Restaurant: Cote Covent Garden

For tonight, an ex-boss, Ivan, asked could we do drinks again! He also suggested we try to find somewhere quieter than the last place - not an easy ask, for a central venue on a Friday night. Ah, but I have contacts.. the organiser of CL once recommended to me a pub just off Charing Cross Road, which he knows as quieter than the usual - I couldn't remember the name, but he reminded me it's the Round Table. I'd have booked, but they seem not to take bookings on Friday evenings. Our ex-colleague, James, was coming, and for the first time, my favourite ex-boss from my last company! Promised to be cool, and would make up for me missing her leaving drinks on Wednesday night.

And then Ivan cancelled - as usual. Complicated life, as he says - he swears he'll make it up to us. Ah well, I did enough drinking on Wednesday night anyway! And my aforementioned ex-boss is still recovering from her debauchery on Wednesday. James was still meeting me for a meal - we booked Cote Covent Garden. V necessary on a Friday night.

I arrived really early - waited for him, and we went in, to be given a table right at the edge of the passageway. So, in danger of being tripped over. Not ideal. Anyway, they didn't have the starters we were fond of - which come on the set menu, which we weren't given. We therefore didn't have starters. We both had steak frites - I wouldn't again, on a Friday night. I found it so tough as to be practically inedible. Chocolate ice cream for dessert was more successful - and for his part, the salted caramel tart, which he proclaimed very chocolatey! but beware this restaurant on a Friday night, standards are not up to scratch.

Afterwards, we meandered in search of a pub:

The George IV fitted the bill quite well! Not too noisy - amazingly for a Friday night - and plenty of seating. Friendly staff too. Yes, recommended - and we had a grand old catchup there! 

Tomorrow, back with Laurence and the 45+s - this time, it's a walk called Red Lights, Rabble Rousers & RocknRollers, around Soho. And Helen is coming up for it! So, a highly sociable week! Sadly, this'll probably be my last trip with Laurence and the 45+s this month.. the trials of working during the week.

On Sunday, back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC). This is The Origins of Life and Death, with Jan Blake, at the British Museum, which I missed in January. Limited availability at time of writing, as they have socially distanced seating.

On Monday, I'm headed to a film - Everything Everywhere All at Once is a Chinese English-language comedy about a woman travelling through multiple alternate realities. Jamie Lee Curtis shows up too. Nearest showing to me is in Hackney Picturehouse, and I've booked because it's booking heavily.

On Tuesday, I had what was probably my last event rescheduled because of Covid - I was  headed to the postponed Tarot, at Soho Theatre. Wow, it's over two years since I was there last.. (and now TAC have tickets, blast.) But this afternoon, it was cancelled, and now I'm headed - with TAC - to Death and the Maiden at The Tower Theatre.

On Wednesday, back with TAC - for another operatic evening at Hoxton Hall. National Opera Studio is presenting Mozart: Secrets and Seduction. (So much for Meetup being busy on Wednesdays!)

On Thursday, my only Meetup of the week - I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats, to see a performance of As You Like It at Wilton's. Went for a slightly more expensive seat than usual, this time - I'm sick of straining my neck.

Then back to Ireland for the weekend - would you believe it, I've exhausted the films showing locally that I'm interested in! So it'll be a quiet one.

On the 16th, headed to Middle, at the National.

On the 17th, back with CL for a meal at last - this one is at Mestizo (Mexican). Not usually my favourite, but I'll give it a shot. Meeting beforehand at the Crown & Anchor.

On the 18th - well, I saw on Meetup that a group called Get a Tech Developer Job has a free webinar, Learn Web Scraping with Python! Now, we're expected to use Python in my new job, and I never have - so this could be very handy indeed.

On the 19th, I'm headed to the CCC again, for Astray, at Rich Mix. A storytelling double bill.

On the 20th, headed to Marys Seacole, at Donmar Warehouse. Based on a true story, I've heard mixed reviews - we shall see.

And on the 21st - well Lordy, I've booked for the Roman London Walk, with Walk About London (also advertised on Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts - both linked to London Guided Walks). Now, I missed the last two I was booked on with this company - third time lucky?