Concert: London Philharmonic - Bruckner and Vaughan Williams & Bethlehem Cultural Festival

Yesterday.. same problem as Wednesday last week, with little on Meetup. Until just recently, when the London Classical Music and Theatre Group advertised a London Philharmonic Orchestra concert at the Royal Festival Hall for that day! I managed a Black Friday discount too! ;-) So I went to that.

I have an awful lot on my to-do list these days. So my trip to the Royal Festival Hall had a few stop-offs - first, recycling, which is on the way. Second, food - Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which is friendly, and has excellent food - but almost never onion rings! I suggested there's a shortage of onions - the man wasn't offering any opinions. But the burger was yummy, as ever.

Third, a new passport photo - with the Photo Me booth not having given me an acceptable photo, I headed to have a human do it for me, and someone had recommended Snappy Snaps. Wouldn't you know it, there's one on the way! No appointment necessary - so I stopped in and did that. The poor man was rushed off his feet, so many customers wanting so many different things. Anyway, I got the photo and have resubmitted it - fingers crossed. Stupidly, mind, I restarted the application, rather than just submitting an alternative photo to the original application, which might have slowed it down somewhat - well, but they can't have got very far with it, the photo being the first thing they look at.

With all of the stop-offs, it was feasible to walk the whole way! Happily, the weather wasn't bad for it.

I was first to arrive, occupied myself with a highly overpriced glass of sauvignon blanc (£12.75) and the paper. The only other person to show up at the meeting point was the organiser, just as we needed to head in - we agreed to meet at the Level 5 bar at the interval, which was convenient to us both, and knowing that we were unlikely to meet the others.

First up were Five Mystical Songs by Vaughan Williams. Now, I've had a very hectic week, and as I remarked to the organiser at the interval, it was just so good to sit back, relax, and not have to think about this. Lovely. Quite short, mind - I looked at my watch in some surprise; I hadn't expected it to be that short. Ah well, out I went and joined my companion - who was kind enough to buy me a drink. I didn't require a sauvignon blanc of him - I got the chenin blanc instead, which was very nice, and we had a good catch-up.

And so, after the break, to Bruckner's Ninth Symphony. Ah now, if the first "half" had relaxed me - this energised me! The music soared.. a spectacular sound, highly expressive. Quite modern in style.. it quite transported me. What a lovely evening, in fact. Delighted I came, and it was good to catch up with the organiser again. And I got the bus home, having no more stops to make!

Today - well, my contract has been extended, I quit tomorrow (officially, although my computer account has already been disabled, I discover), and I start with the new company next week. I had booked an online talk, The Life and Times of Magnus Folk, from the Surrey History Meetup. One of the earliest electrical engineers in England, it seems. Anyway, it's free, and I've since cancelled - I found something more interesting while I was waiting for the play last Thursday night. The Arabic Music, Dance and Party Meetup Group advertised an evening at the Bethlehem Cultural Festival - tickets from Eventbrite - in which there was a talk about 19th century travellers, as well as discussion of a forthcoming book, and a talk from a female artist in Gaza. Not that the group advertised it, but there's also an Arab dance after, and another talk - you could go to some, or all. Happening in The Tabernacle. So, I booked a ticket - stopped short of joining the group though - we shall see.

Well, it ran too late to do the blog last night. I had meant to do it at some point during the day - but Lordy, the busyness continues. I had booked a haircut for lunchtime today while waiting for my food yesterday - so I didn't have time beforehand. Went to Rush, the closest one to me, BTW - and well, I am very pleased with the result! Convenient, good job, and very friendly - I'm sure I'll be back. Anyway, when I got back, it was to the news that UPS had tried to deliver my computer for the new company - but got no answer. (Yeah, that'll probably be the time today that the buzzer went, stopped by the time I got to it and there was no answer when I asked who was there.) So now, they've delivered to the depot - to be fair, only a few minutes' walk away. But how I'm going to carry all that equipment back is beyond me!

Meantime, my new boss contacted me with the heads-up that he wants to meet me, Face-to-Face, in Reading on Tuesday. Only for half the day, happily. Cue me booking a train ticket - with GWR, as he was kind enough to tell me. Just as well he mentioned that the journey was only half an hour - the website didn't tell me that! I had to go digging to find a fast train. I am not joking - it took me a solid hour to book that ticket. The website was faulty, the app doesn't work - and on top of it all, you can't get a mobile ticket except on the app. So I had to choose to collect it at Paddington! Uhh.. and I have to get a train at 8.50am. Bah humbug - I expect to expense this. I also foresee lots of Reading in my future, as it's halfway between me and the other writer..

So, all of that ate up all my time today and I couldn't blog. Indeed, I had to rush out to eat. Tried O' Neill's, which is convenient to where I'd have to leave from - the ground floor was packed, so I headed upstairs, as usual. Which was closed! On a busy Thursday! I can only conclude that they hadn't the staff to open it. Well, I was damned if I was going without - hang the event I'd booked, I schlepped off down to The Lucas Arms, where I hadn't been in a while. And despite the crowd - there seemed to be some group, all of whom just arrived before me - I scored a table down the back, in the unlit section by the gents. And was very well fed.

Was actually in two minds about whether to head out all that way at all - but decided to give it a try. It was going to have to be Tube. Of course, to top off a stressful day - I took the wrong entrance, for the wrong lines, not paying attention, and had to retrace my steps. So, naturally I missed the train I was supposed to get. Had to wait nearly 10 minutes for another - at least I got a seat after a little while. And when I got out at Royal Oak, spent a full five minutes just trying to figure out which road to take.. for future reference, just turn left. So I was a bit late.

This turns out to be a converted church - downstairs is where they sell books, crafts, and whatever else is associated with the people appearing.

The lecture theatre upstairs is where the action happens. I felt a tad embarrassed about arriving late - but actually, people were in and out all evening. And as it happens, the first talk was the least interesting to me. You see, there was this 19th Century Swiss explorer called Tobler who wrote a book about his travels in Palestine (in German) - and the new book that's come out is a translation.

The MC identified himself as the publisher - and remarked that it isn't often that a publisher seeks to publish a boring book by a boring man. They identified several problems with the writing - he was no storyteller, neglected to give basic details about his trip (such as how he got there), and ignored the locals, giving just sparse details about them, while describing in detail every European he met! On top of that, he wrote in the complicated, Gothic old German script, which several translators refused to touch, wrote in a longwinded style to which they stayed faithful as much as possible, and wrote so many footnotes that they had to employ a second translator just for those! Yeah - none of this made me want to buy a copy of the translation, and I didn't. Very niche market for this, I think.

I was stunned that the MC had to have pointed out to him that the original author was related to someone who worked in chocolate..! Duh..

Well, this was followed by a talk with two artists - one from Gaza, one English, who had worked with Yazidi women in northern Iraq who'd been kidnapped by Isis, and also with women kidnapped by Boko Haram, who had escaped: and used art as a medium to get both groups to express their feelings and deal with their trauma.

The English girl, extremely softly spoken, was particularly compelling, telling us how many of these women had never drawn anything before - and this was a very interesting talk.

A large group of people left after this - was that the Meetup group? If so, I'm glad I wasn't with them - I'd have missed the most interesting events of the night! Next up was a Palestinian dance troupe, who entertained us royally with evocative, Middle Eastern music:

Last of the night was a fascinating talk with the author of a book about growing up in Bethlehem. He turned out to be a Syriac Christian - a group I'd never heard of, but they're so called because, in religion at least, they speak Syriac - apparently the language of Jesus! He showed us a fascinating map of his family's odyssey after fleeing their native home in Turkey - as the result of a massacre I've barely heard of. And Lordy if there wasn't another Syriac there - a musician, performing in the same venue tomorrow night, who agreed to perform a traditional Syriac chant for us. Yes, quite a special evening - again, delighted I came! More events here tomorrow night, and various events around the UK until the 10th. Tickets from Eventbrite- free, donate what you can. £20 contribution suggested. 

Buses home, on what is a very cold night.

Tomorrow, back to Ireland for the weekend again - flying Aer Lingus for a change! My passport is up for renewal, as I say - I don't technically need one to travel between Ireland and the UK, but Ryanair demands it. Aer Lingus doesn't.. Anyway, film for the weekend is looking like - Spirited, in which Will Ferrell plays the Ghost of Christmas Present to Ryan Reynolds' Scrooge, in a musical update to A Christmas Carol. Octavia Spencer plays Ryan's hapless assistant. Well, it looks like fun - Ryan Reynolds is always very watchable - and frankly, it's the best thing on in the afternoon that I haven't seen. Ennis will do - let us pray there isn't a match!

On Monday - yep, the London Chess Community again looked like the best option. Hmm. But just lately - hallelujah! I was saved by London Social & Cultural Meetups, who have scheduled a talk on The 70th Anniversary of the Great London Smog. (Although oddly, we're meeting outside - perhaps the venue is hard to find?) Anyway, I'm delighted - this is that friendly group I joined a while ago for Evensong at St. Bartholomew the Great, and I'm glad to be seeing them again.

On Tuesday, well, Free Stuff and Free Events are holding another online singalong. Again, I cancelled my attendance at the last of these I booked for, so was reluctant to rush off and book again.. Or the Garden Talks have one on How Did Language Begin? Unfortunately, my free trial has long since expired, and they won't let me take out another. Well, I might have paid - but I'd be paying for a month's worth, so I figured I might as well wait until closer to the date, and get the value.. And yay, then Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) jumped to the rescue again, with a comedy called Dinner with Groucho, at the Arcola. The setting is a dinner, somewhere in heaven, with Groucho Marks and T. S. Eliot the guests.. best available seats for £15 with the code FRANK15, until tomorrow.

On Wednesday, I'm back with UITCS for Baghdaddy at the Royal Court. About a little girl, realising she's half Iraqi, just as the Gulf War is raging. I see CT now has tickets for this.. unusually for this venue!

Next Thursday, I've signed up for another Watkin's Bookshop talk! This is Colin Stanley on Colin Wilson's Introducing the Occult. Well, the last talk I was at here was interesting, so..

On the 9th, I'm heading to Lightopia, at Crystal Palace Park. As suggested by Over 40 Living the Life, who are not actually hosting a trip themselves, but just wanted to advertise it. 15% discount if you subscribe to Lightopia's mailing list, 20% discount for purchases of 10 or more tickets. And durnit if Groupon hasn't just advertised cheap tickets..

On the 10th - well hallelujah, Bucket List London has finally scheduled something I want to go to, at a time I can make! He's off to see the Wallace Collection that morning - and so am I. 

That evening - I've bravely scheduled another meeting of Those who Do Not Come. It's my last weekend in London before Christmas, you see. Well, so far Ivan and my first boss in London are actually coming! while the one person who came the last two times probably not, for once. We shall see - I've booked The Lucas Arms - O' Neill's isn't taking bookings for that day. Deposit payable, refundable with cancellation up to 72 hours beforehand.

And on the 11th, I was vaguely thinking of heading to see Carnaby Street's Christmas lights.. and then CT advertised tickets for Love Factually - a kind of rewriting of one of the relationships in that classic Christmas romcom, Love Actually. Sadly, all their tickets were gone - but I got a full-price ticket from the venue. It sounds good. Showing at 2Northdown.

Talks: 5 x 15

No, this wasn't a change in schedule - I just had so much on my mind, I forgot what I'd booked a £3.60 ticket for, tonight! Turns out it wasn't comedy after all - it was a thing called 5 x 15, where five eminent persons give a 15-minute speech each, about whatever.

All the way over in Notting Hill - well, I had time to take a bus. Two, actually - with the Hopper fare, I have that luxury (two journeys for the price of one). And luxury it was, considering that the first just took me to the top of Tottenham Court Road, which I could've walked (slower, of course). The bus had already arrived by the time I rounded the corner, and it's nothing short of a miracle that it waited for me! A good thing though, as I was a bit tight for time - as usual. And the whole way up the road, I had a lady in sunglasses beside me, attached by leash to a small black dog, who (lady, not dog) regaled me with, as she said, her life's story: how she was just back from St. Ives, how much worse the pollution is in London, and how she's going to return her air purifier, which just blows air at her that smells of the cigarette smoke she bought it to recycle. She finally got off (just three stops later) at my home stop! Oh lordy, she's a neighbour of mine..

Not that I was getting off there this evening - no, the next stop and around the corner, and just in time for the next bus, which must've been running early. Unfortunately, I ended up in the back row. Happily, it was a slow ride (I might've got a bit sick, else) - and as we passed Harley Street, I wondered how the Man with the Hat is getting on - he works there. Anyway, as we moved out of the centre, we lurched down a hill to Royal Oak, and I got a helpful young Japanese-looking lady to press the button for me - I couldn't reach, and was rather uncertain of being able to keep my balance on the seat, even! And boy, was I glad of Google Maps, without which I'd have been completely lost.

Backwards then, across the bridge, right, and pretty much straight on for 15 minutes or so. I was expecting a church-style building, and was rather confused by the one at the end of the road:

Luckily, I'd already looked up The Tabernacle, and realised it didn't look like that. I'd just passed it:

And I was just in time. In fact, the guy checking names (who gave me a stamp on my arm) thought I was one of the speakers! Turns out that, unusually tonight, they were all women, and I guess they hadn't all arrived yet. Hey-ho, I made my way upstairs into a wide venue, full of round tables with chairs around them - all were occupied, so I took a seat in the rows at the back. Pity they were all those notoriously uncomfortable folding chairs. Anyway.

First up was Catherine Mayer, co-founder of the Women's Equality Party, and author. I've never felt that it was enough of an issue in our society to join the party (lucky me!), but I do respect what they're about, and she told us about some inspirational people. A couple of other things she said resonated with me, about the "snap election" (that snapped back!), and the grossly unfair first-past-the-post electoral system that prevails in this country, which, mind you, I've heard criticised in Ireland since I was a nipper.

Interesting talk. Sadly, the second - not so much, as Erica Wagner summarised for us her book about the architect of the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm glad to see she was fascinated by her subject - I'm afraid I wasn't.

Third up, we had a very interesting talk again, with Plum Sykes, who writes books about socialites - she's just started on murder mysteries. Her talk was a fascinating insight into the subtle sexism of undergraduate life in Oxford in the late 1980s - I could have listened all night, frankly.

But then we had a short interval (enough time to buy drinks), and after, a talk by one Reni Eddo-Lodge, an award-winning young black writer, who lectured us on race relations. She did make one very interesting point, about how we aren't educated about civil rights in Britain. She cited the case of one Paul Stephenson, who fought for racial equality in Bristol in 1963 - quite right, it's shocking that we don't know about this!

To round off the night, we had a fascinating talk by Polly Toynbee, about the state of the nation, and how swingeing Tory cuts have led to increased amputations (fewer preventative checks of diabetics, who tend to have circulatory problems), less tax take (closure of local tax offices, and consequent loss of local knowledge), and loss of social networks (cuts to local bus services - my mother could tell you all about that). Again, I could have listened all night, as she explained, quite rationally, how you can't both maintain public services and cut tax. It's very simple - you could explain it to a four-year-old. All in all, a good night - and the best value yet for my £3.60 ticket - full price for these was £25!

I say she rounded off the night - she didn't. We had a little extra - a chap who'd come straight from C4 studios, where he'd been reading his poem, which he then read again for us. Grenfell is just 15 minutes up the road from here, and had dominated proceedings, with constant mentions. And he'd written a poem about it.

I shed a tear or two. And I had been considering wandering up that way - it isn't often at all that I get to this part of town. So, I did. (Glad I brought my coat - it was getting quite chilly.)

Just a couple of minutes into my walk, I could already see the blackened shell over the rooftops. It was chilling. All the "missing" posters.. (they started in The Tabernacle). I overheard someone say they've still only explored as far as the 11th floor (out of 24). 

They still have the site cordoned off, with a police officer on guard - the closest I could get was the local church:

I was a bit self-conscious about taking photos, until I saw someone else doing it. And that's all she wrote. Grenfell, RIP.

Up the (severely overgrown) road again, I caught the first bus to Oxford Circus, and was desperately glad to get out of there - I really don't know how they look at that every day.

Tomorrow, I'm back with the London European Club (LEC) at last - an evening of Welsh stories and writing at the London Welsh Centre. Be lovely to see some familiar faces!

On Wednesday, I had booked with Random London, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich and London Live Comedy (again) for free comedy in Greenwich (again). And then I switched to West London Improvised Comedy Nights, who have a show at The Lillie Langtry, which is closer - indeed, very close to where I've lived longest in London. However, some more folks I haven't seen in a while - a couple of members of the Man with the Hat's old groups - are headed to a concert at the Royal Academy of Music, with London Social Detours. The concerts are free, but the group is charging a Meetup fee, so I'd normally just go on my own - but I want to meet these folks, so I'll stump up.

On Thursday, yes, once again I'd booked for free comedy in Hammersmith - with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London. Also advertised by London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK (twice, as usual). But then I'd booked to go with the LEC to a talk on the relationship between Britain and France, at the LSE. Would've been interesting, but sod it, I then realised I have a late meeting that day, and with the talk starting quite early, it's a non-starter. Didn't want to rebook the comedy, having cancelled it. So I had a look at what else was on Meetup - and discovered something interesting. I hadn't been getting a wide variety of things on the main Meetup site - but they've mercifully improved the app. Which is what I happened to consult when I realised I'd have to cancel the talk, since I didn't have a laptop to hand. And lo, the app had LOADS more events. Seriously, there's a real disconnect between the app and the main website. Tons of interesting stuff. And on the app - well, a group called Ealing Ladies Social Group was headed to Terror, at the Lyric Hammersmith. Which sounded the most interesting of all. Not the group, mind, which has far too many rules and regulations for my liking - and they're closed to new members anyway. Nothing to stop me going myself, though..

Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again! Not usual for me to go two weeks in a row.. more details below. Next Monday, London Dramatic Arts is off to see The Mentor, at the Vaudeville Theatre. Expensively, as usual. I'm going as well - cheaply, courtesy of Amazon Tickets. Sat in the Grand Circle, I should be able to avoid them.

On the 4th, I cancelled more free comedy in Hammersmith (Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, London Live Comedy, and Discover LDN.UK) for another Funzing talk - The Psychology of Dreams. As advertised by London Speaks Sessions and LDN Talks @ Night. Cancellable, but I'm so far unlikely to do so. (As ever, WELLBEING30 was still giving 30% off most talks, last I looked.)

On the 5th, back with the LEC, for a concert of Greek music at Sands Films. Looking forward to that - I love the venue, but haven't fancied the last couple of concerts they've had there.

On the 6th, I was booked for free comedy in Hammersmith (!) with Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, Random London, London Live Comedy, Hammersmith & Fulham Friends, and Discover LDN.UK. Did you think I'd actually go? ;-) Well, I'm not - but the reason is an unusual one. My new company is very nice indeed - and they have an annual volunteering day: gardening. I hate gardening. On the 6th. For the whole day, they're at it. And last Monday, the office manager kindly informed us that it was compulsory unless we were on holiday. Huh! Well now, I hate being told what to do. So I've suddenly decided to be on holiday that day - and as it's a Thursday, the next too.

Then comes a weekend I've been looking forward to for a while. Long-anticipated, the European leg of U2's 30th anniversary tour of The Joshua Tree kicks off in Twickenham on the 8th & 9th. 'Mare of a place to see them - after I saw them there in 2005, I swore - never again. Happily, I now know someone living down that direction! :-) Helen is also coming with me to the first concert, and I'm staying with her for the weekend (now starting on Thursday, as she kindly offered). Which sorts transport for the first night - she'll drive. The second night, I'll head back by bus - the train is an absolute nightmare. Anyway, this would have been a weekend in Ireland - hence the trips back two weekends in a row, preceding it.

On the 10th, nothing had been appealing - until I tried the app again on Saturday, and came across a Meetup group called, attractively, Let's Do This! Quite new - I don't think I'll be "doing this" with them, what with their fee per event (I have been known to pay this, but it has to be worth it to me, i.e. I need to know the people): anyway, they have organised a trip to see La Voix Humaine, a 40-minute solo opera, performed in English by Opera Up Close. Unassigned seating, but with no booking fee I booked anyway - it's in King's Place, which I love. I'd already found it by the time the Man with the Hat took us there, but it was with him I went the last two times: so this'll be bittersweet.

The 11th started out with yet more free comedy in Hammersmith - the same five groups. But then Funzing (the same two groups) rocked up and saved me, with a talk on Blitzed - Drugs in Nazi Germany. Has to be better, frankly.

The 12th, I'm currently still looking at free comedy in Greenwich, with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith, Wimbledon and Greenwich, and Random London.

The 13th, more of the same - in Hammersmith - with the Famous Five (aforementioned) groups - Discover LDN.UK twice, as before. At least the headliner that night is John Hastings, who's guaranteed to be good - and it's a lovely, small venue to see him in. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend.

On the 17th, more comedy - for £3.60, this time. Tez Ilyas is performing at the Pleasaunce, and I know he's good - saw him in Top Secret once, for free..

The 18th, the U2 tour continues - I fly to Barcelona that day, to see them that night! One of their crazy, one-night-only appearances, on what is a very limited tour.

I fly back on the 19th, and that night am - provisionally - booked for more free comedy (quelle surprise). Greenwich, the above three groups. There are some interesting Funzing talks that night, but I've already seen them.

The 20th, another Funzing talk (the above two groups). This is a talk about serial killers, as given by a forensic psychologist that works with the police, and who also gives terrific talks about psychopaths. Highly recommended! She's a terrifically engaging speaker, and looks far too young to be working in such a murky area.

Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend - first to Dublin (from London City airport, a first for me), for U2's (one-and-only!) concert there.. then down to see my mother for a couple of days, flying back on Tuesday. On the Wednesday.. and Thursday.. free comedy!! First Greenwich, then Hammersmith - the usual groups, on both occasions.

So, that brings us to Friday 28th July, and it's off to Amsterdam, for my final two U2 concerts of the year (sniff). On Saturday and Sunday. Really, you have no idea of the organisation that went into all of this, back in January..!