Walk: Il Quartiere - Tales from Italian Clerkenwell

Tonight, Walking Victorian London had a walk around Il Quartiere - Tales from Italian Clerkenwell. Excellent - I've had my eye on that for a while. Another I could walk to - roll on more of those!

Boy, it was a bitter night for it though, with a frigid breeze. I meandered through some new streets on the way - there's always an alleyway will get you there. As it happened, I timed my arrival at Farringdon Station perfectly, arriving dead centre between the train and Tube stations just at exactly the same time as the guide. We were duly joined by the others, and set out on our way.

Saffron Hill was our starting point, where the tall buildings on either side are still evocative of the slums that the Italians flocked to in the 19th century. We passed a building that used to be the Italian school in the neighbourhood - and is now a ballet school, where they must have had the heating on high, because they opened the windows a crack, so we could hear the teacher barking orders, and see little faces peering out at us in curiosity. We passed down several little laneways, that used to be filled with the smell of cooking - and less salubrious odours. 

More photos here. As usual, an informative and entertaining walk by our guide. We heard tales of discrimination, personal stories (some so incredible they'd have to be true), saw some old photos - and heard much about organised crime. Apparently, the walk is based on a book about the area - the guide promised to share a link to it, and I really hope he does. If the stories tonight are all in it, it must be a treasure trove! Excellent evening - highly recommended.

Mind you, the cold wreaked havoc with my nose and chest - and the hills made me wheeze, what with my depleted lung function. I was glad to get in. Tomorrow, Helen's in town, so we're headed for lunch, somewhere TBD. In the evening, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On Monday, London Dramatic Arts was going to Caroline, or Change, at Hampstead Theatre. As usual, too expensive for me, and I got my own ticket, at about half the price. She was only going with one unnamed guest, and now doesn't seem to be going at all..

On Tuesday, Funzing (via Meetup) is throwing up a couple of things I've already done, and several I'm not interested in. The CLOG has an interesting-sounding walk - but frankly, I find  them a bit clingy - not inclined to go again, I don't fancy the constant pressure to join for good! I was thinking of a film, but what came up was Makala, a documentary about a young Congolese charcoal farmer - not that interested. Instead, I'm going - with my £3.60 club - to a play called Glass Roots, in the Tristan Bates Theatre. Early bird discount price is £12..

On Wednesday and next Thursday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats; Wednesday is The Great Wave, in the Dorfman. Next Thursday, the opening night of Ballet Black, at the Barbican. Sold out now.

On the 16th, Funzing - via Walking in London - has The Hidden Horrors Haunted History London Ghost Walk. Hell, the alliteration alone got me interested! Got it for free, what with a combination of my loyalty discount, and the crazy_fun 10% discount code. (They've changed to Lovefun now.)

On the 17th, London European Club organised a trip to a ceilidh for St. Patrick's Day - however, it was subsequently cancelled, for essential ongoing maintenance work on the building. Which, mind you, worked out perfectly for me, as after booking it, I discovered I'm travelling to the company's Silicon Valley office that day, where I'll be for most of the following week. It'll be my first time in California. And when I get back, I'll be turning straight around and flying to Ireland for the weekend.

Walk: Alexander Pope's The Dunciad

Tonight, Walking Victorian London was doing a walk called Alexander Pope's The Dunciad. Never heard of it before, myself, but I'm always up for a historical walk, particularly one that takes me somewhere I'm not familiar with!

This one started from Blackfriars, which is walking distance from the office, so I set off in decent time, on what was a very pleasant evening:

Meandered down to the Embankment, then along the river to where I assumed we'd be meeting, at the entrance to the main train station. When I eventually got across the road.. yes, there he was, and I thought I recognised him from behind, although I went to the front to peek at the sign he was holding before going over. I have been on one of his walks before, back in spring.. and yes, he did recognise me. We were all quite prompt, actually, but he hung on for a bit, just to make sure he hadn't forgotten anybody was coming.

And so we started with a wee biography of Alexander Pope, who, it turns out, was Catholic, and unfortunately for him, born in the same year as the Glorious Revolution, which deposed the Catholic King James II and replaced him with the Protestant William of Orange. What this meant for him was that he was subject to anti-Catholic laws, which, for example, prevented Catholics from living within 10 miles of Westminster. (Gee, and here's me, a baptised Catholic, living right in the borough!) The family had to move to the countryside. The laws also prevented him from attending university - a fact that seems to have rankled with him. He was pretty much home-schooled, and a great student of the Classics - he directed much ire against people who rejected them in favour of modern ideas.

And so to The Dunciad, which essentially seems to be a poetical tirade against people of whom he disapproved. Well, he had had an unfortunate start, which would have made him understandably critical of those in power. Be they royalty, politicians, or fellow writers and poets, it seems to have been a rather unwise practice: and, indeed, being a man of small stature (he'd been ill as a child and his growth was stunted), apparently he took to never leaving the house without being armed, and taking with him his massive dog.

Imagine having a tirade against people that you disagree with be one of the things for which you're best remembered! Anyway, our walk passed some places that were mentioned in the work, and took us down many dark and winding alleys - just the way I like 'em!

We had a nice sit-down for a bit near Dr. Johnson's House - and right around the corner, passed another tour group (different itinerary, I'm sure!). We passed near the legal district of Lincoln's Inn:

..and, passing through Theatreland (Pope had quibbles with some actors, too, who were in the pay of the government), finished up on Strand:

We passed many historical places of interest en route - but well, this is London, and that will happen; you can't keep mentioning them all! An interesting walk, in all - he finishes at the end of the month, apparently. And his non-Meetup company is called Footprints of London.

A nice, early finish then - and it was handy that the walk turned itself in the direction of my office! Tomorrow, more sociably, Up in the Cheap Seats is off to the sold-out Albion, at the Almeida. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again - hopefully, by that stage they'll have cleared the roads following Storm Ophelia. And Storm Brian.

On Monday, I finally get to see Apologia, at Trafalgar Studios - London Dramatic Arts was going to this a while ago, but it was far too expensive on that occasion. Well, that's what you get for having Stockard Channing and Laura Carmichael in it! Amazon Tickets again.

And finally, I'm hoping for a nicely scary Hallowe'en.. when I heard that they were doing the first-ever stage production of The Exorcist - and what's more, it's on in the Phoenix Theatre, right behind the office.. well, that was fate, wasn't it?! I jumped to get a ticket for that, as soon as they went on sale - after all, Hallowe'en has to be its most popular night! Jenny Seagrove plays the mother of the demonically possessed teen..

Walk: True Spy Stories

Well, originally, for last night I was thinking of free comedy in Hammersmith, with London Live Comedy, Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Farringdon, and Random London. But then Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts (and Walking Victorian London) announced a walk called True Spy Stories! So I thought that sounded more interesting, and booked.

We were to meet at St. James's Park Tube Station - 25 minutes walk from the office, which I figured was ok. Google Maps sent me across St. James's Park to get there - which was very dark, mostly unlit. But fine - everybody keeping their distance, so we didn't crash into each other.

More photos here. Anyway, made it to the station without trouble - and no sign of the organiser. Turns out I'd missed the message he'd posted on the event page the day before, telling us which of the three entrances he'd be at, and giving us his number - what I ended up doing was posting where I was, then charging off to see whether I could spot him, while he was coming to look for me in the other direction! Did ever spies have such trouble..? 

In due course, we were off - as someone remarked afterwards, this guy really has the voice for guiding - nice and loud, easily heard over the traffic. And even for someone with only a passing interest in spy stories, I do recommend this walk. As I always say, it's great anyway to get to unfamiliar parts of town. One guy on the walk, who works in the City, remarked that he doesn't get over to the West of London much, and had forgotten how nice and leafy it is.

And so to the stories: hope the guide didn't think I wasn't paying attention - what I was doing was taking notes! Well, who would have thought that, for instance, the Special Branch started as the Special Irish Branch, dealing with the Fenians in the 19th century? We also learned how MI5 started life in the run-up to WW1, when they were afraid of German invasion, and how the ever-mischievous Daily Mail was dressing reporters in German uniforms, just to give people an idea what invasion would be like!

And did you know that the head of MI6 really is called C, just like in the Bond films?! Short for the name of its first chief, it seems:

Oh, and just like his predecessor, apparently the current C writes in green ink!

We stopped outside the Admiralty building, where Ian Fleming used to work. We learned about MI9, formed to help British prisoners of war to escape. But the most interesting for me personally was when we stopped outside the side door of the ICA, of all places. I've been there so many times - and never did know that the side door was rumoured to be the entrance to a secret underground tunnel system!

Our tour ended outside St. Ermin's Hotel, a longtime favourite rendezvous point for spies, it seems.

And yes, a few of us stopped for a drink in the bar - just like spies used to do! Mind you, at over £12 for a large wine, one was all we had.. and so home, via the office, but too late to blog.

Tonight, Crick Crack is telling stories - Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton are performing Metamorphoses at Rich Mix. However, the Rich Mix website doesn't seem to have heard of this.. unless you search for that specific day. The independent Crick Crack Club website has a link to buy tickets from Rich Mix though, and at the moment they're being sold at a discounted preview price. And now that the link is available, their Meetup group is advertising it too.

Tomorrow, Let's Do London - for less! is back to see Sleeping Beauty at the Opera House - and so am I. Honestly, this was a mistake on my part - I was booking a lot at the time and forgot I was already booked for last Tuesday - but hell, little beats an outing with the Man with the Hat. Amphitheatre, this time - it's been a while since I was there. Ooh, and I see - at time of writing - that they've released some last-minute tickets for tonight. Good luck to anyone who wants them! It's definitely worth seeing.

Sunday, London for Less Than a Tenner advertised "Soho: the Roots of the Swinging Sixties - guided walk"! Now, this confused me, before I read deeper.. I do recall the Man With the Hat saying that, while he was interested in guided walks, he wasn't interested in actually guiding them. Turns out someone else is doing the actual guiding.. Anyway, I booked, but it seems not enough of us did, and he's cancelled the event. The walk is still going ahead though - check out Back in the Day Walks for more details. Me? I might just go to a film - since John Wick Chapter 2 doesn't appeal (still highly rated!), Rogue One: a Star Wars Story is currently looking like it.

Monday, I'm off to see Russell Howard at the Albert Hall.

Tuesday, jeez, the Man with the Hat is back again! Hard to keep up these days - so I'm going with Let's Do London - for less! to The Diary of a Teenage Girl at Southwark Playhouse.

Wednesday, I finally get to go to something with the Post-Apocalyptic Book Club - not a book discussion this time, instead they're off to a play called The Machine Stops, at Jacksons Lane Theatre. Suitably post-apocalyptic. Then I'm back to Ireland for a long weekend.

Monday 13th, I'm with London Dramatic Arts at the Royal Court, for The Kid Stays in the Picture.

That rescheduled talk on Brexit Vs. Trump from a couple of weeks ago is on Tuesday 14th. Unless I decide to go to a film instead - being Funzing, I can get my money back if I cancel at least 48 hours in advance.

On Wednesday 15th, the Man with the Hat is taking London for Less Than a Tenner to Top Secret.

Thursday 16th, he's back to the Opera House for the opening night of a mixed bill of ballet. As usual, he's in the slips with London for Less Than a Tenner, and in the amphitheatre with Let's Do London - for Less!

Friday 17th, I got a cheap ticket to a very topical version of Twelfth Night, in the Drayton Arms. Ah, I remember when I was walking distance from there..

Saturday 18th, I'm back with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts for an Oliver Twist walk. Back with Hazel, excellent!

Sunday 19th.. not a Man with the Hat event, but one he's advertised. One member of his group plays Spanish guitar, and is giving a concert that night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..

Monday 20th, I'm off to a Funzing talk on The Science of Psychedelics. Courtesy of London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less (nothing to do with the Man with the Hat). Unless I think of something better up to 48 hours beforehand..

Tuesday 21st, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall. Had some fun with this last week, when I noticed another group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and thought it wasn't now happening..

Wednesday 22nd, I'm headed with LEC again - with a different organiser - to see 2 Cellos in concert in the London Palladium. Cool - never seen them before, never been there before, and I can probably walk there!

Thursday 23rd was another Funzing talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. And yesterday, wouldn't you know it, Henning from the LEC advertised.. Hypnosis - Altering Consciousness! With Pint of Science. (What is it about that day and hypnosis?!) Anyway, I do enjoy events with Henning, and as I say, I can cancel Funzing up to 48 hours in advance without penalty. So I did, and booked the other instead. And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again..