Another night, another opera. Set in Seville. Attended with the Meetup group Let's Do London - for less! Hey, if it ain't broke..! All sounded great, so I booked it. They actually had two sets of tickets - one for the amphiteatre proper, one for the side slip seats. As I recall, they only had the slip seats left by the time I got around to it - but I've sat there before, and knew they're fine. So I happily booked; this time, it was Carmen, in the Royal Opera House.
Annoyingly, the show started at 7. I know they want to get finished in time for people to get home, but it does make it really hard for those of us travelling a distance to get there in time. I left work promptly, knowing I had to shop on the way. Quick pit-stop at home, and dashed onto the Tube. Our organiser had said he'd be at the box office till 6.50, and I knew it'd be tight, but I might just make it for then. Ran into a colleague waiting for the same train - chatting to him on the journey gave me something to do other than worry about how fast the train was going! Mind you, at least there were no stops "to regulate the service" this time.
He thought I should get off at Leicester Square, to avoid having to queue for a lift at Covent Garden, the next stop. Nonsense - the time I spent queuing for a lift would never be as long as the time to walk between the stops, although it's not far. And during that time queuing (only about a minute), I checked my watch and determined that I was unlikely to get there for 6.50. So I fired off a quick text to said organiser, to tell him to go ahead and leave my ticket at the box office. It didn't send immediately - what with me being 15 stories underground - but by the time I got a chance to check it, I saw it must've, because he'd replied to say he would.
Isn't it annoying how people keep getting in your way when you're trying to hurry? Anyway, I made it out of the station, and did my best on the cobblestones leading down to the piazza (my shoes weren't ideal for this purpose). More crowds at the entrance to the Opera House. When I finally made it through the door, it was just after 6.50. I scanned the wall opposite the box office, where the Man with the Hat had said he'd wait. Nobody, bummer. I made my way straight to the box office. The Man with the Hat was sorting tickets at the counter! Cool - I dashed up to him, announcing my presence, and as I reached him, he tore me off a ticket, and bade me go. Much like in a war film - "Go! Save yourself..!"
Now, he needn't have worried so much. I know the place well, and knew roughly how long it was gonna take to get where I was seated. I've also cut it quite fine, quite a few times here, and if there are still crowds of people making their way upwards, I know you're in no danger of being late. There are several sections, but they're all well signposted. So, first was to get to the amphitheatre - you can take the lift, but I find the stairs quicker in general, given the crowds. By stairs, next step is the escalator to the amphiteatre bar - then just follow the signs.
I was on the right (it says on the ticket), which meant I had to go right around. My seat was in the front row of the upper slips..
The bench seating was comfortable enough - and we had a fantastic view of the theatre as a whole! There's an advantage to sitting at the side, y'know. The view of the stage was slightly compromised, and we did miss whatever was happening to the very right of the stage: but there was hardly any of that. Now, at the interval, people in our group who had seats in the front row (Row A) of the amphiteatre complained that they had to lean forward to see properly, and people behind them were complaining that they couldn't see past them when they did that. We in the slips didn't have any of that, which might be due to the fact that the row behind us was so much higher than we were - our heads were at about the same level as their feet. And that might have been designed like that because people in the slips are expected to lean forward! Anyway, it worked out perfectly fine.
When the curtain was raised, another advantage of the slips became apparent - you're closer to the stage than anyone else but the stalls! Albeit with a side view. Leaning can be done at various different angles, what with this very handy filigree rail, that you can stick arms/feet/hands out of to support yourself, as well as leaning on the ledge proper.
And the show..? Is it a good measure of a production, when it reminds you why you loved the show so much in the first place? Firstly, I'd forgotten Carmen was so damn catchy! And for all the times I've seen it, I do not believe I've seen a better production. They praised the singing, when we met at the interval - they were right. The staging was spot-on, evocative of the heat of Seville. Yes, it is set in Seville guys - in fact, if you find yourself there, go on a sightseeing bus tour; they go past the cigarette factory, and make a point of the fact that it was mentioned in the opera. And I've been in the bullring too (not for a fight). But anyway.. speaking of the heat of Seville, that gives them full reign to stage a raunchy production. Lots of provocative costumes, lots of provocative moves, some splashing of water. Perfectly believable in the heat - it gets up to the high 40s there in summer. Even the colour of the sets, a reddish-orange, was reminiscent of the heat..
At the interval, I set off in search of the others - I don't know whether anyone from the group was seated near me, but I didn't get talking to those who were. Stopped off at the ice cream stall to buy dinner - and a very good chocolate ice cream it was. Noted the bin right beside - Coliseum, please take note! We'd arranged to meet on the balcony if it was fine, and it was - if a bit chilly. And we chatted, and praised the show, and they complained about Row A. And I ate my ice cream, and dumped it in the bin on my way back. And noted how you can actually reserve tables in the bar.. I hadn't known you could do that, but sure enough! I dunno, must be a bit weird, sat there right in the middle of the heaving crowd.
The second half, as someone remarked, was darker. But it had flamenco, so I was happy! Oh, and it had a horse.. the toreador rode in on a beautiful, black creature, all gaily adorned, and very placid. Later on, there was also a donkey. No expense spared at the Opera House! The horse made a second appearance, but as someone later remarked, neither four-legged extra came on to take their bows at the end. Sadly.
By the time the denouement came, I was truly impressed - and not to give the plot away, but this was an unusually believable and absorbing death scene, in my experience of operas. A standing ovation was well earned. Highly recommended! Runs on selected dates until the end of next month - booking heavily though, so hop to it if that's your intention.
Afterwards, we were to meet at the box office, to head to the pub. I'd normally have nipped out a side door, to avoid the crowds there, but found myself ploughing through them instead. (On a side note, I see they have separate queues for the cloakroom! I've never used it myself.) Met the Man with the Hat, met the group. And upon the decision to move across the road to The Globe, two of us made an advance party, with instructions to bag a table upstairs.
Many thanks to my companion for the tipple he bought me, and we took a table. Where we were approached by one of the staff, who informed us that we couldn't sit at such a large table if there were only two of us. We assured her that we were expecting more - and on cue, the Man with the Hat appeared. Swiftly followed by more. We ended up grabbing every chair in sight, and inhabiting the back corner of the room, vaguely gathered in the vicinity of a table.
Well, I had a great time! The place was overrun with Irish, interestingly - three of us in this group. And I got into a discussion about U2 - always ready, willing and able. Colin, you asked me about my favourite songs - if you're still reading this far down, they were Moment of Surrender (recorded) and Unknown Caller (live). Both off the last album, No Line on the Horizon. Particularly open to debate is my choice for best live song - you have experience it, though. My absolute best concert experience of the last tour was, of all places, in Sheffield.. and I remember having something of a transcendental experience with that song. Lasted right through the next day..
The evening progressed with three writers, of one form or another, huddled in the corner talking about blogs n stuff. And the Man without the Hat telling tales, some of which were taller than he.. An excellent night, but a late one. On my way home, I don't blame the lady who decided to sit, for the duration of her journey on the down escalator in Leicester Square station - it's a long way down, and I guess she was tired. (Had to go back through there - Covent Garden is still exit-only.) Surprisingly, for once, my mother didn't pre-empt my call by calling me first, even though I didn't get home till after midnight - she must be getting used to my late nights with this group!
Tonight, with - again - nothing on Meetup appealing, I managed a cheap ticket to a classical concert at the Southbank Centre - it's been a while. Must print off the programme.. tomorrow, unusually, I'm back to Ireland for the second weekend in a row - it's my mother's birthday. But I have to fly back early on Sunday.. because guess who's in town, and playing on Sunday and Monday? And of course, I'm going. And London will truly rock..
Nothing I fancied on Meetup tonight.. so I had a hunt elsewhere, and of the list I saw, nothing jumped out at me, so I chose the nearest one, and got a cheap ticket to Moments, playing at the Drayton Arms.
Now, it claims to be in South Kensington, which is close enough - however, when I looked at the address, I realised I'd been here before, and it's actually just 15 minutes walk from my house! (Well, my current one - I'll be moving come the end of the year.) Straight down Old Brompton Road. So, naturally, I was overconfident, and left it pretty tight - but I set a fair pace, and got there just before 8.
I knew it's the first door you come to (coming from the west), and straight up the stairs. So I hurried up there.. to discover a closed door and a couple standing by the table with the fliers. I figured they were waiting, so I waited too. After a couple of minutes, I did start to wonder - just as I tried the door, it opened, and a fellow appeared apologetically, carrying a basket that seemed to contain the necessaries to take admission. Good job I had my confirmation, because he had no record of me - but upon seeing it, he waved me in, and as it happened, I got in first.
I took a seat in the second row, towards the far end. It wasn't completely full, and I had space to spread out on the bench seating. I needn't have worried about being late - the door creaked open several times during the performance to admit people. Eventually, the guy who'd been late out front appeared back inside, to tell us that this was the VERY first performance, i.e. the first preview, and that it was a Nordic company - as I'd read in the free (and quite professionally printed) programme - whose principle was to hire Nordic people. And so the actors and writer were Icelandic, and the director Swedish.
It lasted just under 90 minutes, no interval. And started with projections - video projections on screens at the back, meant to represent the character's childhood, in what was probably Icelandic, and with a projected translation overhead. Which was all actually really effective! It's the story of a down-and-out guy, losing control over his life and his relationships. And acted primarily by two very hunky, bearded Icelandic blokes (speaking in English). Lovely.
The lack of experience showed, in the actor who forgot some of his lines - but covered most professionally. The writing was also immature in parts at the early stages. However, there are a couple of excellent twists, and overall I found it most enjoyable. Recommended, if you like things Nordic. Runs until the end of the month.
Tomorrow, it's back to Meetup - I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again: this time for Carmen, at the Opera House. Goodness, twice in one week..!
Wow - a Meetup with Let's Do London - for less! that I could actually make. Seriously, I'm out of the country as often as I'm here these days, what with trips to see U2 adding to the regular trips to Ireland.. Anyway, this was perfect, as I do love The Barber of Seville. And these, as ever, were the best value tickets going..
It was a real Manic Monday though, and deadlines saw me heading straight from the office (after meeting said deadlines). I could just about have gone home first, but they were meeting for drinks first, and oh, but I needed a drink after today. So off I trotted. A Tube was waiting for me on the platform, and having dashed on as the alarm went off to indicate that the doors were closing, I threw myself into a seat, bruising myself on the armrest.
Disembarking at Embankment, I walked up a packed (as always) Villiers Street. A brave taxi inched its careful way through the crowds of people (and one fox, that came from the Charing Cross side and dashed across, making several folks go "aah..").
They were meeting at The Chandos, which I was actually in only last Thursday, and knew to be the pub on the corner as you approach the Coliseum. And I knew, without being told, that we'd be meeting upstairs, because they're renovating downstairs. I see it's called - appropriately - "The Opera Room". Anyhow, I walked the length of it, to discover them at the same table I was at on Thursday, right at the back. I saw the organiser's hat, long before I saw the Meetup sign! (Large as it was - the sign, I mean.)
Much faster service tonight than on Thursday. We spent a pleasant half hour or so there, and I met some old acquaintances and made some new ones. And then we meandered off to the Coliseum, just two doors up - although I wasn't sure which door I'd come out of, and had to get my bearings). We blithely passed the man in the hat, who had re-positioned himself outside the door for the benefit of those who didn't fancy the pub (ah, the dedication of the organiser..). And we took ourselves inside and upstairs.
What luxury it is, being in the Upper Circle of the Coliseum. I think it's only happened to me twice before - I'm usually in the balcony, which is a full two floors higher and extremely steep. What was also good was that we came to our seats along a side aisle, with a railing - the steps here have irregular heights, and I'm not good with stairs in general, so it's something of a minefield for me. In fact, I couldn't have requested a better seat - we were all about halfway down, with a perfect view of the stage, and with most going in the row in front of me, I found I had two free seats beside me. So I moved over into one as the lights went down, and had a free seat either side! Very handy for spreading out.
I'm sure I've seen a production of this before, but it has been a while, and it was an absolute delight. The singing was spectacular, the costumes and setting reminded me of those old Ladybird children's books - you know, with the sumptuous illustrations. In general, the production played up the slapstick, and was full of fun. And when the evening came to an end, the director (we think) was brought on stage to take his bows with the rest.
I'd had an ice cream at the interval, but was slightly relieved when the mood was not for drinking afterwards - I was, and am, very, very tired. I'd be asleep now, but that I was hungry, and fancied something to do while I ate.
For tomorrow, I got a cheap ticket for a play called Moments, in the Drayton Arms - honestly, chosen because it was the closest option. And on Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, for Carmen, at the Opera House. Always delighted to get together with them..!
My mother loves Regina Nathan, so it was great to discover that she was appearing at Glór on one of my weekends back - and I booked. Naturally, the plan was to eat in the Abbey Tavern beforehand - there are few places that my mother favours to eat in, and it's not far from Ennis.
I was a little worried about timing, with so much to do in our evening. I had to do the Lotto before dinner, I had to get petrol on our way into Ennis, she wanted to go to Mass, I had to get parking in three different places - the Abbey Tavern, the cathedral, Glór. And she won't walk far. Mercifully, it all worked out.
Someone pulled out of a spot right by the door as we arrived at the Abbey Tavern, and we were, as usual, served fast and done within the hour. I felt like steak, for a change, and had the most delicious sirloin. Making a dash for it afterwards - she was relieved when I reminded her that they keep the pub clock 15 minutes fast - we headed straight for Ennis, since I'd already done the Lotto. Petrol stop on the way - nice and cheap - and we got a space across from the cathedral. Not close enough for her liking, but never mind. It's a while since we've been there, and I see they still have the stammering priest, and his stammer still hasn't improved. Fair play to him for persisting though, especially considering these services are broadcast live on radio!
We made a slightly early exit, and I revised my geography of Ennis as we headed for Glór - yes, the fastest way is left at the lights! As for parking at Glór - no problem, there was hardly anyone there when we arrived, and we got a nice, close space. I do think a lot of the audience must have been at Mass with us - there was something of an influx before too long.
We took a seat in the cafe, and I ordered a couple of slices of cake, tea for her, wine for me. What wasn't ready straight away was brought down to us - not terrific fare, mind. The wine was rather insipid, and the cake, as usual, a bit dry - standard for here, but better than some places, and still tasty, and we ate it. No complaints about the tea.
When the announcement came that the doors were open, there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm - from anyone - about going in. We meandered in eventually - booking wasn't heavy for this, despite good advertising, and we'd got good seats. Mind you, seats here generally are good, with the best legroom of anywhere I can think of!
The concert started pretty well on time - just the singer herself, with an accompanist playing a grand piano. And a music stand, for when the singer forgot her words. A glass of water stood on the floor beside it - you'd think they could've found a table of some kind. There was a rather uncomfortable-looking stool, on which she perched herself on occasion, and a sparkly feather boa sat on the end of the piano, ready to be used as a prop.
The accompanist came on first and took a seat at the piano. And played for a bit before the singer came on. Slowly. Must have had something to do with the distinctly uncomfortable-looking shoes she was wearing - very high, very sparkly, and very heavy-looking, all ornamentation, with ribbons at the back. She also wore a long black shift-dress, unfortunately highlighting what was not a svelte figure.
Anyway, she was soon into it. My mother kept complaining about the sound - there were no mics, and the singer is very softly spoken. Quite a soft singer as well, except when the song called for some drama and she bellowed out.. quite a contrast! We were well informed as to the programme - programmes were handed out for free. Indeed, they were thrust upon us - we were often asked whether we had one or wanted one, and they were to be found in large quantities on tables scattered through the venue.
It was a mixture of popular show-tunes and well known arias. One song from La Boheme in each half, which was nice for me - it's my favourite opera. "I Dreamt I Dwelt" - I love that song. With some difficulty, she clambered to sit on the steps leading down from the stage for one number. And so, the first half was over.
The second half was designed to be a bit lighter, and it was a relief to see her in a shorter dress - black, again - and more manageable shoes. She started with "Send In the Clowns". A couple of sings later, there was some kind of glitch at the start of Perhaps Love, and we saw her get a bit tetchy and make the accompanist start over. Whether it was something she did, or the pianist did, I cannot say. I did think to myself at this point that her voice isn't really suited to popular musicals - too operatic. Oddly, she read a poem at one point - well, it was enjoyable. The feather boa finally made its appearance, and she touched up her lipstick, for goodness' sake, for L' Accordioniste (sic), where she portrayed a prostitute. As an encore, she made us all join in with Thank You for the Music - hard to match her pitch though (she's a soprano).
All in all, pleasant enough. She got a standing ovation, but to be fair, there were several people she knew in the audience. She mentioned she hadn't done a concert in a while, and I think it showed. Still, my mother enjoyed it, and it got her out of the house for the evening.
Back to London tonight, and tomorrow, I'm back - at last - with the Meetup Let's Do London - for less! group, to see the Barber of Seville at the Coliseum. Upper Circle - it's always nice not to have to climb all the way to the balcony, in this extremely high theatre. For Tuesday, I got a cheap ticket for a play called Moments, in the Drayton Arms - honestly, chosen because it was the closest option. And on Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, for Carmen, at the Opera House.
Well, no thought was required when I saw that the London European Club from Meetup was headed to an early music concert - Spem in Alium - in St. Martin-in-the-Fields last night. And so I booked. When I mentioned to my boss what I was going to, he put on his Latin cap to try and figure out what the title means.. (turns out it's "Hope in Any Other"; there's a Wikipedia article).
So, off I trotted. The concert itself was on good and late - 9.30 - which left us time to meet beforehand for dinner/drinks in the Silver Cross, down the road in Whitehall. I'd never been here before, but with Google Maps' help it was easy to find, and I turned out to be the first to arrive (apart from the organiser). He hadn't been able to find a very big table, but after a bit the next table became vacant, and we just slid it over.
It wasn't long before I abandoned him to go to the bar and order food. I had to wait an age to be served - and when I was, darned if I couldn't remember the table number! I had to go back and make note of it, as a result of which I lost my place in the queue and had to wait another age. Finally, I ordered a Hunter chicken - covered in cheese and bacon, and doused in bbq sauce: a British pub favourite. And wine. I must say, it took a lot less time for it to be delivered to my table than it had to order it! And although the chicken was small, it was delicious.. sadly, the fish goujons ordered by another of our group were less successful.
We sat for a good while and chatted, I went for another wine, and it was duly time to head to the church: good and early, to have a good choice of seat. First though, we had to pick up our tickets, in the box office - through the "glass pavilion". As you approach from the south, this is on the other side of the church, and I have probably been here before - I just can't remember when; when I've been here recently, someone has collected my ticket for me. So, downstairs is a box office, a large lobby, and a crypt cafe. Where, possibly, we could have come to eat instead. Never mind - when we all had our tickets, it was about 9 and time for the church doors to be opened, and we headed up.
We took seats near the front of the central nave - seating was unreserved. I discovered they had footrests under the pew in front, as well as very handy shelving to leave your stuff on. And in due course, the choir filed on - all 40 of them, dressed in black. Tiered staging had been arranged in front of the altar.
The concert lasted about an hour. And it was simply stunning! Under most circumstances, being so close to such a large choir would be an experience in itself - but this music made it extra-special. I didn't buy a programme, but this was part of the Brandenburg Choral Festival, and there were programmes for that lying around, from which I gleaned that, as well as the title piece, we'd be listening to Bach and Taverner (Spem in Alium itself isn't long enough to last a full concert). And it was chilling.. it's rare to hear such a large choir, unaccompanied by instruments (although one piece did have a couple of trumpets), and the sound of so many voices in this setting was moving - in parts, eerie. Spem in Alium, which came last, was the highlight though, and I could hear why it's so well regarded. It was breathtakingly moving - as I remarked on my way out, much better than on YouTube..!
Afterwards, some of us elected to go for a drink in the nearest pub, given the coldness of the night's breeze. And so it was that we went for one drink in the Chandos, just across the road. Downstairs was being refurbished, so we headed to the cosy upstairs lounge, where we nabbed a table in the corner. I ordered a drink from a seriously tired-looking (and sounding) barmaid, and we had a most pleasant time before venturing out in the cold again.
This evening, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.. tomorrow, we're off to Glór to see Regina Nathan in concert. On Monday, I'm back - at last - with the Let's Do London - for less! group, to see the Barber of Seville at the Coliseum.
Upper Circle - it's always nice not to have to climb all the way to the
balcony, in this extremely high theatre. For Tuesday, I got a cheap
ticket for a play called Moments, in the Drayton Arms - honestly, chosen because it was the closest option. And on Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, for Carmen, at the Opera House.
Oh my, regular readers must've thought something had happened to me, it's been so long! No, it's just been so busy..
Monday was The Heart of a Hero, a meetup of the Crick Crack Storytelling Club - and I usually try to get to those. This was held in the Soho Theatre, as usual, and featured an Egyptian storyteller. It was pretty full, if not completely, by the time the demure, diminutive lady came on, barefoot, in a kaftan, and stared at us for a minute before beginning. Now, Arabian-type stories can be very rambling, and this was one such: but it was quite lovely to watch her pace the floor as she wove her tale, painting for us with hand gestures the story of warriors, deserts, and camels. And her accent lent itself to the telling, of course. It's funny - she came to life during the telling; when she was finished, she just.. stopped. Stared at us again, and walked off. Surreal.
Unfortunately, it went on longer than your average storytelling event - I mentioned it rambled - and by the time I'd gotten home and eaten, it was past my bedtime.
On Tuesday, I was back with the World Music Meetup, for a concert by Varldens Band. I hadn't heard of them, but the included YouTube video clip on the Meetup page persuaded me I'd like them. Mind you, on the night in question, the last thing I felt like doing was heading all the way over to Shoreditch - it's nearly an hour each way. Google Maps suggested Tube, then Overground for the outbound journey: Tube, then bus for the return (the Overground doesn't run very late). I nearly didn't go at all, but when I got home, the place was a flurry of activity - turned out I was getting a new flatmate, and the letting agent - and someone else I didn't know - were in a flurry of activity, preparing his room. So I headed off and left them to it. Met the flatmate on the way out and let him in, making my apologies.
I was lucky - managed to grab the Tube just as it was about to leave the platform, and despite what it said on the indicator board, it was headed to town. I'd grabbed a paper on the way in - which I had completely read by the time I got off, at Whitechapel. Long way - I was glad I'd got a seat, from an obliging gent who got up for me. At Whitechapel, I went down the stairs - ironically - for the Overground; the one I wanted, Northbound, handily left from the same platform I came out on.
One stop later, I was in Shoreditch. Turn left from the station, then right on the main road, and you can just about see the bottom of the Rich Mix sign, on the left. This is a place I've thought of coming to many times, but never have before. First confusion was the large, glass sliding door.. when I finally figured out which end opened, I could go in and queue for my ticket. Well, stamp on the wrist actually. The actual concert wasn't starting till 8.30, it transpired, and with it not yet 8, I headed for the cafe to the other side of the lobby - I was starving. No dinner, y'see.
First thing I saw was an ice cream stall, with a chap choosing flavours. Salvation! I had a couple of scoops - mint choc & whit choc. And boy, were they welcome - served by a friendly woman who was good enough to take my ice cream back while I got my change back in my bag. I took a seat, had my ice cream, and by the time I was finished, the "main space" was open and I headed in, having a cursory check of my wrist stamp as I did so.
It's essentially a large-ish, pretty empty room. Stage to the right, mixing desk to the left. There are tables in front of the stage, which were already thronged, although the doors can't have been open that long. Although the group organiser had said there'd be a Meetup sign on the table.. there wasn't. A number of people later commented the same on the Meetup page - not that I could access the internet on my phone from there, it seems to be BT only. Now, I headed first to the bar (immediately to your right as you come in) and I do think I spied the Meetup table as I did so. If that was it, there was no space anyway - and when I had my drink (in a plastic container) I headed straight for the other side of the room, where I nabbed the comfiest seat in the house. In a room full of folding chairs, I had the sofa..
So there I sat, musing that I like this place. I even had a table beside me to leave my drink on - until someone grabbed it to sit on! There was a lack of chairs, and someone working there was in a flurry of bringing them from a back room until a supervisor told her she didn't need to bother, that a lot of people preferred to stand anyway.
In due course, someone came on to introduce the band. And my heart sank. For goodness' sake, he was talking about their "mission of world peace" and they even had a wee film, filled with smiling people, mostly children, in what looked like third-world environments. With a naff voiceover. And how they meant to achieve world peace? By - um - forming a whopping great band, filled with people from different continents. Jeez, U2 does more for world peace, but not even Bono pontificates like this!
And so the band finally trooped on, and my heart sank further. There were so many of them, they had trouble fitting them all - never mind mics and instruments. And when the music finally started, it just struck me as a cacophony. I recognise this type of thing from Irish trad music - a band formed of, seemingly, every passing musician, trouble fitting them on stage, and just playing a rambling piece that gives enough time that everyone can do a solo. Catchy enough, but you definitely don't get the feeling that everyone on stage is needed. I gave them two songs, finished my drink and left. I could have got the Overground back at that time, but the bus is cheaper, so I proceeded with my original plan. It wasn't long till the bus came, and I got home eventually - a three-hour evening, 20 minutes of which was spent listening to music. And when I got home, it was to a flatmate newly arrived to London and wanting local info. While my dinner went cold before I got a chance to eat it. By the time I eventually got it eaten, it was, again, too late to blog.
Yesterday, the plan was to go to a film. Unfortunately, I hadn't had much time to consider my film list, and by the time I got it finished, it was too late to go to anything! (Would've been The Martian.. bummer, the very one I wanted to go to.) And, guess what? Too late to blog!
So here we are, and it's Thursday. And tonight, I'm headed to Spem in Alium, in St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church, with the London European Club. Nice that they're doing my kind of stuff now! Meeting in the Silver Cross beforehand for dinner/drinks. Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.. on Saturday, we're off to Glór to see Regina Nathan in concert. On Monday, I'm back - at last - with the Let's Do London - for less! group, to see the Barber of Seville at the Coliseum. Upper Circle - it's always nice not to have to climb all the way to the balcony, in this extremely high theatre. For Tuesday, I got a cheap ticket for a play called Moments, in the Drayton Arms - honestly, chosen because it was the closest option. And on Wednesday, I'm back with Let's Do London - for less! again, for Carmen, at the Opera House.
Last morning in Barcelona.. my only rush of the day was to check out; after that, I had hours to kill till my flight. The nice lady at the desk - seeing my t-shirt - asked how the concert was. Outside, and with a heavy bag, the heat was oppressive again, and my only thought was to get to the airport, get a bite to eat, and chill.
Crossed the road to the bus stop to wait - in the heat and blazing sun - for the 46. And waited.. and waited. The timetable said it could be up to a 16-minute wait. Then I noticed the board indicating what buses were due - I got quite worried when I couldn't see anything about my bus on it! I was just about to give up and return to the hotel to call a taxi when the bus finally came, and eventually deposited me at Terminal 1.
Now, the upshot is - T1 is an improvement on T2, but that's not saying much! The first thing I saw was a sign for check-in, so I followed it - I wasn't able to check in online for today's flight because BA doesn't allow check-in several days in advance, and yesterday, of course - which was the earliest I could have checked in in online - I was already in Barcelona, with no facility to print my boarding pass, and unable to use my mobile because of roaming charges.
I found myself in a modern, but deserted check-in area. It announced itself as "Check-in 201 to.." something. There was a sign directing you where to go for higher check-in desk numbers. What there was not, was a sign telling you which numbers you needed! and it didn't say on my ticket. Given how deserted this bit of the airport was, I thought I'd try my luck in the next bit.
So off I moseyed to the bit with numbers 300+. This was an improvement - it had people! and check-in info boards! Unfortunately, I was very early, and the boards didn't yet give any info on my flight. Oh, and I checked up and down this large room.. there were plenty of self-check in machines, but nary a one covered BA. Bah humbug. I decided to go back downstairs, where I'd seen eating places - there was nothing on this level. I was starving, and I'd just have to wait for some info on my check-in desks.
There are more eating options than in T2, but nothing that constitutes a main meal - sandwiches are still the best they can muster. So that's what I had - at least it wasn't stale. And a croissant, and a couple of muffins. And I was sufficiently restored to head back upstairs, where I found a free seat at the end and read my book (thank goodness I brought it this time!) while I waited for information. It's a long, long time since I've been forced to hang around like this. Oh, and T1 also only has half an hour's free WiFi from the same IP address in any 24-hour period..
So, finally when I checked the board, it gave me a series of four desk numbers corresponding to BA. I found them, and was rather confused - two were Club Europe (assuredly not me!) and two were Bag Drop. No check-in. And only the Club Europe desks were occupied. I waited until someone finally appeared at one of the Bag Drops, asked her whether I could check in there, and was finally, finally checked in - with a decent seat too, and that pointless cabin bag label they give you, just for the bag that should go under the seat rather than overhead. As if that stops anyone.. Anyhoo, I was glad I hadn't got luggage to check, because the middle-aged couple who'd gone to the desk in front of me were now standing to the side, accompanied by a large case, and I got the impression they were having to wait to check their bag onto a flight for which they were too early..
Security was a lot busier than T2, and the rude git behind me was constantly pushing, pushing my trays forward - as if I had anywhere to put them! I was moving as fast as possible. He nearly trapped my fingers at one point, and of course looked anywhere but at me when I glared at him. Now, as with T2, they give you a departure gate zone first, then a more specific gate number later. And for T1, there are five zones, A to E. A sign explains that the bulk of the shopping is available before you go through passport control for zones D & E (I was D). This is a wise piece of advice - there is a decent range of shops downstairs, where zones A - C are; go here before proceeding back upstairs to D and E.
They have some nice shops, although catering mostly to the luxury end of the market. Still, an improvement on T2. I tell you what they don't have is much seating - vast expanses of dazzlingly shiny black floor, but hardly any seating. When I carried on upstairs and passed through passport control, I found a McDonald's and another sandwich place, with a bar tacked on at the end. Good luck getting anything at the bar though - there were no staff in that bit, and you had to take yourself to the food part. Just as well I just wanted wine, which they had there - a bit insipid, mind. And then the wooden seats were quite hard.
All in all, an improvement on T2, as I say - but I was still glad to be out of there, and it's not an airport I'll be hurrying back to.
Tomorrow, I'm back with the Crick Crack Storytelling Club, in the Soho Theatre again, for an interesting-sounding evening called The Heart of a Hero, apparently with an Egyptian storyteller. And on Tuesday, I'm back with the World Music Meetup, for Varlden's Band, in Rich Mix. Long time no see this group!
