price tickets from Show Film First! So I thought that sounded rather better, and booked it. Similarly priced tickets available with London Box Office for that day. 

On Tuesday, I've plumped for something I've seen advertised a lot, but never attended - again on Zoom, this time it's a Free Tuesday Sing-a-long for Health and Pleasure, courtesy of Global Music Fusion & Arts.  As advertised by Free Stuff and Free Events - which might just be the first thing I've done with them. Happens weekly, apparently, lasts an hour - the words are on-screen. Could be good.

On Wednesday, my first Meetup of the year with Civilised London! And as usual, it's dinner - yum! We're off again to Little Georgia, meeting beforehand at The Crown.

On Thursday, heading with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - and I was lucky to see it, what with Meetup not even suggesting the event when I was looking for something that day! If it hadn't been for some mention over the last couple of events with them, of some event happening next week.. Anyway, we're off to see the LSO at the Barbican - wildcard tickets sadly sold out by the time I booked.

On Friday, headed with the London European Club to the Puppet Theatre Barge, for a performance of The Red Balloon!

Next Saturday, back with the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners, and Laurence Summers - got the last spot on his Passage through Pimlico walk! which, as he was telling me on Tuesday, is through a not very well-known part of town! Well, this one should at least be warmer, being in daytime..

On the 6th - Crick Crack is back! Now, this is an interesting one - Japanese ghost stories, the event is called The Game of Candles, with each story represented by a lit candle, which is blown out when the story is completed. Taking place at the British Museum, Tim Ralphs and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson performing. Sold out now - they're only doing half capacity.

And on the 7th - another interesting talk by TGT! This one is What Conditions Create Witch Hunts? Have to say, Meetup seems to have awoken from the doldrums..!

Comedy: Emmanuel Sonubi & Yuriko Kotani

Tonight, I wasn't really seeing anything - but CT then advertised two shows at 2Northdown for tonight. So I booked for both! As you do.

Now, I often head to The Upper Crust, in Liverpool Street Station, for something to eat - in fact, I did so today, and it was delicious. However, I'd also noticed that they do hot chocolate, in different flavours. Since I was picking up my bus from outside of there, I said hmm, what about a mint hot chocolate in the station, just before I head off? So I had one, and it was lovely! I'll be back. As for the bus.. I turned in the wrong direction for the stop, and ended up walking for ages to the next! I'd forgotten that the stops around there are in a weird order, F then E then G..

Anyway, I arrived at the venue in plenty of time. Got my name ticked off - I think I might have been the only cheap ticket customer! And then I ordered a wine - gratified to see they've increased the range of glassware now, and you can have a large glass. And had an excellent packet of crisps, taking a seat safely in the third row. Weird how many decided to sit in the front row, tonight, when they had a choice not to..

Emmanuel Sonubi was first up, and - being a big chap - made a lot of his past as a bouncer. Also played the race card a lot. Both comedians tonight had WIP shows, practicing for the Edinburgh Fringe.. he spent a lot of time checking material on his tablet, and was initially unsure of himself - but as the show continued, he warmed up, and really was hilarious!

An hour's gap separated the acts - most of his audience left, and I decided this was a good time to hit the bar again, before the next crowd arrived. The second act was Yuriko Kotani, a Japanese lady who's been living here for quite a while, but still has a pronounced Japanese accent. Now, she was nominally the headliner - and the (face) value of her tickets was more than the other guy's - but honestly, I found him better. I know her act was WIP, but she often seemed unsure of herself. Still, she was funny - and it was nice that a Japanese couple in the audience came up afterwards to say hi to her. Not sure whether she knew them, but they were certainly all happy to chat away in Japanese.. Anyway, a good night was had, and Google Maps was happy to suggest several bus options home for me, all leaving from the same stop. Cold as the night is, I couldn't bear to be stood around freezing any longer than was necessary, and took the first that arrived. Which worked out perfectly.

Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and finally get to pick up my new phone! Film at the weekend is likely to be Belfast - simply the best thing that's on in the daytime. Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, and describes his childhood there. Not much about the Troubles, I believe - after all, his family left before it got too heavy - and the film has earned both praise and criticism for that. Personally, I think we have heard quite enough about them - time to see a different side to the place. Anyway, as usual, I'll see it in the Omniplex.

The Stansted Express isn't running again on Sunday, damnit. And I come back to London, and we'll see how we go, job-hunt-wise.

On Monday, I booked for another Zoom talk - this is run by a new group to me, The Garden Talks (TGT), and the talk for the evening is Are We Living in the Age of Persecution? Which promised, hopefully, to be more interesting than the last online talk I attended - on canals! But just today, Up in the Cheap Seats announced an outing to see Taboo, a charity 25th anniversary concert, celebrating the original musical by Boy George. Taking place at the Palladium, and better than half-price tickets from Show Film First! So I thought that sounded rather better, and booked it. Similarly priced tickets available with London Box Office for that day. 

On Tuesday, I've plumped for something I've seen advertised a lot, but never attended - again on Zoom, this time it's a Free Tuesday Sing-a-long for Health and Pleasure, courtesy of Global Music Fusion & Arts.  As advertised by Free Stuff and Free Events - which might just be the first thing I've done with them. Happens weekly, apparently, lasts an hour - the words are on-screen. Could be good.

On Wednesday, my first Meetup of the year with Civilised London! And as usual, it's dinner - yum! We're off again to Little Georgia, meeting beforehand at The Crown.

Next Thursday, heading with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - and I was lucky to see it, what with Meetup not even suggesting the event when I was looking for something that day! If it hadn't been for some mention over the last couple of events with them, of some event happening next week.. Anyway, we're off to see the LSO at the Barbican - wildcard tickets sadly sold out by the time I booked.

On the 4th, headed with the London European Club to the Puppet Theatre Barge, for a performance of The Red Balloon!

On the 5th, back with the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners, and Laurence Summers - got the last spot on his Passage through Pimlico walk! which, as he was telling me on Tuesday, is through a not very well-known part of town! Well, this one should at least be warmer, being in daytime..

On the 6th - Crick Crack is back! Now, this is an interesting one - Japanese ghost stories, the event is called The Game of Candles, with each story represented by a lit candle, which is blown out when the story is completed. Taking place at the British Museum, Tim Ralphs and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson performing. Sold out now - they're only doing half capacity.

And on the 7th - another interesting talk by TGT! This one is What Conditions Create Witch Hunts?

Walk: Feisty Fitzrovia & Play: Magic Goes Wrong

Yesterday, my first in-person Meetup with 45+ not Grumpy Old Londoners - a guided walk with Laurence Summers! This was the Feisty Fitzrovia pub tour - and since I used to live there, I could hardly refuse! Another pay-on-the-day, but I had cash.

Headed off in decent time - but the darned bus dropped me further away than I'd have liked, and by the time I got to where we were meeting, I'd frozen into a lump of ice! Unfortunately for the guide, something like half the people, scheduled to attend, didn't - and didn't cancel their bookings, so not only was he out of pocket, but we ended up waiting (in the cold) for a lot of folks that were never coming! Not to mention, as someone remarked later, hard on the people on the waitlist, who could have taken their places.. very bad form.

They're artistic around here, no? Mercifully, our walk was punctuated by three pubs, where we could defrost - the first, the Marquis of Granby, had service so slow I seriously believed I'd never be seen to! She was ever so much more interested in the young men on the other side of the bar..

Afterwards, we made a small detour to my former abode - how nostalgic! Well, we were going next to what used to be my local, right next door - the King and Queen pub is a rugby-friendly establishment, which I've been to a few times before, always for spooky things upstairs.. Last night, less spooky, sat in the main bar, with a match blaring around us. But the chat was good.

The walk ended up being slightly truncated, on account of everyone being frozen to the bone, and our final pub was a place that gloried in the name of The Smugglers Tavern. Where they were supposed to have great food, but all that seemed to be available when we were there were sea-salt flavour crisps. Never mind, I got treated to my own personal magic show, courtesy of Leon, one of the participants, who is himself in the magic business! And most entertaining and baffling it was.

Excellent night all round - and courtesy of Laurence, who passed us on info about his upcoming walks. Hope I can make some:

I was way too tired last night to blog.

Tonight - would you believe, my first Meetup of the year with Up in the Cheap Seats! Well, they were going to see Magic Goes Wrong, which I've been dying to see - again, I could hardly refuse! Yet again, I missed out on cheap tickets - ended up in the Gods, but at the end of a row, and the view promised to be OK. The Apollo Theatre, tickets cheapest on the official website. And with all the seats that were still free, you never know, I thought I might get an upgrade.. The ticket was a nightmare to book, mind - when I tried to add my payment details, it gave me an error! Failing to get a response from the box office, I tried the workaround of adding the payment details to my account and checking out again, which worked.

Guess what? When I checked my online ticket this morning, sure enough, I'd been upgraded.. to the stalls! 😎 From the very back row in the house. Well now..

I had to change buses. A number of people wanted to get off the first bus at the same stop as I did - but I guess the driver was new to the route (or perhaps a bit deaf), because despite the button being pressed in good time, he made no attempt to stop there! One lady went up to him to complain - thank goodness we were subsequently stopped at the lights, where he (illegally) let us out, or I could have been a good bit later! As it was, it worked out handier for me - I was that bit closer to where I needed to catch an ongoing bus.

As I was walking the last bit to the theatre, someone from the group messaged that - as I'd suspected - the Grand Circle (which I'd booked) was closed. And the group organiser then suggested we meet in the Stalls bar, rather than the Grand Circle bar, which had been the previous plan. Ooh, handy - I wouldn't have to climb lots of stairs! And so we did meet downstairs - you couldn't miss us, big circle that we made. The bar was nice and big enough, mind - and has some excellent house white. And it was great to see some people for the first time this year! We chatted away happily until it was time to go in.

So, the play is built around the premise of a charity magic show - as they explained at the end, that's fake, but Mischief Theatre, who are responsible for this, are fundraising for the Samaritans.

Take your seat early - the shenanigans start before the official start time. And apart from the gentle entertainment of watching two stagehands try to replace a letter that's fallen off the sign (visible in the photograph), watch out for the escaped doves / pigeons.. they could appear anywhere in the auditorium!

Oh, I missed this company! Right back to form, and a delight to watch - as ever, keep an eye on everything that happens on stage, there's always something subtle and hilarious in progress. The whole show is a mishmash of magical disasters - but watch out for the real magic tricks in there, Penn & Teller were technical consultants, and some of the tricks are truly excellent. And are slipped in amongst the others very sneakily! Blink and you'd miss some of them.

Very highly recommended, absolutely hilarious. Caveat 1: strobe lighting. Caveat 2: audience participation - I was getting nervous for a minute, at the end of a row as I was, but I was just far enough back not to be bothered; they went back as far as Row D. But having said that - go see! Running until 27 February. We all adored it..

Tomorrow, I wasn't really seeing anything - but CT then advertised two shows at 2Northdown that night. So I'm going to both! As you do.

And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and finally get to pick up my new phone! Film at the weekend is likely to be Belfast - simply the best thing that's on in the daytime. Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, and describes his childhood there. Not much about the Troubles, I believe - after all, his family left before it got too heavy - and the film has earned both praise and criticism for that. Personally, I think we have heard quite enough about them - time to see a different side to the place.

The Stansted Express isn't running again on Sunday, damnit. And I come back to London, and an uncertain future. Ah well, here we go again.

On Monday, another Zoom talk - this is run by a new group to me, The Garden Talks (TGT), and the talk for the evening is Are We Living in the Age of Persecution? Which should, hopefully, be more interesting than the last online talk I attended - on canals!

On Tuesday, I've plumped for something I've seen advertised a lot, but never attended - again on Zoom, this time it's a Free Tuesday Sing-a-long for Health and Pleasure, courtesy of Global Music Fusion & Arts.  As advertised by Free Stuff and Free Events - which might just be the first thing I've done with them. Happens weekly, apparently, lasts an hour - the words are on-screen. Could be good.

Next Wednesday, my first Meetup of the year with Civilised London! And as usual, it's dinner - yum! We're off again to Little Georgia, meeting beforehand at The Crown.

On the 3rd, heading with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - and I was lucky to see it, what with Meetup not even suggesting the event when I was looking for something that day! If it hadn't been for some mention over the last couple of events with them, of some event happening next week.. Anyway, we're off to see the LSO at the Barbican - wildcard tickets sadly sold out by the time I booked.

On the 4th, headed with the London European Club to the Puppet Theatre Barge, for a performance of The Red Balloon!

On the 5th, back with the 45+s and Laurence - got the last spot on Passage through Pimlico! which, as he was telling me last night, is not a very well-known part of town!

On the 6th - Crick Crack is back! Now, this is an interesting one - Japanese ghost stories, the event is called The Game of Candles, with each story represented by a lit candle, which is blown out when the story is completed. Taking place at the British Museum, Tim Ralphs and Sarah-Liisa Wilkinson performing.

And on the 7th - another interesting talk by TGT! This one is What Conditions Create Witch Hunts?

Talk: Canal History and Heritage

Bit the bullet today, and resigned from what has become a nightmare of a company. Wish me luck in getting a new position.. anyway, met my ex-boss (the good one) for hot chocolate in a new coffee shop she's found, Host Cafe, in a converted church! To celebrate my escape. And it was great to see her, it's been weeks, what with lockdown.

After today's interview (again, wish me luck), I was hungry - and this is the day for something decent. So off I headed to my nearest Cote - where I changed my usual to calamari and poulet grillé, and was excellently fed. And plotted revenge.. watch this space.

And so back to what I had booked, albeit that I arrived a little late. Surrey History Meetup has another Zoom meeting - this one is on Canal History and Heritage. Forgot I had to register separately, so it's just as well he reminded me. But my, such a boring talk.. well, it was all I saw showing tonight, and I said I'd try it. I mean, here I am writing my post in the middle of it.. ah well, perhaps if I were in a more amenable mood.

Tomorrow, my first in-person Meetup with 45+ not Grumpy Old Londoners - a guided walk with Laurence Summers! This is the Feisty Fitzrovia pub tour - and since I used to live there, I can hardly refuse! Another pay-on-the-day, but I have cash.

On Wednesday - would you believe, my first Meetup of the year with Up in the Cheap Seats! Well, they're going to see Magic Goes Wrong, which I've been dying to see - again, I could hardly refuse! Yet again, I missed out on cheap tickets - ended up in the Gods, but at the end of a row, and the view should be OK. The Apollo Theatre, tickets now cheapest on the official website. And with all the seats that were still free, you never know, I might get an upgrade.. The ticket was a nightmare to book, mind - when I tried to add my payment details, it gave me an error! Failing to get a response from the box office, I tried the workaround of adding the payment details to my account and checking out again, which worked.

On Thursday, I wasn't really seeing anything - but CT then advertised two shows at 2Northdown that night. So I'm going to both! As you do. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and finally get to pick up my new phone! But the Stansted Express isn't running again next Sunday, damnit..

Storytelling: The Little Prince

Today, ooh - London European Club was at a storytelling event in King's Place! Not Crick Crack this time - this appeared to be an independent event, a telling of The Little Prince, with piano accompaniment. Sounded lovely! and was bound to be more sociable than yesterday.

So, Google Maps suggested two buses - the first was diverted again, but this time didn't cause me too much trouble. But when it came time to change, I seemed to be in a completely different area from where Maps thought I should be! Nuts to where they were telling me to go - I could see the next stop was closer, and happily, my knowledge of the area let me know that I needed to get down from the Holborn Viaduct to get there. Not long to wait, anyway, and I was at the venue first, and took a seat in the lobby. When the organiser arrived, he was brandishing a takeaway cup of coffee; the cafe in King's Place is, sadly, still closed, but the bar does meals and drinks, including for takeaway. So I got a hot chocolate - which was passable, if not memorable.

The others arrived in due course - and among other things, the conversation turned to what exactly the theme of the book was. Happily, one (out of all of us!) had read it fairly recently, and was able to tell us, basically, what happened. And when the time came, downstairs we went to the show.

In the audience, several children - perfectly behaved, for the most part. On stage, a storyteller (with some props), a pianist, in a lovely, sparkly dress. And the story, which lasted for the next hour or so. It's the tale of a pilot who crash lands in the Sahara, and meets a little prince, from a faraway asteroid, who asks him any amount of questions - from which we (and he) learn what we should be considering as important. I have to say, it was an excellent performance.

Afterwards, we repaired to the bar, where a number of us had food - for me, a rather good, if unusually presented, shepherd's pie. And we chatted about the performance - which not everyone was mad about, but hey, I think it was worth watching either way. And the chat lasted for hours, with talk of what's good on film, and Meetup recommendations. See now, that's what I call a Meetup! Saw a number of people I hadn't seen in a while, and everyone had a most convivial chat.

Tomorrow, Surrey History Meetup has another Zoom meeting - this one is on Canal History and Heritage. Forgot I had to register separately, so it's just as well he reminded me.

On Tuesday, my first in-person Meetup with 45+ not Grumpy Old Londoners - a guided walk with Laurence Summers! This is the Feisty Fitzrovia pub tour - and since I used to live there, I can hardly refuse! Another pay-on-the-day, but I have cash.

On Wednesday - would you believe, my first Meetup of the year with Up in the Cheap Seats! Well, they're going to see Magic Goes Wrong, which I've been dying to see - again, I could hardly refuse! Yet again, I missed out on cheap tickets - ended up in the Gods, but at the end of a row, and the view should be OK. The Apollo Theatre, tickets now cheapest on the official website. And with all the seats that were still free, you never know, I might get an upgrade.. The ticket was a nightmare to book, mind - when I tried to add my payment details, it gave me an error! Failing to get a response from the box office, I tried the workaround of adding the payment details to my account and checking out again, which worked.

On Thursday, I wasn't really seeing anything - but CT then advertised two shows at 2Northdown that night. So I'm going to both! As you do. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and finally get to pick up my new phone! But the Stansted Express isn't running again next Sunday, damnit..

Restaurant: Cote & Cinema Museum

Last night, Ivan couldn't make it, but I met another ex-coworker for a meal at Cote. Just as well we booked, it was manic! Well, Friday night n all. Also wise to make sure you know which one you're headed for - a couple of ladies ahead of me in the queue had booked, but arrived at the wrong place. It was a short walk to the one they actually wanted - Cote in Covent Garden - but my, if you didn't have Google Maps! The waiter was confident in his directions, but they weren't exactly straightforward.

I arrived first, my companion wasn't long after me - and it was so good to get in from the cold! Service was prompt and friendly, and we both ended up having steak frites and chocolate mousse, both of which were on the prix fixe menu. For starters, I had a rather yummy mushroom soup, he had breaded whitebait. He's not as familiar with Cote as I am, and was pleasantly surprised at the swift service.. and pretty much every crumb got eaten, from both meals. Although the steaks were a little chewy.

Conversation flowed as easily as the drinks, and afterwards we headed for Bear and Staff, which didn't look too packed, and which I recognised from last time I was there. In fact, I asked the friendly bar staff, and was told yes, it was fine to sit in the dining area. Indeed, we figured we'd have been better off eating there as well - but never mind, we were well fed anyway. And when it came to chucking-out time, I suggested we go - just for the one - to the Hippodrome, which was new to my friend. And where I had a most excellent glass of wine, and we finished off our chat in time for him to get the Tube home. Roll on the next night out!

Today, I was back with Cultureseekers - for the first time in person! They were off to the Cinema Museum - apparently only group visits are allowed, these days, and it only reopened yesterday. They also had a talk organised. With a choice of two times, I - of course - chose the later one! Cash on the day - I'd have to get some.

Well, I decided to grab something to eat in Liverpool Street Station, conveniently getting cash on the way, and thought, why not just get the bus from there?! I checked, and discovered it goes from around the other side of the station, where there are also exits. So I grabbed something quick and checked what time I needed to go. Left plenty of time to get there in time, moseyed around that side - didn't know which way I was going until I noticed where the little blue dot on Google maps was headed, and discovered I needed to turn around - and there it was! I approached, he opened the door for me - seemed he was about to depart. And so he did, five minutes ahead of schedule. If I hadn't left early, I'd have missed the bus entirely, and ended up on the Tube..

A pretty straight run down, and I got off just short of Kennington Station, where we were to meet. And such a palaver people had in getting there; as well as the predictable problems of forgetting what time it was on, and missing connections, the Northern Line - which runs through there - is out of action until May. Anyway, you couldn't miss the group, clustered outside the station - and you couldn't miss the organiser, brandishing a clipboard with a list of attendees, which he ticked off as we arrived, and he took our money. There's a £1 discount for full members, but at £13 per annum for membership, I don't think I'd get the use of it. Not only did he have a Meetup sign attached to the back of the clipboard, he also wore a large flag with the group name on it, and carried a little folding step, which it turned out he would stand on to address us, when we got there. He's a bit short.

Unfortunately, just like the online quizzes I attended with this group during lockdown, it turned out to be really cliqueish - people were very uninclined to speak to people they didn't know, everybody in what was quite a large group broke off into twos and threes for private conversations, and I couldn't make any headway with getting to know anyone. One, in particular, was quite rude in brushing past me to get a better look, later on. He did give us printouts of the route to the Dog House pub afterwards, mind - which I thought was thoughtful, but didn't augur well; wouldn't we be headed there together? We finally set off - 10 minutes late - and at a cracking pace, although to be fair, when we had to turn, he did stop briefly to make sure that everyone knew where to go.

Outside, he popped up on his little step to give us a history of the place - a bit cold for it, but never mind. So, this used to be Lambeth Workhouse, and he regaled us with tales of what that was like, and how Charlie Chaplin came here as an impoverished kid with his mother and half-brother, when she left his father. 

The entryway is completely cluttered with memorabilia - later, the curator explained that this is the result of collection of the goods of a local cinema fan, who left them to the museum. He was a hoarder, and they're still trying to sift through it! He promised that order would soon be restored.

The meat of the cinema is upstairs, in the old workhouse chapel:

There's a small bar, and a cafe - and a screening area, with a variety of seats. Not wanting anything to eat, and seeing that nobody was having anything from the bar, I sat myself down - spied two lovely, comfortable real leather cinema seats at the edge, and plonked myself there. And they recline!

And the curator eventually got up and gave us a speech about the museum, its origins, and uncertain future - it was bought by a developer, and was going to be left out of their plans. But they might not get planning permission, and if not, it'll be sold on the open market - and anything is possible! So they're trying to get the money to buy it themselves - and the very best of luck to them. He described how they also have a small, working screen, where they hold private screenings of home movies, and other films. Honestly, it's a lovely little place, and I wish them all the best. A treasure trove for film buffs.

With the dark, the comfy chair, and his soporific voice (and rather boring delivery), I damn near dropped off a couple of times. But I woke up near the end, when they showed us a couple of old, short films. The organiser had asked them to choose something with a connection to the local area, so the first had Charlie Chaplin revisiting some of his old haunts, and the second was a touching little film about the retirement of the last London tram. Gorgeous, and beautifully chosen.

Well, everybody just started milling around again, and I couldn't see any point in hanging on - so when a few ladies left, so did I. Unfortunately, from their conversation, they weren't headed to the pub. Neither could I see any sign of anyone else leaving the building. Never mind, I reasoned, I could head off and grab something to eat there, perhaps - and if they joined me, well and good. So, off I went, in the bitter cold, found it without trouble, and was glad to get inside. And there were food menus. The chicken schnitzel sounded good, so I ordered it - unfortunately, while I was doing so, my table was purloined, despite the staff promising to keep it for me - I don't think the people who took it were of a mind to be evicted. Happily, they soon found me another. And I have to say - that chicken schnitzel was amazing. I have never had better - succulent and tasty - and it's a long time since I had as good. KFC could take lessons. Delicious fries, too - someone here knows how to cook. Highly recommended.

I think I recognised a couple of people from the group, in due course - but everyone arrived in dribs and drabs, and there was no attempt to unite us, so when I was finished, I left. My bus back was to leave from Elephant and Castle - and I could catch a bus there from right outside! Except by the time I was ready, I'd just missed it - so it proved faster to walk to Elephant and Castle. When my bus came, it was busy enough that I went upstairs - gee, it's a while since I did that! Unfortunately, just before my stop, the driver announced a diversion. And I should have got off straight away, as it turned out.. we ended up stuck in traffic, the driver let anyone who wanted off in the middle of the road, and I ended up with a longer walk home, in the end. Bah. And I was lucky with my phone - the battery very nearly died, and since the On/Off button fell off, I can't turn it off - or on! So if it dies, I'll have trouble getting it to work again,,

Tomorrow, ooh - London European Club is at a storytelling event in King's Place! Not Crick Crack this time - this appears to be an independent event, a telling of The Little Prince, with piano accompaniment. Sounds lovely! and is bound to be more sociable.

On Monday, Surrey History Meetup has another Zoom meeting - this one is on Canal History and Heritage. Forgot I had to register separately, so it's just as well he reminded me.

On Tuesday, my first in-person Meetup with 45+ not Grumpy Old Londoners - a guided walk with Laurence Summers! This is the Feisty Fitzrovia pub tour - and since I used to live there, I can hardly refuse! Another pay-on-the-day, so I got cash out for that today as well.

On Wednesday - would you believe, my first Meetup of the year with Up in the Cheap Seats! Well, they're going to see Magic Goes Wrong, which I've been dying to see - again, I could hardly refuse! Yet again, I missed out on cheap tickets - ended up in the Gods, but at the end of a row, and the view should be OK. The Apollo Theatre, tickets now cheapest on the official website. And with all the seats that are still free, you never know, I might get an upgrade.. The ticket was a nightmare to book, mind - when I tried to add my payment details, it gave me an error! Failing to get a response from the box office, I tried the workaround of adding the payment details to my account and checking out again, which worked.

On Thursday, I wasn't really seeing anything - but CT just advertised two shows at 2Northdown that night. So I'm going to both! As you do. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and finally get to pick up my new phone! But the Stansted Express isn't running again that Sunday, damnit..

Concert: The 23 String Orchestra

Tonight, back with the same group for a concert by the 23 String Orchestra at Cadogan Hall. This had cheap ticket offers too, but I booked too late - hey, it's been hectic!

After another frustrating day at work - when just one thing that happened was that the contractor who was supposed to help me, because the company is too cheap to hire another writer, announced she was quitting (too much work, and I don't blame her) - I quit early for the day and headed off. Google Maps assured me that I could make it by bus in under an hour, so I said I'd try.

My though, but it's cold out - I had trouble even standing still while I waited, with the vicious breeze. And when I got to Waterloo, and had to change buses, I had fun - the roads around there are tricky. I needed to get to Station Approach - but you can't from Waterloo Road, there's a big brick wall in the way; you actually have to go into the station and out another side entrance! And then it turned out to be the terminus, which meant I had to stand and stare at a dark, empty bus until the driver finished his break. By which stage I'd pretty much turned into an icicle. I'd just missed the one I should have got, and thought I'd be a little late - but actually, we made excellent time, accompanied for most of the journey by a bloke blasting reggae from the back.

So I wasn't that late arriving. As I arrived, one doorman was strictly admonishing the other not to let anyone in without a ticket! At which point I arrived, and was - gee - asked whether I had a ticket. YES! And once that was scanned, I was in. Spied one of the others at a table in the bar, where the third finally joined us - sadly, our number didn't include the organiser, who wasn't feeling well and didn't come. But we had a great old chat, and I rather fancied alcohol. It's been that sort of week. Happily, you can take it into the auditorium, so I spent most of the evening imbibing.

Row DD (along with AA, BB, and CC) is towards the front, as it happens, so I had a nice, close seat. We had printed programs, kindly distributed by a couple of ladies in the bar - and from these, learned that the first piece was Sibelius: Romance in C. Short and sweet, and I loved it. This was followed by Strauss' Metamorphosen for 23 Solo Strings, after which the orchestra itself was apparently named - another lovely piece to take us to the interval.

The second half started with a flute concerto, followed by Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. Gorgeous music.. just a pity we didn't meet afterwards, but I needed the loo, and by the time I got to the bar, the others had gone. Never mind, it was great to see them! and I was earlier home - on a single bus. Faster at night, you see.

Tomorrow, Ivan can't make it, but I'm meeting another ex-coworker for a meal at Cote.

On Saturday, back with Cultureseekers - for the first time in person! They're off to the Cinema Museum - apparently only group visits are allowed, these days, and it only reopens the day before. They also have a talk organised. With a choice of two times, I have - of course - chosen the later one! Cash on the day - I'll have to get some.

On Sunday, ooh - London European Club is at a storytelling event in King's Place! Not Crick Crack this time - this appears to be an independent event, a telling of The Little Prince, with piano accompaniment. Sounds lovely!

On Monday, Surrey History Meetup has another Zoom meeting - this one is on Canal History and Heritage.

On Tuesday, my first in-person Meetup with 45+ not Grumpy Old Londoners - a guided walk with Laurence Summers! This is the Feisty Fitzrovia pub tour - and since I used to live there, I can hardly refuse! Another pay-on-the-day, damnit.

On Wednesday - would you believe, my first Meetup of the year with Up in the Cheap Seats! Well, they're going to see Magic Goes Wrong, which I've been dying to see - again, I could hardly refuse! Yet again, I missed out on cheap tickets - ended up in the Gods, but at the end of a row, and the view should be OK. The Apollo Theatre, tickets now cheapest on the official website. And with all the seats that are still free, you never know, I might get an upgrade.. The ticket was a nightmare to book, mind - when I tried to add my payment details, it gave me an error! Failing to get a response from the box office, I tried the workaround of adding the payment details to my account and checking out again, which worked.

Next Thursday, I wasn't really seeing anything - but CT just advertised two shows at 2Northdown that night. So I'm going to both! As you do. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and finally get to pick up my new phone! But the Stansted Express isn't running again that Sunday, damnit..