London Dramatic Arts were off tonight to a play called Art, at the Old Vic. Yes, I thought, I'll go too - but I got a cheaper ticket, up in the Gods. Now, as it happens, they had stalls seats at the time, but subsequently got seats in the Dress Circle as well.. which were cheaper than what I'd managed! Hey-ho, I already had my ticket.. and couldn't say it to them, given that they disapprove of people gettin' their own.
Anyway, I headed out in good time - caught the bus to Waterloo. Wasn't crowded, and I drowsed as we drove through the rain.. in fact, the driver forgot I was there, and I had to buzz to ask him to open the door so I could get off! Then I turned in the wrong direction - so used to going to the National. Nope, from where the #77 drops you, you continue straight ahead, down Waterloo Road until you come to the Old Vic, at the crossroads.
The lobby was damn crowded, which was good - I had to queue at the box office for my ticket, which wasn't, given that I was avoiding people. Well, I made it through that, and up the stairs - which skirt the Dress Circle bar, where I had a fair idea they'd be hanging out. In fact, I think I saw someone I know at a nearby table. I pulled my hood back up and continued to the floor above, where there was nobody I knew, and took my seat without delay. Can't fault the view:
Legroom was a little snug though, and I was glad the seat beside me was empty. Now, what you can see on stage beforehand actually represents the back of the canvas that causes all the trouble. See, there's this chap - Rufus Sewell - that buys a.. white painting, for a considerable amount of cash. Completely white. His friends are less than understanding, and the painting - over the course of the play - becomes the catalyst for them to examine the nature of their friendship.
It is a clever play - apparently, it caused a sensation on its first release, 20 years ago. Perhaps because it pokes some fun at the art world - I have to agree, I think a lot of contemporary art is just plain daft. Reminds me of a piece of art in the St. Pancras hotel that is presented as an "air sculpture" - you know, a plinth with some, eh, sculpted air on top. Cost £20,000. Seriously - I did a tour of the place once.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of hiccups. For one thing, I had to wonder - did Rufus Sewell have a throat infection, like the singer last night, or does he really have that weak a voice? At half the volume of his co-actors on stage tonight, I mused to myself that it's a good job he doesn't work primarily on stage - he'd never last. He was yelling all his lines just to be heard, which can't be comfortable.
And then there was Tim Key. Now, this was the very first performance, as it transpired - the first day, and while they normally have matinees on Saturdays, not today they didn't. Which probably contributed to him forgetting his lines. Honestly, I've never seen it happen so badly - he made an entrance and had quite a long speech to make. Really, he must have forgotten half of it - or perhaps that's just the impression I got, given that it took him so long to get over it. He stammered, he tried, he called for help from Maria, the helpful prompter in the wings. Again and again. And then he decided to make his entrance again. And it happened as before. So he made a third entrance. And still it happened. The audience were clapping and cheering - I guess if you've paid to come to the West End, you do want to make the most of it - but my thought was, this is so unprofessional! Seriously, they'd have done better just to hand him the script..
As someone remarked on the way out afterwards, it was a shame, because he didn't really finish the scene properly - was rushing it, couldn't get back into it. It seemed to be slightly contagious, because Rufus Sewell subsequently forgot a name he had to quote in one of his lines. That was over quicker, though. As tends to happen in these cases, they didn't take bows at the end - had they done so, I'd have liked to see Maria included, for her prompt prompting.
Well, I daresay it won't happen again. 90 minutes without interval, runs until 18 February. And is a decent play.. no sign, on the way out, of anyone I wanted to avoid, and I made my way home in the rain.
And how nice it is, when you're starting from the terminus, and the driver waves you on without paying, because the card machine hasn't warmed up yet..
Tomorrow, I'm off to the British Museum, where there's some storytelling going on. The Kalevala is, apparently, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, and I've signed up with Crick Crack - but am much more likely to hang out with the London European Club, who are going too. Long time no see! Of course, the show is sold out.. and yay, this one I have the confirmation email for!
In a cultured end to the week, the Man with the Hat took Let's Do London- for less! to the opera tonight. In the Opera House, which does occasionally stage them. Surprise surprise, I booked.. slips, of course: cheaper. And a decent view.
Plenty of time to catch the bus. There was a festive atmosphere at the bus stop, what with two guys collecting for charity and jiggling their buckets as they belted out Deck the Halls, and two small children determined on demolishing the stop with sheer enthusiasm, egged on by one of their relatives and being glared at by commuters less enthused by Christmas cheer..
I ended up with the small wriggly people beside me for a while, on the bus. Things were quieter when they got off, and we made good time up to Parliament Square. Then we didn't- but I was in good time and that was ok. Collected my ticket, chatted for a bit with the others there, and then we fecked off and left the Man with the Hat forlorn and alone on the pavement. Where he was to remain until nearly showtime, just to make sure that everyone got their ticket..
Gosh, we were early though- never seen the place so empty. A lone pianist was tuning up. By showtime, that was the whole orchestra, and drowned out by the bedlam of a nearly full audience. And then Manon Lescaut started..
In the slips, you expect to miss a little of the action - but one of the few points where that was noticeable was when the people on the top balcony (on stage) were cut off from the waist up.. Someone in the group later objected to the modern dress, which he found incongruous with the music. That wasn't a problem for me - but we all tended to agree that the "impoverished student", Chevalier des Grieux, looked nothing like one. Aleksandrs Antonenko looked a bit too old, and rather like he'd had far too many Krispy Kremes - it was hilarious, when Manon ridiculed her older lover, saying how could she prefer him to des Grieux, indicating his baldness.. and his belly! Oh Lordy woman, have you looked at the man you're running away with? Twice the size! And it didn't really help that he wore a suit for the whole thing - not very studenty. As I remarked later, he'd have done better with the Man with the Hat's baseball cap.
The opera is in four acts, and after the first, a lady came on with a mic to explain how poor Mr. Antonenko had a throat infection, but would be continuing. Again, as someone remarked later, his understudy must have been infuriated at missing his shot. Well, he did a decent job - opera singing can't be easy - not that I've done it - especially with a sore throat. Someone mentioned they'd seen him sneak sips of water during the performance, which I didn't notice. It was also remarked on that his voice seemed much weaker than Manon's - that might have been the reason..
The bit that showcased Manon's obsession with luxury, and the life she led with her rich, elderly lover, was interestingly done - glass walls, an ornate chandelier, pink bedsheets, and a floorshow that was filmed. Nice touch, I thought. However, I was initially confused by the next scene - it took me most of that scene to figure out what was going on - and I'm afraid I couldn't really get into her death scene (spoiler!). Think the stage design distracted me a bit. Still, Sondra Radvanovsky was good in the role, and overall I enjoyed it. As I enjoyed the smoked almonds that were kindly shared with me at the interval, on the balcony - it was cool enough to need an overcoat, but not that vicious cold of a week or so ago.
Afterwards, the Man with the Baseball Cap had already done his research, and determined that The Sun Tavern was too packed - so we headed to The Covent Garden, where he joined us shortly. And would you believe, of the three things you're not supposed to discuss in polite conversation, we managed to cover two of them.. well, who said we were polite? ;-)
Tomorrow, I'm busily avoiding London Dramatic Arts, at a production of Art at the Old Vic. Got myself a carefully chosen, cheap ticket upstairs, y'see. And they don't like people doing that, y'see.
And on Sunday, I'm off to the British Museum, where there's some storytelling going on. The Kalevala is, apparently, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, and I've signed up with Crick Crack - but am much more likely to hang out with the London European Club, who are going too. Long time no see!
Not much inspired me on Meetup today, and I ended up going to the cinema. Top of the list was actually a Turkish film called The Mountain II, which is an army thing. And, to be fair, the trailer looks quite good - but it's only on in the Odeon Lee Valley, and it doesn't look good enough to be traipsing all the way out there! No, instead I headed to One More Time with Feeling, a documentary about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, at Picturehouse Central - much handier.
Despite gardening leave meaning I had a fairly free schedule, I did have to blog, of course - and call my mother.. and I ended up being slightly tight for time. Still, I determined to take the bus - but when the estimated time to arrival didn't change, over the course of several minutes, I rethought my plan and ended up taking the train to Waterloo and the Tube from there. Anyway, it's quite easy to get to Picturehouse Central from Piccadilly Circus - take the Shaftesbury Avenue exit (which, curiously, doesn't deposit you on Shaftesbury Avenue at all), then ahead and the next left - you'll see the sign.
I hadn't booked because (a) it didn't seem to be selling out, and (b) it costs more. I thought to get my ticket from a machine, but curiously, none seemed to be selling tickets for today. So I had to queue at the box office.. first I was behind the woman who was having trouble with her membership and needed some kind of refund, then I switched to an usher who was recalibrating her till (or something). Third time lucky, when another usher came free - at least it wasn't busy. All the way up to the top floor (via escalator), and I arrived during the trailers, and sank into a comfy seat, kicking off my shoes. Well, not completely off, in case my feet were smelly.
So.. I love Nick Cave, and the glory of this film for me was the music, which I think is sublime. Throbbing intensity, with a bass that's so, so deep.. The film started out as a documentary about the making of an album, but halfway through, his son died, and the second half concerns itself with his reaction to that. And out of the studio, the film is just as intense as the music - mostly shot in black and white, with revealing interviews with both him and his wife, who allows the filmmakers ample access to her personal life. The other kids aren't featured, but there are shots of the boy that died, in the first half.
Yup, if you like the music you must see this. The footage of the boy that died is poignant, but otherwise the coverage is very restrained - some memorable footage, both in and out of studio. I liked it. After, Google Maps suggested a quicker bus route for me, leaving from Shaftesbury Avenue - I was confused that I was walking so long, and checking the map, realised I'd missed the stop! It's snuggled in amongst all that scaffolding that's been there for an age. And I wondered about the wisdom of waiting for a bus that the app said would be over 20 minutes in coming - but as it turned out, the app was just being pessimistic. And I had more gorgeous views of Christmas lights on the way home.
After a day off today, the Man with the Hat is back on duty tomorrow - taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Opera House for Manon Lescaut. Rumours of a Top Hat seem to have been premature..
On Saturday, I'm busily avoiding London Dramatic Arts, at a production of Art at the Old Vic. Got myself a carefully chosen, cheap ticket upstairs, y'see. And they don't like people doing that, y'see.
And on Sunday, I'm off to the British Museum, where there's some storytelling going on. The Kalevala is, apparently, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, and I've signed up with Crick Crack - but am much more likely to hang out with the London European Club, who are going too. Long time no see!
No, the intention was not to combine these events into one blog.. it has just been that busy. Read on, curious reader..
So, the last two days were Man with the Hat days. And on Tuesday, he took both his groups - London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to Soho Theatre, to see a play called Underneath. Borderline ticket price, you see, at £10. Well now, Man with the Hat.. Soho Theatre.. no decisions required, I booked. It was only afterwards that I noticed it was a Fishamble production - well, I've seen them several times, and they're always excellent.
It was only on Tuesday itself that I realised what a problem it would've been, had I still been working in Guildford - it was a 7 o'clock start, and Soho Theatre ain't that quick to get to. Fortunately, I'm unlikely ever to go to Guildford again, and I set out in decent time from home. Took the bus(es), even! Arrived at the theatre at just gone 6.20, when he'd said he'd arrive. Of course, there was already a crowd at the tables he'd booked, and the poor man had to vacate his seat to give me one..
And they kept flooding in - I seem to recall he said he had 60 coming to this. Anyhoo, I got a drink, and the chat was good. And just before we headed up, a charming fellow came over and, beaming, asked whether one of us wouldn't mind putting our hand between our legs.. (!) and retrieving his mobile phone charger. I'd wondered whose phone that was.. hey, only in Soho, eh?
Climbed all the stairs, and filed in. I spotted a pile of free leaflets by the door - you could also buy something that looked bulky enough to be a playtext. I didn't bother. The place was already pretty full, but we found seats together, middle-ish, certainly not in the front row, where we'd been warned there might be interaction. And as I looked at what I'd picked up, I thought the actor looked familiar.. sure enough, he was in a play here called Silent, which we saw last year. Writer and actor for both, and both produced by Fishamble.. now, this augured well, as I remembered good things about it.
An ornately decorated stage, gold fabrics draped round about. Otherwise jet black. One of our group asked about the single "reserved" sign on a seat in the row in front of us - turned out it was for someone who'd already got another seat, so our man could sit there: as we were told by the woman who was to sign the whole performance, stood over the side with a spotlight on her.
Pat Kinevane, the writer/actor, was actually already hiding on stage, dressed in black, visible parts painted black as well. Sneaky fellow. Always surprising - I remember the audience interaction from the last show, which was gentle - chatty rather than confrontational. Ah sure, what else would you expect from a fellow from Cobh? Talk the hind legs off a donkey, those Corkonians. Caveat, anyone who wants to sit in the front row.. and God help you if you arrive late, as one Veronica discovered! Or if your phone should go off.. you have been warned.
So this time, he was portraying a dead woman. Eh, fine so. Started out all gossipy - very Cré na Cille. (S)he paid due attention to the lady signing over the side, whom (s)he called "Helicopter Mary" for the way her hands were flying around. And as the play progressed, she gradually told us her own story, culminating in how she came to be there - a sad tale, but one absolutely crammed with sharply honed (and hilarious) observations about society around her. I particularly liked the bit where she described how she collected RTÉ Guides, keeping them in a pile that she used to sit on: as she said, "RTÉ - supporting my arse".
Terrific stuff, an engrossing, 90-minute tour de force. No interval - we were a bit numb after spending that long on the folding chairs. Runs until a week on Saturday - as highly recommended as I always will for this actor/writer, and this theatre company. Go, be surprised.
Now, the Man with the Hat had presented us with a few possibilities for the pub afterwards. Bless, he's (quite naturally) struggling with December crowds. We usually meet in the lobby bar to decide, but on Tuesday it was crammed, and with no sign of anyone we knew, we moved outside. Just in time to see him dispatch a small group - to the "local pub" where he'd reserved a couple of tables. For the rest of us, he started zipping around Dean Street, just to check on the crowds - finally, he dispatched us to the nearby Soho Hotel.
Very pretty - sorry, my phone was off and I don't have any pictures. Anyway, Man with Hat had told us to ask at the desk, and we were duly shown into the Library. Where sofas and chairs were gathered around a square table. And everything was quite white. So there he left us, and we chatted for a bit. And wondered where the service was. Someone suggested we move to the bar, and there was a general consensus - however, when we started to get up, most decided they'd rather just leave, and that's what they did. Just as the guy finally arrived with menus. And when we saw the prices in the bar, we left too..
So finally, it was just down to me and Mary, wandering the streets of Soho. (I feel a song coming on.) Handy the weather's turned milder! Anyway, we fancied a drink, but everywhere was packed.. she mentioned a pub she'd been in, which was good, and was nearby, and we finally meandered over that way. So it was that we came to Waxy O' Connor's - an Irish pub, one I haven't been in (well, I don't make a habit of checking them out..)
London's biggest Irish bar, they claim on the website - and I am inclined to believe them. Four floors that I could see - one upstairs, the ground floor, mezzanine, and basement. And a massive tree in the middle - although that's not the only quirk in this labyrinthine place:
The wine glasses are small, but reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is good. We found a quiet corner (!) and chatted away for a bit before wending our way home. I couldn't blog though, as I had to be up next morning for an interview in Kingston..
Well, I won't go into the particulars, except to say that I didn't have time for breakfast beforehand and after being grilled most of the morning, I was starved! Sadly, Kingston isn't terribly well served for restaurants - there was a Jamie's Italian (never again!), a Zizzi's (ditto), a Pizza Express (didn't really feel like pizza) and a few ethnic restaurants. I was figuring I'd have to go home to find food, when I came across The Rotunda, just across from the station. It had eateries, and I said I'd have a look.
Ground floor, what should I come across but The Hungry Horse. Never seen one before, but it seemed to fit the bill, and I went in and found a table - I could see people ordering food at the bar. Perused the menu - fantastic value! Portions were advertised as large (they have smaller ones for those that want), and I chose and went up to order - somehow, between deciding and ordering, the chicken I'd decided to have turned into a sirloin. Anyway, the thing comes with chips, peas, onion rings, a flat mushroom, and half a tomato - and still she asked whether I wanted sides..! I did order a sauce, at £1.49 extra - but with the sirloin only costing £11.99 on top of that, I figured I could spare it. When I ordered a large glass of house wine, she mentioned that it would cost £3.19, whereas the whole bottle only cost £5. Eh, ok then.. and it mightn't have been the best vintage, but it was perfectly good - screwtop, so I could bring home what I didn't drink.
I really liked this place - easy and unpretentious, with various sports playing on screens dotted about. Including smaller ones in some of the booths. Service was quick and friendly, and the food was tasty. Just a shame I didn't have room for dessert. Popping the mostly empty wine bottle in my bag, I staggered over to the station and home, where I managed to get it in the fridge before collapsing on the bed, where I immediately fell asleep, for most of the afternoon. Tiring work, this interviewing.
When I woke, it was past 6. O hell, I had to get ready - the Man with the Hat was taking London for Less Than a Tenner to the Pop-Up Cinema in Hackney.. and I didn't even know where, exactly. Changed, looked up directions - ooh err, regardless how I went it was going to take me over an hour. Best option seemed the Overground to Dalston Junction (a trek in itself), then a 15-minute walk. And now it was looking like the 7 o' clock Overground..
I made it, after a bit of a gallop - with Overgrounds only about every 15 minutes, I'd probably have been late if I'd had to wait for the next one! (The film started at 8.30.) Walked a long way down before I got a seat - but I was going to be travelling the whole length of the route, and a seat was important. Thus began a long, long trip.. during which I was checking my journey details. Naturally, when I finally got off, the first thing I did was get lost coming out of the station - although I needed Kingsland Road, taking the exit for it wasn't the best idea.
Got cash on the way - I'd have got it at home, but hadn't had time, and I was afraid the venue bar mightn't take cards. Anyway, my trusty maps app made sure I didn't get lost from then on, and I eventually made my way to Hackney Downs Studios. Where, thankfully, a big red sign advertised "Cinema in the Snow". And our trusty organiser had given us good directions for the venue itself - through the car park, doors on the left with "Welcome" over them. Gave my name to the people at the door, who crossed me off the list - and it looked like mine was the last name. It was about 8.20, now.
Made for the bar, where I ran into one of the group, who told me he'd spent 45 minutes looking for the place! Well, as Mary was to say later, we were in foreign territory now.. back to my perusal of the list, and specifically the hot chocolate options: "Naked" (just hot chocolate), "Fun" (with cream and a Flake), "Frolicking" (with a shot), and "Fun & Frolicking" (with all of the above). Good value, in comparison with Winter Wonderland on Monday - the shot was only 50p extra, and only £4 for the whole shebang! Whiskey, I had in it this time again. And you know what? Piping hot, and much better than the one I got on Monday. Was sampling it when the Man in the (Christmassy) Hat found me, and directed me aright..
First time you go in to the Cinema in the Snow, you're directed to the side.. where you enter through a wardrobe! I, of course, was trying not to get my overfilled hot chocolate and cream on anything - and my bag caught. But my, it was wonderful, stepping out the back into a snowy wonderland, snow falling on the trees. Got some in my hot chocolate, but I think it melted. And when you passed through into the screening room, the floor was ankle-deep in snow, white material decorating the ceiling too. Ahh, it's all just lovely.. I located the others and sat with them, immediately making a couple of them jealous, and off they popped to the bar again.
The film in question - which started slightly late - was Elf. Which I'd never seen, as it happens. So, it opens with Bob Newhart narrating, as "Papa Elf". Who adopts a human baby that makes his way to the North Pole, and grows up to be Will Ferrell. Only he's a bit taller than the other elves, and not fitting in, so eventually he must be told the truth, and makes his way to New York to meet his father (James Caan), now married to Mary Steenburgen. He falls in love with Zooey Deschanel, and saves the day for Santa (Ed Asner).
And it's lovely. Will Ferrell plays a convincing elf, if that's Zooey Deschanel's real voice then she can really sing, and it's just lovely and festive, and heartwarming. Perfect Christmas fare, and I was delighted I came - would've come before, and would again, but my schedule wouldn't permit..
Afterwards, drinks were on the cards. The Man in the (festive) Hat waved us up the road.. which we waited at the top of, in confusion. Turns out that building beside us was a pub, which was where he'd been directing us. Called the Hand of Glory, of all things. Inside, the décor is as distinctive as the name:
Apparently, it's all to do with British folklore, and wicca. My, what they get up to in the wilds of Hackney.. nice, though, that they take cards. Very obviously - the one time I had cash, and she kept thrusting a card machine at me. A couple of my companions were very impressed with the old-style glass tankards they were served in..
Afterwards, took the bus with Mary back to Waterloo, and then another home. Had to go straight to bed, for another flipping job-related phone call this morning! And so no blog. Ironically, as I was looking up the website for this job, I discovered the damn thing is based in Surrey - however I missed it. So that was a short phone call then.
Nothing much on Meetup today, and I'm headed to the pictures. Top of the list is actually a Turkish film called The Mountain II, which is an army thing. And, to be fair, the trailer looks quite good - but it's only on in the Odeon Lee Valley, and it doesn't look good enough to be traipsing all the way out there! No, instead I'll head to One More Time with Feeling, a documentary about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Picturehouse Central, much handier.
After a day off today, the Man with the Hat is back on duty tomorrow - taking Let's Do London - for less! to the Opera House for Manon Lescaut. Rumours of a Top Hat seem to have been premature..
On Saturday, I'm busily avoiding London Dramatic Arts, at a production of Art at the Old Vic. Got myself a carefully chosen, cheap ticket upstairs, y'see. And they don't like people doing that, y'see.
And on Sunday, I'm off to the British Museum, where there's some storytelling going on. The Kalevala is, apparently, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, and I've signed up with Crick Crack - but am much more likely to hang out with the London European Club, who are going too. Long time no see!
Meetup is a great resource. Sometimes they advertise great things to go to - sometimes, the things they advertise aren't quite right, but they give you great ideas. So it was today, with Carpe Diem charging £5 to go to the Southbank Christmas Market, followed by a stroll around St. Paul's. Now, as I've said before, there are groups I'd pay to go out with - I don't know these people, however, and this isn't one of the groups I'd automatically pay for. Also, I've seen St. Paul's and environs several times - not to mention that I fancied shopping in my own time.
So I translated this into - hit the Southbank Christmas Market, and Winter Wonderland - because the Southbank Market is pretty small. And so, in my own time, I headed for the #77 bus, perfectly missing one just as I approached the stop. No problem, I was in no hurry.. and when I did get one, I ended up sat with a couple of women conversing in some kind of creole. 'S interesting, I don't believe I've ever heard it in real life before. Anyhoo, it gave the journey to Waterloo some colour. (Buses are much more colourful than the Tube, in general..)
Walked to the market through Jubilee Gardens:
As I've said before, it's a small market - at least this makes it manageable, and I did see a couple of stalls that caught my eye (and that I didn't see better than, later). So, I made a couple of purchases - and, not yet hungry, decided I was done with that and should continue to Winter Wonderland. My adorably useful Google Maps app told me I should walk along the river to Westminster Bridge, where I could catch the #148 straight there. So that's what I did, feeling like a tourist - which is nice, every once in a while. Passing the London Eye, I made the following observation; there are plenty of cheaper and less busy ways to see the London skyline, but if you must do this, then do get a fast-track ticket - the queue for the standard ticket is insane!
A short wait, and I was on the bus again - which finished early, two stops short of where I wanted, but that was ok; as a mother near me remarked to her little girl, you could see the lights of Winter Wonderland over the buildings. And the walk there did give me the chance to gawk at The Lanesborough, and some Olde-Worlde elegance:
And so across the road to Hyde Park itself, following the signs when present, and the lights when they weren't. The nearest entrance actually had such a bad queue to get in that the stewards were asking us to head to the next entrance along. I don't remember ever seeing it so crowded - might be because it's celebrating its 10th anniversary, or maybe it's just that I've always been in the evening before, when most of the kids would've gone home. Anyway, it was a bit of a schlep to the next entrance, which was beside the lake:
And so into the madness, with a compulsory bag check that I don't remember from before. Have they made it bigger this year? Hard to say, but it took forever to explore - remember, there isn't just a Christmas market here, there's also a funfair.. and a circus.. and this year, they're doing The Nutcracker - on Ice!
Well! I had my fill of shopping - and traipsing from one end to the other - and when I was done with all that, the various food smells tempted me, and I made my way back to the Mr. Bratwurst stall I'd seen at the Bavarian Village, where I'd noted the potatoes with bacon and onion, which sounded good. Cash only, as with all the food stalls - but I'd foreseen that problem, and brought cash with me (pretty much all of which got spent). FYI There are some cash machines at the Bavarian Village - if you can find it.
No napkins on offer, but I was given a fork, and took my precious dinner to the nearby benches under the tent. Where there may have been heating, but I couldn't detect any actually working. And a misfortunate band did their jolly thing on stage, pretending to believe that someone was listening to them. As for my dinner - it was lukewarm, and fully cold by the time I'd got two-thirds through it; I threw the rest away. But it was tasty while it lasted. I'd have stayed for a drink, but the night had turned bitterly cold - still, on the way out, I fancied a hot chocolate, preferably with something added. Gee, that's not hard to find here - now, the stall I found offered Bailey's with their hot chocolate, but were out of it: so I just had to have Johnnie Walker in it instead. (Which I highly recommend - it has a most warming effect!) Oh, and when I agreed to cream on top, she must've squirted half the can onto it - good job she gave me a fork (no spoons left, either) - it took me five minutes just to scoop off enough cream to get down to the drink!
Set me up for the walk to the bus stop, on Sloane Street - and thank heavens, again, for Google Maps, without which I'd have been completely lost now.
(Ooh look, they put a Christmas tree on every lamppost here!) And thank heavens once again for the Hopper fare, which allows free transfer between buses within an hour - this was a two-bus journey for me, but with no extra charge. Actually, it turned out to be a three-bus journey - must have been an epidemic on the buses tonight, because again, the first bus on my way home stopped short of where I needed it to go, and this time I had to get a second, just to take me to where I had to catch the third. But you know what? Still no extra charge! Ooh, I just love that mayor.
The next two days, the Man with the Hat opens his busy Christmas season - tomorrow, he's taking London for Less Than a Tenner (and Let's Do London - for less!, it's that borderline £10 price again) to Soho Theatre, for a play called Underneath, about which I hear good things. Anyway, it's by Fishamble, which is ample recommendation. They don't do bad.
And on Wednesday, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to the cinema! Pop-up, "Cinema in the Snow" - we're in Hackney Showroom, where they're apparently treating us to fake snow and real hot chocolate. :-) Oh, and we enter through a wardrobe. Kewl.. The film? Elf. Well hey, it's festive..! And I do hear that the Hat (as worn by the Man) is to get a - temporary - festive makeover..
Last thing I had booked for the year (with my mother) was the UL Orchestra's Christmas concert, which happened yesterday, and nicely coincided with one of my weekends in Ireland. And one of the last things I did before leaving London was, as usual, to try to Print at Home - I've always booked Print at Home tickets, it's handier than finding, and queueing at, the box office. And this was the third time in a row that the link didn't open properly, and I had to ring them and ask them to print and hold the tickets for me. Must be something to do with my trying to access the link from London - I don't have a printer in Ireland, you see. Won't be using Print at Home for UCH tickets any more..!
Well, it has become our custom to eat at the Castletroy Park Hotel across the road from the university, and so we did yesterday - had to park on the far side of the entrance, but otherwise no problems, we got a decent table despite the crowd. As the song says.. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..
Had to ask a second person for the menu, but that second person turned out to be quite efficient, so 'twas for the best. The menu had varied a bit, which was a relief - my mother's usual salmon, and the usual soup (which I find very tasty, and always have), but for main course I had the beef and vegetable curry. Which was also very tasty! And when the server found out that my mother's sauce hadn't arrived on the side - which she swore she'd specifically asked them to do - she offered to change the dish; when my mother said no, it was ok, she said our bill would be discounted instead. Dessert for us both was a lemon and meringue tart - the lemon was zesty enough, but the meringue was nondescript. And I don't know by how much our bill was discounted, but it was still reasonably high.
On our way out, we passed the gingerbread model of the hotel they'd made for charity:
We waddled out to the car, suitably stuffed, and exchanged the Christmas decorations of the Castletroy Park for the Christmas decorations of UCH:
..and hunkered down for a long wait (we were quite early). We didn't want any more to eat or drink.. at one point, I went in search of a programme, but none were to be seen. When the doors finally opened - a bit late - we took our seats, which were slightly more central than they should have been, owing to the fact that another couple had taken them, and asked whether that was ok. (?) Eh, ok then..
What followed was enjoyable enough, but singularly the worst organised event I've been to in ages. I saw several people with programmes, and went in search of them at the interval - to no avail. I wanted to book tickets for something else, and went to the box office at the interval - it's usually open at the interval during an event, but it must be that Christmas feeling - they'd already locked up and gone home! And in the second half, there were words to a carol in the programme (apparently) that we were to sing along to - except they couldn't find anyone to get the house lights up so they could be read. Not to mention that none of the conductors were mic'ed, and we couldn't hear properly what they were saying to us..
So. I don't really know what we were listening to, since I never did get a look at a programme, but the first half was classical - Borodin's Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven's Egmont Overture, according to the brief blurb on the publicity. The second half opened with a couple of youth choirs, both with the same conductor, who performed pleasing, unusual programmes, of both of which we only recognised one piece; the first choir opened with the lovely Carol of the Bells, and the second finished with Jingle Bells (and a smile). Sadly, I can't tell you who they were, having had no programme.. Finally, the orchestra came back on, all bedecked with tinsel and Santa hats. I really wished I had my phone on, to snap the cello section, all with Santa hats over the heads of their cellos.. They ended with a carol medley, and it was obvious that the audience would've liked to sing along - well, my section sang snippets most heartily - but it wasn't designed for that.
Hey-ho, it wasn't over too late. Still too late to blog, given that I had to take my mother to Mass today. And the day was too hectic to blog thereafter, till I got back to Blighty. Tomorrow - not much on Meetup, if I don't fancy - heh - exercising. Carpe Diem is off to the Southbank Market - now that sounds like a plan, I haven't hardly done any Christmas shopping yet! However, not only are they charging a fiver - and you know, in a group I mightn't have time to do that shopping - but then they're off to St. Paul's, which I've seen quite enough of. So my plan is to hit the market on my own - perhaps head to Winter Wonderland, which is bigger, if I don't see what I want there.
Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Man with the Hat opens his busy Christmas season - on Tuesday, he's taking London for Less Than a Tenner (and Let's Do London - for less!, it's that borderline £10 price again) to Soho Theatre, for a play called Underneath, about which I hear good things. Anyway, it's by Fishamble, which is ample recommendation. They don't do bad.
And on Wednesday, London for Less Than a Tenner is off to the cinema! Pop-up, "Cinema in the Snow" - we're in Hackney Showroom, where they're apparently treating us to fake snow and real hot chocolate. :-) Oh, and we enter through a wardrobe. Kewl.. The film? Elf. Well hey, it's festive..!
Kensington Classical Music again this evening, and a concert at the 1901 Club. And there I was, thinking I hadn't been before.. and it first in my list of blog labels! Anyway, it's near Waterloo, and for speed I said I'd get the train - mind you, I had doubts about it ever coming, what with each train being delayed, then shown as "DUE" on the departure boards for some minutes..
So, having reached Waterloo, I located Exton Street (off Waterloo Road) and it was as I was heading down it that it started to look familiar. So, I knew which door to look for; inside, I met the men with the clipboard, who didn't have my name, but did know the organiser's.. so they ticked me off, took my coat and suggested I go to the bar, upstairs. Which I did, being a bit early - and the organiser was already there, and we chatted until it was suggested that we go down, it being nearly start time. She also said she'd keep an eye out for any jobs that might suit me. Which was nice.
I had to sit near the back, on one of the high seats - people might have gone to the bar, but most had had the foresight to leave coats as placeholders on their chairs. I took a free programme from one of the ushers, and in due course - just a little late - the lights were dimmed, and the violinist, Emre Engin, ushered in.
In each half, the first piece was a violin solo, and for the second he was accompanied by Jennifer Hughes on piano. The first of the violin solos was Bach, whose second movement he substituted with one by Alfred Schnittke - which I thought jarred. However, the rest was beautiful. An unusual second piece followed: one of his own composition, accompanied by Jennifer Hughes, and which was written - as he told us - for his sister, who had miscarried. Its first public performance - and I was, as ever, apprehensive about modern classical music: but this was tender and haunting, and well deserved the cries of "bravo!" at the end.
Most headed up to the bar at the interval, but I'd developed a headache and the last thing I wanted was a drink - I said I'd stay where I was, and join them at the end. The second half saw performances of Paganini and Prokofiev - a lovely programme, all in all. Sadly, by the end I was practically falling asleep - it's emotionally wearing, you know, all this interviewing, and I slept badly last night - was glad I got it together for today's phone interview. Anyway, I made my excuses and left, glad to get home.
Tomorrow, it's back to Ireland for the weekend - flights booked up to February at this stage, but I'm not booking any more for now until I know what I'm doing long-term - and on Saturday, we're off to the UL Orchestra's Christmas concert.
