Opera: Alcina & Exhibition: The Horror Show

On Thursday, back - at last! - with London Classical Music and Theatre Group (LCMTG), for Alcina at the Royal Opera House. More Handel..

I was gonna be passing The Lucas Arms, so ate there. And well. And arrived, in due course, at the Opera House -to discover I was the first (apart from the organiser) to arrive! Well, that's what the Tube strike will do for you.. Well anyway, we decided we probably wouldn't see anyone else, so headed to our seats.

Before the first (of two) intervals, I had a lot of empty seats around me, which was nice! Well now, I love Baroque opera - for the music. Never, never try to follow the story - as I'm sure someone once told me. Of course, I'd made the mistake of looking up the synopsis the night before - it's a mishmash of confusing characters, a woman pretending to be a man, and a pair of sorceresses (Alcina and her sister) busily falling in and out of love, and turning people into animals on a whim. Neh, just go with it.. the members of the group that night agreed! (We met another at the first interval.)

The music is gorgeous, of course. And wow, what a fun production! In a stroke of genius, they've decided to present the ordinary, non-magical folk as kind of Puritan characters, as hinted at by the security curtain. Dressed in plain clothing, and busily reading their bibles, they're completely flummoxed by the sexy, glamorous sorceresses - Alcina's magic powers are contained in, of all things, a perfume bottle. The show is full of humour, the "transformed" characters wearing very cute animal heads, and there are plenty of visual gags to keep us entertained over what is, admittedly, a very, very long runtime. The singing was top-notch, though, and they played to an appreciative audience, who applauded after most arias.

I went down to meet the others at the first interval, but honestly couldn't be bothered at the second, and we didn't meet after, as the organiser had to run for a train. But it was good to see her again - I don't think I knew the other guy there - and it was lovely to get back to the opera. And to the Opera House. This production runs on selected dates till the 26th. I was back so late though, and was so tired, there was no point in blogging.

Yesterday, I was heading to The Horror Show at Somerset House - a horror-based art exhibition - with The Horror Book Club. But then Civilised London (CL) popped up with another meal - so I booked that, and we were headed to Champor Champor, a Thai / Malay restaurant. Meeting beforehand at The Rose, nearby. Until he decided, just over a week ago, to cancel it! I supposed he hadn't wanted to do it with only two of us, since I was - unusually - the only one to sign up. But to my further surprise - he kicked me out of the group later that night! No warning, no explanation - not very "civilised". Jeez, I suppose he's had enough of me. And you think you know someone.. Can't believe I used to consider him a friend.

Killer is, he was such a good reference for good eateries - and the group is private, so without being a member, I won't be able to see where he's going. Ah well, TBH, I was beginning to feel out of place with the people who were attending the meals.. which was pretty much all I was doing with the group, lately. Meantime, I was back at The Horror Show - at least the ticket wouldn't go to waste!

We met at a Pret on Strand - just as well she gave us the address, and that was what I searched for, as there are several in the area! It's a lovely building, actually - very high ceilings. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of the salmon sandwiches I like - they had little left, by this hour. I grabbed an apple juice and joined the group - the only group in the place, and easy to spot. And we had a lovely chat - seems none of them had yet seen Barbarian, which I recommended highly, and not all had even heard of Darkfield. Man, they need me for recommendations..

Well, when everyone had arrived, we headed off. As you come from Strand, large signs advertise the show, but there's nothing on the door itself - however, if you head through the main entrance on that side, and left past the reception desk, you'll come to a lift, which you can take down to it - it's downstairs, in the Embankment Galleries. We entered by another door (opened by a button to the side), taking stairs down - there are some signs on the floor to direct you. Actually, it's much easier just to come in from Embankment, where they have a very obvious entrance. With an interesting soundtrack to entertain you - something like a demon eating. And having indigestion..

Now, I read a terrible review of this - which I'm happy to say I didn't agree with. Mostly. As we agreed in the group, though, they have a point in saying it's poorly curated. Seems a bit - scattered. However, helpful information boards throughout explain that it's divided into three sections - Monster is first, dealing with horrific art (including punk) through the 70s and 80s. And I have to say, this was my favourite:

The later sections were less successful for me - but there some pieces I liked. Including a strange little film of a woman inching her way around the edge of a room without touching the floor..

Well, I mightn't have liked everything - but as I said to people in the group, I think anyone with an interest in horror would find something in there for them. Runs till the 19th of February - recommended, if, as I say, you have an interest in such things! Meantime, we schlepped off to a pub - and I have to say, found an ideal one in Temple Brew House, which has a downstairs bar serving craft beer. And, crucially, had a long table free! Lovely - and I had a cracker of an evening, chatting to various people. So glad I made this in the end - both for the exhibition, and for the group. I had such a better time than I'd have had with that snob who runs CL.. Anyway, again, I was far too tired to blog last night.

This evening, planned another meal with the people that are harder to herd than cats! But lo, of the four people I invited, three bowed out. Jeez.. so I'm down to just the same person that was the only one to make it last time, so I decided to head somewhere different. For variety. We're going to The Garrick Arms, which is in a nice, central area, and is - crucially - a Greene King pub: so I can have my pie! again..

Tomorrow, back with the Crick Crack Club at the British Museum, where Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing The Iliad.

On Monday, not having been with LCMTG for ages, I'm with them for the second time in a week! Heading to Wigmore Hall this time, for the Takács Quartet, who are playing Beethoven. Now sold out - and I'm not surprised, given that when I booked, I got one of the last three (top price) seats! Ah well, it wasn't astronomical - and I do love Beethoven.

On Tuesday, back at the QT Bar - for the RB and Soul Revue. Now, they put on a great show - but, given my experience last time, I'll know to buy my drink at the upstairs bar and take it down with me - better choice! And at least this time, I'll know where I'm going.. Pity I didn't think to check CT first, who have cheap tickets!!

On Wednesday, I'm back at Conway Hall, for a concert called Sing Like a Vagabond - Shouts and Cries of Victorian London. Tickets are free, but you do have to book.

On Thursday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats at the Coliseum, for a performance of Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert & Sullivan. And knowing the steepness of the steps in the Balcony - and the irregularity - and what with my stairs phobia - I've done my best to get a seat at the side, so I can use the handrail to get down. Oh, and an aisle seat, what with the restricted legroom..

Then I'm back to Ireland again. Next Saturday, UL is hosting a PhD reunion, with a tour of the campus and, crucially, free lunch. And I'll be using the occasion to catch up with an old friend and, hopefully, find out what finally prompted him to quit lecturing at last, more than 10 years after I did, considering he was bullied even worse than I was! With a late flight the next day, I might get to a film as well..

Exhibition: World Illustration Awards

Today, Let's Do This was headed to the World Illustration Awards exhibition at Somerset House. It was actually a bit cooler than yesterday, but I dressed warmer - and, of course, no ice rinks were involved! I'd had a good, long lie-in - needed it, what with waking every hour or so to expel phlegm - and still got ready in good time - although vexingly, my bus passed seconds before I got to the stop. I was early, and the next didn't take long - but oh, I do hate that! Anyway, we ended up being diverted - checking my phone, I discovered it was due both to roadworks and to the Adidas run.

Hey-ho, the bus still dropped me right in front of Somerset House, nice and early. Which gave me time to walk past the weird, smoky installation in the courtyard, to the South Wing where the exhibition is being held. Where I thought about waiting, as we were to meet at the entrance - but which entrance? I decided to look for the exhibition instead, which was well-signposted. Posted on the Meetup page that I was there, and it turned out that Mary was running late, and our organiser said he'd wait for her and then come find me. Which is as it turned out - this is a complicated building.

More photos here. The exhibition is tremendous - jam-packed with curiosities, which would take forever to examine, there is so much detail. You'll find politics:

science:

and a whole lot of children's illustrations - and as if that weren't enough, books in the room at the back allow you to see them in their natural setting, and read the whole book! As I remarked, if they had chairs in there, they'd never get rid of people:

Afterwards, we headed to the student exhibition upstairs - separate from this, finished today - and to a print exhibition that focuses on magazines (runs till the 22nd August), but we were most impressed by this first one, I think. Highly recommended - only, do take the time to look closer, because it's worth it. Runs until Wednesday - free admission.

We then made for the Riverside Terrace cafe, where we took a table, and the nice man brought cushions for the wire chairs. And our nice organiser bought us a bottle of wine to share. Good, sturdy canopy over us to protect against rain and wind. And when they chucked us out - they close at 5, and today's weather wasn't tempting anyone to stay - we made for the indoors cafe, where I had a very good chocolate fudge cake, and Mary vouches for the hot chocolate. We moseyed out to the courtyard installation, which was still blowing smoke around - then into the adjacent room that explained what was supposed to be happening. Apparently there are also banks of mirrors, and when the sun shines (ah! that was the problem), a temporary halo effect is created by the reflections from the mirrors, projected onto the smoke / steam. Only to be seen on a sunny day. Runs till the 27th..

When we split up, I knew I was too late for the local supermarkets, so treated myself to a meal out. Just a pizza and wine at the Pizza Express down the road - after a slightly-longer-than-short wait to be seated, I had what used to be my usual, the pollo ad astra Romano, and the house chardonnay, which was quite decent. The pizza was also tasty - unfortunately, they didn't deem it necessary to provide me with a pizza cutter (or a sharp knife), so it was quite hard to saw through. Anyway, nice for a change.

Tomorrow, I'm headed to storytelling by Crick Crack again, finally.. I haven't been able to make any of their more recent ones. It's in Soho Theatre, and it's Sally Pomme Clayton, with Crow. Blood. Snow. Oh my God, it's been ages. Naturally, you'd never know from their Meetup group that it's happening at all. Our boss was supposed to be in London that week, so I decided to leave the rest of the week free, for now.

Then he pinged us, last week, to say it'll actually be the week after. Cue me booking things frantically for the week that was now free - happily, I did well. On Tuesday, something very interesting - Up in the Cheap Seats is off to Whist, at Sadler's Wells. Now, turns out that this is an immersive, VR experience! Definitely different.

On Wednesday, London Literary Walks is off on Pop the Weasel, and I'm delighted to be able to accompany them. Local again, I see. Yet another attendee now that Mary's signed up, yay!

On Thursday, back to Sands Films for Fete de la Musique - Belcirque is performing, and they do sound quirky. London European Club, TunedIn London. Then it's Ireland again at the weekend.

On the 25th, I'm indulging myself with a premium seat to see Andrew Scott perform the one-man show, Seawall, written especially for him. It's at the Old Vic, two weeks only.

On the 26th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at Sadler's Wells. It's the Nederlands Dans Theater again - I remember good things about them from before. As I say, the boss is now in the office that week - well, he'll just have to manage without me, those two nights. I'm keeping the rest of the week, and the weekend, free, just in case. Hey, I do have to move that week as well, so could probably do with the time! Just waiting on the contract now, which I have to sign before I can pick up the keys.

And on the 2nd, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, at the Gielgud Theatre for Imperium I - Conspirator. The first part of a double-bill, but viewable independently, it is told from the point of view of Cicero's secretary, as he watches how his master's work is used to bring about an end to the Roman Republic. I should probably have booked the second part at the same time - there's a discount for that - but well, my schedule is generally so packed..!

A Festive Post - Play: Dead Funny & Christmas in Clerkenwell: Guided Walk for Shelter!

Yes, I'm now back in Ireland for Christmas - after what's been a helluva year. No, I haven't been avoiding you.. I really have been that busy! Read on.

So, last Man with the Hat Meetup of the year was on Tuesday, when he took Let's Do London - for less! to the West End. Dead Funny, the show was. Well, West End comedies and I don't always agree, but I said I'd give it a shot - so did lots of other people, it seems; I believe he sold all his tickets in half an hour. I did mention to him that he might sit me in the second row, just in case I made some involuntary and unfortunate facial expressions, and put the cast off..

Well, Tuesday turned out to be quite a busy day for me, what with my contract finally coming through to be signed. Excuse me - printed out, signed, scanned, and emailed back. Lucky my flatmate was in, because it turned out I also needed a witness. Also because, when I was trying to scan the thing back in and getting a separate file for each page, she was the one to tell me about the free pdf merge software.. but it took time to download and install that, and then combine all these files, and upload the thing. And, by the way, wrap a couple of presents. So I was a bit frazzled when the time came to head out.

A couple of buses got me to just past the Vaudeville Theatre - well, I could just have got the 87, but Google Maps suggested I could speed things up a bit by taking the 344 to Vauxhall and catching  up with the 87 there. Which all went fine, but I was still a bit distracted by the time I got to the theatre, and plain forgot where the Man with the Hat had said he'd be. To be fair, I'm generally so familiar with the venues that I don't need to check! So as I wandered into the lobby, I thought I heard this voice calling my name.. oops, there he was, outside (where he'd said he'd be). Mea culpa, completely forgot!

Wandered back in again, ticket in hand - it was nearly time - and got a drink from the teeny cloakroom/bar in the corner of the lobby. At £9 for a large wine, it wasn't exactly cheap, but hey, I was in the mood. We had the front two rows of the stalls - well now! And whee, I was in the second row..

Now, it helps - for this show - if you like old-fashioned English comedy. This is quickly impressed upon the audience by the clips from old tv shows, displayed on the stage curtain:

(Spot the stars..) Specifically, as we soon see, a liking for Benny Hill is a real help. Handy, then, that I always liked him.. Anyway, the title refers to a local comedy appreciation club, of whom we meet five members: a doctor (hence the skeletons and other anatomical doo-dahs scattered about), played by Rufus Jones: his neglected and broody wife - who doesn't really feel the comedy as the others do (the excellent Katherine Parkinson): their married friends (Ralf Little and Emily Berrington): and the comedy nerd of the group (Steve Pemberton), who bursts in near the start to announce (sadly) the death of Benny Hill.

So I hunkered in to try and find it funny. You know what, I needn't have worried. I have often found West End comedy.. perplexing, i.e. what are they all laughing at? But this has a good, clever script, quite a dark story, and the cast is fantastic. It follows the lead of many good plays before it in completely changing our view of the characters as the plot progresses. The first half sees sparks fly during the rows between the doctor and his wife, as he plans an evening of remembrance for Benny, and they babysit for their friends (and wow, is she annoying). But just you wait for the second half, when the story flips, the characters are turned on their heads, and things go so bonkers that the best thing they can do is recreate old comedy sketches. Oh, and we get some (pretty much full-frontal) male nudity. Eh, yeah, whoopee. I'm not going to score him - but I did feel for his wife when she had to, em, touch him..

I'm not one for slapstick, so didn't really appreciate the food fight near the end as much as some others. And do beware if you're in the front two rows - that food really goes flying. I ended up with a sausage roll under my feet, Mary got sprayed with soda water, I believe. Ach, all in an evening's entertainment. Recommended - booking until 4 February. Afterwards, our Hero with the Hat had booked us tables in The Port House, just down the road - and for all of us that stayed, there was room. And as it says on the website, it is cellar-like, and candlit:

Very atmospheric. They do tapas, and so did most of us. Not the Man with the Hat though, who escaped rather early. Have to start tying him to a chair. Well, anyway, I had croquetas and brochetas (both of chicken) - wouldn't really recommend the brochetas, but the croquetas were ok. Pity they were out of the ham ones, though. And you know, it's becoming a habit for Mary and me to share a bottle of wine - so we did. And that was rather tasty, so we had another. What the hey, I was celebrating the signing of my contract! And so it came to pass that we were the last two to leave - and I rather gave the game away to my mother, whom I called on the bus home. Gee, she thought I was already at home until I said I'd have to have a chocolate when I got there.. And the bus trip ended with an entertaining and inquisitive puppy, whose long-suffering human let him play with a small boy, who was absolutely thrilled!

When I did eventually get home, it was straight to bed - Helen was coming up next day, and had suggested a couple of trains she could get at different times; I bravely suggested she surprise me. Happily, when I woke next morning, it was to a text that she was getting the later one. Good - I could get ready very slowly, which I needed to, feeling a bit fragile. I always meet her at Waterloo, and was going to get the bus - but when it was taking forever to arrive, I caught a train instead, reasoning that if I got there early I could get a drink to rehydrate. Which turned out to be a Very Good Idea, especially as I hadn't had breakfast - I woke so late, and we were going to have lunch first.

I fancied Chinese, so we were back to New Loon Fung - as I explained, they're consistently good. Another shared bottle of wine, I had my usual, and she had duck - and special fried rice, which, as she later remarked, could have been a meal on its own. The standard practice of waiters automatically refilling our glasses when they were empty ensured that we were well supplied with wine, and we toddled downstairs afterwards and outside, ready to shop till we dropped. Only a pity we had to carry it afterwards..

An afternoon's trailing around markets left us in need of a sit-down, and heading randomly through town, we spotted a Caffe Nero that didn't look too busy. And my, what a good choice.. the hot chocolate was good enough that I didn't have to add sugar (!) and they had a little basket of gianduja by the till. :-) 35p each. Ooh yeah. And we both had the rather excellent chocolate fudge cake, with the chocolatey bits through the middle, and the golden crispy pieces on top. Now, that could be construed a most satisfying chocolate fix..

Somerset House, next door (open late on Wednesdays through Saturdays), provided some distraction while we waited for it to be late enough to head to Farringdon Station for our guided walk. Skirting the ice rink..

(more photos here) ..we headed indoors to the Fortnum & Mason's Christmas Arcade:

Highly decadent, very pretty - and some things were even affordable. We purchased.

One of the fun things about bus travel - in London, anyway - is that as you move around town, the best route to your destination can change, with Google Maps suggesting different stops, or even different buses. So, another quick check of the app, and off we went to Aldwych for a bus to Holborn.

Farringdon Station was soon located.. much too early, so we wandered up the road to find somewhere to sit. Most places were really busy, and we ended up having mango & passion fruit drinks in Starbucks. And a welcome sit-down. And in due course, we moseyed over to the station, and there they were, brandishing signs - not many, which is a shame, especially as this was in aid of Shelter, but as our organiser said, so many people were away for Christmas already. Hey, I would've been away too, except that I booked my flights in September, when I didn't yet plan to quit my job! But I was glad to have the extra time in London.

This was my first time with London Social Detours - meant to come with them before, but - as I recall - set out without my Oyster card, and by the time I discovered it, it was too late to go back for it and still make the walk. We chatted for a bit, then set off - two guides, taking turns at the stops. The theme was Christmas in Clerkenwell, and our organiser carried a little bag, with Christmassy factoids on strips of paper, reaching in like a Lucky Dip to read one every time we stopped.

Well I have to say, it was fascinating! Definitely one of the better walks I've been on. We went around all sorts of dark alleys and side roads that I'm not familiar with, and the factoids were varied and informative. Did you know that, back when turkeys fist became popular, they were raised out of town and walked in for slaughter? And because of the distances involved, they wore little booties!

Another stop had us outside where Marx used to live - where we heard that Lenin spoke English with an Irish accent, because he learned it from an Irishman in London. And may have drunk in the pub on the corner - sadly, I didn't get around to getting a photo of it, although it was singularly the most glittery, sparkly pub I've ever seen.

One of the roads we were supposed to go down had police tape across it - an intrepid member of our group nipped across to ask them what was going down, and it turned out they were filming an episode of Fearless. And on we went, hearing about the Knights Hospitaller, whose priory today only exists in the form of the atmospheric St. John's Gate:

And so on through Clerkenwell, for stories of Christmases past, and the obligatory nod to Dickens. An hour and a half, roughly, and time well spent - sadly, we couldn't stay for a drink with the others, as Helen had hurt her foot and was still recovering - I was impressed she made it through the walk at all! Anyway, I'll definitely keep an eye out for these walks in future.

Now, I had all intentions of starting this blog that night - but got tired. And then got an unexpected email from Ebay, thanking me for my purchase. (?) Logged in, discovered a (hidden) record of a purchase for £250. Checked my bank account - unfortunately, yes, my balance had gone down by about that much. So what with cancelling my bank card.. and the Ebay purchase.. and trying to contact PayPal, through whom the payment had been made, from a fake account with my bank details.. the blog got put on the long finger. As it stands, as I say, the purchase has been cancelled and the money refunded - unfortunately, to a Paypal account to which I have no access. PayPal aren't being very helpful, and the bank say there's nothing they can do until the transaction is explicitly shown. I can't even check my account online now that my card is cancelled, and the new one is being delivered to my London address - whereas I'm back in Ireland for Christmas. They did estimate that, what with the holidays n all, it won't be shown online now until maybe Wednesday. Watch this space.. I swear, after this, I'm dealing with neither Ebay nor PayPal, ever again!

Well, met my erstwhile boss yesterday just before I flew back, in the local Caffe Nero - whose hot chocolate and gianduja, I'm delighted to report, are every bit as good as the branch beside Somerset House. And after one of those hectic journeys, back I find myself. Watching telly, which will be my occupation for a while now.


I fly back to London on Monday 2 January. On Tuesday 3rd, I had my trusty placeholder of Free Comedy in Hammersmith - gee, it's been a while now since I actually went to one of those! Anyway, I booked with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, London Art Comedy & Culture Lovers, London Live Comedy, Random London, and London for a Tenner or Less and Funzing UK (both Funzing groups, and both advertising the thing twice). And then what happened? Pretty much all the Free Comedy in Hammersmith Meetups were cancelled for the first two weeks of the New Year, whyever that was. Friday's as well. So, forced to find something else for the 3rd, I've signed up - for the first time - with TNT Comedy, with Dave's Stand-Up Comedy. Same deal, only further away, in Kentish Town.

And on Wednesday 4 January, yay, I'm back with the Man with the Hat (no, not Santa Claus) - Let's Do London - for less! is off on their annual festive trip to The Nutcracker (ahh!) at the Opera House. Sold out performance, I see. It'll be great to see the folks again - I'll miss them over Christmas.

And Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! Not sure whether I'll be blogging again before the 3rd.. but you never know. Keep reading!

Exhibition: Wonderfully Wicked Witches and Old Women

I liked the sound of Wonderfully Wicked Witches and Old Women, when I saw it on Meetup. An exhibition of Goya drawings, complete with various witchy entertainments and a guy playing Spanish guitar - which I love. It was advertised by the Fill My Weekend group, and I got the last spot, goodee!

Well, I was telling Helen about it on Monday, and she found the official event link (above). I hadn't been able to - it's on at Somerset House, and their site isn't the easiest to navigate. I checked, out of curiosity, to see whether tickets were sold out there too - and was very vexed to find out that, not only were they not, but they were cheaper than in the Fill My Weekend group! Then I remembered - they were the group that went to the Top Secret Comedy Club; I went too, but independently, and got in cheaper. They were all sat over the side, with name badges.

Well, I went back to the Fill My Weekend site, and, seeing there was a waitlist, I posted the above URL there for anyone who might want to make use of it. And pointed out that tickets were cheaper there! Half an hour later, I got a message from the organiser, saying that he charged a little extra to cover his costs, and that he was very miffed that the tickets weren't sold out on the official site - he'd booked on the basis that they would be, and he'd be having words with the manager!

Oh, and when I checked the site again, my post had been removed. What a cheek! So I privately messaged as many people on the waitlist as would take messages from people they didn't know. By and large though, they seemed to prefer to go with the Fill My Weekend group and pay the extra. Well, up to them. Must be some costs he was covering, though.. at an extra charge of £1.50 per person, with 50 people going - that's £75 profit. Assuming he didn't get a discount for bulk-buying the entrance tickets.

So, off I trotted yesterday evening. I was tied up at the office, so was a bit late arriving, and missed the organiser's meet n greet at reception. Shucks, what a shame.. It's a while since I was in the area, and it's a good job I looked up where to go - I had thought Embankment was the closest station, but it's actually the one after, Temple. The District Line was as slow as ever, but that was ok - I knew the event was on till 9, and since I wasn't pushed about the meet n greet, I was relaxed. Just as well - the train was late arriving at West Kensington, had to have a little rest between there and Earl's Court, had to have another little rest at Earl's Court, and another little rest before the next stop, Gloucester Road. It seemed to find a second wind after that, and eventually chugged into Temple.

Up to the Strand and turn left, keep going till you get to Somerset House. The Courtauld Gallery, where the exhibition was being held, was well signposted, and I stopped by the reception desk to collect my ticket. I should've told her first off that I'd booked through Meetup - in that case, you don't get a ticket, you get a name badge. I was pretty miffed at my treatment from this group, so wasn't too keen on it, but I slapped it on my jumper, inside my coat, and figured it wouldn't get noticed anyway. Interestingly, as I climbed the stairs to the exhibition, I noticed that someone else had abandoned his, leaving it stuck to the banister. Guess I'm not the only one cheesed off!

It's a beautiful old building, and the event ranged over three floors: photos here. A fellow sat at the base of the main stairwell - which was a good location for him - playing the Spanish guitar so that the sound wafted through the rooms above. Which was a terrific effect. Pity he disappeared for an hour. The first thing you come to is the cafe, which was hosting gin tasting. I'm not into gin, so I continued my climb. On the floors above, scattered amongst the artworks, were some fabulously attired witches, with marvellous tall witch hats and extravagant Gothic makeup. One was hosting a talisman-making workshop, one posing for a still-life drawing group. Anyone was welcome to join in, but I don't much like drawing, or arts n crafts. One was telling horoscopes, but frankly, these horoscopes seemed a bit quirky for my taste, and I passed.

Instead, I started with the exhibition proper, which is a collection of Goya drawings from an album the art historians have named "Wicked Witches and Old Women", which comprises the theme of most of the drawings. They're fascinatingly grotesque, most engaged in disgusting or risque practices, and were never meant for public consumption. (Too bad!) Informational snippets on the walls beside the drawings explain that assembling the album was no mean feat - all the albums were broken up and the pages sold individually, and while some of the drawings have references, not all do. Even when you figure out which album they belong to, getting them in the right order is another challenge. Again, some have page numbers but not all, and sometimes the only thing they could do was to look at the back of the page, and see whether the ink from another page had marked it.

I hung around for an art history talk that described two paintings with women in them. I don't know much about art, and sometimes it's nice to have someone explain a famous painting to you. It was such an interesting talk that I hung around for her next one, too. The event didn't finish until 9, but I left after this second talk. The group was planning to go to the pub after, but I had no interest in meeting them. I'd seen some people with the name badges as I roamed the galleries, but a group this large isn't conducive to meeting people. I spotted the organsier at one point, prowling the stairs - I avoided him, naturally. I don't think I could have been civil.

It was a good event - and will be repeated in May - but I doubt I'll be going to any more events as part of this group. I'll check out what they're doing - they have interesting ideas - but I bet, whatever it is, I can get it cheaper myself. And neither last night, nor the other time I was in the same room as them, did I see any mingling going on. Not a group to meet people, then! Granted, of course, I didn't go to the pub after - but I might have expected some interaction before that!

Back to Ireland today, and a double bill at the Southwark Playhouse on Monday and Tuesday - on Monday, The Cutting of the Cloth (1/3 off the ticket price with Hot Ticket Offers - i.e., just enter HOT at checkout), and on Tuesday, These Trees Are Made of Blood, about the Dirty War in Argentina.