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..

The Bear and Staff pub

Today, met Helen! for lunch at the Bear & Staff. Had a much-needed lie-in.. unfortunately, that left me too late to take the bus I'd intended to, and (sighs) yes, I was on the Tube again! It was crowded, but not as much as yesterday - and I did get a seat. It took a minute to turn myself in the right direction, but the pub is very near Leicester Square Tube Station, and I found it without too much trouble.

She was already there - the slightly clueless barman directed me to her. She remarked that it was a good thing we booked, it was so busy.. After perusing the menu, we decided that you probably had to order at the bar, so I did - I asked him whether I should pay in advance, but he wasn't sure. (!) So I didn't.

We didn't order starters, but did order garlic bread as a side - which came as a starter. A bit tough, I thought, but hey, I was hungry. For mains, she had the "Ocean Fish & Chips", I had gammon - which I hadn't had in years! (and was also served with chips). So I asked for salt - and gee, salt and pepper came in the same dispenser! Hadn't seen that before!

And oh my, the gammon was lovely! Served with fried egg, mind you, which I didn't fancy, but she happily took. I ate with relish, and we easily downed a bottle of wine between us, as we caught up with everything that had happened since we'd last spoken. Dessert for both of us was a rather nice brownie, served hot with ice cream.. Yes, I'd happily eat here again.

As we strolled through the West End, she remarked at the crowds - just like pre-Covid times.

After a browse through bookshops, and a trip to Primark, we were in need of a sit-down and a cold drink. Sadly, we didn't really know where we were headed, so we just ended up in Costa, where we took comfy chairs by the window, and people-watched. She had a mango and passion fruit smoothie, which she described as lovely, if a bit too cold. I wasn't as lucky, unfortunately, with my mint choc chip frostino - I could hardly seem to get anything through the straw, and there just didn't seem to be any substance to it. I left half, and won't be getting a frostino again.

Never mind, it was great to see her anyway, and we had fun watching the Swiss glockenspiel at the edge of Leicester Square. Roll on the next time. Oh, and I got the bus home. ;-) V hot and crowded, mind, and the mask didn't help..

Today was lovely, sunny and mild, but tomorrow it's promised to rain. Perfect day for the cinema then.. unfortunately, when I had cause to check my film list again, it had changed almost completely! New films, new times.. well, as long as it's as accurate as possible, I guess! So, top of the list for tomorrow is now Incendies, in which a brother and sister, who have grown up in Montréal and whose mother has just died, learn that she has instructed each of them to go in search of their father, whom they'd thought had died, and a brother they didn't know they had! In the Middle East. So this gives them a chance to explore the region, and their own roots.. Showing in the BFI only, and tomorrow is the last showing.. Interestingly, the BFI has moved to a first-come first-served, unallocated seating policy. Not sure what the advantage of that is, but the upshot is that I can't see how full a screen is! However, knowing how busy the BFI traditionally gets, I decided I'd better book, and I have.

And on Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for Shining City, a Conor McPherson play set in Dublin and showing in the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. Brendan Coyle plays a man haunted - he believes literally - by the ghost of his late wife, and the play takes the form of a series of psychiatric sessions that he attends. Well, this is an excellent playwright, so we're in safe hands.

Play: The Starry Messenger

Last night and tonight, I booked with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS). Last night, it was for The Starry Messenger, at Wyndham's, starring Matthew Broderick. I waited the longest time to book this, because I had theatre tokens, earned from posting photos to Seatplan, and every time I thought of booking it, I was either away from where my tokens were, or it was out of office hours - and they have to be booked by phone, or in person. Well, I was to be glad I waited - they finally released really cheap front row seats in the stalls! (Restricted view, it's a tall stage.) And I was within arms' reach of my tokens, mid-afternoon. After being kept forever on hold, I was put through to someone who had to have everything spelled out for her, and emitted a big sigh when I told her I had a theatre token. So she had to log into that site. But it was all worth it, to get a ticket for that price..

Of course, I knew something would go wrong: and then the office social was scheduled for last night. Ah well - curry night it was then, venue TBD. Anyway, I sold my ticket to another of the group. And then I found out that there were leaving drinks on last night that most people were going to (honestly, they couldn't organise an escape from a paper bag) - so I ended up booking another seat to The Starry Messenger! in the same row. Just as well - I could pick them both up myself, and they are supposed to be collected by the person that made the booking. Technically. Some of us are arranged to meet for food in the Bear and Staff, across the road, beforehand.

I headed off in good time, in brilliant sunshine. My bus arrived as I waited to cross the road - never mind. Another arrived as I approached the stop - to be followed by yet another! So I hopped in the back door of that one, and didn't have to run at all. Four of us arrived at the allotted time, one a little later. Which did make a difference.. anyway, it was really lovely, sat in the upstairs dining room, with a view of the theatre:

And the food was lovely, too! Well, when it arrived.. at least you know it's cooked from fresh, and the chicken was indeed done to a turn. They have a range of pies and burgers too, and I think we were all well fed. Caveat - it did take 45 minutes for our food to arrive (we only had mains). Happily, when we headed across to queue for the box office, we spied two of our group near the head of the queue - which saved us a lot of time. Not enough to meet the group beforehand, unfortunately. And when I'd collected the tickets, I soon found the person who'd bought one, and we made our way down to the stalls.

Hard to tell what you're looking at, here. Well, the "starry messenger" of the title is a middle-aged astronomy professor, played by Matthew Broderick. Calling him a "starry messenger" is pushing it a bit, but anyway. What you see here - and periodically through the play - is his classroom, where he teaches an introductory course. Interestingly - I have a background in this - the maths on the blackboard, which is based on real-life material, is an awful lot more advanced than the easy-peasy stuff he's feeding his class.

I liked the classroom scenes - for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they rang very true, with the annoying students - the middle-aged lady who can't understand the simplest concepts, and complains loudly about it, is hilarious. Oh, I'm so glad I'm out of that. Secondly.. for the classroom, they lower a wall, on which the blackboard and screen are hung. This is positioned very close to the front of the stage. It makes it a bit cramped for them, but it does mean that the action is all close to the edge of the stage - which means that the front two rows of the stalls can actually see what's going on! Seriously, for the rest of the performance, we could only see people from the waist up if they were standing - if they sat, we could see the tops of their heads only. I took to hoiking myself up on my elbows at the start of each scene, to see what the set looked like.. Well, we were warned. This is a very high stage, and a very restricted view.

When I was asked, at the interval, what Matthew Broderick had been in, I could honestly only remember him as Ferris Bueller. Someone later reminded me he'd been Inspector Gadget too - true, although I didn't see that. Anyway, not so much - but for what I've seen him in, I wasn't surprised at last night's performance. He's always seemed wooden to me - it's just that, in other things, it suited. Lordy, he's WEIRD in this! Now, I was as close as anyone in the theatre, and I can testify that he's just as wooden up close. Heavens, he raised his eyebrows in one scene near the end of the first half, and gave me an awful shock! It was like he had to remind himself to have human expressions.. His expression doesn't generally change throughout, he seems very stiff in his movements, and his delivery of lines has absolutely no emotion behind it, seeming as though he is working through a logical script of what intonation is appropriate for any given sentence. Seriously, he's like a robot - it was fascinating to watch.

The rest of the cast seemed perfectly human, and played their parts excellently. When we could see them. As someone remarked later, it was weird to have Elizabeth McGovern have second billing (as his wife), when she wasn't on stage as much as Rosalind Eleazar, the (much younger) single mother for whom he develops feelings. Well, assuming he's capable of feelings, which I doubt. She's a trainee nurse, and we get some hospital scenes with her which are the best in the play - the elderly guy she's caring for is played by the terrific Jim Norton; for all that he's supposed to be dying, he has more life than anyone else in this. He must also suffer the ministrations of his fussy, bossy daughter (Sinead Matthews) - terrific, as are the rest of the cast.

Just as well they are, or this would be utterly unwatchable. Not to mention there seems to be no point to the story, in which very little happens and there's no real conclusion - oddly, for an award-winning writer. The best part of the production, we all agreed, is the projected star display at the end, which spills over the whole ceiling of the auditorium - worth staying for, all on its own. Indeed, an interesting, astronomical background lies behind the set throughout, and provided very pleasant gazing, for those of us who could hardly see anything else. Runs till the 10th August - you'd be better off staying home and watching an astronomical documentary though. Ah well, it was good to see everyone - Facebook is alive today with group members slating the production.

Tonight, I'm off, with UITCS, to Jude, at Hampstead Theatre. Fifth day in a row I'll have seen the organiser, who also came along on Wednesday.

And tomorrow, back - for the first time in a ridiculously long time - with London Dramatic Arts! We're at King Hedley II, with Lenny Henry, at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. As usual, she closed RSVPs too early, but I asked, and she reopened them. Be good to see them again!