Hello, faithful readers! (In a nod to Stephen King.) Yes, last night I was back in action - hang the flat-hunting, I was having a night to myself, and the Man with a Hat had something interesting on. Another Concertante concert in St. Martin-in-the-Fields, to be precise. Interestingly, he had three ticket bands.. and the cheapest wasn't with Let's Do London - for Less!, it was with London for Less Than a Tenner. Someone once called that "The Tyranny of Choice". This "Less Than a Tenner" group is his too - so I finally joined, and booked one of those. It'd mean a gallery seat, but I've sat there before and it's just fine.
I see the Christmas lights are on in the Strand.. sorry, my phone battery was out, as usual, so no photos of last night. I got there in time to catch him before he gave the tickets back to the box office, and then fecked off, as he was typically busy. This is what comes from running a ticket distribution empire.. I was quite confused as to my entrance door. It's literally years since I've been in the gallery, here. So I asked an usher, and was told to head back to the other entrance - the right-hand one, as you face the church. Seems they only filled up one side of the gallery. Well, I had an unreserved seat, which meant I could sit anywhere but the front row. So I plonked myself in a corner, so I could have back support if I wanted to turn sideways. I was told that cushions and programmes were only available downstairs, but who needs a cushion? I'm a veteran of the Globe! Pah, no cushions required. As for programmes, the Man with the Headgear had provided.
Bach featured prominently. As the music started, and I concentrated on the wedding-cake ceiling (again, sorry, no photos), I reflected that I do prefer to meditate, if you will, on the music - when it's classical - and not being able to see the performers helps with that. So I didn't join those who kept hopping up to catch a glimpse.
I've seen Concertante a few times before, and to be honest, they recycle most of their jokes. Mind you, that doesn't make them any the less good..The Violin Concerto in A Minor was followed by Albinoni's Oboe concerto in D Minor, whose second movement was, for me, the highlight of the evening - absolutely sublime. More Bach to finish the first half, with the Concerto for Oboe & Violin.
During the interval, I could've moved - but didn't. Sat and read my paper instead. Was briefly interrupted by the Man with the Head Covering, who told me that afterwards we were headed somewhere posh, but affordable. Fine by me.. The second half was Mozart's Oboe Quartet in F Major, and Bach's Concerto for 2 Violins to finish. And you couldn't have had lovelier, in such a setting. Both halves, mind you, were ended in typical Concertante fashion, indulging their inexplicable obsession with Piazzolla. Can't say I share it, myself.
We gathered outside, in a shivering clump, waiting for everyone to appear before we headed off. Turned out we were headed to the Amba - the hotel attached to Charing Cross Station. And oh, it was good to get into the warm.. the bar turned out to be up the grand staircase, and festooned with chandeliers and plush red velvety seats. And you could order food! so I had a large wine and a warm chocolate fondant. And plenty of delicious, free, spicy peanuts. Indeed, the prices were not excessive, service could be had at the tables, and there was plenty of seating and no atrociously loud music to drown out conversation. An excellent choice for a Friday night in central London, actually, and I'd happily head there again. Well done, the man who suggested it..
As the night wore on, the crowd diminished one by one, and as the talk turned to economics (!) I fled. Great to be back with this group though. Roll on the next meeting. Typically after meetups with them, I was back pretty late, and then got distracted by the terrible news from Paris. Plus, I had a flat viewing at 12 today.. so no blog.
Today's viewing was productive - I now have a new flat! (Despite him showing up late.) Move date end of the month / first half of next month. Has green space outside, has a balcony, has more space inside.. a short walk to Clapham Junction.. after sorting that, I headed into town, in miserable weather. What disappointing weather for the Lord Mayor's Day! The fireworks were cancelled anyway, out of respect for Paris, but I headed into St. Paul's, on the only day in the year that you can go around it for free. And.. it's a cathedral. A big one, with lotsa tombs. Somehow, I missed Churchill's - ah well. Photos here.
I nominally went with Ken's Events - but well, I couldn't be bothered with the 230 of them, really. I wasn't ready at the appointed time - not that they probably kept to it anyway, knowing their timekeeping. And I wasn't pushed about joining them for dinner. Instead, afterwards, I headed down to Tower Bridge, which was to be lit up in the colours of the French flag - again, as a mark of respect. London Bridge, one down from it, provides a perfect viewpoint. It was indeed lit in the French colours - one at a time, for about five minutes each - which, unfortunately, meant you had to stand for about 10 minutes in the cold to see the full set. Photos at the above link.
On my way home, I passed a Pret, which had festive ads for a mint hot chocolate. Perfect for the bitter weather, and I went in and ordered one, figuring that a sit-down would be just the thing. And it was ok.. the cocoa powder scattered on top gave it an unpleasant texture, though. And so home, and ate at home. Rather glad I didn't have to hang around for fireworks.
An early night will be very welcome - I've booked for a coffee morning tomorrow (although I don't drink it) piano recital at the Elgar Room in the Royal Albert Hall. Includes tea/coffee and a pastry. (Must remember to get up for it.) This was an idea I got from the Kensington Classical Music Group. Not that I'm going with them, you understand.. they require you to book your own ticket with the venue, then pay them £1.50 for.. I'm not sure what. The privilege of sitting with them? So I'll be avoiding them - if I happen to recognise them.
And on Monday, I got a cheap ticket to Showstoppers: the Musical. I hear good things..!
Showing posts with label Ken's Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken's Events. Show all posts
Saturday, 14 November 2015
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Halloween Fright Night Guided Walk
Well, it being Hallowe'en, naturally I wanted to do something appropriate to the day. Checking the Meetup page, I saw that Ken's Events had a ghost walk - sounded ok, so I said I'd go. I haven't been to many of their events - one before this, in fact; they just didn't appeal, particularly because of the large numbers that sign up.
The first was booked out, so I booked a place on the second - afterwards, they increased the capacity anyway. But the later would have been my preference, in any case. And with a decently late start of 8.30, I had plenty of time to relax, eat at home, and get ready. Which means, of course, that I ended up rushing..
I have to hand it to the people of London - they did Hallowe'en proud. Strange sounds could be heard all day.. and the Tube was a riot of costumes - princes and princesses, Ghostbusters, medics, and a particularly scary guy who'd simply put a white stocking over his head, obscuring his features. Basic, but extremely effective..
I decided to go via Blackfriars, walking straight up the road to the meeting point at Farringdon Station. Well, trotting - I was going to be tight for time. They were meeting beforehand in the Sir John Oldcastle pub, across the road, but I didn't have time for that, and went straight to the station. Where the costume count was even better! More medics, lots of girls in cats-ears headbands. A wonderfully decked-out group, faces painted in the manner of the Day of the Dead. One dead cool guy leaned against a wall, smoking - face painted like a skull, black suit, round black glasses. Streams of people passed, with terrific face paint. One guy just had a skeleton tracksuit, but still, he made the effort..
I had plenty of time to observe all this - Ken's Events, despite its size and apparent popularity, must be the single worst organised group I know! Those of us that were waiting eventually gravitated together, and were duly joined by one of the two guides we were to have for the evening - a short lady in witch's costume, with a mic because her voice didn't really carry. No sign of Ken. No sign of the other guide, who - she mused - must still have been on the first tour - they'd had to split up because of the numbers, taking a group each. No sign of the promised Ken's Events sign outside the station, either! (And one of the others remarked that there'd been no sign of the group in the pub. Another remarked that she didn't know why she showed up on time - this always happens. No wonder Ken's Events usually goes on walks - anything else, they'd have to arrive for a fixed time!)
We were stood there for nearly half an hour before they appeared - a straggly bunch, not nearly as many as had said they'd come. Anyway, here was our other guide - a tall man in a cape coat and top hat, very dapper. And here was Ken, brandishing a decrepit sign at the end of a stick. I do wonder whether this hasn't got too big for him to manage properly - after sending some assistant organiser over to the pub with the remaining walkers from the first tour, he set to taking our money, but patently had no idea who was supposed to be there! No pre-printed list for him - we gave him our names, which he scrawled on the back of a sheet of paper. These were properly accredited guides, so we had to pay - £6, or £4 with a Ken's Events card. I had mine - several had forgotten theirs.
Our group wasn't anything as big as the number that had booked, either. We'd been encouraged to come in fancy dress, but of course people had ignored that - the one concession to Hallowe'en among our number was the girl with the pumpkin zogabongs. One guy kept bending over, hands on his legs - probably just stretching, but it was quite unnerving..
Well now, I've been around this area quite a bit, and I didn't really expect this walk to cover new ground. It didn't - we spent an hour and bit basically walking in a circle around Smithfield. I did hope for some decent stories. Brother, was I to be disappointed! You know, this was my fourth Hallowe'en in London, and I have to say, this one was the worst. For all that these guides were accredited, they were worse than many a guide I've had on a free tour. Well, I guess those giving free tours have to be good, to get the tips..
Some of the stories I'd heard before. Fair enough, but did our witchy storyteller have to tell them with eye-rolling, and exaggerated expressions, as though she expected them to be new to everyone? and scary? Well, they were working with very little material. They alternated storytelling stops, with her starting with a potted history of Hallowe'en - Samhain, as she correctly told us, while pronouncing it incorrectly. She completely neglected to tell us that it was a major pagan festival, marking the end of the old year - funny, I'd have thought that was an interesting point.
She then rolled her eyes at us again and told us we were off to a "cathedral of slaughter". No, really? Yes, Smithfield Market..Uhh. They found it necessary to stop us across the road from it, and dwell on the gore that necessarily attends a slaughterhouse. The one and only paranormal occurrence here was, apparently, a young lawyer who died after eating contaminated meat, and whose ghost subsequently stalked the market, knocking meat off the shelves.
This was pretty much as scary as any of the stories got. And they were obviously out of their depth with the subject matter, cobbled together and delivered hesitantly, when it wasn't exaggerated. One story was left unfinished - not that anyone seemed to care, by that point. If that had been me, I'd have practiced beforehand - y'know?! Tried to make it sound a bit good?
Woeful. Denise and Simon were their names. Now, they might be good in other circumstances - but if you see them advertising a ghost tour, or similar? Avoid! Anyway, Ken finally led us back to the pub - half an hour later than we were supposed to be there. Where, disgusted with myself at the waste of time this evening was, I turned straight down the road, back to the station and home. In the company of Dracula.
Now, before I blogged, I wanted to finish my film list, because I fancied a film today. Well, of course, that took typically long, and I eventually postponed it and went to bed. Finally finished today.. and gee, The Martian came out top again! And wouldn't you know, it's showing in my local cinema at 7.50 tonight - which is a time I could easily have made during the week. Looking ahead, they have the same unsociable times on weekdays.. unbelievable! Well, I'll see it at last tonight. Cheap ticket at Yplan, as usual for the Vue. And oh joy, they're emailing the tickets now! No more fiddling with the website because I can't download the app..
The next two days, I'm back at the final U2 concerts in London this year. You know, it occurred to me on the walk home last night - I miss them already! Even though it's only been two days since the last concert.. I've practically memorised Bono's rap from Bullet the Blue Sky, now.
The first was booked out, so I booked a place on the second - afterwards, they increased the capacity anyway. But the later would have been my preference, in any case. And with a decently late start of 8.30, I had plenty of time to relax, eat at home, and get ready. Which means, of course, that I ended up rushing..
I have to hand it to the people of London - they did Hallowe'en proud. Strange sounds could be heard all day.. and the Tube was a riot of costumes - princes and princesses, Ghostbusters, medics, and a particularly scary guy who'd simply put a white stocking over his head, obscuring his features. Basic, but extremely effective..
I decided to go via Blackfriars, walking straight up the road to the meeting point at Farringdon Station. Well, trotting - I was going to be tight for time. They were meeting beforehand in the Sir John Oldcastle pub, across the road, but I didn't have time for that, and went straight to the station. Where the costume count was even better! More medics, lots of girls in cats-ears headbands. A wonderfully decked-out group, faces painted in the manner of the Day of the Dead. One dead cool guy leaned against a wall, smoking - face painted like a skull, black suit, round black glasses. Streams of people passed, with terrific face paint. One guy just had a skeleton tracksuit, but still, he made the effort..
I had plenty of time to observe all this - Ken's Events, despite its size and apparent popularity, must be the single worst organised group I know! Those of us that were waiting eventually gravitated together, and were duly joined by one of the two guides we were to have for the evening - a short lady in witch's costume, with a mic because her voice didn't really carry. No sign of Ken. No sign of the other guide, who - she mused - must still have been on the first tour - they'd had to split up because of the numbers, taking a group each. No sign of the promised Ken's Events sign outside the station, either! (And one of the others remarked that there'd been no sign of the group in the pub. Another remarked that she didn't know why she showed up on time - this always happens. No wonder Ken's Events usually goes on walks - anything else, they'd have to arrive for a fixed time!)
We were stood there for nearly half an hour before they appeared - a straggly bunch, not nearly as many as had said they'd come. Anyway, here was our other guide - a tall man in a cape coat and top hat, very dapper. And here was Ken, brandishing a decrepit sign at the end of a stick. I do wonder whether this hasn't got too big for him to manage properly - after sending some assistant organiser over to the pub with the remaining walkers from the first tour, he set to taking our money, but patently had no idea who was supposed to be there! No pre-printed list for him - we gave him our names, which he scrawled on the back of a sheet of paper. These were properly accredited guides, so we had to pay - £6, or £4 with a Ken's Events card. I had mine - several had forgotten theirs.
Our group wasn't anything as big as the number that had booked, either. We'd been encouraged to come in fancy dress, but of course people had ignored that - the one concession to Hallowe'en among our number was the girl with the pumpkin zogabongs. One guy kept bending over, hands on his legs - probably just stretching, but it was quite unnerving..
Well now, I've been around this area quite a bit, and I didn't really expect this walk to cover new ground. It didn't - we spent an hour and bit basically walking in a circle around Smithfield. I did hope for some decent stories. Brother, was I to be disappointed! You know, this was my fourth Hallowe'en in London, and I have to say, this one was the worst. For all that these guides were accredited, they were worse than many a guide I've had on a free tour. Well, I guess those giving free tours have to be good, to get the tips..
Some of the stories I'd heard before. Fair enough, but did our witchy storyteller have to tell them with eye-rolling, and exaggerated expressions, as though she expected them to be new to everyone? and scary? Well, they were working with very little material. They alternated storytelling stops, with her starting with a potted history of Hallowe'en - Samhain, as she correctly told us, while pronouncing it incorrectly. She completely neglected to tell us that it was a major pagan festival, marking the end of the old year - funny, I'd have thought that was an interesting point.
She then rolled her eyes at us again and told us we were off to a "cathedral of slaughter". No, really? Yes, Smithfield Market..Uhh. They found it necessary to stop us across the road from it, and dwell on the gore that necessarily attends a slaughterhouse. The one and only paranormal occurrence here was, apparently, a young lawyer who died after eating contaminated meat, and whose ghost subsequently stalked the market, knocking meat off the shelves.
This was pretty much as scary as any of the stories got. And they were obviously out of their depth with the subject matter, cobbled together and delivered hesitantly, when it wasn't exaggerated. One story was left unfinished - not that anyone seemed to care, by that point. If that had been me, I'd have practiced beforehand - y'know?! Tried to make it sound a bit good?
Woeful. Denise and Simon were their names. Now, they might be good in other circumstances - but if you see them advertising a ghost tour, or similar? Avoid! Anyway, Ken finally led us back to the pub - half an hour later than we were supposed to be there. Where, disgusted with myself at the waste of time this evening was, I turned straight down the road, back to the station and home. In the company of Dracula.
Now, before I blogged, I wanted to finish my film list, because I fancied a film today. Well, of course, that took typically long, and I eventually postponed it and went to bed. Finally finished today.. and gee, The Martian came out top again! And wouldn't you know, it's showing in my local cinema at 7.50 tonight - which is a time I could easily have made during the week. Looking ahead, they have the same unsociable times on weekdays.. unbelievable! Well, I'll see it at last tonight. Cheap ticket at Yplan, as usual for the Vue. And oh joy, they're emailing the tickets now! No more fiddling with the website because I can't download the app..
The next two days, I'm back at the final U2 concerts in London this year. You know, it occurred to me on the walk home last night - I miss them already! Even though it's only been two days since the last concert.. I've practically memorised Bono's rap from Bullet the Blue Sky, now.
Saturday, 4 July 2015
Dancing City
Ah yes, the new washing machine. Ready, dressed and groggy I was at 7 this morning, just in case the guy came to replace the old one. Mooched around for a while. Then I got a horoscope email, which said: You will definitely have to take the initiative today if you want the day to go smoothly. The folks in charge don't know as much about things as you do, and they could use a little help... Sitting back and watching them fail might appeal to a certain part of you, but if you do that, you'll only end up suffering in the end too.
Uh-oh, I thought, better see what's happening with this washing machine. Seems like the folks in charge don't know what they're doing. So I emailed the letting agent. An hour and a half later, I was actually having a nap (being exhausted from the early start) when she replied. Seems she emailed me and my flatmate yesterday, after placing the order, to say that they didn't deliver weekends, so it'd have to wait until my (student) flatmate is free, on Thursday. Except she forgot to include me on the email..
(Insert swear word here.) So I'd gone to bed early last night, and gotten up early this morning, for precisely nothing. And now I was wrecked, and hadn't a clear idea what to do for the day. I'd arranged to go to the Bermondsey Carnival with the CLOGgies, whom I met through Meetup, but I could always cancel. I had a look at what else was on, and saw something even more appealing - Ken's Events had something called Dancing in the City of Skyscrapers. Upon closer inspection, it was a series of free, outdoor, dance performances this afternoon in Canary Wharf. So I cancelled the poor CLOGgies, and booked with Ken instead.
Now, I haven't been to Canary Wharf very often, so some research was required. Ken had obligingly summarised the schedule on the event page, but I needed to know locations, as well as how to get there. I figured the journey would take about an hour. Strike me, but it's hard to get a decent map of Canary Wharf! Ironically, once I did get there, they were handing out free newspapers about this Greenwich and Docklands International Festival that's been on for the past week, apparently, and ends tomorrow. Huh, glad I caught it. Mind you, even had I known about it all week, I'd hardly have traipsed out all that way on a weekday.
The main reason that I mention this free newspaper here is that it contained the first decent map of Canary Wharf I'd seen printed! The only other decent ones are on public signs in Canary Wharf itself, but it's very difficult to get your own. I'm keeping this one.. Thing is though, when I was trying, before I left, to find the locations mentioned in the schedule, it was nigh-on impossible for most. Nowhere has a decent map. Google Maps shows all the street detail, but not names of the smaller ones at the zoom level that shows the whole of Canary Wharf. So if you don't know roughly where to look, you're out of luck. Not even the festival website has a map!! I ended up having to Google most of the locations, and persevering until I had an idea where on the map they were.
With all this research, and the lateness of when I found out I had the freedom to go anywhere, of course I knew I'd be late for the 1pm start. I figured I'd see how the day went, but I wasn't bothered about meeting up with the group; I only know one person who was scheduled to go - the organiser - and was more interested in seeing the acts. Anyway, the upshot was, I'd take the Tube. I could've changed to the DLR, but that's as infrequent as the Overground, so I figured the Tube was a better option. Again, the Tube was full of female passengers with fans - either custom-made or improvised. It wasn't so bad on the District Line - but the Jubilee Line was a nightmare. The aircon made enough noise, but I don't believe it blew us a puff of air.
The confusion started immediately I left the train. Which exit should I take? I had a choice of Bank Street or Montgomery Square. I was headed for Canary Riverside - and boy, had I had trouble figuring that one out! It shares its name with a luxury apartment development, y'see. Correctly, I guessed Bank Street, and the maps along the way helped to guide me, as I say.
However, I wasn't expecting how long it would take me to walk there, and by the time I got to Westferry Circus, I realised I wouldn't make it in time for that show - or the one after: and sat on a bench to consider my options.
Well, it turned out that the next after that was in Westferry Circus itself - a performance of the Haka. Fair enough, I thought, and found myself a bench in the shade, on this sunniest of days. As we prepared for the show, dancers in Maori costume came around handing out what I think were mint leaves, to the children.
Most spectators took a spot on the central grass section, and were asked to sit, for the benefit of those behind. Those too feeble to sit all the way down on the ground had plastic chairs procured for them. And we were duly treated to a 15-minute rendition, starting with the most beautiful singing by one of the women, and moving on to the physical actions. The rugby haka we all know and love only comprised the last minute or two, it seemed.
I always think it's wonderfully incongruous to have arts events among office buildings, and I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ahh, I miss New Zealand.. Anyhoo, they'd also handed out cards with the words of the Haka on them, and were going to teach us. But then I saw a curious thing. I saw a woman with a sign that said "Next Show: Follow Me, Journey 3". And when she and her devoted followers left, I followed them - I did have another show to get to, after all. Turns out I ended up following her all day - and not surprisingly, when I looked it up in the free paper this evening; this was the "marathon" journey, seeing all shows, and the only ones I missed were because I arrived late!
So, we schlepped back to Jubilee Plaza, which turns out to be exactly where I left the Tube. Mind you, I was unsure at this point whether I should be following this woman - so I did my own thing, and got lost:
(This is not Jubilee Plaza, it's Canada Square. But it is in roughly the right direction.)
I got there eventually, and saw the most enchanting dance performance. I'd seen in the listings that there were two dancers, but initially only the man came on, searching the crowd. Then he picked on a young woman - who did a marvellous impression of looking shocked and bashful, but I'd recognised her from the photo. And they had a most innovative (and acrobatic) performance, flinging each other about and generally having a whale of a time. Marvellous stuff! Funny with it. Hurycan, they call themselves. And Te Odiero is the name of the show. Look out for them!
After that, I realised that the next show was in the same place, which was handy. So I found myself a spot on the ground, in the shade. And despite the funny smell at ground level, that was pretty good. Apart from the stiffness when I got up. Turn Around Boy was the name of the routine, which featured two men - one initially blindfolded - maneuvering a circus wheel. Compagnie le Grand Jeté performed. Most impressive.
My next move was to the Cubitt Steps, which apparently take their name from an adjacent building, and have a statue at the bottom that divides opinion. As to whether it's art, or just ugly. Anyway, I made it there in time for a tap production, and coming in at the top of the steps, sat there too.
The production comprised six young ladies in 50s beach attire, performing jive, swing, and tap numbers. And had us swaying and clapping in time to the music. Charming stuff! Then it was a rush back to Jubilee Plaza, where I ended up standing at the wrong side, in the sun, for a performance during which I kept checking my watch. It started so similar to Te Odiero that I was sure somebody was plagiarising someone. And much manly swinging about ensued, among the five male dancers - some interesting moves, but the show was over-long (especially as I was being baked!), and most of it uninteresting.
Finally, I followed the lady from Journey 3 to Montgomery Square at last, where we watched a most engaging performance by Parkour, who clambered all over a climbing frame. And I felt myself sizzle in the sun again. Also noticed the (formerly) blindfolded guy from Compagnie le Grand Jeté in the audience - doubtless he appreciated the start of the performance, where they were blindfolded too!
I was damned glad to get back on the Tube. First though, I stopped by the WH Smith in the station - they were doing a roaring trade in cold drinks. The aircon was working on the Jubilee Line on the way back - well, kind of: it was blowing lukewarm air. But it was less crowded now, which helped. And I am so glad to be in, sat in front of a fan, and relaxing..
Tomorrow (mercifully late!) is the London For Less! meeting for the Pop-Up Opera's production of "L' Italiana in Algeri". I've reported to Meetup the difficulty in getting information on this group, and they've responded that they've reproduced the issue.. but no-one in software is working at the weekend! So we'll see whether they can fix it next week.
Uh-oh, I thought, better see what's happening with this washing machine. Seems like the folks in charge don't know what they're doing. So I emailed the letting agent. An hour and a half later, I was actually having a nap (being exhausted from the early start) when she replied. Seems she emailed me and my flatmate yesterday, after placing the order, to say that they didn't deliver weekends, so it'd have to wait until my (student) flatmate is free, on Thursday. Except she forgot to include me on the email..
(Insert swear word here.) So I'd gone to bed early last night, and gotten up early this morning, for precisely nothing. And now I was wrecked, and hadn't a clear idea what to do for the day. I'd arranged to go to the Bermondsey Carnival with the CLOGgies, whom I met through Meetup, but I could always cancel. I had a look at what else was on, and saw something even more appealing - Ken's Events had something called Dancing in the City of Skyscrapers. Upon closer inspection, it was a series of free, outdoor, dance performances this afternoon in Canary Wharf. So I cancelled the poor CLOGgies, and booked with Ken instead.
Now, I haven't been to Canary Wharf very often, so some research was required. Ken had obligingly summarised the schedule on the event page, but I needed to know locations, as well as how to get there. I figured the journey would take about an hour. Strike me, but it's hard to get a decent map of Canary Wharf! Ironically, once I did get there, they were handing out free newspapers about this Greenwich and Docklands International Festival that's been on for the past week, apparently, and ends tomorrow. Huh, glad I caught it. Mind you, even had I known about it all week, I'd hardly have traipsed out all that way on a weekday.
The main reason that I mention this free newspaper here is that it contained the first decent map of Canary Wharf I'd seen printed! The only other decent ones are on public signs in Canary Wharf itself, but it's very difficult to get your own. I'm keeping this one.. Thing is though, when I was trying, before I left, to find the locations mentioned in the schedule, it was nigh-on impossible for most. Nowhere has a decent map. Google Maps shows all the street detail, but not names of the smaller ones at the zoom level that shows the whole of Canary Wharf. So if you don't know roughly where to look, you're out of luck. Not even the festival website has a map!! I ended up having to Google most of the locations, and persevering until I had an idea where on the map they were.
With all this research, and the lateness of when I found out I had the freedom to go anywhere, of course I knew I'd be late for the 1pm start. I figured I'd see how the day went, but I wasn't bothered about meeting up with the group; I only know one person who was scheduled to go - the organiser - and was more interested in seeing the acts. Anyway, the upshot was, I'd take the Tube. I could've changed to the DLR, but that's as infrequent as the Overground, so I figured the Tube was a better option. Again, the Tube was full of female passengers with fans - either custom-made or improvised. It wasn't so bad on the District Line - but the Jubilee Line was a nightmare. The aircon made enough noise, but I don't believe it blew us a puff of air.
The confusion started immediately I left the train. Which exit should I take? I had a choice of Bank Street or Montgomery Square. I was headed for Canary Riverside - and boy, had I had trouble figuring that one out! It shares its name with a luxury apartment development, y'see. Correctly, I guessed Bank Street, and the maps along the way helped to guide me, as I say.
However, I wasn't expecting how long it would take me to walk there, and by the time I got to Westferry Circus, I realised I wouldn't make it in time for that show - or the one after: and sat on a bench to consider my options.
Well, it turned out that the next after that was in Westferry Circus itself - a performance of the Haka. Fair enough, I thought, and found myself a bench in the shade, on this sunniest of days. As we prepared for the show, dancers in Maori costume came around handing out what I think were mint leaves, to the children.
Most spectators took a spot on the central grass section, and were asked to sit, for the benefit of those behind. Those too feeble to sit all the way down on the ground had plastic chairs procured for them. And we were duly treated to a 15-minute rendition, starting with the most beautiful singing by one of the women, and moving on to the physical actions. The rugby haka we all know and love only comprised the last minute or two, it seemed.
I always think it's wonderfully incongruous to have arts events among office buildings, and I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ahh, I miss New Zealand.. Anyhoo, they'd also handed out cards with the words of the Haka on them, and were going to teach us. But then I saw a curious thing. I saw a woman with a sign that said "Next Show: Follow Me, Journey 3". And when she and her devoted followers left, I followed them - I did have another show to get to, after all. Turns out I ended up following her all day - and not surprisingly, when I looked it up in the free paper this evening; this was the "marathon" journey, seeing all shows, and the only ones I missed were because I arrived late!
So, we schlepped back to Jubilee Plaza, which turns out to be exactly where I left the Tube. Mind you, I was unsure at this point whether I should be following this woman - so I did my own thing, and got lost:
I got there eventually, and saw the most enchanting dance performance. I'd seen in the listings that there were two dancers, but initially only the man came on, searching the crowd. Then he picked on a young woman - who did a marvellous impression of looking shocked and bashful, but I'd recognised her from the photo. And they had a most innovative (and acrobatic) performance, flinging each other about and generally having a whale of a time. Marvellous stuff! Funny with it. Hurycan, they call themselves. And Te Odiero is the name of the show. Look out for them!
After that, I realised that the next show was in the same place, which was handy. So I found myself a spot on the ground, in the shade. And despite the funny smell at ground level, that was pretty good. Apart from the stiffness when I got up. Turn Around Boy was the name of the routine, which featured two men - one initially blindfolded - maneuvering a circus wheel. Compagnie le Grand Jeté performed. Most impressive.
My next move was to the Cubitt Steps, which apparently take their name from an adjacent building, and have a statue at the bottom that divides opinion. As to whether it's art, or just ugly. Anyway, I made it there in time for a tap production, and coming in at the top of the steps, sat there too.
The production comprised six young ladies in 50s beach attire, performing jive, swing, and tap numbers. And had us swaying and clapping in time to the music. Charming stuff! Then it was a rush back to Jubilee Plaza, where I ended up standing at the wrong side, in the sun, for a performance during which I kept checking my watch. It started so similar to Te Odiero that I was sure somebody was plagiarising someone. And much manly swinging about ensued, among the five male dancers - some interesting moves, but the show was over-long (especially as I was being baked!), and most of it uninteresting.
Finally, I followed the lady from Journey 3 to Montgomery Square at last, where we watched a most engaging performance by Parkour, who clambered all over a climbing frame. And I felt myself sizzle in the sun again. Also noticed the (formerly) blindfolded guy from Compagnie le Grand Jeté in the audience - doubtless he appreciated the start of the performance, where they were blindfolded too!
I was damned glad to get back on the Tube. First though, I stopped by the WH Smith in the station - they were doing a roaring trade in cold drinks. The aircon was working on the Jubilee Line on the way back - well, kind of: it was blowing lukewarm air. But it was less crowded now, which helped. And I am so glad to be in, sat in front of a fan, and relaxing..
Tomorrow (mercifully late!) is the London For Less! meeting for the Pop-Up Opera's production of "L' Italiana in Algeri". I've reported to Meetup the difficulty in getting information on this group, and they've responded that they've reproduced the issue.. but no-one in software is working at the weekend! So we'll see whether they can fix it next week.
Friday, 13 March 2015
Concert: Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
Last night, I went to my second Meetup event. Ken's Events had organised free tickets to a classical concert at St. Peter's Church, Eaton Square, so I decided that sounded like a plan, and registered. Priority was given to holders of the Ken's Events card, so I bought one of those too. With it, you get in free to all their events for a whole year, so I figured that's good value - considering they run 4 or 5 every week, and I nearly went to one already last Saturday.. before something better came up!
One of the attendees posted a comment on the site, asking whether anyone was willing to accompany her back to the Tube afterwards - she was a bit nervous. When I discovered we were headed in the same direction, I offered, and we agreed to meet beforehand.
The group was meeting in the Victoria pub at 6.15, which meant I needed to go straight from work. I checked on Google Maps, and it's only a short walk from Victoria station. When I got there, it didn't take long to identify the Meetup people, who were clustered near the entrance. Easier than Saturday, for sure! The eponymous Ken turned out to be an elderly Northern Irish guy, with a great memory for names - he had a list of attendees, but I was glad I'd brought a receipt for my purchase of the Ken's Events card; he had no record of that. I now have a physical card.. which I have to mind for the rest of the year.
The pub was packed, and our large group (42 attendees in all) crowded in wherever we could. Service was fairly efficient, and I did manage a glass of wine. The lady whom I'd offered to accompany home gave me a beautiful red rose in thanks... this was lovely of her, but I did have to carry it around for the rest of the evening, which was rather awkward.
The criterion for leaving for the concert seemed to be that everyone had arrived, and we set off with plenty of time to spare. It's not a long walk, but wove through several backstreets of Belgravia - knowing I'd be part of a group, I hadn't bothered to check the route myself. We duly arrived at the classically designed St. Peter's Church, and got our free tickets.
We took a pew (literally) - or rather several. We were nice and close to the music, and of course the high-ceilinged church provided excellent acoustics. The programme started with Shostakovich and Ravel. The performers, all recent graduates of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, were as accomplished as you'd expect. You know, someone asked me at the interval what I thought of the performers - you couldn't fault them. In particular, I used to play piano - and the pianist was stunning, playing a beautiful piece by Ravel.
This led into a quartet of Chinese pieces, played on traditional instruments. Gorgeous. Only thing was, I was starving, and kept thinking how much I'd love a Chinese meal right then.. At the interval, wine and tea were served to the side: free, but a donation was appreciated. After the interval, all eight musicians came on to perform a series of pieces by a Hungarian composer whose name I didn't recognise - I only learned as much as I did by sneaking a peek at a programme the people in front of me had left when they went off for drinks at the interval.
Afterwards, the plan was to head to the Wetherspoon's in the station - we were headed straight back to the Tube, but decided to walk along with the group. Ken set a blistering pace - I imagine he was dying for his "drinkies". He ended up having us cross the busy road in front of the station, right in the middle of traffic! We were there for ages, and someone who had noted that the concert finished earlier than advertised mused that maybe the extra time was allotted for crossing the road! Silly place to cross. Anyway, we finally made it, and eventually completely lost Ken as he dashed across the station concourse. Never mind, we wound our way through the warren of corridors to the Tube, and were soon home. Of course, I haven't had a chance to shop all week, and had finished what I'd bought on Sunday - dinner last night consisted of most of a Chocolate Orange.
I'd have blogged last night, but wanted to check first what I was doing next - there was nothing I fancied on Meetup, and since Time Out updated its search function, it hangs almost every time I want to use it. So I had to wait to come into the office, for a better internet connection. So, the plan is - back to Ireland today for a long weekend, and my next night out in London is on Thursday - when I'm headed to a saucy show called Margaret Thatcher, Queen of Soho: a drag comedy about Maggie getting lost in Soho and becoming a cabaret star. Showing in the Leicester Square Theatre. Not many tickets left, so I booked.
One of the attendees posted a comment on the site, asking whether anyone was willing to accompany her back to the Tube afterwards - she was a bit nervous. When I discovered we were headed in the same direction, I offered, and we agreed to meet beforehand.
The group was meeting in the Victoria pub at 6.15, which meant I needed to go straight from work. I checked on Google Maps, and it's only a short walk from Victoria station. When I got there, it didn't take long to identify the Meetup people, who were clustered near the entrance. Easier than Saturday, for sure! The eponymous Ken turned out to be an elderly Northern Irish guy, with a great memory for names - he had a list of attendees, but I was glad I'd brought a receipt for my purchase of the Ken's Events card; he had no record of that. I now have a physical card.. which I have to mind for the rest of the year.
The pub was packed, and our large group (42 attendees in all) crowded in wherever we could. Service was fairly efficient, and I did manage a glass of wine. The lady whom I'd offered to accompany home gave me a beautiful red rose in thanks... this was lovely of her, but I did have to carry it around for the rest of the evening, which was rather awkward.
The criterion for leaving for the concert seemed to be that everyone had arrived, and we set off with plenty of time to spare. It's not a long walk, but wove through several backstreets of Belgravia - knowing I'd be part of a group, I hadn't bothered to check the route myself. We duly arrived at the classically designed St. Peter's Church, and got our free tickets.
We took a pew (literally) - or rather several. We were nice and close to the music, and of course the high-ceilinged church provided excellent acoustics. The programme started with Shostakovich and Ravel. The performers, all recent graduates of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, were as accomplished as you'd expect. You know, someone asked me at the interval what I thought of the performers - you couldn't fault them. In particular, I used to play piano - and the pianist was stunning, playing a beautiful piece by Ravel.
This led into a quartet of Chinese pieces, played on traditional instruments. Gorgeous. Only thing was, I was starving, and kept thinking how much I'd love a Chinese meal right then.. At the interval, wine and tea were served to the side: free, but a donation was appreciated. After the interval, all eight musicians came on to perform a series of pieces by a Hungarian composer whose name I didn't recognise - I only learned as much as I did by sneaking a peek at a programme the people in front of me had left when they went off for drinks at the interval.
Afterwards, the plan was to head to the Wetherspoon's in the station - we were headed straight back to the Tube, but decided to walk along with the group. Ken set a blistering pace - I imagine he was dying for his "drinkies". He ended up having us cross the busy road in front of the station, right in the middle of traffic! We were there for ages, and someone who had noted that the concert finished earlier than advertised mused that maybe the extra time was allotted for crossing the road! Silly place to cross. Anyway, we finally made it, and eventually completely lost Ken as he dashed across the station concourse. Never mind, we wound our way through the warren of corridors to the Tube, and were soon home. Of course, I haven't had a chance to shop all week, and had finished what I'd bought on Sunday - dinner last night consisted of most of a Chocolate Orange.
I'd have blogged last night, but wanted to check first what I was doing next - there was nothing I fancied on Meetup, and since Time Out updated its search function, it hangs almost every time I want to use it. So I had to wait to come into the office, for a better internet connection. So, the plan is - back to Ireland today for a long weekend, and my next night out in London is on Thursday - when I'm headed to a saucy show called Margaret Thatcher, Queen of Soho: a drag comedy about Maggie getting lost in Soho and becoming a cabaret star. Showing in the Leicester Square Theatre. Not many tickets left, so I booked.
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