Storytelling: The Balance of Things, or How to Settle a Debt with a Chicken

I'd only seen Michael Harvey once, but he made quite an impression. So I was delighted when another performance from him was scheduled - in Crouch End, unfortunately, but what the hey; it's one of Crick Crack's regular venues. Mind you, when I came to look for the confirmation email yesterday, I got a shock - no email could I find! Unusual, as I normally book these as soon as possible. I'd confirmed my attendance on the Meetup page weeks ago. Well, I said I'd better book again, just in case.. when no confirmation email arrived for that either, I realised there must be a problem, and emailed - and filled out the online form - to check with them for my next booking, next month; as I said to them, I don't want to book it twice! No response, mind. And I printed out the online confirmation of what must have been my second booking for last night - there is no way to check your bookings on the website.

That evening, it had cooled down considerably - I swear, you can't tell what to do with the weather! "Cast not a clout till May is out", as they say. Having determined to take the bus, I strolled up to Kingsway again - other side of the road, this time. Jeez, I'm heading out of town a lot these days! Anyway, when the people in front of me started to run, I looked, and saw what they had - my bus, at the stop. Oh boy. And I needed to get this one, to be in time. I ran after them - and we'd all have missed it, but for the fact that the driver was having some kind of argument with a passenger.

Well, I was travelling on that bus for nearly its entire route. And I gotta say, I have never met such a noisy bus driver. Oh my, he hardly stopped - he was yelling down the mic at his boss, who was telling him about a diversion (not arguing, he was just loud - not nearly as loud when he was telling us about it, after). He beeped every time he started off. He yelled at bus drivers and taxi drivers who were blocking hie way. He yelled at cheeky pedestrians, walking in front of him. He shared his thoughts with us when he discovered the cause of the diversion - apparently, a bus was blocking the road. The diversion itself didn't affect me, but I did worry whether it'd slow us down - my timings were tight.

As we drew closer, there were as many stops left as I had minutes to go to showtime. I consoled myself with the facts that (a) the final stop was right across the road from the Arthouse (I have taken this bus before, just not all the way from town), and (b) they're ok with latecomers. We arrived with one minute to go - I crossed the road in the company of someone else, and entered a crowded lobby; as usual, they were late starting, eventually dimming the lights five minutes late. Nobody checked my ticket, and I went straight in and took my seat - at least I'd managed to get Row B, but one of those unoccupied aisle seats was probably also mine.

It was mostly, but not completely full, as usual, and Ben Haggerty - providing mc duties as usual - was sat with us, in the stalls. And in due course, he came on and introduced our raconteur for the evening. The story was another Breton one - Michael Harvey tends to favour them - and this one might have seemed a bit daft. In short, a chicken has saved some money, gives it to the king's herald, who's raising money for the treasury and promises a good rate of interest - and of course, no sign is seen of the money thereafter. So, having left it as long as she can bear - to earn as much interest as possible - she sets off for the palace. En route, she attracts the attention of, in turn, a fox and a wolf, who decide to accompany her and wait until she gets her money before they eat her. As the road gets longer and longer, they get tired, and each climbs on her back (that's one big chicken). Each in turn tells a story, to "shorten the road". And when she comes to a river she can't cross, why, she invites the river onto her back as well, and the river tells a story. Finally, a dramatic conclusion sees her saved three times, once by each of her passengers, as the corrupt king tries to get out of paying his dues.

It takes a good storyteller to make all of that worth listening to - and Michael Harvey played a blinder, with an absolutely hilarious performance. He played up the more ridiculous parts of the stories, got us all participating with the bits that repeated, and my goodness, he does a good chicken! and a good sheep, BTW. A welcome companion to anyone's evening - he invited us all for drinks afterwards, but I wanted a word with the people at the bar. And after Ben Haggerty pointed out that this year is the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the club, and there's a donation button on the website (I just checked, and it could be more visible) - I headed out and had a word with the friendly Spanish chap at the till, asking him to check my booking for next month. After much searching, he found it, and when I explained that I'd never got an email, he printed me out a receipt, which I must now keep safely. "Ah, I made you smile!" he grinned. Lovely chap. But caveat emptor - they don't seem to send confirmation emails any more, so if you're booking here, do print the online confirmation!

Still no sign of Michael Harvey, so I just left - into a pretty cold breeze. My bus stop was just to the right - I got a shock when the display at the stop said I'd be waiting the bones of half an hour for my bus, though! Google Maps said there was one just about due, and Google Maps was right, thankfully - further down the road, I needed to change to a bus with the same destination as the first, but taking a route closer to home. And so I got home, not terribly late - the storytelling hadn't had an interval, so finished a good bit earlier.

This evening, I'm back to Ireland for the Bank Holiday weekend again - and taking the bank holiday, this time! Jeez, I'll be glad to leave the heat behind for a while.

On Tuesday, London Dramatic Arts are at the Olivier to see Common. So am I.. on a cheap Travelex ticket, which I booked direct with the venue. So I'll be avoiding them, since they don't appreciate that.

On Wednesday, free comedy in Hammersmith was up again (temporarily), with Random London, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, London Live Comedy, and London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers (an offshoot of Ken's Events). But yay, it's now been replaced by a Funzing event, with London for a Tenner or Less - a Luxury Chocolate evening! Helen's popping along, too. The code Fun_Day10 got us a 10% discount.

On Thursday, I eschewed the free comedy in Hammersmith for the Ghosts & Executions Tour, with London for a Tenner or Less - even though that guide wasn't great the last time, so I cancelled this previously, he's better than that free comedy! Funzing again, of course. Oh, and the code WELLBEING30 got me 30% off this. How it qualifies as "well-being" I don't know, but I'm not complaining! ..but on Sunday, one of the Man with the Hat's old group got in touch, and now a half-dozen of us have organised to get together in the Swan that day - we'd hate to lose touch. Not including said Man with the Hat, mind you - sadly, he's now shunning all contact with us. Hey, I know he has other commitments - but I don't think it's wise to cut himself off completely - and so abruptly. And we'll miss him.

Then I'm off down to Helen for the weekend - she told me about this Living History Festival, and I said yes please!

The 5th, I'm back to Soho Theatre with the Crick Crack Club, for something called The Frog Princess - Punked. Ben Haggerty, the mc and co-founder of the club, told us the other night that there's going to be a full punk band - goodness, who would've thought that Sally Pomme Clayton had a hidden punk side!

And the 6th June, I'm with the London European Club, to see the Images Ballet Company at the Arts Depot.

Storytelling: The Fate We Bring Ourselves

Another evening with the Crick Crack Club, booked months in advance. Well hey, they're right up there in my priority list.. and there IS a priority list, as should be obvious to regular readers.

Crouch End again - this is the last they've advertised up there, although Ben Haggerty did mention last night that there'll be more there in April. I could do without them - even coming from the city centre, it's a trek in comparison with other locations. And we had another late work meeting - and then I got caught up doing something, so even though it didn't start till 8:30, I still found myself rushing, and ended up taking the faster, Tube & bus option.

So, a quick trot to Leicester Square, and I was just in time for a train to whisk me to Caledonian Road. No kidding, they warn on the website that it has access issues - of what looks like what used to be four lifts, only one is working! Well, I'm assuming there were four - for one thing, the working lift is number 3, and there does appear to be space for three others. Two of them have been removed entirely though - I suspect it'll be some time before they get back to full capacity there.

Outside the station, Google Maps sent me to the left to catch a bus. Curiously, it then had me going down a non-existent side road.. I was beginning to get worried, when I discovered that I'd literally just passed the bus stop I needed! And the bus I needed was just due. Mostly, we had a quick trip, but there were a couple of traffic jams, and it was very nearly showtime by the time I got there. I seemed to be the last person on the bus, and although I don't think that was its destination, by the look of it, the bus terminated right across the road from the Arthouse. Which was handy for me.

They were starting to let people in, so I went straight in and took my seat - they didn't seem to encourage people to take drinks in with them, so I didn't. As usual, it was a while before they started, though - for all that the event page showed this as sold out, it was still only about half full by the time they finally started! Which, mind you, is typical for this venue.

This was originally supposed to be a show by my favourite storyteller, Clare Muireann Murphy. But apparently she had to have a knee operation, so Ben Haggerty stepped in instead. And in due course - clad in black, as usual - he took the stage. And in a performance without interval - and lasting nearly 90 minutes - he performed for us The Fate We Bring Ourselves, a series of Greek legends about what happens to those who anger the gods.

Now, I'd heard all of these before, as it happened. We had the story of Actaeon, who caught sight of Artemis bathing naked, and was punished by her by being turned into a stag, and torn to pieces by his own hunting dogs: the story of the king who, in order to build a feasting hall, cut down a grove of trees sacred to Demeter, and was cursed by her with an insatiable hunger: and the whole story behind the birth of Dionysus.

Ben Haggerty has a very theatrical style, and was on fire last night. I think this may well be his favourite set of stories - they certainly allow him to give full rein to his skills. I may have heard them all before - but never told better than last night, and I sat rapt through the entire thing. There is a marked difference between a show of this high quality, and some of the dross I go to on occasion - and for anyone who thinks that stuff is good, I encourage them to come to something like this. This is some of the best that London can offer. I was amazed when the show ended - it hardly felt like the time had passed at all.

The adjacent bus stop was closed, so I walked to the next one - and when a different bus came, Google Maps was invaluable at telling me how I could use it to change to another bus to get me home. But, of course, my laptop was in the office - so no blogging last night.

Just had lunch - went with a gang from the office, and with the wealth of eateries locally, it was nigh impossible to decide on somewhere. Finally, we plumped for La Porchetta Pollo, a bar/restaurant not far from us. They'd only just opened, and with a group of five of us, we had a choice of right beside the kitchen.. or in the basement. Basement it was, and we were served uncomplicated and inexpensive food, by efficient and friendly staff. I had pasta, nicely al dente.. other dishes at our table included polenta and vegetarian lasagne. All polished off - except the very last of my pasta; I was just too full.

Back to Ireland tonight for the weekend. Monday, the Man with the Hat and London for Less Than a Tenner are off to Two Man Show at Soho Theatre. I've seen it before, but it's worth seeing again. Looking forward to seeing the group again!

Tuesday, Let's Do London - for less! is off to Sleeping Beauty, at the Opera House.

Wednesday - well lookee that, the same group is off to Roundelay, at Southwark Playhouse. Three in a row for the Man with the Hat - we'll have to carry him off on a stretcher. About time we got back to Southwark though - we've missed it!

Thursday, I was thinking of free comedy in Hammersmith - this time with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and Random London. But then Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts (and Walking Victorian London) announced a walk called True Spy Stories! So I thought that sounded more interesting, and booked.

Next Friday, again, Crick Crack is telling stories - Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing Metamorphoses at Rich Mix. However, the Rich Mix website doesn't seem to have heard of this.. unless you search for that specific day. The independent Crick Crack Club website has a link to buy tickets from Rich Mix though, and at the moment they're being sold at a discounted preview price. And now that the link is available, their Meetup group is advertising it too.

Saturday 4th, Let's Do London - for less! is back to see Sleeping Beauty - and so am I. Honestly, this was a mistake on my part - I was booking a lot at the time and forgot I was already going - but hell, I'd rather be doing this anyway than not. Amphitheatre, this time - it's been a while since I was there.

Sunday 5th, London for Less Than a Tenner advertised "Soho: the Roots of the Swinging Sixties - guided walk"! Now, this confused me, before I read deeper.. I do recall the Man With the Hat saying that, while he was interested in guided walks, he wasn't interested in actually guiding them. Turns out someone else is doing the actual guiding.. Anyway, I booked, but it seems not enough of us did, and he's cancelled the event. The walk is still going ahead though - check out Back in the Day Walks for more details. Me? I might just go to a film - we'll see what's on, closer to time.

Monday 6th, I'm off to see Russell Howard at the Albert Hall.

Tuesday 7th, jeez, the Man with the Hat is back again! Hard to keep up these days - so I'm going with Let's Do London - for less! to The Diary of a Teenage Girl at Southwark Playhouse.

Wednesday 8th, I finally get to go to something with the Post-Apocalyptic Book Club - not a book discussion this time, instead they're off to a play called The Machine Stops, at Jacksons Lane Theatre. Suitably post-apocalyptic. Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend.

Monday 13th, I'm with London Dramatic Arts at the Royal Court, for The Kid Stays in the Picture. Not in any great hurry to see them again.

That rescheduled talk on Brexit Vs. Trump from last week is on Tuesday 14th. Unless I decide to go to a film instead - being Funzing, I can get my money back if I cancel at least 48 hours in advance.

On Wednesday 15th, the Man with the Hat is now taking London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret.

Thursday 16th, he's back to the Opera House for the opening night of a mixed bill of ballet. As usual, he's in the slips with London for Less Than a Tenner, and in the amphitheatre with Let's Do London - for Less!

Friday 17th, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..

Saturday 18th, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!

Sunday 19th.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..

Monday 20th, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand..

Tuesday 21st, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this a couple of days ago, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..

Wednesday 22nd, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!

Thursday 23rd, another Funzing Talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. Again, unless I get a better offer in the meantime. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..

Storytelling: Rebranding Beelzebub

Wow, it's ages since I booked Rebranding Beelzebub. October, in fact, when I'd only just handed in my notice, and didn't yet have another job to go to. So this was quite optimistic, since I didn't know at the time whether I'd still be in London. But hey, it was the Crick Crack Club, and if I were to stay, I was pretty much guaranteed to go to this.

And so the night finally rolled around, last night. Crouch End, again - one of four events they scheduled up there, and only advertised on Meetup this week! I live closer now, which was reassuring, cold as the weather has been - I was to discover that although my journey was quicker, it still wasn't quick; it used to be train, Tube, and bus - now it's just Tube and bus, or a combination of buses - almost as fast, and of course cheaper. So that's what I did.

For the free WiFi, I stayed in the office until it was time to leave, then wended my way around to Charing Cross Road to catch the 29. Pretty damn cold, again, and although I'd left early, the bus was a bit delayed, and I became worried about making it on time. However, Google Maps proved pessimistic for both my buses, both arriving before Google's estimate. I changed for the 91, in the bitter cold - noticeably worse, now. And got talking to an elderly gent, who clocked straight away that I was Irish. They can always tell!

Happily, the stop was right across the road from the Arthouse, and I made it with just five minutes to spare, following the crowd, who were just starting to go in. Although I'd printed out my email confirmation - having given myself palpitations when at first I couldn't find it - there wasn't anyone there to check, just Ben Haggerty darting about. I'd booked a good seat, on the aisle, and quite close - second row though, not the front, which is too close to the stage so that you get a stiff neck, staring up at people.

The storyteller on this occasion was a new one to me - Tim Ralphs is from Sheffield, it turns out, and managed to work into his convoluted story of the devil that he runs a storyteling group there, and was very excited when Ben invited him to London. Now, from my inexpert position as a fan of storytelling, I can say that he has an excellent technique. And in his set, which lasted just over an hour, he told us the most rambling, interconnected story of the devil that I've yet heard. I think he has a particular talent for comedy, and sure enough, there were many hilarious moments. Original, too - have you heard of the devil being trapped in a washing machine? or winning a soul over a game of Facebook scrabble?

It was a delightful performance. And at the end, excitingly, Ben alerted us to a pile of fliers by the door - all about the special night they have next Friday, which I'm going to. Really, they don't advertise these things well enough: anyway, tickets are now onsale - and you can get further details - on the Wellcome Collection site. As for last night - I was hungry, and Tim had said something about hot chocolate in the bar - but they were cleaning around the machine, I figured it was probably too late, and I headed.

My bus stop home was just up the road, where I had to catch the 91 again - imagine my dismay (and that of another couple waiting with me) when we could see none advertised on the arrivals board within the next half hour! Odd, because one happened along just a couple of minutes later. I swear though, when the time came for me to change buses, it was so cold I thought I'd surely die.. literally couldn't stand still for the cold. And then the name of the bus stop where I had to get off was slightly different from what Google had said.. and there was no WiFi.. and I was trying to configure my phone.. so I finally got off two stops further on. Worked out well though - it turned out that it dropped me near my local Sainsbury's, and I bought something for a late dinner. Damn, was I glad to get in out of the cold!


Back to Ireland today for the weekend, and on Monday, I'm back with Funzing UK for Eat Zagi - an immersive dining & theatre experience. I had some fun booking it, when the bank thought it was a fraud and kindly stopped my card, so I had to ring them at 2am.. in the meantime, I did find a discount code, so it wasn't all bad. Try "EnjoyFunzing5". Actually, why not try "EnjoyFunzing10"? That's a code too. Anyway, again, I'm closer to this venue in Finsbury Park than I was before..

On Tuesday, I'm headed for Sex with Strangers at Hampstead Theatre. First Meetup of the year with London Dramatic Arts. Dunno, I think it was that she had seats at both levels of the theatre, so it would've been too hard to avoid them..

On Wednesday, the Man with the Hat is starting the month again. Let's Do London - for less! is off to the Opera House for La Traviata.

On Thursday, he's taking both that group and London for Less Than a Tenner to Cadogan Hall for a concert involving the works of Brahms and Elgar, among others.

Next Friday promises to be unusual.. it's that late-night storytelling event at the Wellcome Collection. Tickets now booking - they're all free, but man, are they going fast! I was too late to get a ticket for Ben Haggerty's storytelling performance, but I've booked the second, as well as the first and third talks. Anyway, there's tons of non-ticketed stuff on.


And finally, on Saturday 4, I'm finally going to the much-advertised British Museum Tour - Ideas That Made our World. A Funzing event, as advertised by two of their Meetup groups - London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. So I booked with both..

Storytelling: Little Red Riding Hood and Other Lost Girls

Ah goodee, another night with the Crick Crack Club. Unfortunately, it was back up in Crouch End again. Nothing against the venue, you understand - it's just a nightmare to get to from the other side of London! Anyway, it wasn't to start until 8:30, so even had I been in Guildford, I'd have made it.

Handily, I had the directions saved on my phone from last time. The Arthouse is one of those places that it takes me nearly an hour to get to, at best, so no point in researching anything but the quickest route. Still, even at that, given the late start time, I had time to collect my watch, which I'd left in to get a new battery and strap - red, for the evening that was in it. I left straight after, catching a train to pick up the Victoria Line. (Handy it wasn't the Piccadilly, which was apparently in trouble all evening for lack of trains).

Take the Victoria Line to Finsbury Park.. it's funny, these days, now that I've handed in my notice and am on gardening leave (still get paid but am actually barred from working), I'm so much less tired, and I seem to notice more. Like, for instance, the candy-pink banisters at Finsbury Park Station:

Now, one entrance is closed longterm, so again I had to meander around the building. But I was early enough, for once, to stop and look around me:

Left from the exit, left around the building and under the bridge, and left again, took me to the stops for the W3 and W7, either of which would have done me. It was the W3 that was ready to leave though, as before - handy, as it stops just a few feet away from the Arthouse. And a long queue of people were filing onto the bus - I joined the end of the queue, musing at the people trying to butt in from the side. Really folks - unless you can cajole someone into letting you in, it's quicker just to go from the back. And cajoling, when it works, just makes me feel guilty..

A crammed bus, but I got a seat upstairs. And when the time came to get off, we were stopped at the roundabout long enough for me to get downstairs again, handily. Walked the short distance to the Arthouse, ordered a wine - and do you know, for once, the house wine is really drinkable here! Recommended. I was also early enough to grab one of the very few remaining free tables, which I clung to until the house opened.

They'd said we'd be ok showing the ticket confirmation on our phones, and so it proved. And ooh perfect, I was right in choosing the second row for the remaining shows here - the front row is too close to what is quite a high stage, but the second row is just right:

So, the same crumpled red fabric as before, a slightly different set-up - with a wicker basket containing some props. Nell Phoenix, it was this evening, with no-one to introduce her - I'd noticed her in the bar beforehand, coercing some friends into helping her set up. Dressed in red boots, for the evening that was in it.

What followed was quite long, for a one-person show without interval. We might have started a bit late - I didn't check - but it was nearly 10 when we finished, which puts it at well over an hour. Not that it dragged - dear me, no! You know, I sound like a broken record sometimes, I think, but people who think that storytelling is just for kids are missing out on so much! Nell started with a French Little Red Riding - Cap. She then moved on to the more proactive, German version - the wolf gets its comeuppance - and of course, in both, we got a beautiful rendition of a familiar tale.

She continued with far Eastern versions, in which the under-mentioned mother, who never does come out of it well, at least gets more of a mention than in the European ones. And then, broadening her scope, she included a tale of a girl who became a wolf.. and a boy who didn't mind at all being eaten by one. Which resonated with me, as I remembered the Neil Jordan film, The Company of Wolves, which ends with someone reciting, "I'll tell you the story of a wounded wolf". I remember the tale ends with "For she was just a girl, after all, who had strayed from her path in the forest.."

There's a whole background to these familiar stories, and it's a joy to see storytellers that have researched them, found different versions to highlight different things, and are happy to share them. You know, I missed this once before, despite having bought a ticket - I'm so glad I decided to buy another for tonight! I'd have hated to miss it again.

Straight home - unluckily, as I approached the stop, my bus sailed past, and it was a very, very cold wait for the next. Entertainment was provided by an earthworm, which had positioned itself very unwisely right where we were walking, but wasn't going anywhere fast - and a car across the road, a couple of guys in it, who were attempting to parallel park in a space you could have got a truck into. Really, I considered popping across to give them some advice. They finally gave up and drove off..

The next bus finally came - which was diverted, but that was handy for me, as we just went a faster route back to the station. And then it was the Tube, and o, what a relief, the heating was on full blast. And with all this transferring between different modes of transport, I hit maximum fare at some point - possibly by the time I'd taken that bus journey. So the rest of the trip was free! Much appreciated.

The most interesting thing tomorrow happens to be on during the day. And you know what, what good is gardening leave if I don't take full advantage? I can't normally go to things in the middle of the day - well, as it happens, Carpe Diem is headed off for a Riverside Stroll, Organ Recital and Lunch. Now, that does sound nice - but I've never been out with them, and don't know any of them, so I'm not so pushed about socialising with them - besides, they're charging £5, and I'm not sure that includes the price of lunch. No, I think I'll spend a bit longer in bed and just head to the organ recital on my own. Which they don't mention the location of - but a quick bit of Googling revealed it to be one of a regular series of free recitals at St. Bride's Church, at 1:15. The one that, appropriately, looks like a wedding cake.

On Saturday, I'm back with the London European Club at Sadler's Wells, for a performance called Loch na hEala ("Swan Lake" in Irish). Mikel Murfi is in it, apparently - and more than simply dance, this show includes storytelling and live music. I'm guessing there'll be something of the Children of Lir in it - and apparently, the music is both Irish and Nordic. Sounds intriguing.

And on Sunday, I'm back with the London European Club, for a concert by Sondorgo and Maarja Nuut, at Jerwood Hall. And what's more, it's nice that there'll be people that I know at both of these events..

Storytelling: The Grateful and the Dead

Some things I gravitate towards, and the Crick Crack Club is one of my favourites. I'm a real evangelist for them - so many people haven't heard of storytelling for grownups, and I keep urging them to go; it's so good, the stories generally aren't ones you've heard before - although they are traditional - and I think everybody loves a good yarn.

Tarnation though, they would have to have it in Crouch End. Nothing against the place, but it's so far away.. the "fast" route was supposed to take nearly an hour, so I didn't bother to research the slower, cheaper, one. At least I was home in good time, and had visions even of being able to eat before I set out! (It was a late start.) So you can imagine the choice language that was uttered when I walked in the door to discover that we had no power - yes, they let the electricity meter run out again. I usually top it up at the post office, but they were closed by now, and although I had internet access on my phone, the Paypoint website wasn't loading, to tell me where my nearest alternative was. I ended up walking in the direction of the station - where, mercifully, that website finally loaded, and told me there was a newsagent's up the road where I could get it done.

And, as it happened, I even got a dinner wolfed down before heading off. So, train to Vauxhall, Victoria Line to Finsbury Park, take one of a couple of buses. I'd just missed a W3, but another was ready for the off - this is the terminus - and when it set off, I was on it. Get off at Tottenham Lane YMCA, and the Arthouse is just ahead on the left. The doors were marked - one Push, the other Pull - and the lobby crowded. I pushed my way through to the bar, where there seemed to be a lack of communication; when I told him I had printed out my ticket, he asked me for my payment card - and printed me off a ticket. Whatever. Entrance to the balcony was to the right, entrance to the ground floor to the left, and by the door marked "Live".

I'd chosen the front row - wouldn't do it again. I do like to be close to the action, but this venue has a raised stage, and I spent the entire show with my neck craned uncomfortably upwards. As usual, a bare stage - just a stool, and a piece of red fabric scrunched up along the edge to form a decoration:

Of course, for all that I was worried about being on time, the thing started quite late - and could afford to do so, being only an hour long, without interval. Ben Haggerty, whom I'm used to introducing the Crick Crack events, was last night introduced by another storyteller, Nell Phoenix. It was a nice change to hear Ben tell a story - tall, shaven-headed, and usually dressed in unrelieved black, complete with hat: although, last night, he did concede to some colour in the form of a rose-red tie - he's probably the most theatrical of the storytellers.

And he proved a delight to listen to, as he took us through the tale of Jack, who sets out on his adventures, and as he made sure to involve the audience as much as he could. It was interesting to hear him point out the traditional elements of the story as we came across them - this was an archetypal tale, with a cloak of invisibility, winged shoes, a sword of power.. sometimes it's good to deconstruct these things. A quest, a wedding, a debt repaid, and a moral at the end. Oh, and the meaning of the title, which becomes apparent right at the end. And - at least according to Mr. Haggerty - this story was the origin of the name of The Grateful Dead..

So, an enjoyable evening. Apart from my seating position - I'm not sitting in that row for the other shows I've booked - and the sheer length of the journey. Seems they're making this a featured venue - lordy me. Anyway, I picked up a flier on the way out - they've scheduled three more shows there, and I'm free on those dates, so have booked them. (They're not yet scheduled on Meetup.) A chilly wait at the bus stop up the road - gloves required - and Tube and train all the way home again. And after that journey (max fare achieved again) and, indeed, the week I've had, I was too exhausted to do more than start this last night. Although I see I published it by mistake. :-)

Today, I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend, it being my mother's birthday on Monday - I'm taking a couple of days off. and good riddance to the place. (Still haven't got her a card yet!) Anyway, tomorrow we're off to a Mario Lanza tribute at the University Concert Hall, Limerick. Tickets wouldn't display, for some reason - I rang them and got them to print and hold them for us.

I fly back early on Tuesday, because I'm booked with London Dramatic Arts that night, to go to Amadeus, at the National.

Wednesday is something I've been looking forward to for a while - I'm off with London for a Tenner or Less (Funzing, not Man with Hat!) to Step on Board the Haunted Tube Express! Hallowe'en starts here, eh?!

And Thursday is the next of the Man with the Hat's long season at the Opera House, where we're headed to see the comic opera, The Nose. I'm going cheap, as usual, of course, and sitting in the slips, with London for Less Than a Tenner. And wouldn't you know it, that's the day of my second interview..

Film: The Journey (directed by Lance Nielsen)

Spectacularly highly rated, at the top of my film list, was The Journey - 8.6 on IMDB. Having had a look at the trailer, I deemed that, whatever the film was like, it seemed to be heavily influenced by Greece, which would at least make it a nice travelogue. The only hitch was, it was only on in the Arthouse, Crouch End - which is one of those places that's hard for me to get to. Finally I said, sod it, what are bank holidays for? (And I suppose it's appropriate to do a bit of travelling, for a film with such a title.) So I decided to go, and saw from the seating plan that I needed to book a seat - it was nearly sold out. The website helpfully said that all I needed to do was show staff my confirmation email, either printed out or on my phone.

Then, today, I thought I'd like to wear a particular watch, which needed a battery. Which led to two questions: did I have time to go to Westfield, and how would I get from there to Crouch End? There wasn't any point in returning home - I saw that it would take as long from Westfield as from there.. so I spent an age trying to get my sluggish internet connection to show me directions on Google Maps, and then Streetview. Finally, I determined my route, and off I set (phone fully charged).

They took full advantage of the bank holiday, and there were tons of engineering works - thankfully, none that affected me. As I made my way to the station, they were still celebrating in the local pubs - must've been a helluva win yesterday. Getting to Westfield was the easy part - two stops on the Overground. I found the Watch Surgery - a kiosk in the shopping centre - without much difficulty; they charged me £8 this time though, instead of the £5 they charged before. Inflation? Or the type of watch? I may never know.

Anyway, while I was waiting for them to get done, I strolled in the direction the sign told me to go for Wood Lane station - this was the one I needed to start the next part of my journey from. The exit was easy to find. I strolled back and paid for my watch - when I produced a pile of change to do so, she exclaimed that I'd saved the day! They were completely out of change. I replied that she'd saved my wallet..

After changing watches, I headed in the direction of Wood Lane. It's really easy to find - just follow the signs. Then take the Tube to King's Cross St. Pancras. Two lines run through Wood Lane - either will do, long as you're headed east. And on the journey, I had the pleasure of watching a lady sitting opposite, who had a teeny little black poodle, dressed in a knitted coat. Aww.

Google Maps had suggested several routes onward from King's Cross, but I chose the easiest - a direct bus, no changes. I'm quite familiar with King's Cross, from going to things in the area, so I readily found the bus stop, around the corner in York Way. It's a busy stop - but I didn't have too long to wait for the #91 (they seemed to come at five-minute intervals), and sat upstairs; I'd have a better view of an area I didn't know well, and I knew mine was the last stop anyway.

I was on the bus for about half an hour, and I can't say it was exactly scenic. We passed near no fewer than two prisons - Pentonville and Holloway. Not quite the tourist route. And after about half an hour, we reached the terminus - right across the road from the cinema, as promised on Streetview.

The traffic obligingly stopped for me and an old man crossing the road, and I entered the cinema just as they were yelling that the film would start in five minutes, and would we PLEASE take our seats! There's a bar in the lobby area, which was really crowded. I hurriedly fetched up the email on my phone, and showed it to the guy who'd been yelling. Yep, no problem - except I needed to go to the door on the other side of the bar: left for downstairs, right for upstairs. Through there, take the door on the right (not the one marked "MEN") and take the stairs to the upper level. I found my seat without difficulty - the place isn't huge.

I think there's only one screen, which seems to take up pretty much the entire building. The seating is old and creaky - several seats had cushions on them, probably to save repairing them, and I was quite dubious about the sturdiness of my own! Anyway, we all survived. Despite the glares being thrown at the girl beside me, who was eating a bit noisily, by the elderly woman in front. Oh, here we go again.. I think the three in front were Greek, actually - they were trying to pick places out during the film, you could tell.

It is a very good film indeed. There was a Q+A afterwards, with the writer / director and some of the cast, in which he explained that it was made on a budget of £10k. That doesn't detract in any way from the stunning scenery or the stunning cinematography. To be fair, they did shoot on location - three islands quite near Athens, as he later explained, so they'd be near help if anything broke down. They made sure to take full advantage, though - all beaches, mountains, sunrises and sunsets over the hills, with the harbour at the bottom. People windswept by balmy breezes while standing atop a hill in front of picturesque ruins. I'm now seriously considering retiring here..

The story revolves around three (well, four) men who've lost someone - a wife or girlfriend - and feel that life has lost its meaning. They find a new meaning in Greece. That's the short version. But what makes the film stand out is that it's so raw - I had tears pouring down my face for much of it. You really feel for these guys, and when one of them, who's been obviously depressed and holding it in for the whole film, finally breaks down and wails, all alone on the beach - well, it's heartbreaking. (This character was, apparently, based on the writer/director himself, whose loss of his own girlfriend under identical circumstances was the basis for the film.)

I wasn't initially sure what to make of this, but came away really impressed. It's got a clever twist at the end, and throughout is compelling viewing. I do recommend it, if you get a chance to see it.

Coming home, I got another bus from the next stop along, and while I was waiting, had time to contemplate the rundown area around the cinema. The #41 took me to Turnpike Lane Tube station - well, Google Maps said to get off at the stop before, Wood Green High Street, which I did, encouraged by the fact that the person sitting inside me was getting off there too. They were probably right - it's quite close, and saves you potentially being stopped at the lights as the bus turns at the major junction there. Pedestrians can use the underpass, which is very handy, despite the strong smell of urine. The station itself was very rundown, plaster peeling and generally scruffy - despite, apparently, being a listed building.

After that, it was a long, but direct, trip back on the Piccadilly Line, my ears popping as usual as the driver raced through the out-of-town sections. Hang on to whatever you can at this stage! I was glad to get back to leafy west London. I hadn't seen anywhere to eat on my travels, so when I got back, I headed straight for my local Chinese, Taiwan Village. It so happened that I was lucky to find them open - they're on holiday for a week, starting tomorrow, and trying to get everything ready tonight. So service was even more sluggish than usual.. they had to replace my tablecloth, left me waiting for ages to have my order taken.. I always ask for a knife and fork anyway, which they brought, and had to remind them to bring a spoon for the main course - but I never did get a napkin. Still, I'll forgive them - the food was as delicious as ever. And I hope they have a nice break.

For tomorrow, with nothing that enthused me more, I caved in and agreed to tag along with the Film Nite group to see The Falling. Hope it's not terrible. Funnily enough, on the event page, it's described as "free" - I checked, and yes, you do have to buy a cinema ticket. As someone commented - "So what's free, exactly..?"