Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical

Tonight, booked for Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. Showing at the Lyric. Was looking forward to it. And it proved easier to get to than yesterday's venue. They actually asked me to fill out a questionnaire yesterday, which consisted of one question - have you had Covid symptoms recently? And after I answered in the negative, they consented to email me my ticket.

After another hectic day at work, things died down in the evening, and I headed off in decent time. I could get the #8 - but I'd have to change - or the #11, direct, with a little walk to the theatre. However, the #11 was not shown as coming at any time! That didn't stop it being the first of the two that appeared, and off I went. I was glad to get off, mind, once the small, strident woman got on and sat somewhere behind me, talking loudly - on her phone, it seems. She was both very angry and very religious! The amount of swearing she did down that phone.. as well as predicting that God would smite the (string of rude words)..

Well, the bus beat Google Maps' estimate by 10 minutes, which was lovely. Now, I'd been warned that the theatre wouldn't even open until 15 minutes before showtime.. I arrived five minutes before that, and was rather glad I had, when I saw the queue that stretched right down to Great Windmill Street:

(You can just about see the show sign, off in the distance.) And just as the crowd was trying to decide whether to queue across the road, or at an angle up the pavement, the doors opened and the queue began to move. A very cursory bag check, a quick ticket check, and up a reasonable amount of stairs. A lady at the top asked where I was sitting and told me roughly where that was, then where the bar and toilets were - so, off I schlepped to the bar, where I got a large wine. Decent size, for once. And when I got to my seat, I was glad I'd done that first - it'd have been a bit complicated otherwise.

The lady at the end of the row offered to hold my drink while I struggled into my seat - I was just lucky that the people either side of me hadn't arrived yet. You see, despite appearances, the view wasn't the problem here - I could lean and see all I needed to. It was that the pillar juts into the seating area, severely limiting legroom and manoeuvrability. Mercifully, just as it was starting, the guy to my right confided that there was a free seat beside them, and they were going to move up and I could then have his seat. Ah, bless! So I was much more comfortable - and could stretch my legs into the seat behind the pillar, thus compensating for the generally snug legroom. I was equally glad not to have someone on my left - these seats fit very cosily together, and I felt quite squashed on the side where I was beside someone. Plus, the lady to my left now had somewhere to leave all her stuff!

So, another jukebox musical. I'm not as familiar with Bob Marley as I am with Tina Turner, but I certainly knew most of these, and was surprised that one I was familiar with was one of his! Plus, I just love the laidback vibe of the music.. what a perfect antidote to a stressful day at work. Very pleased with myself.

At the end of the interval.. gee, the owner of the originally unoccupied seat showed up. I was thinking I'd been lucky - the place was packed. Poor guy, missing all the first half! And poor me - I was back behind the pillar for the second half. And the lady to my left had to move all her stuff - somewhere. Speaking of whom, she was a rather large lady, and my left leg was squished into the pillar for the duration - agony. And although I was happy enough to sing along - when I knew the words - when the standing ovation came at the end, and the standing around, bopping to the beat - why, I couldn't! I literally didn't have the room - I'd just have been hugging the pillar. Will never, ever take that seat - or similar, in this theatre - again. But it's an excellent show - currently booking until 17th September.

Waiting for the bus back - which I caught across from Charing Cross - I found myself listening to a peculiar rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In. I looked around for the source - as usual, it was a busker outside the station gate. This busker had appropriated a traffic cone, and was using it as a megaphone.. And so home, and alighted at the stop that is no longer listed on the route.. And delighted to be home earlier than last night.

Tomorrow, back with London Classical Music & Theatre Group, for a concert by the London Philharmonic in the Royal Festival Hall. Really must make an effort to meet the group this time - but it can be tricky, if they don't bring a sign or indicate how they can be recognised!

And on Thursday, the Crick Crack Club is back - online - with Trickster, live-streamed from Oxford again. Well, assuming it works, this time..

Film: Dear Future Children

Decided to go to a film tonight - and wouldn't you know it, the film list didn't update until Friday! which is far too late. Anyway, when it finally got done, what came out top was Dear Future Children, a documentary about three young, female activists from different parts of the world. Only showing tonight, and only in the Picturehouse Finsbury Park. Now, with few tickets left, I thought I'd better book - but as I was about to pay, I noticed they take Tesco vouchers! And I recalled getting a Tesco email recently about vouchers - I never get around to using them. Well and good, I converted some Tesco vouchers - including one expiring soon - into three times' their worth in Picturehouse vouchers, and ended up only having to pay 10p for my ticket! Nice..

Work was as crazy as almost any Monday, and I stayed a little longer than intended doing it. Now, there was a single bus (the #153) that would get me there in under an hour, so that's what I decided to take - but being delayed slightly made all the difference, and as I turned into the street were I was to catch it, there it was, already started off and scooting toward me. Ok, Plan B involved changing buses, but would get me there just ever so slightly late, which I figured was fine. So I headed over to the stop where I was to catch the first of those - only to discover that the LCD display said it wouldn't be there for another 10 minutes! Happily, as I was trying to figure out whether that would be way too late - it appeared on the horizon, the display changed its mind, and all was well. I had a short wait for the second bus, but that came in due course, and the only excitement for the rest of the journey was a very loud man who got on, persuaded the driver to let him travel without paying, and started to hail everyone at the top of his voice. Liked to be friendly, he explained. He also advised us not to smoke weed. Very helpful.

Well, I got off at Finsbury Park Station, which is as confusing as it ever was. But for once I took the right direction - and discovered a lovely, pedestrianised area I'd never known was there! Well, I'd only ever been to the theatre nearby here before. And just at the end of it was the cinema. I'd have liked to peruse the bar area - and I'd forgotten, but Picturehouses have the best in cinema snacks (including alcohol) - but I was already slightly late. So I headed over to the ushers at the entrance to the screens, perched on stools and brandishing clipboards. As instructed on my confirmation email, I showed the usher my barcode. Oh no, he had no reader - he wanted to see the details. But this was a screenshot. So I needs must find the email and scroll down it so he could see I was telling the truth. Uhh.

Well, the cinema is gorgeous - my screen was in the very bottom level. Now, I knew I was in the back row, and at the end - I'd thought I might have to squeeze past the entire row to get to my seat, so I was delighted to discover that the stairs were at that side, and I was right at the top of those! I could hardly have chosen a better seat. Plush upholstery too, and they recline. I figured the guy who sat beside me was something to do with the film - sure enough, he was one of the distributors, and as he was chatting to his companion on the other side, I learned that the performance was a sellout (unsurprisingly), and that someone of his acquaintance didn't have a seat, although he could see the whole front row free. He went and asked, in fact - but was told that they never sold the front row. Which, as he remarked to his companion, was curious - not that he'd particularly like to sit there, but it was a sellout..!

Happily for me, the film started about 15 minutes late. This, we were told, was the UK premiere - hence the limited screening for now. As I say, three activists, from different places - the story switches from one to the other throughout. To summarise:

Uganda

The Ugandan activist, a student at Kampala University, comes from a family who used to have a farm, until climate change led to drought, the crops died, and they had to sell everything and move to the city. She founded an organisation to battle climate change - and they have boots on the ground. There's lots of footage of them clearing plastic bottles from rivers - and wow, you should see the quantities! Truly depressing. The climax of her story comes when she addresses a climate conference in Copenhagen, and is seated at the table onstage beside the Mayor of Paris, among others, as she gives a truly emotional speech about what climate change has meant to her. She's also shown giving a radio interview, where she's asked why she pursued the issue of climate change, rather than something gender-related.. to which she replies that there are two genders, and climate change affects everyone. So why wouldn't she choose that?

Santiago de Chile

What's nice about the Chilean activist is that she shows us some nice things about her hometown first - before getting into the corruption and violence. And it's extreme - she's on the front line, she wears a gas mask. And with good reason, as we see the police chucking tear gas into the crowds. She also explains to us how police fire rubber bullets directly into people's faces - all the protests seem to take place on the "Plaza Dignidad" (Dignity Square), and the saying goes that the price of dignity is an eye. There's footage from right in the middle of riots, showing first-aiders trying to navigate tear gas and water cannons, coming under police attack themselves. One rather iconic shot has our activist taking aim at the police with a slingshot. And what has the police so riled? What are they protesting? A constitution that was formed under Pinochet, and which seems to be doing nothing but widening the gap between rich and poor. Our activist isn't the only one in her family - her own father is awaiting treatment for a bullet wound to his thigh..

Hong Kong

But it was really Hong Kong that got me interested. Our subject here can't even give her real name, and we never see her face - although, at the end, she's described as "a refugee, living somewhere in the world", she's worried about reprisals against her family back there. As the end credits roll, it's notable that under the heading of "Hong Kong Crew", there is no information except an explanatory statement that if their names were to be listed, they would be imprisoned. And in fact, at the Q+A at the end, the director explained that the head of the ground crew in Hong Kong was arrested and sentenced to 10 years for working on this film.

This footage - again, shot in the heart of the pro-democracy protests - is notable for a couple of things. Firstly, the sheer size of the crowds protesting - they're massive, as shown in overhead footage. Secondly, although the Chilean police were also brutal, the Hong Kong police in this film really take the biscuit for not actually caring whether they're filmed, openly beating youngsters on the subway. As our protestor explains, what she's really afraid of is being arrested - they can hold you for 48 hours, and do whatever they like to you in that time. It was after the passing of the National Security Law that things got really bad - protesting, or even just complaining about the government, in any way, is now illegal, and a number of activists have fled. One of her friends was arrested, another committed suicide.

The Q+A afterwards featured not only people involved in the making of the film, but also a refugee from Hong Kong, who begged us to welcome her fellow citizens, as they flee around the world. Despite acknowledging that the British government has made it easier for Hong Kong citizens to live here, she was scathing about the British government in general, pointing out that while they governed Hong Kong, they never sought the locals' opinion, and when they handed it over, no Hong Kong citizens were included in the negotiations. She became emotional when describing the plight of her countrymen and women.. and got the largest round of applause of the night.

And the filmmakers begged us to spread the word - apparently, they have done a deal to release it in Odeon cinemas, so off you go! Seriously, this film should be required viewing - for the politics, for the causes mentioned - but also for its showcasing of young women, afraid but unbowed, standing up for what they believe in. Certainly, it's reminded me of how much I used to care about the world.

As I left it was raining - that's not fair, it wasn't predicted! My way home started with catching the #153 again - this time, from Finsbury Park Station, a maze at the best of times. Well, after some to-ing and fro-ing, I found it - but it was at the stand, not where I was supposed to pick it up! Completely unable to find that stop, and distracted by being drizzled on, I checked the schedule to see where else I could pick it up, and set out in search of another stop. Unfortunately, I'd picked up a hanger-on.. a young bloke, can in hand, had seen me peering at the schedule and decided to approach with an "excuse me!". Anyway, I tried to move on - and wouldn't you know it, as I was searching around for my stop, there he was trying to engage me in flipping conversation, and asking me was my attitude because he was black and I was white?! No, Sunshine - my attitude was because I didn't know you, you approached me, and then proceeded to stalk me around the station. Jeez, were you raised by wolves? Anyway, he finally caught up with me as I was waiting to cross the road, whereupon I turned on him and snapped "What do you WANT?!" "To help," he said meekly. I said, "Well, I hardly need help crossing the road." And that seemed to get rid of him.

Unfortunately, as I approached that stop - my bus sailed past. Again. I was not having the best night for travel. And I was determined not to head back to the station, where I'd probably run into him again - nope, I'd wait as long as it took for another to come. And I got on the first one whose number I recognised. Which turned out to be on diversion - and as I followed our progress on the map, I suddenly realised I'd gotten the right bus in the wrong direction, making the quite understandable error that just because some buses at a stop go your way, not even those that travel the right route and stop there are always going in your direction! So, after we'd meandered through several residential streets, heading further and further away from where I wanted to be, I got off when we hit civilization again, and got the bus in the other direction. Which, gee, was the only bus that typically stopped there. And so I eventually made it home, and had to ring my mother, who was full of dire warnings about not blogging about dictatorial regimes. Well.. so much for that.

Tomorrow, going to Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. Showing at the Lyric. Looking forward to it. And it should be easier to get to. They actually asked me to fill out a questionnaire today, which consisted of one question - have you had Covid symptoms recently? And after I answered in the negative, they consented to email me my ticket.

On Wednesday, back with London Classical Music & Theatre Group, for a concert by the London Philharmonic in the Royal Festival Hall. Really must make an effort to meet the group this time - but it can be tricky, if they don't bring a sign or indicate how they can be recognised!

And on Thursday, the Crick Crack Club is back - online - with Trickster, live-streamed from Oxford again. Well, assuming it works, this time..

Film: Last Night in Soho

Well, I'm back in Ireland again - flew on Friday, for once! Just for the weekend, this time - I'm heading back to London tonight. And I hope not to have the delay I did on Friday - it's been a while since I experienced the like, perhaps as I haven't had a Friday flight in so long. Their third flight of the day, which led to a knock-on effect, due to a delayed departure from Lisbon, we were told. Unfortunately, all of this was told to us once we were safely on the plane.. which was a very long time after Ryanair checked our credentials, prior to boarding. After that, passengers are directed into a tunnel, and made to wait there until it's actually time to board the plane. It doesn't usually take 20 minutes for passengers to be able to leave the tunnel.. which got very hot. One elderly woman felt faint, and had to be taken out and given a seat. As one man near me said, "Great customer service.."

Yesterday, I headed to the pictures - delighted to be seeing Last Night in Soho. Earliest showing at the Omniplex, so I booked - although curiously, when I first looked, the Arc in Ennis had a matinée, which was then removed. Well, never mind, the Omniplex is cheaper. And this sounded really interesting, and has great reviews. (Ironic, I left London to watch a film set in London..) A young girl (Thomasin McKenzie) comes to study in London, and fantasises about swinging Soho in the 60s. Unsurprisingly, she dreams that she is there. Surprisingly, it seems she's dreaming about real events - and when this spills into her waking life, she has problems. A pleasantly unusual-sounding horror.. Stars the late Diana Rigg, in her last performance, as her landlady, Michael Ajao as a friendly classmate of hers, Pauline McLynn as the landlady of the pub where she gets a part-time job, and Terence Stamp as an elderly gent hanging around, who takes a suspicious interest in her..

I left in good time - which was as well, considering the horrendous traffic in Limerick City centre - are people doing their Christmas shopping early? A large delay there meant that I only just got to the cinema in time - where I discovered that the cinema car park was completely full (presumably of people treating themselves, after the Christmas shopping!). So after trawling that, I ended up parking around the side, and was a few minutes late, by the schedule. Now, they no longer show many ads, so I ended up arriving as the credits were rolling - had to excuse myself past two people on the outside of my row, but at least I didn't miss anything.

Ah, this is great! She's a real ingenue - her mother killed herself when she was little, her father wasn't around - so she was raised by her gran, in the depths of the countryside. And from her, picked up a love of all things 60s - the music, the fashion. In fact, she makes all her own clothes, and that's what she wants to do for a living - at the start of the film, she gets the letter confirming her place at the London College of Fashion. Her gran is delighted for her - but also a little worried. Not only is she naive, and embedded in an old vision of what London is like - but she sees ghosts, which could be a problem.

Well, off she heads - splashing out on a black cab, once she arrives in London, to take her to the halls of residence. She says at one point that she has a loan and a bursary - must be substantial! This is the most expensive way to travel, in London. Well, apart from rickshaw, maybe. Anyway, I really felt for her in the halls of residence - she's an old soul, doesn't fit in with the hard-partying crowd she's sharing with. And her roommate is - awful. So, she's soon looking for a place on her own - and how she gets to afford a bedsit in Goodge Place is beyond me. (Nostalgic for me though, I once lived a stone's throw from there! I couldn't afford a bedsit, but had an ensuite in a converted hospital. Most expensive place I ever rented - but I loved it.) Well then, it's unsurprising that she gets a part-time job. Which I still can't imagine would pay for it. But anyway.

Well, she starts dreaming about 60s Soho, and sort of transposing herself with one of the characters, an aspiring singer. As her landlady tells her that the house had a lot of different girls staying there over the years, she figures that this girl had her room. But as the girl's story gets more unpleasant, her ability to see ghosts starts to manifest in her waking hours, and she becomes more and more uneasy, as she tries to find out how the story ends..

And so do we. Amazing cinematography transforms this from what could be a pretty conventional ghost story into something far more disturbing. Appropriately for a film with a fashion theme, it looks amazing - rather 60s psychedelic in style. Not that I was there, but the look and feel of the 60s is excellent, and the soundtrack is perfect.. and the film as a whole had me on edge the entire time. Beautifully made - check it out, if you have an interest in ghosts. Or in the 60s!

Right, well, planning on a film tomorrow as well - and wouldn't you know it, the film list didn't update until Friday! which is far too late. And I didn't have time to go through it until late last night. Anyway, now done, and I'm going to Dear Future Children, a documentary about three young, female activists from different parts of the world. Only showing tomorrow, and only in the Picturehouse Finsbury Park. Now, with few tickets left, I thought I'd better book - but as I was about to pay, I noticed they take Tesco vouchers! And I recalled getting a Tesco email recently about vouchers - I never get around to using them. Well and good, I converted some Tesco vouchers - including one expiring soon - into three times' their worth in Picturehouse vouchers, and ended up only having to pay 10p for my ticket! Nice..

On Tuesday, going to Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. Showing at the Lyric. Looking forward to it.

On Wednesday, back with London Classical Music & Theatre Group, for a concert by the London Philharmonic in the Royal Festival Hall. Really must make an effort to meet the group this time - but it can be tricky, if they don't bring a sign or indicate how they can be recognised!

And on Thursday, the Crick Crack Club is back - online - with Trickster, live-streamed from Oxford again. Well, assuming it works, this time..

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical

The day started rather well - my usual meal out at the station had a musical accompaniment, in the form of an army brass band, playing popular tunes. It was a poppy appeal - collectors were dotted all around. Anyway, the musical backdrop was lovely - they started with James Bond tunes, then tried about one modern hit before they gave up on those and reverted to The Beatles. Very pleasant - now, if only that cold draught hadn't been blowing through..

Tonight, finally got to see Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, which I'd booked pre-lockdown and got a refund for! Cheapest tickets, I found, were direct from the Aldwych Theatre. (Which I passed last night, in both directions.) Peculiar website though - I couldn't see my basket without going back into the booking section.

Why is it that, if anything does happen at work, it tends to be late in the day?! Never fear, I did get going - just a little later than I'd have chosen. Waited for the same bus as last night - and again, had to watch it idling at the traffic lights across the junction. Not for as long, this time. And, of course, it goes right past the theatre. Guess what though? Google Maps - get this - wanted me to change to another bus en route. Jesus wept. I didn't change. I tell you this though, it took a minute to figure out a route across the road, to the theatre, right on the other side..

(Note the cyclist, in the yellow jacket, cycling along the PAVEMENT, towards me..) At the entrance, it wasn't exactly clear where to go, with everyone milling around. And wow, it seems I've never actually been to this theatre before! Unheard of. Anyway, an usher, with a very Irish accent behind her mask (and a shock of red hair to go with it) motioned me along the side of the building, to the right, for the Grand Circle. It's quite a bit up. There, two people were at the door, one of whom asked me for my Covid cert (or equivalent) - Lordy, it took forever to find on my phone! Just as well this theatre, too, had asked me to come early.. and then I had a (cursory) bag check, and then someone checked my ticket. And then I climbed some stairs. And after all that, still with plenty of time to kill, I went to the bar - well, they encouraged us to pre-order, but we didn't have to. And lo, where I could only have Pinot Grigio if I ordered online, I was given a choice of Sauvignon Blanc here! So it was worth waiting for. It was served to me in a little plastic bottle, with a plastic container to drink it out of.

It took a moment to find my seat - turned out Row J isn't the back row, it's second from the back. Well, I wouldn't remember, it's weeks since I booked it! And the floor markings are unclear - I wasn't the only one confused. I recommend checking the labels on the seat backs. But I was glad of the aisle seat, with a little extra room for my stuff, and somewhere to swing my legs, if necessary. The poor people next to me, in town for a few days it seems, were perplexed - they were telling me they'd been to see The Prince of Egypt last night, and paid less for Stalls tickets than they had for these! They just weren't expecting to be so high up..! Goes to show.. some shows are just more popular than others.

And with good reason. This is FANTASTIC. Well, you know, I saw a West End medley during lockdown - and this was one of the featured shows. And the lead, Aisha Jawondo, completely blew me away - the woman channels Tina Turner, with all of the sass, and the most incredible, strong voice!

We get her backstory, her troubled relationship with her mother, her disastrous first marriage to Ike Turner. But hell, that's not why we were there.. an usher at the side kept a very close eye on us, and we'd been warned not to sing and dance until the end. But HOW can you not sing along to River Deep, Mountain High? (What the hey, nobody heard me over the people on stage..) And, knowing most of the songs, I spent the whole night bopping in my seat. Until we were finally unleashed, to - you guessed it - Simply the Best. Had to be that, and we'd been in suspense for it all night. And at that point, most of us were on our feet from the start of the song - and wow, did I realise how much I've missed rock concerts.

What was hilarious was the guy in front of me, pumping his fist in the air all night - obviously a big fan. Anyway, the back few rows were completely full, the few rows in front of that completely empty (obviously more expensive). And he and his friend moved down at the interval, as did a lot of people. Well, I was delighted for him - they had the whole row to themselves, and he was dancing up and down that row as soon as we were allowed. Sheer unleashed, unadulterated glee, and I was delighted for him! Currently booking until the 18th December next year - a must-see. Haven't seen its like since Motown the Musical..

Tomorrow, I'm flying back to Ireland again - a Friday flight, for once! Just for the weekend, this time. And on Saturday, I'm headed to the pictures - delighted to be seeing Last Night in Soho. Earliest showing at the Omniplex, so I've booked - although curiously, when I first looked, the Arc in Ennis had a matinée, which now seems to have been removed. Well, never mind, the Omniplex is cheaper. And this sounds really interesting, and has great reviews. (Ironic, I leave London to watch a film set in London..) A young girl (Thomasin McKenzie) comes to study in London, and fantasises about swinging Soho in the 60s. Unsurprisingly, she dreams that she is there. Surprisingly, it seems she's dreaming about real events - and when this spills into her waking life, she has problems. A pleasantly unusual-sounding horror.. Stars the late Diana Rigg, in her last performance, as her landlady. 

Play: The Normal Heart

Tonight, I was at the National for The Normal Heart, of which I'd heard good reviews. Honestly, I was a bit dubious - what, another play about the advent of AIDS? But well, one of the organisers of Up in the Cheap Seats went to see it a few weeks ago, and raved about it - and I usually agree with her choices - so I said I'd give it a shot.

A little far to walk - and thank goodness, because I didn't fancy crossing a bridge in this cold! So, I hopped from one foot to the other for warmth, waiting for the #26 bus - frustratingly, stuck within sight for several minutes at traffic lights. And off we crawled - taking quite a bit longer than Google Maps' prediction, what with all the roadworks in the West End. The theatre had advised me to be there half an hour early. The show started at 7:15, and I got off the bus at about 7.. thank goodness I started in time! Not too many security checks at the theatre, we all just had to undergo a cursory bag check - and this being in the Olivier, we had the advantage of a lift. Which I was delighted to take!

..and yes, at that point - within 10 minutes of start time - this is how empty it was. I tell you though, it filled suddenly, right before start time - and the entire place was packed! Not quite sure where they were all hiding until then.

Liz Carr plays "Doctor Death" - based on the real-life doctor (also wheelchair-bound) who was among the first American doctors to recognise the epidemic as one. She was the only performer tonight to get a separate round of applause, after a particularly emotive scene of hers. And indeed, this production is really moving, following the story of the development of AIDS through the eyes of a gay rights activist - based on the playwright himself - in New York, his relationship with a journalist, and his work for a gay rights organisation. We are led through indignation at the blatant, persistent, deliberate ignorance of the government, its refusal to grant basic rights to the gay community, for fear of being associated with it - but I had tears streaming down my face when it turned to the personal stories of people that were sick, or had died.

It manages to keep it personal, you see, all the while touching on the wider issues. And the characters are lovable, the script sparkles. Truly, a must-see - not surprising that the theatre (in the round, for the first time in my experience) was packed. Nor was it surprising when we got to our feet at the end for a unanimous standing ovation. So glad I gave it a chance - runs until Saturday, with no cheap evening tickets available: but it's worth it. Go see.

Coming down the stairs, I was glad I hadn't gone up them, there are so many! On the way home, I got to play bus stop bingo at that popular stop on the south side of Waterloo Bridge, where so many buses stop. I could take the #26 again, which would take me to just across the road from home, or the #76, which would drop me a bit further away, but I could get off a bit earlier, change from that to the #100, and get dropped outside my door. I tend to go with whatever comes first in such cases, and boy, was I glad to, tonight, rather than wait in the cold.

Well, first along was the #76, and I gratefully got on board. Now I had to decide whether to get off early and change.. so, as we approached the stop where I'd have to do that, I checked my Buses Due app to see when the #100 was due. Well, it was giving a wait time of 12 minutes - and sure enough, we passed the #100, parked at its terminus, lights off, no signs of life. Sod that, I said, I'd be faster walking - and warmer! Finally, Google Maps told me - in that case - to ride the #76 all the way onto Moorgate. Again, fie on thee, Google Maps - I could see easily from the map that it was faster to get off before the corner, and walk straight down the road.. a little common sense goes a long way!

Tomorrow, finally getting to see Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, which I'd booked pre-lockdown and got a refund for! Cheapest tickets, I found, were direct from the Aldwych Theatre. (Which I passed tonight, on both buses.) Peculiar website though - I couldn't see my basket without going back into the booking section. And then I'm flying back to Ireland again - a Friday flight, for once! Just for the weekend, this time.

Concert: Night Shift

Tonight, I was supposed to meet Ivan. But my weekly horoscope said that today, a friend might let me down - for example, by cancelling at the last minute. So I messaged him - I hadn't heard from him since we arranged it - and sure enough, he's busy with stuff out of town, and isn't in London at all this week. Says we'll arrange something when he gets back. Well, that left me free to join the London European Club for my only Meetup this week. We went to The Night Shift, where the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was playing classical music - and chatting about it - in The George Tavern. So, delighted I could make it now!

I could walk there - it was just close enough. And certainly, it avoided some of the bus trouble I've had lately! although not, sadly, the cyclists, who were out again tonight in force, and whom I had to weave around as I walked along. Anyway, doors opened at 7.30 - I got there 10 minutes later, to find the group at a long table just inside the door, sofa on one side, bench on the other. I had my name checked off the list, and after I finally got a drink at the bar, joined them - happy enough to have the bench, where I could come and go without having to move people out of my way! I didn't really have a view (of any kind), but hey, as someone said, we came for the music..

But not this music. This was the support act. (ahem) None of us could figure out whether she was singing off-key on purpose.. and so, let's draw a veil over that one!

The main act was so much better, and had attracted a most loyal audience:

Yep, spectacular view, as I say. Anyway, the oboeist educated us on the different vintage oboes he'd brought, and indeed on the various pieces they were playing - Druschetzsky, Mozart, Beethoven, and ending with Schubert. Gorgeous - and the first time I'd ever heard classical music in a pub. And at every opportunity, the crowd - and it was full - was a whoopin' and a hollerin' like they were at a rock concert. Fantastic to hear this music out of its normal setting - it makes it all the more special. Great, too, to see folks again - I was glad I was free.

Tomorrow, I'm at the National for The Normal Heart, of which I've heard good reviews.

On Thursday, finally getting to see Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, which I'd booked pre-lockdown and got a refund for! Cheapest tickets, I found, were direct from the Aldwych Theatre. Peculiar website though - I couldn't see my basket without going back into the booking section. And then I'm flying back to Ireland again - a Friday flight, for once! Just for the weekend, this time.

Film Festival: Unrestricted View, Cloak & Dagger Immersive History Tour, & Storytelling: Day of the Dead

On Sunday.. Halloween itself.. I finally came up with something to do! One of my cheap ticket groups (CT) finally sent me an email with good suggestions - one of which was the Cloak & Dagger Immersive History Tour (yes, with actors). Starting and ending at The George, and yes, running on Sunday. Sadly, all their ticket allocation had gone - I just booked one direct with the company.

On the same email, they advertised the Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival, at the Hen & Chickens Theatre! I found tickets even cheaper with my other cheap ticket group, TAC, however.. They had three sessions of short films on Sunday, the last of which finished an hour before my walk, giving me time to get there. So I booked the first - but when I tried to book the others, the system wouldn't let me, saying they were too close together! I had to contact the box office direct to book them for me - which they promptly did. So, three 1.5-hour short horror film sessions, lasting all that afternoon, should set me up nicely for the walk, I figured!

So I got up early enough to eat at The Upper Crust, then took a couple of buses - unproblematically - to Highbury Corner. It had rained heavily in the morning - wasn't I lucky it hadn't the night before! but mercifully, it had stopped by now, and the day was beautifully sunny.

As a pedestrian, I love the changes to Highbury Corner - it used to be a square roundabout, one side of which is now pedestrianised. Which makes it so much easier to cross! particularly when the Hen & Chickens was right on the other side from where I was.

It was a bit after 12 when I arrived - and the pub was empty. She assured me that yes, it was open - and so began my day of drinking wine. I also had a packet of the ever-excellent Tyrrell's sweet chilli crisps. Picked a nice booth by the window, and perused one of the programmes, liberally scattered about:

They'd done well with the Hallowe'en decorations:

As I waited for the house to open, eventually people started to arrive - and apparently knew the owner, who came to greet them. I got to eavesdrop on them chatting about the festival, and how they're carrying it on for one extra day afterwards at the Screen on the Green, which he also apparently owns.. he made them feel so comfortable that when the bell rang to announce that the house was open, it was kind of hard to get them off their seats and upstairs! Mind you, despite the sign to the contrary, on this day at least we were ok to bring glasses, and several did, over the course of the day. Oh, and as I had my name checked off, I was asked to pay for membership - £1.50 for life didn't seem too high a price.

Mostly UK films were shown, with a smattering from Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, North America - and Iran and Iraq! This first session started with a film called Smiles, from Spain - earning a round of applause from the audience, it's a funny piece about a guy meeting his girlfriend's family for the first time. And yes, he's wise to be nervous! This was followed by The Stain - a rather sweet piece from Iran about a cinema cleaner who can't seem to remove a stain from the screen - it keeps coming back. No applause for this one, but I liked it. Hangnail had to be the shortest film of the festival - one single theme, it made people laugh. Set in a bathroom, is about all I can say without giving the game away. I did like Stay Alert, a Covid-inspired piece about a young woman who goes jogging in her local cemetery every day, carefully wearing her mask and thinking disparaging thoughts about the people around her who don't. RKLSS was the only animated film of the day - excellent animation, but it isn't really a horror film. My favourite of the session was the UK's Don't Walk, a cute piece centred around a couple who love to hike, but don't appreciate the jeers of the "cooler" hiking group. So they decide to try a new route.. and ending the session was The Lake Parasite, an American offering about which the less said, the better. Think The Blob. In blue.

Down for another glass of wine, and a trip to the loo, and to play my phone game. We had half an hour between sessions, and it was 3pm by the time Session 2 started. First up was Room 217, a time-slip film from Iraq. Good effort, nothing at all new though. Wich is yet another US comedy - better than the last one, well-acted. On Air is a curious little thing, another kind of reality shift, in a recording studio. Sibilum - the Italian offering - is one of those "crying child, but mother's child isn't crying" films - absolutely unoriginal, don't know why they bothered. Fat Camp - gross, some funny scenes. And a couple more films were so forgettable that I can remember nothing about them. All in all, a session I could have skipped - the standout piece for me was the last - The Killer in Cursed Water, a B-movie after which we see a clapping crowd, and realise we've been watching a film within a film. A member of this onscreen audience - obviously, at a film festival - is as unimpressed with the film as I was (and spoke for me, after the session I'd had), and vents about it to her friend. Unfortunately, the filmmakers turn out to be sitting right behind them! What happens next is really funny.. French, excellent.

And downstairs, and play on my phone, and a glass of wine, and upstairs for the last session of the day - and the first where they got a couple of filmmakers from the audience to say a few words! One remarked how difficult it is to make a decent horror film - well yes, obviously, from most of the films I saw that day! Yeah, I know, kudos to them for making the effort - but as I say, in some cases, you'd wonder why they bothered.

Bee-El - well, we know what that stands for, and therefore have a preview of the film's theme. Again, a few films I simply can't remember - but I couldn't forget The Glamorgan Strangler, where a serial killer turns to social media. Standout for the day for me though, and an idea I haven't seen before - can't imagine why - is the UK's Split, where we have a split screen with the killer's POV on one side, the victim's on the other. Simple, but very effective. First up for the day from Ireland was A Short Horror Film, pretty forgettable, I'm afraid. Viola, whose maker was one of those who spoke beforehand, has a good idea, basing the horror around a voice-activated, Alexa-like virtual assistant device.. but the next, What Next?, whose filmmaker also made a little speech, is another quite unoriginal film. She spoke about transforming it into a feature - I don't see where she could really go with it. Prank is decent.

So, a somewhat frustrating festival - not many really good offerings. And off I scuttled for my walk, the bus arriving in good time. Now, I know where The George is - just as well, with my phone battery nearly gone! As I arrived, a fellow in a long, black cloak was stubbing out a cigarette - sure enough, this was our guide, who asked whether I was looking for the walk. Unfortunately, he didn't have a list of participants, so I had to go search for it on my exhausted phone - happily, it lasted long enough for me to find the ticket; I hadn't thought to get it out on the way. So he then sent me to wait with the others, while he waited for the final arrivals - I'd arrived with a few minutes to spare. Which was unfortunate, as it was bitterly cold to be standing around, and indeed I was hopping around to keep warm at every stop! It's really turned cold, suddenly.

Sadly, those are the only photos I got to take - my battery then died, before the walk even started. But it isn't a sightseeing walk anyway - this one is all about the history, and indeed is one of the most historical walks I've ever been on! and with one of the most knowledgeable guides. Keen for questions at every turn, he gave the impression that he could answer anything put to him, and went far beyond every question - indeed, this is the first guided tour in years where I haven't felt that I could have taught the guide something! And I did learn a few things - I found it quite an original tour, which for me is saying something. In fact, it's quite changed my perception of Southwark. We kept a nice, slow pace, for a change. Our charming guide - in costume - is accompanied by a fellow (again, costumed), who pops up at intervals to explain contexts. And when we ended up back in The George - nice and warm, inside - he told us some more curious facts (to the appreciation of a group of drinkers, over the side). The website had advertised a re-enactment, but that didn't happen. But hey, it was a really enjoyable and informative tour! Highly recommended, and a great addition to a scene which, as he said, has lost a lot of small operators during lockdown..

Unfortunately, I couldn't blog that night, having to be up early yesterday - and was then too busy, all day! Mondays usually are. During the day, I made the mistake of eating both a baguette at The Upper Crust, and a chicken katsu curry at Wasabi - way too much, and I couldn't finish the chicken. Last night, back with the Crick Crack Club - at King's Place, this time - for their annual Day of the Dead celebration! Keeping the spooky tradition nicely alive, there. The bus arrived just as I was about to check the schedule. Strangely, Google Maps wanted me to get off a stop early, and meander through backstreets.. rubbish, it was obviously quicker just to get off at King's Cross and go straight up York Way, which is what I did.

And while I did, I had to navigate around yet another cyclist cycling on the pavement! WTF - this has become an epidemic. Thank goodness for the little green "bicycle" light they display, so you know one is coming up behind you - it's at best annoying, and potentially dangerous. The same thing happened to me twice on Friday, and I saw it three times last night - cyclists just treating the pavement like a cycle lane. Someone, please come up with a way to get rid of them..

I arrived just in time, and the place was quite full - but I followed my usual trick of heading around the far side, where sure enough, there were some free seats, at the end, near the front.

In due course, the storytellers came in - Ben Haggarty in front, strewing marigold petals to form a pathway for benevolent spirits, followed by the others, shaking maracas, Tim Ralphs strumming a ukelele - an unseen drummer accompanied them, over the side. TUUP, mind you, was his own orchestra at the side of the stage, with a xylophone, a bongo, and singing bowls.. and kept up the accompaniment all night as the others were performing. And oh, it was magical - truly soul food, the constant rhythm acting like a comfort blanket. Mind you - I can't check now, as the links have been removed - but the lineup was changed, one storyteller unable to attend as her mother died a couple of days ago, from Covid.

Jan Blake made up the trio of storytellers, with Ben as the MC - and all the stories were about death in some way. Lighthearted though, Tim's ukelele coming in handy for his song about earthworms. A couple I'd heard before - but not for a long time, and they were as enjoyable as ever. Tim's other tale sounded Chinese in origin. But as they said, death is one of the few truly universal experiences. At the interval, they encouraged audience members to wrote the names of deceased loved ones on strips of paper that they provided, so that they could be invited to the evening. And we spent most of our time laughing, before being sent out into the cold again. Sadly, I think that'll be my last live storytelling for the year.. their season is short.

Back to the bus stop - and the display said it'd be 23 minutes. You what?! What is it with the buses these days? The same thing happened to me as I was headed to Hampstead Heath on Saturday. Right, I said, I am not waiting around for that long in this cold - I took the Tube, which was only four stops, and nice and warm. Again, it ran too late to blog last night.. but handily, I'm WFH this week, so can do it during the day!

Tonight, I was supposed to be back with Ivan. But my weekly horoscope said that today, a friend might let me down - for example, by cancelling at the last minute. So I messaged him - I hadn't heard from him since we arranged it - and sure enough, he's busy with stuff out of town, and isn't in London at all this week. Says we'll arrange something when he gets back. Well, that leaves me free to join the London European Club for my only Meetup this week. We're off to something called The Night Shift, where the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is playing classical music - and chatting about it - in The George Tavern. So, delighted I can make it now!

Tomorrow, I'm at the National for The Normal Heart, of which I've heard good reviews.

On Thursday, finally getting to see Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, which I'd booked pre-lockdown and got a refund for! Cheapest tickets, I found, were direct from the Aldwych Theatre. Peculiar website though - I couldn't see my basket without going back into the booking section. And then I'm flying back to Ireland again - a Friday flight, for once! Just for the weekend, this time.