Film: Boycott

Today.. I booked with someone I swore I'd never do a walk with again. Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts (WTTH) was off on a walk called Secrets of Belgravia. (Courtesy of her company, London Guided Walks.) The code MEETUP3 gets you a £3 discount on all her walks - which does cover the booking fee of £1, not advertised before you come to the point of purchasing the ticket. Funnily enough, she messaged me the other day - because I signed up on the Meetup group - to remind me to book a ticket through her company. I see she still doesn't cross-reference, since I already did!

I optimistically wore my lighter coat again - dunno about the wisdom of it, considering the wind chill. Anyway, it was another day of travel woes - no, not my fault this time! So. First, Google Maps told me that the buses I could get wouldn't go from my nearest stop - o no, I had to schlep down to Old Broad Street. Hmm. Well, I did - although from where they were coming from, they'd have had to go past the other stop anyway, and I couldn't see a reason for them not to stop there! And in heading to the next, I actually missed a couple I could have taken. But never mind, I was still in time, and I don't think it made a difference.

I duly got to Holborn, and had to schlep over towards the British Museum to catch my next bus. The app said it was due in 5 minutes.. 4.. 3.. 2..1.. DUE. Pause. Said it had just been, and the next was due in 10 minutes. Uh, wha'? After a bit of hopeful dithering to see whether it would magically appear, I gave up - my best chance was now by Tube, which was vexing, considering I'd just come from that direction! So I schlepped back again - and for a moment, thought my luck was in, as there was a train sitting right there. I hopped on board. But of course, there was a reason it was sitting there - there was some sort of "ongoing incident" on the track ahead, and we were being held. We did get moving eventually, but by now I figured I'd be lucky to make it.

I exited at Hyde Park Corner about 8 minutes after start time - immediately saw where we were to meet, and saw there was nobody anywhere about. Figures - her advertised start times are actual start times, and she doesn't give contact details for latecomers. My only hope had been if she'd hung around for a bit, and I could have caught up with her. But no. So I plonked myself at the bus stop where we'd been supposed to meet, and thought about what else to do with my day. Film was the obvious choice - but I hadn't checked the listings in a long time, and by the time I'd come up with something to see today, my hands were like ice!

So, the highest rated available was a documentary called Boycott. Handily enough, it was showing in the Barbican, so close to home! I booked, as it was already mostly sold out - I had a few hours or so before the showing. Perfect. And the sun shone warmly on me as I waited for a bus on the other side of the road! A lovely, scenic, sunny drive back, and when I had to change buses, I wasn't waiting too long. I'd decided I'd eat at Cote - I had time. I couldn't seem to get their booking system to work, so took my chances.

The smiley fellow welcomed me back! No problem at all getting seated, and I took the sofa for a change. Sadly, they didn't have the Prix Fixe menu, with the delicious mushroom soup - so I skipped a starter and just ordered steak frites and wine; the steak came with the most enormous knob of garlic butter! Service was flawless - I wonder whether the sofa is a better place to sit for that? As soon as I'd finished my main, she proffered a dessert menu, and I decided on chocolate ice cream for a change - you can have one scoop, or two. Excellent idea - it's really rich!

When I'd eaten, I still had nearly an hour to go to the film, so headed into the Barbican. Tried the stairs, only to discover that the door to the bottom level requires special access. So, back up again, and I took the lift down. Sadly, the bar wasn't open, so I positioned myself close to the cinema door and played my phone competition. Someone happened by eventually, asked whether I was going to the film, and proffered me a flier - which is how I discovered that this film is part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which runs until Friday! This was their Centrepiece film, and it seems all films are available on this site until the end of the festival. Cheaper too! Now they tell me. But what on earth is all the stuff on the back, about how if you're affected by the issues raised, you should take a break from the film, shift focus, afterwards you can talk to people about it, research the issues.. what, is this directed at schoolkids?!

Went in when it opened, and took my nice, comfy seat. Someone came on to explain to us that there'd be a Q+A after, and we could participate in it by submitting questions online. And so to the film, which concerns itself with recent developments in the United States, where most states passed a law preventing people that receive government funding from boycotting, or calling for a boycott of, the state of Israel (over its treatment of the Palestinians). Three people in particular are featured - an Arizona lawyer fighting the bill as unconstitutional, an Arkansas publisher of a free newspaper that depends on government advertising (so is effectively banned from publishing anything anti-Israel), and a Muslim teacher from Austin who lost her job by campaigning for Palestinians.

Never heard of this bill before, myself. It's interesting to hear the different stories, and of course we all know how powerful the Israeli lobby is in the States. More interesting was the Q+A, with someone from Human Rights Watch, the filmmaker, the producer, and the President of the US/Middle East Project. The latter - an Englishman, who bemoaned the fact that he couldn't join us, as he was just up the road in Islington - was by far the most impassioned, and made for very interesting listening. It was also entertaining to watch the efforts of the captioner - who was, necessarily, working live - to keep up with everyone, and tackle words that weren't easy to decipher, or unfamiliar names! Anyway, the main theme of the Q+A was how similar legislation is being enacted in the UK, except that it is vague enough to ban all sorts of boycotts that the government doesn't approve of. Typical - ask not what your government can do for you, ask what it is doing to you..

Nice to get back to the cinema again. Tomorrow, I'm at another Zoom talk - Quakers at War is the story of the Quakers and their pacifism. Courtesy of Surrey History Meetup.

On Tuesday.. I'm booked for Dear Evan Hansen, at the Noel Coward Theatre! Finally - I'd booked for this before lockdown, and of course it got cancelled. Cheapest tickets from the official site.

On Wednesday, back with Civilised London (CL) - back at Le Sacré Coeur, meeting beforehand at The Crown, as usual.

On Thursday, back with TAC for Avocado Presents - Improv, at Etcetera Theatre. Eh, I think it's a jazz concert? 

Failing any information from my new job, have provisionally booked for Friday - Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners are off to see Elegant London! Anyway, then back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 28th, going to see Daddy at the Almeida. Having never seen a bad production here, I have high hopes.

On the 29th, finally going to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella! I hear good things.. it's playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, which is new to me - Seatplan was invaluable in choosing the best seating option. What's On Stage provided the cheapest price for that seat, though!

On the 30th, back with CL - for a play this time. This is The Fever Syndrome, at Hampstead Theatre.

On the 31st, back with TAC for One Night With Robbie Williams. This is at The Courtyard.

On the 1st, back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) for - The Grand Annual Lying Contest! at Rich Mix.

On the 2nd, I had booked with WTTH for a Regent's Canal Walk. Different guide. But yay, Laurence and the 45+s then advertised another walk for that day, which is pretty much guaranteed to be superior. So I've booked it. This is Scandals, Scriptwriters & Sumptuous Architecture - and of course, it being a London weekend, I can go!

On the 3rd, the CCC again! Emily Hennessey and Sheema Mukherjee are at the British Museum, with Holy Cow! Tales from the River of Life. Unfortunately, the London Landmarks Half Marathon is also that day, so I'll probably be on the Tube, at least getting to the museum. 

On the 4th, I'm back at the Park Theatre for the first time in nearly three years! This is for Clybourne Park, a comedy about a white family moving into a predominantly black neighbourhood.

On the 5th, I'm headed to But I'm a Cheerleader, a musical comedy at the Turbine Theatre.

On the 6th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats at Southwark Playhouse, and another free ticket for me! This time, it's for Anyone Can Whistle, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

On the 7th, Tommy Tiernan is playing at the Hammersmith Apollo! Now, I failed to get a ticket for this the first time around. Then it was rescheduled because of Covid.. and I got a ticket for the rescheduled event! Then that was rescheduled.. third time lucky?! Love Tommy Tiernan. The show is called Tomfoolery. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 11th, I've booked for The 47th, at The Old Vic. Written by Mike Bartlett, this imagines the American presidential elections of 2024. I am really looking forward to this play..

On the 12th, I'm finally going to Six, the Musical! Based around the story of the six wives of Henry VIII (very loosely, I'd say), it's playing at the Vaudeville and I hear good things. Cheapest tickets from Leicester Square Box Office.

On the 13th, back with CL, who are off to the opera at the Southbank Centre. The show in question is The Paradis Files. Next day, I'm back to Ireland for Easter - but left it so late to book, I could only get an afternoon flight, and will have to start my new job (whenever) by asking for that day off work!

Well, my friend got back to me - they're away in the middle of Easter week, back on the 21st of next month, so the most sensible thing to do seemed to be to visit on the 22nd of next month, which I've now arranged with her. Whether I take that week as holiday, or take the laptop there and work from Ireland, remains to be seen. Anyway, I'll fly back to London on the 24th of next month. And on the 25th of next month, I'm off to The Corn is Green, at the National.