Vauxhall Comedy Club

Tonight, Over 40 Living the Life was - again - headed to the Vauxhall Comedy Club, on a "special deal for regulars". And I - again - headed there on my own. Because, if you book direct, tickets are cheaper than the price quoted for this group - regardless of whether you're a regular. I located my ticket, and my previous ticket - on the Eventbrite app, but couldn't find the loyalty card I signed up to, last time. Well, I figured the usher might help me.

Vauxhall Food & Beer Garden, where the club is located, only had about two food stalls open this evening - like before - and anticipating that, I didn't fancy it. So I headed back to O' Neill's - where, unusually, I got a table on the ground floor! Ordered my usual - from the table - and one of the regulars brought me my drink. The guy who brought my food must have been new, however - he completely mistook the table, initially asking a couple of girls at another table whether they'd ordered it. Just as well they hadn't! Happily, I'd noticed him passing with it, so when he was coming back, confused, I grabbed him. All's well that ends well - and I entertained myself by watching the news, showing on the tv across from me, handily. And wow, was I surprised to see Theresa May queueing to view the Queen's coffin! Of course, the sound was down, and the caption didn't explain what was happening - I now understand that she, like other MPs, got to jump the queue. Bloody cheek.

Well, I chose to take the bus from there - I had enough time. Had to get two buses.. I changed on Strand.

Now, my second bus - suggested by Google Maps - wasn't scheduled on the display at all. So I started to get worried.. and then thought to read the warnings accompanying the bus routes on Google Maps. Sure enough - from today till Sunday, several bus routes are not running along this route. Including the bus I wanted. I decided not to faff around, trying to find alternative bus routes - I cut my losses, and made for the Tube. Which, of course, I could have taken the whole way, and saved myself a lot of time, and some money. Bah humbug.

Neither Tube was too crowded - but wow, the Victoria Line was stifling! as was Vauxhall station. At least, coming by Tube I knew exactly which way to turn. The bouncer let me straight in - much easier to be a single female than a guy in a group, as the group of guys behind me was to discover! Made my way straight down to where I knew the venue to be - they really should put a sign over it! even if only a temporary one. (It's a sex club, in another incarnation.) Anyway, the usher scanned my ticket - and obviously identified that I already had a loyalty card, as she didn't ask me to sign up for one. She gave me my drink token and waved me toward the bar - where I was early enough to skip a queue. And while I drank, I watched them set up for a charity table quiz at the bar at the end. They were choosing team names - following an obvious theme:

She'd asked me to return in time for the comedy to start at 7.45 - yeah right, it was an 8pm start, as usual. If that. Actually, her urgings seemed to have worked on the others there - it was pretty full when I went in, and I ended up sitting farther back than usual. I always try to identify that Meetup group - haven't managed yet.

Unfortunately, I haven't got a set list - they're not easy to get for here. But I can say that the acts improved after the first of the two intervals. The jokes didn't, really, most of which were new material - but when the delivery is good enough, it hardly matters. One shining example of this is Luke Craig, who had us chuckling happily at quite controversial subject matter. And near the end, we had the comic cabbie, known on TikTok as Big Trev's Taxi! AKA Trevor Bickles. Yeah, the quality is quite decent here - all held together tonight by resident MC Mooch. Just leave your inhibitions at the door. Oh, and be prepared to donate - if possible - on the way out; with a bucket / jug and a card machine, they have covered all eventualities!

On the way home, I nearly froze - the temperature has really dropped, and I was grateful for every stitch I had on. Managed buses all the way, this time, taking ones that skirted the restricted area. Very closely - at Lambeth Bridge, which we approached from the south, turning right, the queue for the coffin was moving from the north, and turning to our left. I managed a quick snap:

I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Film-wise, they are showing Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song - a biopic, which I'd love to see. But it's only in the evening, which I can't manage! (sob) Which leaves the (joint) highest rated as Bodies Bodies Bodies! Set at a teen country house party, in the middle of nowhere. Opinion is divided as to whether this is a horror or a murder mystery, but everyone agrees it's a comedy - and it sounds right up my street. FYI the other at the top of the ratings is See How They Run, which is a murder mystery comedy, with Saoirse Ronan as the overenthusiastic young copper, striving to assist the detective, Sam Rockwell, in 1950s London. Also stars Adrien Brody as the victim, and Harris Dickinson and David Oyelowo among the suspects. Gee, as it said in the paper, this type of film is regaining popularity! Both showing in Ennis.

Back on Sunday. On Monday, there was a suggestion of seeing Ivan - he fancies a blowout again. But with it being declared a bank holiday, he's instead taking himself off to see the family. Probably. Well, the best Meetup alternative seems to be a Zoom talk about The Black Historical Presence in Surrey. Courtesy of the Surrey History Meetup. So I signed up to that.

On Tuesday, I'm also going virtual - this is a new group, called London History & Culture, and the talk is on Jack the Ripper and Victorian Times, courtesy of Heygo, who seem to do a lot of these. You have to register separately with Heygo for the talk, but hey, it's free! Like Monday's. Jeez though, this is feeling like lockdown again..

And on Wednesday, back with Civilised London (not Up in the Cheap Seats, mea culpa!) for Eureka Day, with Helen Hunt, at the Old Vic. Oh thank goodness, an in-person Meetup at last!

Vauxhall Comedy Club

Had a very encouraging phone call today, from the recruiter I've been bugging for an answer from that company I've been waiting on news from. She very apologetically explained that my potential boss has a new boss, who has to sign off on the two available positions, and also decide on the levels at which they are to be appointed - at the same level, or a junior and a senior. In which case, I'd be appointed as the senior, of course. :-) Looking good, if you ask me.. watch this space.

This evening - well, I signed up with Soho Comedy Factory Shows and Socials (SCFSS), which organises free events on Wednesdays at the aforementioned Soho Comedy Factory. Again. And again, this was subject to change. Except I couldn't find anything better - London Social Detours was supposed to have an event, but it was outdoor - and it was supposed to pour today. So, reading the forecast last night, although I'd signed up for it, I cancelled and reverted to the comedy - indeed, just after the rain started thundering down this afternoon, the London Social Detours event was cancelled anyway.

But then, as I was getting ready to head out, they posted the lineup for the Soho Comedy Factory - and, checking performances online, I didn't like it! So I had a look at what else was on. And wouldn't you know it, Over 40 Living the Life was headed to the Vauxhall Comedy Club. Heh. Now, this happened before.. and I see they're still up to their old tricks, advertising a "special rate" that they get as regular attendees, which just happens to be twice what you pay if you get your ticket direct from the box office (via Eventbrite)! Which, again, was what I did. Interestingly, they now have a loyalty card, and an online version thereof - not quite sure how you access it on subsequent occasions, but handy for free stuff.

I ate beforehand in O' Neill's, mainly because I was starving, and didn't want to have to wait all that time to travel that long distance to Vauxhall! Got the last table - and discovered the app wasn't working. Meantime, one of the friendly (Irish, as it happens) bar staff suggested that, if I wanted to eat, I could go upstairs, where there was table service. So, with the app not working, I decided that was what I'd have to do.

Upstairs turns out to be reserved for dining - gosh, if only I'd known that before! Only one staff member waiting tables - jeez, he was Irish too. (And not long in London, I'd guess, given that he accidentally quoted a price in Euros when someone was paying! Might just be a summer job.) Shucks, I had trouble remembering I wasn't in Ireland, especially when the other Irish guy came up and was chatting with him. Anyway, he told me I could sit where I liked - so I took a window seat.

Well, I had a suspicion that - for some reason - table service would be slower. And so it proved. I was there for 15 minutes before he took my order - to be fair, it was just him - and over half an hour passed after that before I got my food. Meantime, I was going to be late for the start time - but as I recalled, the advertised start time isn't the actual start time anyway. Of more concern to me was the fact that I was literally feeling faint from hunger. Interestingly, they seem to bang on the kitchen doors when an order is ready.. Wow, was I glad when mine finally arrived. You couldn't criticise the lad, he was quite oblivious. This wasn't the kitchen's finest hour, mind - they were a bit stingy with the sauce - but I wolfed it down.

And then galloped off to catch a Tube. I was surrounded by dire warnings of disruptions due to flooding, but happily mine was not a line that was affected. Alighting at Vauxhall, I made a guess as to which way to go - and turned out to get it exactly right. It's actually really easy, when you know how - coming out of the Tube station, head for the rail station exit, and as you come out of the building, turn immediately left. You'll see a railway bridge - the comedy club is under that bridge, on the far side of the road.

The club itself is door F, BTW - I couldn't remember, but identified it from the crowd of people clustered around the usher, who was scanning tickets, then asking people to scan the QR code for the loyalty card. I had no idea how to retrieve the one I'd already filled in, so just did it again - happily, she said just to ignore the DOB field - it'd take forever if you did it properly, with not being able to edit the year and month directly, but having to ping back through the years, month by month.. That done, she gave us each a drink voucher - which the bar attendant was unfamiliar with, but honoured. They only allow you 175ml of wine for free - I had it drunk by the actual start time of 8pm, and got another (larger) to take in.

As usual, you're pretty safe in the third row, which is where I sat. Excellent MC - and tonight, unlike last time, the standard was fairly consistent throughout the performances. Which, I'm afraid, means that none of them really stood out - apart from the first guy, Kevin O' Connell, who was Irish (again!), and quite crazy. At the interval, that usher was back, trawling the audience for people with their phones out, and getting us to scan a QR code to leave a review. Which I had to wait until later to do, as I could get no reception inside. And at the end, the collection "bucket" (jug, in fact) was out again - they don't get the revenue themselves, it goes to the venue. And one of these days, I'll donate.. Promise!

My combination of buses to get home involved a change in Aldwych - aha, I thought, but Aldwych is blocked off to traffic! I'd seen this. Sure enough, the TFL warning extends for the week. So I got off before the diversion was due to start, and recalculated my route. And the next bus I caught.. sailed straight on through where the diversion was supposed to be, and all the way through Aldwych! Nuts, it's open early - I could have stuck to the original plan..

Tomorrow, I've decided on film. Having garnered all the available films this week, I had an interesting choice to make: ended up eliminating lots of films from the top of the list for sheer lack of interest! Basically, the decision process ran like - if this came on TV, would I watch it or turn it off? And so I came down to the one I really wanted to see. Nope is the latest from the excellent Jordan Peele, and stars Daniel Kaluuya (again) as the hapless victim of horrific events - extra-terrestrials this time. With Jordan Peele's typical injection of humour, this promises to be fun! And it's on at my local, so I get to see it for free.

Then, of course, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again. Planned film for the weekend is looking - finally - like Thor: Love and Thunder. Well, if I see Nope in the meantime, I'll have seen everything better - no longer showing in Ennis, so I'll see it at the Omniplex.

On Monday, planning another film. Now, next week's film list is partially out - but since the lockdowns, the film times just aren't coming out promptly any more. So there I was, checking film times for a couple of films at the top of the list I had, both showing at Hackney Picturehouse. Looked up the films showing there that day - and lo, I got a list of films, many of which were not mentioned on the overall film listing site yet at all! Have now added them to my list - and thus, I have a new film at the top, for next week. Girls Can't Surf is a documentary about how women broke into the male-dominated world of surfing. I'm not into surfing - but am always up for a feminist tale! Showing in a number of Picturehouses - and if I should happen to be working by then, there are evening showing options.

On Tuesday, I had already booked for Tom, Dick & Harry at Alexandra Palace. This is the story of the POW camp escape, during WWII, which was fictionalised in The Great Escape. ("Tom", "Dick", and "Harry" were the names of the escape tunnels.) I got my ticket from London Theatre Direct. And then, wouldn't you know it, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) decided to go the same night! So I'm going with them, which will be nice. Sadly, I missed out on the deal they snagged from TodayTix, which is even cheaper..

Next Wednesday - well, with a dearth of alternatives, I'm thinking of SCFSS again.

On the 25th, I'm back with UITCS - crikey, when's the last time that happened, twice with them in one week! This time, it's for Yeast Nation in Southwark Playhouse. Bless, they always put on something interesting.. Anyway, with my old payg subscription used up, I've taken out another - £60 gets you five tickets, over an unlimited period. Excellent value! and I have such good memories of evenings spent in the bar here. Sadly, these days, memories are all I have of it, with this group unwilling to drink after shows.

On the 26th, I got a cheap ticket with TAC to the Cabaret All-Stars!

The 27th is going to be busy - I'm back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for a walk called Glorious Greenwich. So popular, he's reached capacity and there are six on the waitlist!

That evening, I'm meeting two ex-coworkers for dinner and drinks. Unfortunately, one of them can only manage central London - Greenwich is too awkward for him. Venue TBC, but I've floated the idea of going back to Imad's Syrian Kitchen.. perfect location, great restaurant!

And on the 28th, I'm off to Rye. London and Sussex Walking Tours - whom I joined during lockdown - are running a daytrip! called Rye - Pirates, Ports and Jazz (they also have a jazz festival that weekend): and I've never been. It's a bit of a palaver to get to, involving two trains - but well, it's about time I travelled a bit, and it's not too early a start. And the tour itself ends early in the day, so I have plenty of time to eat and explore before my train(s) back.

Mooch About - Thursday at the Vauxhall Comedy Club & A Vibrant Village! Walking Tour of Marylebone

Yesterday, I was supposed to be back with Guided Walking Tours in Brighton and Sussex, for what promises to be a very interesting talk: Dark Days Virtual Show - The Dark Days of Edgar Allen Poe. Love Edgar Allen Poe, myself. But it was then rescheduled, and I can't make the new date. Have requested a refund. So, looking for something else to do, I came across Over 40 Living the Life. Who were off to the Vauxhall Comedy Club. Two interesting things about this. Firstly, the group was charging twice what the venue advertises - so fine, I didn't go with the group. Secondly, the venue adds a 50p booking fee to what they're advertising. So, you know, seems a bit rich to advertise an "early bird" charge, then add a booking fee. But whatever. I went. On my own. (Oh, it does include a free drink.) Tickets from Design My Night. Promised to be interesting getting there, on a strike day.. it'd be over an hour's walk, if it came to that! Probably in the rain.

In the event, it didn't rain. But it was interesting, schlepping around Liverpool Street Station - I hadn't been there to see the effects on Tuesday. The Tube entrances were blocked - mostly; a shuttle service was running on the Central Line between there and Hainault. And a TFL worker was there to answer queries, and distribute copies of the poster displayed outside the entrance. You know, the kind you get on bus stops, with a map of the surrounding area, and an index so you could check what bus you needed to get, and from where..

Me, I knew what buses I could get, and where to get them. As usual, I had a choice, and the first to come was the one I chose - the #35 took me to Elephant and Castle, where I had to change. Ironically, the next one along was the #344, which I could have got straight from home in the first place.. Anyway, I was lucky to get a seat on both, despite the crowds caused by the Tube strike - and this dropped me a few minutes' walk from the club. Now, I don't know this area much at all, and pretty much followed my nose - over the high walkway that you need to take just to stay on your side of the road, and through a railway tunnel.. and if I hadn't had my nose in my phone, I'd have noticed the club, which I passed on the other side. As it happened, once I was out the other side of the tunnel, I realised I'd come too far, and retraced my steps.

Oh my, but they've decorated nicely. This is literally a beer garden, with a green carpet, food stalls along the side, and a long bar. Loads of long benches to eat and drink at. Following others, however, I realised that the comedy was through one of the doors - the doorman scanned my QR code, and gave me a drinks voucher. So I went back and queued for a 175ml wine, then back to the door and in - I could have grabbed something to eat, probably; the show, with an advertised start time of 7.30, didn't actually start till 8. But hey.

I sat, pretty safely, in the third row - this is not my first comedy show, and I wasn't in the mood to be part of the performance. A DJ up at the side provides a musical backdrop - and the guy taking tickets on the door turned out to be the MC. Eight (!) acts - four before a 10-minute interval, four more after. And in time-honoured tradition, as the acts progressed, they got progressively better. Which is the polite way of saying that the first three were.. trying. You can just tell when someone hasn't quite got the knack of this yet - particularly when the next one up is so good! But you know, the fourth one made the first half worth coming for. Apologies, I cannot remember a single name - none were familiar to me - but I do know that the second half just flew, and I was sorry when it ended. So, well worth a punt! V cool vibe as well - I'd be delighted to come back here. And maybe have a burger, next time - no hassle bringing food and drink in, either.

The wait for the bus back was freeeeezing.. but at least it was a lot less crowded. Sadly, it ran too late last night to blog.

Because today, Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners had another walk - A Vibrant Village! Walking Tour of Marylebone. And as I haven't yet started my new job, I booked. Lunch after as well, of course! and this time, I didn't have a flight to catch. Had to be up reasonably early though. And might have got the bus, except by the time I was ready to leave, Tube was the only reasonable option. My local cash machine didn't have cash, so I figured I'd get some when I arrived.

Bond Street Station has an exit in Marylebone Lane. Who knew?! Anyway, this is where we were to meet. Now, I did see a sign in the station.. then went through the barrier and seemed to lose it again. So I just went onto Oxford Street. Where I did get an ATM. And then turned around, and noticed a sign for Marylebone Lane - and an Underground sign there. Hmm. And wouldn't you know it, that is where the Marylebone exit for Bond St Station is. Wow. Happily, everyone seemed to find it in due course - apart from several who cancelled because of travel delays, a knock-on effect from the strike..

So, off down Marylebone Lane we trotted. And to St. Christopher's Place, where we were informed that St. Christopher is a saint no longer! Hmm, I don't think that'll wash with the likes of my mother..

Religion was, interestingly, to feature heavily on this walk; we saw some lovely churches:

..of which the highlight must have been the Catholic St. James', built for the Spanish community in the 19th Century! We went in, naturally - churches like this are irresistible, particularly if you like to take photos..

And so around some quiet streets that would be eye-wateringly expensive to buy in, and we came across a hoarding of some famous people associated with the area:

And so to our last church of the day, Marylebone Parish Church, so high Anglican that some were sure it must be Catholic! but there you go.

And thence to lunch, in the Sir John Balcombe. Where, from a pretty comprehensive menu, I chose gammon - maybe a little tough and salty for my taste, but the accompaniments were excellent.. I'd maybe choose something else next time. The wine was perfect, though.

Conversation buzzed, as usual - and after, we headed in search of a café, ending up at La Gauloise. Where some of us had cake, a couple hot chocolates, and tea/coffee. As soon as I saw the massive chocolate cake in the window, I was sorted, of course - and it was fine. If perhaps - as tends to happen when cakes are left for a while in window displays - a little stale.. Never mind, it's a nice little place, with friendly staff.

By the time we left, the weather had turned unpleasant - cold and damp. And I got a bus back.. which felt like, and was, quite a long journey. And absolutely crammed - is this normal for a Friday, or had nobody told them the strike is over? I was glad to escape!

Tomorrow, back with the group and guide again for the Heavenly Heights of Hampstead Walking Tour. Heavens, I shall be fit after the Hampstead hills.. and I can get buses. Assuming I leave in time.

On Sunday, it's back with the Crick Crack Club (CCC) for Atalanta, as recounted by Ben Haggarty, at the British Museum. Assuming their pipes are fixed. Well, he is the man for Greek mythology..

On Monday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for a new version of Wuthering Heights, at the National. Well, this was my favourite book for a long time - let's see what they've done to it!

On Tuesday, I'm at Anarchy at the Opera, at Hoxton Hall. Courtesy of TAC. Where we're going to hear some lesser known works..

On Wednesday and Thursday, back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group (LCMTG). Wednesday, it's a concert at the Southbank Centre, where Sheku Kanneh-Mason plays Shostakovich. Apart from numerous other accolades, he achieved worldwide renown after playing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. (And nuts if CT didn't just advertise tickets for this..!)

On Thursday, we're back to the Barbican for a concert of Haydn music by the Academy of Ancient Music.

Now, my new job - after some chasing - did finally send me the paperwork to complete. But as I still don't have it back to them, I figure they surely won't have me up and running by next Friday! so I've booked on another of Laurence's walks with the 45+s - Pubs, Poets & Prostitutes: a Tour of Southwark. Honestly, I think this is my favourite part of London - can't resist. And again, we'll finish fairly close to home for me - because that evening I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 14th, more classical music at the Barbican - this time it's with London Baroque Music Lovers, and this is Handel with Les Arts Florissants.

On the 15th, headed with UITCS to The Woods, at Southwark Playhouse. Aw man, it's over a year since I last saw a performance from there, and over two years since I was last there in person! And would you believe it, I bought a PAYG subscription from them years ago, and it still entitles me to free tickets. So I used it for this! With the group having snapped up most of the front row, I'm in the row behind..

On the 16th, I'm back with LCMTG - for a play this time! We're seeing Straight Line Crazy, with Ralph Fiennes, at the Bridge. Just as well we booked early - availability is low for that night.

The 17th is, of course, St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland, it's a bank holiday - here, Kíla is playing the London Irish Centre again. A standing gig, this time. Should be mad.

On the 18th, I'm back with London European Club, for 24 Italian Songs & Arias, at Battersea Arts Centre. They're operating a "Pay What You Can" scheme, where you pay what you want, between £5 and £35 - recommended price, £16. They even sent me a survey afterwards to see what I thought!

On the 19th, back with Laurence and the 45+s - this time, it's Highgate: A Very English Village.

On the 20th.. someone I swore I'd never do a walk with again. Well, we'll see whether she's back on form - Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts (WTTH) is off on a walk called Secrets of Belgravia. (Courtesy of her company, London Guided Walks.) The code MEETUP3 gets you a £3 discount on all her walks - which does cover the booking fee of £1, not advertised before you come to the point of purchasing the ticket. Well, it'll be a start if she shows up!

On the 21st, I'm at another Zoom talk - Quakers at War is the story of the Quakers and their pacifism. Courtesy of Surrey History Meetup.

On the 22nd.. I'm booked for Dear Evan Hansen, at the Noel Coward Theatre! Finally - I'd booked for this before lockdown, and of course it got cancelled. Cheapest tickets from the official site.

On the 23rd, back with Civilised London (CL) - back at Le Sacré Coeur, meeting beforehand at The Crown, as usual.

On the 24th, back with TAC for Avocado Presents - Improv, at Etcetera Theatre. Eh, I think it's a jazz concert? Anyway, then back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 28th, going to see Daddy at the Almeida. Having never seen a bad production here, I have high hopes.

On the 29th, finally going to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella! I hear good things.. it's playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, which is new to me - Seatplan was invaluable in choosing the best seating option. What's On Stage provided the cheapest price for that seat, though!

On the 30th, back with CL - for a play this time. This is The Fever Syndrome, at Hampstead Theatre.

On the 31st, back with TAC for One Night With Robbie Williams. This is at The Courtyard.

On the 1st, back with the CCC for - The Grand Annual Lying Contest! at Rich Mix.

On the 2nd, back with WTTH for a Regent's Canal Walk. Different guide.

On the 3rd, the CCC again! Emily Hennessey and Sheema Mukherjee are at the British Museum, with Holy Cow! Tales from the River of Life.

On the 4th of next month, I'm back at the Park Theatre for the first time in nearly three years! This is for Clybourne Park, a comedy about a white family moving into a predominantly black neighbourhood.

On the 5th of next month, I'm headed to But I'm a Cheerleader, a musical comedy at the Turbine Theatre.

On the 6th of next month, back with UITCS at Southwark Playhouse, and another free ticket for me! This time, it's for Anyone Can Whistle, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

On the 7th of next month, Tommy Tiernan is playing at the Eventim Apollo! Now, I failed to get a ticket for this the first time around. Then it was rescheduled because of Covid.. and I got a ticket for the rescheduled event! Then that was rescheduled.. third time lucky?! Love Tommy Tiernan. The show is called Tomfoolery. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 11th of next month, I've booked for The 47th, at The Old Vic. Written by Mike Bartlett, this imagines the American presidential elections of 2024. I am really looking forward to this play..

On the 12th of next month, I'm finally going to Six, the Musical! Based around the story of the six wives of Henry VIII (very loosely, I'd say), it's playing at the Vaudeville and I hear good things. Cheapest tickets from Leicester Square Box Office.

And on the 13th of next month, back with CL, who are off to the opera at the Southbank Centre. The show in question is The Paradis Files.