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..