50-50 Trivia Quiz

Back to London at last. I swear, I thought I'd never get here - the flight delayed by two hours (no explanation), the boarding computer system not working properly, the flight then unable to take off for half an hour (all of us sitting on board) because we were waiting for passengers! We eventually arrived three hours late - no compensation of course, just a survey today, which I gleefully filled out. Too late to get anything proper to eat, I was saved by Delice de France in Liverpool Street - never has molten brown sludge in pastry been so welcome!

Today, I'd booked with 50-50 Trivia again for the afternoon - and then cancelled, because of the job, which is supposed to start this week! The quiz was rescheduled from the day of the Queen's funeral. However, I subsequently told them I was coming again, because I just found out the job wouldn't be ready to start me today, it'd be tomorrow at least.

So, glad to be headed off to the Rugby Tavern again. I got a drink, headed upstairs - didn't really fancy Thai food today, which they do here - maybe some other time. Lots of others did, mind. We chatted, we broke into roughly equal-numbered groups. Three teams, in the end - ours tied for the lead, which was cool! We lost in the tiebreaker though, sadly.. still, I always enjoy a quiz, hope I can join them again! After, I shopped, then headed to O' Neill's (as usual) for food - which turned out to be an inspired choice (not the first time) because they now have live music there on Mondays! Honestly, I love it..

Ivan is back, and suggested going for a drink in the evening - but when I checked with him, of course he was too busy.

Tomorrow, I "provisionally" booked with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners again - this time, for Down and Out in Clerkenwell, ironically very near to where I live. Again, I had to cancel this because, as he said, I've gone from "provisional" to "professional"! He kindly offered me the chance to come to lunch with them at least, if I could manage it, at the Bowler. But.. lo.. the job won't start until Wednesday/Thursday now! (Perils of managing an IT system.) So.. sadly, I won't be paid for a couple more days. Happily, I get to go on the walk! Every cloud..

That evening, I'm with the 45+s again - this time for a classical concert, at St. John's, Smith Square. OMG it's years since I was last there - and they have discounted tickets!

On Wednesday, I "provisionally" booked for the Soho Comedy Factory again.. but lo, was saved from having to make another of those difficult decisions, when Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) posted a trip to see The Boy with Two Hearts, at the National! Based on another true story, of a refugee family from Afghanistan, with a little boy who needs heart surgery. Interestingly, I thought to use my Theatre Token for this - since I was finally booking something during box office hours, and could ring them up; few theatres take them online. But I had to book by phone for that - which incurs a £3 fee that other booking methods don't! So I left it, and just booked a ticket online for full price. Was perplexed when it wouldn't accept my card - until somehow I was logged into my National Theatre account, and noticed I had an old billing address. When I changed it, I had no further problems. There's a moral there. (Interestingly again, I couldn't even cancel my attendance at the comedy club - they now close RSVPs very early!)

On Thursday, I was thinking film - but what was coming up wasn't as interesting as what the same group is advertising in Hampstead Theatre. So I booked to go and see Ravenscourt with them - a medical drama, centred on the failings of the mental healthcare system. And yay, for this I finally used my Theatre Token! (No phone booking fee, here.) Well, that's a weight off..

Then I'm back to Ireland again, because of the dates I have weekend things in London this month, and the date of my mother's birthday, which I want to be back in Ireland for. It all works out - but only if I switch weekends, which I'm doing by coming back to Ireland again next weekend. Film for the weekend? Currently looking like The Lost King, a comedy co-written by, and starring, Steve Coogan as the husband of the woman who found the remains of Richard III. Under a car park.. Only showing in the Omniplex, and a little late. Ah well.

Next Monday. Well. 👿 Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love horror. And am really excited that Darkfield is doing onsite shows this month. Mwa-ha-haa.. Five of them, in fact. I've booked the first of them next Monday, the first day I was free - the first they're showing, it's Intravene, nearby the BFI (actually, I think it's outside the National Theatre, but I'll figure it out - they're next door to each other). These are all held in shipping containers, and the unifying idea for all Darkfield shows is that they're aural - you have headphones, which are your main sensory input. The shows all take place in complete darkness. This one is about drug abuse, and focuses on the drug problem in Vancouver.

On the 11th, signed up for another of The Garden Talks' free online talks - this one is Does Dark Matter Really Matter?

On the 12th.. heehee. Back with Darkfield. (Cue scary music.) They're also doing shows in Canary Wharf this year - three, in fact. This is the first night for those.. and yes, I'm doing all three, that night. In fact, they allow for that when you're booking. So, I'm doing them in the following order: first is Eulogy, an unusual Darkfield concept in that it's somewhat interactive, at various points you have to say "yes" or "no"..

Second up, I chose Coma (they all have multiple showings, so you can decide exactly what you want to go to, and when. They just ask that you leave at least 15 minutes between, which I have.) For this one, we get to lie down, I think - which is nice - and get an option to take a pill. :-)

Final for the night is the one I've heard the best reviews of - Flight is a reconstruction of an aircraft cabin, and the show is based around - well, a plane crash! Booked all of these while waiting for my eternally delayed flight - as I say, every cloud has a silver lining..

The 13th is the first of my busy days. See, first I booked with Civilised London (CL) for Tango After Dark, at the Peacock. All good, no-brainer. Then I was messaged by an ex-colleague - another ex-colleague is having leaving drinks that same night, in the Pelt Trader! Hellfire.. so, what I'm going to do is skip drinks with CL after the show and leg it over to the Pelt Trader - I've ordered her not to stop drinking till I get there!

On the 14th, something advertised with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) - they're celebrating all things Mexican in Kew Gardens, with Mexico After Hours! With something about the Day of the Dead, no doubt..

The 15th is another of those busy days. So.. first I'm headed on another of Laurence's walks - this one is Paddington - Proud, Perky & Picturesque.

But, for over a year now, I've had tickets booked, for me and Helen, for Dara O' Briain in the Hammersmith Apollo that night! Crikey, I'd never even have thought of it if it hadn't been noted in my calendar. So anyway, she can't come to the wallk, but we'll meet for dinner beforehand in Bill's of Hammersmith. I can only hope for better service than I got in Bill's of Clink Street..

On the 16th, back with the CCC for Inisfáil, Irish storytelling courtesy of the wonderful Clare Murphy, in the British Museum.

On the 17th, best I've been able to find so far is an online talk about Railways of Surrey, from the Surrey History Meetup.

On the 18th, I've booked for Iphigenia in Splott, in the Lyric Hammersmith.

On the 19th, a rescheduled Ivan! Might go to O' Neill's, we could do worse.

On the 20th, back with CL for dinner at Le Sacré Coeur. Always good.

On the 21st, back to Ireland again - and the following Monday, it's my mother's birthday, so I'm staying in Ireland that day and flying back on Tuesday 25th. I've already cleared it with the job I haven't started yet!

And on the 26th, I've booked with UITCS again - for Mary, at Hampstead Theatre again. Political machinations in the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. Funny thing - there were two seats in the main seating section at the cheapest price, but the site objected to me just booking one of them. No problem booking an equivalent seat in a higher price bracket, though! So I booked one of the high seats, at the back, instead. At the lower price.