Today, 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 was travelling to the company's Silicon Valley office today, where I'll be for most of next week. It's my first time in California. Not a great start with BA, mind, whose app completely failed to recognise that I had a booking at all, so that I had to print my boarding pass. They then passed me to the IATA website to check that I didn't need a visa - which the site concluded that I did, despite me having got an ESTA right after I booked the flight! Hmph, methinks they need to update that website. Imagine stressing people like that. I had enough stress, just thinking about packing..
Well, I managed it. Wisely, I set the alarm for this morning - when it went off, I was fast asleep - and I wouldn't have liked to sleep any longer. A few last-minute items flung in the case, and I was ready to leave at 9.05. And got all the way downstairs before I realised that I'd forgotten my comb, so back up I went for it, Eventually left at 9.10 - into a blizzard. The 10-minute downhill walk from the Tube station turned into a 20-minute walk, uphill and with the most luggage I've had in an age - and with snow blowing constantly against me, and a gale-force wind around every corner.
What a relief to squeeze onto the Tube to King's Cross - second relief was that I didn't have to climb any stairs to get to the Piccadilly Line - third relief was that I got a seat on the Piccadilly Line! At Heathrow (Terminal Five, for once), I headed straight for bag drop. Where BA was, once again, in disarray, this time due to understaffing. So we were directed to self-service bag drop - which was less complicated than it might have been. Baggage receipt emailed to me, lovely. And so through security, a redundant boarding pass scanner that didn't seem to be working, and another shortage - this time, of trays to put our stuff in! It was a relief to get to the gate, frankly - but I have to say, the staff were unfailingly lovely, the guy at security even holding aloft my liquid bag as an example to others of how it should be done! :-) Gold star, me..
A charming, two-dimensional assistant directed us to the transit to take us to whichever gates we needed. (Why does she have to be en pointe, though? Or maybe she's just in heels.) Anyway, on I went, getting eventually all the way to the gate without passing anywhere decent to eat. Well, within site of the gate is a Wetherspoon's counter, where they have panini, so I got a meal deal there. Eventually. They're hopeless at multitasking, you see. Unfortunately, the sweet chilli chicken panini was actually a bit tasteless - but hey, I was just glad of something to eat! And as I did so, I watched the army of flight attendants head toward the gate, to board first. Gosh, it's so long since I flew long haul, I'd forgotten what a difference there is in the scale of the planes!
I'd managed to bump my BA-preselected seat up by 10 rows - not an easy feat, on a very user-unfriendly website But it was worth it - I always sit as far forward as possible anyway, to have a less bumpy flight, but I was also pretty much right at the front of Economy, which was handy for getting served quickly. And I can't fault the service - two meals, which were perfectly edible, two servings of alcohol, if you wanted it, or something else if you didn't, another serving of drinks with the second meal. The first meal was a choice between chicken and chorizo (hate chorizo!) or pasta, which was what I had. Came with a bread roll, sourdough crispbread, a small block of cheddar, some nibbles I didn't bother with, and a yummy chocolate ganache. The second meal was calzone - chicken, which I had, or mozzarella - which came with pasta (which this time I didn't bother with) and a yummy lemon muffin. A serving of juice or water at another point - and lo, at one stage they came around with a basket of classic Mini Magnums! which was when I was really glad to be so far forward.
During the flight, some slept, which I just thought was foolish - for goodness' sake, we were due to arrive in the early evening! Just stay awake, have an early night. (On a side note, I've never before seen electronic window-darkening on planes - ooh..) Anyway, I didn't sleep on the flight - which meant I had time for four films, and yes, you can guess I'd looked up what was available, and how it was rated. Here's what I saw:
- Dangal - Bollywood. Based on the true story of an Indian champion wrestler, who desperately wanted a son to carry on and win the international gold that eluded him, but only had daughters. Undeterred, he simply trained them instead, going against local tradition. Turned out a lot better than I expected: surprisingly moving, frequently hilarious, and who would ever have thought that a wrestling film - with contests faithfully documented - could be so interesting to a non-fan? I really liked this one.
- Baapjanma. More Bollywood. This one was just okay - Sachin Khedekar is an old man who discovers he's dying of cancer, and conceives a unique idea to get his estranged kids together as a family again. He's going to fast-forward his death, so he can watch them show up for the funeral. Enjoyable enough.
- Ondu Motteya Kathe - third Bollywood in a row. I watched less than half an hour of this - comedy is subjective, and I just couldn't get into this story of a baldie's search for love.
- Finished with Bollywood now - the fourth film, at last, was Call Me By Your Name, which has been at the top of my film lists for ages. A curious beast, this - screen captions are in English, although the film is in French. After the previous three films, I'd also gotten used to seeing English-language subtitles appear automatically - so I wasn't surprised to see them here as well - until I realised they were only describing part of the film! Turns out it's set in Italy, and the subtitles (again, weirdly, in English) were for the Italian bits.
Anyway, this is a lovely film to watch. The story of a young lad's sexual awakening over a summer, when he falls for his father's research student, it's gorgeously sensual, all these people lounging about in the heat, very few clothes on and little to do. And I don't blame the kid - this student is played by Armie Hammer, who frankly, is an Adonis. And what impeccable French, considering it's not his native language! It's a beautifully nuanced story, the older man hesitating over starting something with the younger, and most of what happens is quite unpredictable. Gorgeously bittersweet.
- Yes, five - considering I didn't watch No. 3 all the way through, I had time for another, so Thor: Ragnarok made the list, which I was delighted about. And it seems I'm not the only person drawn to this film - it's a star-studded cast, with Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Idris Elba as Heimdall, all as before. Oh, but this time several more have come along for the ride - Cate Blanchett, almost unrecognisable with black hair (until she makes an impassioned speech, and you say, oh THAT's who it is!) plays Helda, Odin's long-banished daughter, the Queen of Death. Jeff Goldblum plays a marvellously camp outer-worlder, Mark Ruffalo is Bruce Banner, and Benedict Cumberbatch (jeez, he's everywhere!) shows up as a wizard. In fact, you'd have to wonder whether roles were created especially for them. Anyway, it's a merry romp - and they're right, there are a lot of in-jokes, and it loves to poke fun at itself.
Finished off with the first episode of the revival of Will & Grace! Love that series, and just handily got it watched before it was time to get busy with landing cards and seatbelts. It was handy, really, that the weather was no warmer than London had been before today - meant I could make a reasonable compromise on clothes, not have to strip everything off when I got off the plane! Mind you, it was to be a while before I got outside - nearly an hour queueing, as a relaxed set of border control guards processed us all extremely slowly, making us all give fingerprint scans and have digital photographs taken as well. The guard I got was amazed I had no stamps in my passport! As I said to him, not in that one - ah, he replied, you've just been travelling around Europe, not getting stamps.. yep, that'd be it. And, predictably, no visa problems at all, despite what IATA said.
A short walk to the hotel then. I was to be glad I'd Streetviewed it though, having to walk up one side for a bit, then the other, because the pavement doesn't go all the way! I was even gladder to discover that all the crosswalks have pedestrian signals - a relief, considering the size of the roads, and something I hadn't noticed on Streetview. This hotel was chosen for price and proximity to the office - WiFi is extra, I splurged on high-speed, figuring they wouldn't begrudge me that (altogether, it's only about $20 extra). No breakfast, but there's a food mart next door, and a fridge in the room, which could be handy. For tonight, though, I figured I'd manage without having to go forage - will be turning in very shortly indeed, having now been awake for 22 hours straight. And the WiFi is decent, apart from having to keep restarting it when it freezes. Just as well, considering the scarcity of available tv channels. Oh, and I'll be glad of my earplugs, with my proximity to both freeway and airport.
Decent-sized room anyway, and what seems a comfy bed. And a full bath! Will be availing of that - just not tonight. Tomorrow, will have to investigate sightseeing options for San Francisco..
And when I fly back, I'll be turning straight around and flying to Ireland for the weekend. With nothing much on Meetup for the 26th, I'm thinking of a film - but of course, the listings aren't out yet! Watch this space..
Last night, 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 folks I haven't seen in a while - a couple of members of the Man with the Hat's old groups - were headed to a concert at the Royal Academy of Music, with London Social Detours. So I booked that instead.
Made my way by bus, again - very similar to Monday night's journey, I took the 29 (which was obliging enough to arrive just as I did) to the top of Tottenham Court Road. Now, Google Maps wanted me to carry on to the next stop,at the other side of the crossroads, then cross the road for a bus to carry me back around the corner, down Euston Road to where I was headed. But the traffic was like treacle, and I reasoned - correctly - that I'd never make it to the next stop in time. Instead, I got off a stop early and rounded the corner just in time to catch any one of a number of buses going my way.
Got off at Baker Street - instructions were to meet at the Sherlock Holmes statue. I had to cross the road to it - and with all the trees, couldn't see it at all. Google Maps, as usual, proved my saviour, and when you finally see it, you can't mistake it:
And there they were, clustered around the base. Some familiar faces, and we had a lovely chat before the organiser decided not to wait for any more no-shows, and to make our way to the Royal Academy, where we picked up some free programmes on the way in and sat ourselves at the front row of the gallery:
This was the finale of the Academy's annual Summer Piano Festival, with the performers all final-year students, and the standard was predictably impeccable. The first half saw the Polish Bukolika Trio, interestingly in navy dresses rather than the more conventional black, entertain us with first a Polish composer, Roxanna Panufnik, then a beautiful Rachmaninoff piece, finishing with a trio on popular Irish folk tunes. Apparently, the person who commissioned these was an aficionado of Irish music, but the composer picked such obscure pieces - and mangled them so much - that the person who'd commissioned them cancelled the commission! I had great fun trying to identify them; the first completely stumped me, but I do believe the second was The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy, and the third might have been Lanigan's Ball.
At the interval, I needed the loo, and most of us fancied the bar. Both were in the same direction, but I missed the toilet on the first pass and had to retrace my steps. When I got back to the bar, would you believe, my companions were no further along.. we spent forever in the queue! Apparently, the barman is notorious for it.. As it was, we gulped our drinks, and were still late heading back up and made to send outside for the first piece. Which we could hear just fine from the hall. And I wasn't so pushed about missing Hallelujah Junction anyway - it sounded like a positively violent piece, frankly! And we had great fun out in the hall. When we were finally let in, we saw that the second piano on stage had now been brought into play, aligned with the first, as we now had two pianists - Joseph Havlat and Thomas Ang. I was much happier with the final piece - a Fantasy on Porgy and Bess.
Afterwards, most of us repaired back the way we'd come, to Wetherspoon's. A typically huge building, and we managed to grab a couple of tables, shoved together, near the back. It was really busy, and they mixed up a couple of orders - but when we did get what we'd ordered, it was delicious! And we greatly appreciated the orders that came with a drink included - the wine, as usual here, came on tap.
It was a great night, with a really friendly bunch, and I was so glad I'd come! Just a pity so many of their events are on during the day, and I can't make them. Ah well.. roll on the next. (Although all their upcoming scheduled events are scheduled on weekends I'm away - never mind.) I was close enough to walk home, and yes, forgot the paper I'd brought with me, just as I'd predicted. Never mind, they're free, and I picked up another on the walk.
Tonight, 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 booked to go with the London European Club (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 today, 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. On 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- well, they don't approve of members buying separate tickets!
On Tuesday, 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 Wednesday, 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.
Next Thursday, 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. And it's that day. 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 - 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. Now, I've booked on my own - and lordy if I didn't discover last night that it's co-run by another couple of the Man with the Hat's old members! I've applied for membership, which has yet to be approved. Great to see the Man with the Hat has left a classical legacy - there are very few Meetup groups doing this sort of thing.
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, I booked 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. Unfortunately, now I've had to cancel - turns out that the much-anticipated first Meetup of Love London for Less is happening that night, so of course I'm headed to that - we're going to the Icebar, where I've never been. Should be interesting. Just a pity the only other instance of that talk I'm missing is sold out - I've added myself to the watchlist.
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..!
A walk with Hazel is always a tempting prospect, so as soon as I saw that Walks, Talks & Treasure Hunts had one scheduled for today - with her as guide - I booked. Pity it had to start at 12 - I do like a lie-in, when I get a chance, and had an idea to head to the post office beforehand. Of course, that didn't quite pan out - I would probably have made it, but didn't want to risk it, and so headed straight up the road to catch the 73 to Angel - we were to meet outside the Tube station.
I arrived about 20 minutes early, so popped into the nearby Pret. Where the most appealing thing on offer was a chocolate "moose" - and delish it is, too! I crossed the road and found our guide there, nearly blown over by a considerable breeze, sign brandished in front of her. We had a nice chat while waiting for the others to arrive - a couple were a bit late, but she does start on time. Still, by the time the tardy two had arrived, we'd only moved over to the shelter of the corner, where Hazel was telling us all about the origins of Oliver Twist. (And, unlike the last time I was with her, I'd already found a bin to accept the remains of my "moose"..)
For this is an Oliver Twist walk. I haven't read the book, but apparently we were covering the path that the Artful Dodger led Oliver on when they came to London - which is quite carefully delineated (she read out that bit for us, at the start). And that meant starting at Angel.
Now, among all the guided walks I've taken, Hazel is unique in making the streets come to life. You know, we stopped a bit further down the hill from here - a road I've taken many times, en route to Sadler's Wells - and such images she conjured up for us! The road was wide, she said, to accommodate the huge herds of livestock being driven on foot for slaughter. Cattle, geese, turkeys.. and because they'd have walked a long way, and needed to be fattened again for market, they'd be kept for a couple of weeks on the corner, just across from the above building. Can you imagine, she said, the noise, the stench, of thousands of animals? We were stopped outside a butcher's, as she described the rivers of blood flowing along the gutters.
Not to mention the poo.. and two small boys running barefoot through it, at night. We followed their route through backstreets that are much more pleasant now:
The Harlequin is probably named for Grimaldi, a famous clown of Dickens' time, about whom she spoke at length as we stood outside Sadler's Wells, just at the end of this street. And just around the corner and down the hill a bit, we got a sit-down on a bench, while she told us about the infamous rookeries. So we meandered through town, as usual hearing stories we hadn't heard before - or old ones in a new light - until we finally fetched up outside the pub that Dickens called the Three Cripples.
As she described to us how Fagin had a room above the pub, I did notice that today, there's a hotel there.. where you, too, can be a Fagin, I guess! Not that I'm recommending his line of work, you understand.
Around the corner then, to the Sir John Oldcastle - a Wetherspoon's, of which I was grateful, because it made a handy eatery. I had the ever-tasty bbq chicken melt, someone else a curry that she proclaimed equally tasty. And this was the first time I've had wine - on draught! I have to say though, the pinot grigio was insipid - perhaps it was the combo, but I found the chardonnay much tastier. Stayed chatting for most of the afternoon - a most satisfactory day!
And I am going to love having a lie-in tomorrow. It's 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 tomorrow night - so I've booked a ticket. Well hey, I do love Spanish music..
Monday, 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.
Tuesday, I'm with London European Club (LEC) for Carradine's Cockney Singalong, at Hoxton Hall.
Had some fun with this a couple of weeks ago, when I noticed another
group member had confused it with something at a different venue, and
thought it wasn't now happening..
Wednesday, 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! Unfortunately, I heard today that it's one of those steep venues.. oo-er, I'll just have to manage somehow.
Thursday was another Funzing talk, with the same three groups, on The Science of Hypnosis. And then, 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 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..
Yes, I know I've been quiet.. yes, I'm still alive! and blogging. Belatedly. Y'see, I had visitors, who just left today, and only now am I getting the chance to tell you all abt it!
So - we were up to last Thursday, when I went to see a play called Silent, in the Soho Theatre, with London For Less! Meetup group (who've now changed their name to Let's Do London - For Less). Yes, indeed. Anyway, I booked myself a ticket and met them there. And for once, I was on time! both for this group, with which I haven't had such a good record lately - and for the theatre, which is the single hardest for me to get to on time. Much better since I started continuing to Leicester Square, so I don't have to trek through the crowds on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Well now, the organiser of this group is never hard to find. He's the one with the baseball cap. And he was sat just inside the door of the ground floor bar, with a crowd of people. So I got myself a drink and joined them. Met one other person I knew, met some people for the first time, and had a good chat until it was time to go upstairs. And oh! such luxury, not to have to rush - I'm so used to galloping up those stairs after some kind soul at the box office has radioed upstairs for them to keep the door open. Still a lot of stairs, but quite manageable if you're not trying to run.
The venue was only about half full, and we were asked to sit in the centre section. I sat near the back, with my companion who was suspicious of sitting in the front row. She was right, as it transpired.. this is a one-man show, and highly interactive. I have seen audience members subjected to worse, but be warned if you are averse to being part of the performance.
The show itself is award-winning, and features an Irishman - whom I'm sure I recognise from a similarly interactive show, years ago - whose story is that he's originally from Cobh, now living in Dublin, and homeless. So far, so depressing, right? Nope - this is one of the funniest things I've been to in a while. It's a disturbing concept for a show: spend 90 minutes (without interval - that would spoil the mood) in the company of one of those homeless men you probably avoid on the street.
Well, it's 90 minutes well spent. He's a natural raconteur, and effortlessly spins us from laughter to sympathy. I wasn't the only one to shed a tear. And his comic turns are hilarious. Not to mention his take on characters we all recognise - the people who pass him on the street, the psychiatrist who utterly failed to empathise with his mental condition. Oh, and that risible ad by the HSE - "Look after yourself. Look after your mental health." Best of all are his takes on Corkonians. Oh goodness me, but he knows the type - the snide, middle-class Cork lady who cares more about what the neighbours will think than ever she does about her sons.
Speaking of which, most of my group were a little baffled by the language. :-) Perhaps this show should come with an explanatory booklet, like The Commitments did when it was first released abroad. References to "langer" and Haulbowline (the naval base in Cork) went right over their heads. Theirs maybe, but not over the heads of the Irish people in the audience - of whom there were a disproportionately high number. I know, because he proceeded to chat to them, and they chatted back. Indeed, when he started to sing a song, the whole audience joined in - which just cracked him up.
We had laughter, we had song, we had dance. He gave a human face to homelessness. I can see why it won awards. Sadly, this wasn't true of everyone in the audience - one person walked out in high dudgeon. He was quick with comebacks, though - which was unfortunate for the first person to leave, who was actually from our group and developed a cough, apparently. Better that, though, than the couple at the back who decided that the best way to express their discontent would be to complain under their breaths for the entire performance, thus intruding on the person sitting next to them. Really people, leave or shut it! Anyway, for my part, I joined the standing ovation at the end. Runs until Saturday, and I can highly recommend it.
Afterwards, we had a delightfully late night in the bar (we few hardcore members). I'm quite sure our fearless leader would have taken it to an all-nighter, as he apparently had the night before, but he just didn't get the support. And so we eventually made it to bed.
I took Friday off, to go and meet my friends, who'd flown into Stansted and taken the train to Liverpool Street, as the more comfortable option. We had planned to lunch in an Italian there, but it turned out to be under refurbishment, so we hit Wetherspoon's instead. We were lucky to get a table that had just been vacated, and had a very pleasant lunch, before heading to their hotel - the same as last time, and which they describe as very good value - quiet, old-fashioned décor, friendly, attentive staff, a great breakfast, and a good location.
And then we hit.. Primark. Well, one of us did, because she's a fan. We others decamped to the nearest pub - the City of Quebec, down an alley across the road. Reading the reviews now, I see it's a gay bar - it's also right off Oxford Street, so attracts some weary shoppers. And persons such as ourselves, who could be described as weary waiting-for-shoppers. The place was dark, dingy, and reeking.. there was no way we were drinking inside, so it's lucky one of the outside tables became free and we sat out there. Service was friendly, though. Still, I can't recommend it - unless you're seriously desperate.
When our companion was finished shopping (surprisingly early), we headed for food. On our way back to the hotel, we came across an unassuming Italian - Il Posto - and managed to get a table there after a short wait. Now, this I can recommend. The food was as authentically Italian as the staff, and there was a great atmosphere! I'm glad we cleaned our plates - I got the impression the waiter would've told us off if we hadn't.. excellent find, and if and when they're back, I'm sure we'll be eating there again!
Afterwards, we just had time to dump the bags and freshen up, briefly, before heading out again. I went on a walk with Walk About London some months back, called South Bank by Night, which I thought perfect for them - and when I found out another was scheduled for the very night they arrived, well I immediately booked the three of us on it. With the meeting point at the south end of Westminster Bridge, we could walk from their hotel - and we did, arriving ever so slightly late. But luckily, having been before, I knew that they stop just down the steps for a brief talk, so I joined the group there. And we went through pretty much the same route as last time - except for missing the actual walk onto the Millennium Bridge to get the best view of St. Paul's, which I was disappointed about. Never mind - despite that, and some small errors in the narrative, it's still a fascinating walk, and highly recommended. Free - donate what you want at the end. Photos for the walk, and the rest of the weekend, here.
Afterwards, I took my guests on a trip that I still think should be part of this walk - to see the Scoop, which I've been to many's the time. I suppose it bookends his walk nicely to have it start and finish at a bridge, but this is only a few minutes' walk away, and has a better view of Tower Bridge, as well as the City lights - quite a spectacular view, if you've just been to a show there! Absolutely shattered - the guided walk itself ran over by half an hour - we crawled home.
At least that day, we had the privilege (ever less common, these days) of taking the Tube; since then, we haven't really - the District and Circle lines, which we needed, were closed for engineering works in that section. (Just like the last time they were here!) Not that we needed them that much, as it happened: I'd decided that a boat trip would be just the thing, and yesterday we'd arranged to meet Helen, who said she'd come up for the day, at London Eye pier to take a sightseeing cruise to Greenwich.
Well, it was a beautiful day - absolutely perfect for a boat trip. And we walked to the pier, which we'd also done the night before, for the guided walk. This turned out to be a mistake - what with me just missing my bus to the hotel, and awful crowds on the bridge, we ended up missing our boat. Poor Helen was left waiting for us. Well, anyway, it gave us time to get ice cream and water - and the boat we ended up getting was much nicer, by Helen's account.
I had tried to get us a lunch cruise - but they were booked up already. This was obviously one of the boats used for that, with tables and proper, swivel chairs - we sat inside, in this section, what with the upper deck being so full. Helen remarked on the cleanliness of the windows, and she was right - many of the photos linked to above were taken through those windows.
Fascinating commentary accompanied us all the way to Greenwich, where we didn't plan to spend too long - with a show booked for that night, we were under some time pressure. So when we saw a Nando's right on the dock, we decided that would do nicely. We would've liked to eat on the roof terrace, but unsurprisingly, there would have been a wait for that, so we ate very pleasantly downstairs instead, the sun streaming in the window on us - and were well fed. Afterwards, we passed the Cutty Sark on our way to the market, where some time and money were spent. A stroll through the naval college afterwards yielded some interesting views, of Canary Wharf and the O2 across the river, before our trip back.
The boat for our return journey was of a different design, covered fore and aft, with an exposed central section - which, of course, was where we ended up sitting. And was probably where we got sunburnt. We were accompanied for our trip by a wedding party, of all things! The bride got a round of applause, and I think they had reserved a space at the back. They disembarked at Westminster with us - where they were headed, I cannot say. For our part, we needed to eat before the show, but not much - so we decided on afternoon tea, and Helen suggested the National Gallery. Where, unfortunately, official afternoon tea had ended in the restaurant - but we seated ourselves in the self-service café and were much revived by the cake and beverages on offer there. Until they threw us out, too.
It was National Busking Day, as it happened, and the focus was on Trafalgar Square, just outside. Sadly, that too had ended by the time we left the café, but we perched ourselves on the edge of a fountain, and were given timetables for the busking festival that runs for weeks yet! And when a bench came free to the side, we took our places on that and people-watched until it was time to head to the theatre.
We really didn't have far to go. The Coliseum is about a two-minute walk from that end of the square, and I'd booked us seats for a contemporary ballet there - showing for two nights only. The building itself helped to convince me that this was the thing to go to - it's so ornate, I was sure they'd be impressed. Which they were. I'd seen slightly cheaper seats on the official website, but got slightly better ones with Discount Theatre - so I booked those, and things looked up when we were told by one of the ushers that it was ok to move forward to better seats, if we could see them! We ended up with a lovely view, and my companions went out at both intervals to photograph the spectacular décor. I do have to wonder whether those who might have paid extra for similar seats would be miffed at others getting them at a discount! Ah well..
There were three ballets, with an interval between each pair. I didn't get much of the story of the first, but it was beautiful to look at - both athletic and graceful. The second, Tristesse, depicted a group of friends who started amicably - with many a titter from the audience at their antics - dancing to well-known classical pieces, played by a pianist who was on stage with them. Things deteriorated, however. The final piece was a hilarious treatise on the proverbial woman scorned - woe betide the man who jilts his bride at the altar!
Afterwards, Helen left for her train by foot, but we had to take a bus. Fair play to Google Maps, whose directions print very well, which is how we found our bus stop, just as the bus arrived. Mind you, when we disembarked and were trying to find our way back to the hotel, said directions could have been better. We got ever so slightly lost, which wasn't helped by the fact that, unusually, it rained on us (slightly) and of course, it was dark and we were tired after a long day. We managed, but it was a nuisance. On my bus back home, I encountered the most interesting crowd - from the man swigging from a beer bottle, right under the "No alcohol" sign, to the middle-aged ladies who looked like they'd come from a wedding, to the extremely drunk (and, to be fair, extremely good-looking) young man - South African it transpired - who flirted relentlessly with them all the way to the terminus. To the amusement of his girlfriend.
This morning, I ended up taking exactly the same route from my bus stop to the hotel that we'd got lost on the night before. I didn't get lost this time - pity I hadn't had those directions with me the first time! (They were slightly different from those of the night before.) And then we walked back to catch the bus to Liverpool Street, and waited a very long time for the #11. Which, when it deigned to come, turned out to be one of the dreaded Routemasters, predictably - and predictably crowded. My companions stood downstairs - I was on the stairs for a while, then got a seat upstairs. A dubious privilege, what with deficient air conditioning (a feature of Routemasters) and non-opening windows. Apparently, someone from upstairs went down to beg the driver to turn on the aircon, only to be told that it was already on. I've complained about my two recent journeys on them, for all the good it'll do - apparently, complaints have soared, but TFL resolutely refuses to accept there's a problem. Probably waiting for the complaints to die down over winter, when there's less sunshine to bake the passengers.
Alighting gratefully at the station, we had lunch at the Merchant of Bishopsgate, which they'd spotted on the ground floor. And were very well fed, on wooden platters - although I think it was misguided to line mine with a sheet of newspaper, filled with stories related to fish, given that I was having chicken. Never mind - it was very tasty, and the service friendly and efficient. Also a great idea to have "small plates" - for those of small appetite, or in a hurry. I'd go again.
And when I wound my way home (by Tube, blissfully!), I finally got time to blog. Tomorrow, nothing much on Meetup, but I found a cheap ticket to see Paul Sinha in the Arts Theatre tomorrow night. It'll be interesting to see him live, for once.. Apparently, it's a preview of his show for the Edinburgh Festival.
I've lived here now for nearly three years, and in all that time have never been on a Jack the Ripper walk. Fancy! And there being so very many of them. Anyway, one of the Meetup groups - Loose End Events - arranged to tag along on a free one tonight, so I said it was about time - and off I went.
We were supposed to meet "outside" Tower Hill Station at 7.30, for an 8 o'clock start. Now, "outside" a Tube station can mean anything really - so, with plenty of time, I decided to get there early. I can get the Tube straight there, but those engineering works between Earl's Court and Wimbledon meant I had to walk to Earl's Court to do it. Fair enough, it's not far. And I was just in time for a train that passed through Tower Hill.
When I arrived at Tower Hill, there was really only one exit, so I kept my eyes peeled as I walked outside. There are a lot of construction works, and hoardings, and I spied a sign pointing in the direction of the station entrance, which was apparently around the corner somewhere. Hmm. Anyway, I was early and had time to go that way if I needed to. First, however, I scanned my surroundings for anyone that looked like a group. Finally, I caught sight of the Meetup sign that the group organiser was rather discreetly holding. :-)
He turned out to be a gregarious, chatty fellow, there with a friend of his - and apart from them, I was the first to arrive. Bit by bit, the others dribbled over, catching sight of the sign - or maybe we just looked like Meetup people. There were about a dozen of us altogether, including a lady who'd asked was it ok to bring her puppy. And she wants him to have a Meetup profile, too. Why not, I say?! He was a gregarious fellow himself, introducing himself enthusiastically to all around him.
We waited for quite a long time for the guide, identifiable by his orange umbrella. Well, we were early. Meantime, we were in the curious position of being right beside a couple of guides on one of the paid tours, who led off a couple of groups while we were waiting. One of those guides even came over to ask whether we were waiting for their tour! There was a food stall, manned by an entertaining chap, and a beggar with another dog, nattily attired with a tartan scarf, sitting just over there. Our doggie was at first wary of that doggie, but they were soon friends. Yes, even canines get to meet up at these things.
Eventually, our organiser found our guide (at the entrance, round the corner), and off we trotted. It drizzled briefly at this point, but that was the last rain we saw. After the introductory speech, our first stop was just across from the Tower of London:
After setting the scene for us, he led us off into the backstreets of Whitechapel, and started to tell us the gruesome details of the murders attributable to Jack the Ripper. There was some brisk walking and quite a lot of standing around to hear the stories. Thing about this area is, most of the old buildings have been demolished, either through war or economic need. But he did his best to evoke the scene, bringing us to as many places as possible that were associated with the crimes. And a couple of atmospheric alleyways, one of which was, apparently, used as inspiration for the Harry Potter films.
So far so gory. Light relief was provided by all the other Jack the Ripper groups, crisscrossing each other simultaneously! (One tour given in Spanish.) As we crossed Mitre Square, where one of the bodies was discovered, we counted no fewer than seven other groups, standing in little knots at various bits, just out of earshot of each other. As our guide told his story in an alley just off the square, another group could be seen passing the entrance to the alley. As we stood and listened on a street corner, we watched another group cross the road, just before a third group headed down the pavement past them, in our direction.
Popular, then. I did notice one of the groups, whose guide was projecting images of the victims onto the walls at relevant points. I remember the ad for that. Sounds good, but frankly, in real life I thought these flickering photos looked a bit tacky.
One of our last stops was, oddly, in Spitalfields Market. I don't think there was a connection - apart from that it's in the vicinity. It's really to give the guide a chance, with good lighting, to take a group photo, which he'll email to anyone who requests it (you give him your email address). It was unfortunate that during his story here, music was blaring over the side as people did some setting up or dismantling, I don't know which. The photo would also have come out better, I think, if the stall frames had actually had anything in them - but they were bare.
Never mind, we finished back out in the dark, outside Christ Church Spitalfields:
Here, he led us through the dafter speculations about the identity of the killer, invited us to give him our emails, and asked for the tip that is customary at the end of a free tour. I did check my wallet, but honestly, the smallest note I had was £10, and I didn't feel like giving him that - and the largest coin I had was 20p. And I didn't feel like handing him a pile of change either. So I left it - although I would've given him something for his efforts if I'd had it. I do believe this tour is quite good enough that you can avoid paying the fees charged by others.
The Loose End Events group - what was left of us - duly trotted off to the Wetherspoon's in Liverpool Street Station, a short distance away. It was heaving, of course - a fabulously ornate space, apparently it used to be a hotel ballroom. After we'd all managed to fight our way through the queue at the bar and get a drink, we repaired to the far end of the eating area, where we clustered around a tiny table and had a fun time hanging out together.
Yup, this was a fun evening and I'd do it again. Looking forward to whatever this group comes up with next. Well, depending! ;-) Mind you, my feet suffered.. I'm out of practice at this length of walk, and barely managed to stagger to the Underground station. Turned out the Piccadilly Line, which I'd planned to take from King's Cross to Earl's Court, was closed on that section because of a broken-down train. So Tube to Edgware Road it was, and the District Line from there to Earl's Court. That's the thing about having to travel right across town - you have options. And I was lucky, again, that both trains were ready on the platform for me when I got there. Mind you, I was confused for a minute at Edgware Road, where the train destination read "Kensington Olympia" - before I realised that it must go through Earl's Court to get there. And so I survived to get as far as home.
Hours later, my feet are still killing me, although I've had them up for ages. Which means I'm very glad that the Ken's Events walk scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed, on account of the aforementioned engineering works. Instead, I'm heading back to the Leicester Square Theatre - figures, never been there before and now heading there for the second time in four days - where they're running Death Ship 666, a parody of the Titanic disaster. When I checked, it was about half sold out - so I booked. Woe is me, though - it's a matinee; I could really do with a lie-in. And on Monday, I'm finally going to Made in Dagenham - cheapest tickets available on the official website.
