Tonight, London Literary Walks took us for A Night in Knightsbridge - sure to be as good as ever. Another group I can heartily recommend, and often do. I had no late meetings, so set off in good time. I could take either bus from the stop across from the office, and wouldn't you know it, as I waited to cross, both of them passed! Never mind, another happened along within just a minute.
I'm still tired.. just too much going on in my life, as usual - I'd nearly dropped off by the time we came to the stop where I had to change, on Oxford Street. Then I had a helluva wait there, as the TFL app told me my next bus would be along in a minute - then added a few minutes, then a few more, until it was over 10 minutes after the initial estimate, as bus after other bus came. What is it with some buses..? When I finally got on, it was to a crawl down Oxford Street - jeez, was I sick of shops by the time we reached the end and traffic sped up!
Now, Google Maps wasn't telling me anything past where to get off - by which I understood that there'd be practically no walking distance to the pub, Paxton's Head. So when I got off, I had a look around - couldn't see it at first, the sign obscured by others. When I spotted it, I also noted a huge crowd standing outside! Happily, when I figured out where the door was and went in, it wasn't so bad. Gorgeous pub, I must say, with original engraved mirrors and Victorian features. The table where I found the couple of folks who'd got there before me was laid out in squares, as a games table! not that we participated.
My first port of call was to the toilets, down a spiral staircase and through a heavy, wooden door. Would've been nice if there had been toilet paper, and if the flush had been adequate - happily, the hand dryer at least was fully functional. I'm obviously not cured yet, mind - I nearly expired on my trip back up the stairs, and was glad of a pause at the bar while I waited to be served, so I could get my breath back. Glad also of a seat, which I'd secured when I first got there - and we had a convivial drink and chat before leaving.
I nearly expired again on the slight incline, shortly after leaving the pub. Never mind, I had a break before crossing the road, and recovered myself as we stopped for our guide to regale us with tales of the Great Exhibition, which had been right there! Not to be underestimated, it was a wonder, not only of that age, but of ages to come, and made many people's fortunes - Mr. Schweppes, for instance, who provided refreshments, and Mr. Thomas Cook, who organised day return train trips for spectators..
Oh, but we saw so much more. We passed the original London location of the Bunny Club, saw where Mr. Gray wrote his Anatomy.. were spied on by residents:
More photos here. Being Knightsbridge, of course we happened across some posh shops..
We passed the late Lillie Langtry's house, where I did wonder whether our guide was going to get to her most notorious claim to fame! In all, as usual, we were awakened to just how much history can be found in the quietest backstreets - and it was a gorgeously sunny, if chilly, evening for it. Minor panic ensued when our guide tore off at a lick - well, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, y'know? The evening ended, for some of us, in The Gloucester, advertised as "The only pub on Sloane Street". Where I had yet more stairs to climb, to the quieter seating area upstairs. Phew, but I survived.
Catching the bus home (which, again, I'd just missed), I came across my first ever interactive bus stop! Where I caught up on the news:
Tomorrow, North London Friends is going to Quiz, at the Noel Coward Theatre. This is based on the true story of an audience member who coughed at the right answers from the multiple-choice selections, in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, thus enabling his co-conspirator to take away the top prize. Well, the group have onstage seats, which they sold themselves - they didn't show any availability when I looked, though, so I booked my own in the rear stalls, with the benefit of a Theatre Token I'd earned with Seatplan reviews. I then let them know I was coming.. and they've finally added me, yay. So I get to be sociable, too, with what is a very sociable group!
Tonight, back with Let's Do This for another Turkish meal at TAS. The last was excellent, so they did it again! which I think is a very good idea. And the second host came, for the first time in ages..
I had a late meeting, so took the Tube, for speediness. Man, what a trek - a sluggish crowd led into Old Street Station, although it sped up after the barriers. And then I had the usual wait at the platform - a five-minute wait for the train to arrive, to begin with, and then it was too crammed and I had to wait for the next! Hey, better than the last time I took the Tube, and had to wait for the third train.. A cramped, almost airless journey ensued, and what a relief it was to get off, three stops later at London Bridge. When I saw a sign for a lift that would take me to Borough exit, which was exactly what I wanted - well, I jumped at the chance, and was whisked to the exit in no time! Recommended.
I then hung a left, and The George, where we were to meet again, was a short walk away. Our organiser had said something about being in the second space past the bar - well, I followed my nose and found him, and wouldn't you know it, despite being a bit late, I was the first of the others to arrive! The second organiser, when he arrived, was kind enough to nip off and get me a drink, and when we were all there, we had a most pleasant chat until it was time to leave.
Again, Tas is just a short walk down the road, and they soon sorted us out with a table near the door. I did find the heating a bit much, but otherwise it's a delightful space, airy, pleasantly decorated, with a fellow playing guitar just up the steps. We didn't have as many menus as last time, but really, how many do you need..? We ordered a couple of meze to share, and for my main course this time I had Tavuk Kofte: minced, marinated chicken served with couscous. What it turned out to be was kind of BBQ chicken pieces. And the whole meal was gorgeous - simple, good food, which I'd recommend to anyone. Even the foreign-food-challenged! We didn't really feel like dessert - I know the chocolate cake here is good, but it also takes more effort to eat than I was prepared to put in, this time.
Conversation was also good, flowing over a couple of bottles of wine that we shared among us. The Man with the Hat came up in conversation - to be honest, he often does, when we that knew him are gathered together! He casts a long shadow. But hey, we were so lucky to have had him while we did, and after all, he represented a side of Meetup that was less about the money, more about the getting to know people. And that's something that's worth preserving. Long may it last. The night finished earlier than I'm used to, but what a joy it'll be to get to bed early.. Roll on the next Meetup with this group, it's one of the friendlier ones.
Tomorrow, London Literary Walks is taking us for A Night in Knightsbridge - sure to be as good as ever. Another group I can heartily recommend, and often do.
And on Friday, North London Friends is going to Quiz, at the Noel Coward Theatre. This is based on the true story of an audience member who coughed at the right answers from the multiple-choice selections, in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, thus enabling his co-conspirator to take away the top prize. Well, the group have onstage seats, which they sold themselves - they didn't show any availability when I looked, though, so I booked my own in the rear stalls, with the benefit of a Theatre Token I'd earned with Seatplan reviews. I then let them know I was coming.. it'd be nice to meet them on the night, if they're willing.
Yesterday was set to be interesting - I was going to Return to the Forbidden Planet, at the Gatehouse. Sold out show, probably because of the half-price Tuesday tickets. What was most interesting is that I signed up with both North London Friends and Up in the Cheap Seats, who were both there that night! Maybe I could introduce them to each other..
On a beautiful, sunny evening, it was lovely to have an excuse to leave early - Highgate is quite a trip from the centre. I was early enough that the bus wasn't too crowded - and having got on one stop from its beginning, I rode it right to the end of the line, just down the road from the pub. And considering how the bus was wheezing on the last stretch, I was glad was taking the strain. I'd managed to get there before both my groups, so I just took a seat - seeing a food menu, I decided I didn't fancy anything heavy, but nibbles would be nice; as it happens, they have a tapas menu, so I ordered some mushroom croquettes from that. Served with a garlic sauce, they were delicious! During the show, I was wishing I had another portion..
I was eating them when organiser no. 1 arrived, identifying me from the details I'd added to the North London Friends page. At that point, we moved to a bigger table - the expected group was large. And in due course, more members arrived. Gorgeous pub, BTW - lots of wood, spacious, large windows to let in the sunshine.. they also have a dining room and garden, dogs welcome in pub and garden (as they explained to the couple with the little Yorkie).
When the box office opened, we trooped upstairs to get our tickets, so as not to be bothered with that as we were queueing for the theatre - and boy, was there a queue for the theatre! 20 minutes before the start of the show, the queue stretched all the way down the stairs. Handily for the organiser from Up in the Cheap Seats, once he'd got his ticket, he just slipped into the queue with me. Seating is unassigned, two sections facing each other, and I managed to get sat between both groups.
Unlike the Up in the Cheap Seats folks, I'd never seen this before - just thought it sounded like fun. And yup, it's absolutely mad. Described as "Shakespeare's forgotten rock 'n' roll masterpiece", the thing is a deliciously cheesy sci-fi spoof, liberally sprinkled with Shakespearian quotes (the story is loosely modelled on The Tempest, but I counted quotes from at least seven more Shakespearian plays throughout). But hey, the most striking thing has to be the constant flow of popular pop and rock tunes, effortlessly segued into the storyline..
The cast absolutely threw themselves into it, and had as much of a blast as we did! Special mention must go to the roller-skating robot, Ariel, who effortlessly glides across the stage, acting, singing, chewing paper.. And I defy anyone to keep from tapping toes, jiggling, singing along as hit after popular hit is blasted out. Enough to lift the darkest mood. Kudos also to the theatre manager (or whatever his title) who, when there was a technical issue with the guitars and they had to pause the show, gamely entertained us, first by having everyone sing Happy Birthday to the girl with a birthday sash over her shoulder, then telling us the story of how they were playing in the Theatre Royal, Windsor, and Prince Philip insisted on coming backstage..
Runs until the 17th of next month, except Mondays, booking advisable. Earlier showings on Sundays. At the interval, I eschewed the bar for the green room, beside the theatre, where they were selling reasonably priced ice creams. And after, I unsociably scuttled straight home, it being a long journey and me having to be in early this morning. Hence the delay in the blog, too. The bus journey was speedy, mind you, and seemed to be entirely downhill..
Tonight, back with Let's Do This for another Turkish meal at TAS. The last was excellent, so they're doing it again! which I think is a very good idea. And the second host is attending, for the first time in ages.. I have a late meeting, so will probably end up on the Tube, for speediness.
Tomorrow, London Literary Walks is taking us for A Night in Knightsbridge - sure to be as good as ever.
And on Friday, North London Friends is going to Quiz, at the Noel Coward Theatre. This is based on the true story of an audience member who coughed at the right answers from the multiple-choice selections, in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, thus enabling his co-conspirator to take away the top prize. Well, the group have onstage seats, which they sold themselves - they didn't show any availability when I looked, though, so I booked my own in the rear stalls, with the benefit of a Theatre Token I'd earned with Seatplan reviews. I then let them know I was coming.. it'd be nice to meet them on the night, if they're willing.
Today, I really didn't see anything on Meetup (again!), so I was back with my £3.60 club - for safety, I picked the classical concert they were selling cheap tickets for, in Wigmore Hall. Can't really go too far wrong with that.
Hell, I started off the day tired though. Now that I've switched - for reasons of proximity and price - to flying to and from Stansted (therefore Ryanair), I'm a victim of Ryanair's perpetually delayed flight from Shannon to Stansted on a Sunday evening. Last night - due, apparently, to severe air traffic controls in Italy - was the worst delay yet. The 9.40pm flight left at 12.05am, landed at 1.15am, too late for the Stansted Express, so instead I was on the National Express bus. Have to try and motivate myself to claim that on travel insurance. Well, I hoped I was on the bus.. the queues were biblical, and while I was already in the queue for the 1.45am bus, it filled before I got to it. I was damn lucky to get one of the last seats on the 2.05am (the next wasn't for over an hour after), which got into town at 3. A couple of buses later, and I got into my room at about 3.40am. Needless to say, I didn't get a full night's kip.
Well, I dragged myself out this evening, arriving just in nice time for my bus. Nearly fell asleep en route, getting off at the last stop. Wigmore Hall isn't far from there - I collected my ticket at the box office, returned to get a programme (they like you to, and I wanted to know the repertoire anyway), and took my seat. Which turned out to be one of the top price ones, normal price £38, if you please! Ooh, and I'd forgotten the lovely, plush red velvet seats here. Well, I haven't been that often:
The programme consisted entirely of alternating works by William Lawes and John Jenkins, composers for the viol in the court of King Charles I. Phantasm is an award-winning group of viol players, and gave a virtuouso performance - and the music, while recognisably 17th century, had a quirkiness that made it stand out. The programme attributed this to the freedom of writing for Charles I, who, it cannot be denied, despite his faults, was a patron of the arts of great taste and discernment. Absolutely gorgeous - and a good excuse to rest my eyes, especially since I was attending alone, and didn't have to be sociable. Only two quibbles: one, they took FOREVER to tune their instruments between tunes: and two, it got a bit samey towards the end. But a lovely, restful evening all the same. And home early, yay! Especially given how cold it is out there, brr.. at this rate, I'm going to have to start dressing even more warmly!
Tomorrow will be interesting - I'm going to Return to the Forbidden Planet, at the Gatehouse. Sold out now, I believe. What's most interesting is that I'm signed up with both North London Friends and Up in the Cheap Seats, who are both there that night! Maybe I can introduce them to each other..
On Wednesday, back with Let's Do This for another Turkish meal at TAS. The last was excellent, so they're doing it again! which I think is a very good idea. And the second host is attending, for the first time in ages..
On Thursday, London Literary Walks is taking us for A Night in Knightsbridge - sure to be as good as ever.
And on Friday, North London Friends is going to Quiz, at the Noel Coward Theatre. This is based on the true story of an audience member who coughed at the right answers from the multiple-choice selections, in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, thus enabling his co-conspirator to take away the top prize. Well, the group have onstage seats, which they sold themselves - they didn't show any availability when I looked, though, so I booked my own in the rear stalls, with the benefit of a Theatre Token I'd earned with Seatplan reviews. I then let them know I was coming.. no response yet. Hope they're still talking to me after tomorrow..!
Today, I headed with London Social Detours to a talk on Shakespeare and the Wandering Mind, at the Wanamaker Playhouse - my first trip there in over a year, goodee! The talk sold out a while ago.. Cash payable on the day, so I got some out on the way into work.
I had to leave quite early - our organiser was of the opinion that they would overbook, so instructed us to be there in good time. Which I was, despite my bus being diverted! and then I had to figure out a way across the road.. and then down onto the road under the bridge.. once that was done, it was quite easy, and once I was on Southwark Bridge, I was on familiar territory.
Nice classical music to send me on my way, under Southwark Bridge as usual. I made my way straight to the actual entrance to the playhouse, but as it approached the appointed time, I couldn't see anyone I knew. When I got the Meetup page to work on my phone, I realised she'd said to meet at the front entrance, which sounded as though she meant to meet outside - sure enough, I looked and there they were. When she'd sorted out her dues, there was a kerfuffle as one person wanted to wait for her friends - but the people at the desk were very nice, gave us as many tickets as we needed straight away, and said whoever was left over could get theirs whenever was convenient.
We actually all ended up in the Lower Gallery, a level I'd never been on. Since no-one was beating down the doors to get in, we had a scooch around the gift shop - a terrific range of things related to Macbeth seemed to dominate the stock, but as I remarked to someone, since it isn't Hallowe'en, I didn't feel inspired to buy anything blood-spattered. We were duly let in at 6 - the talk wasn't until half past. And wow, were we close to the stage!
More photos here. We were very early, but in due course the lower two levels filled up - the Upper Gallery seemed to be reserved for staff, although I'm not sure they weren't letting in the overflow by the end. The speaker, Dr. Raphael Lyne, is a Reader in Renaissance Literature at Cambridge, a writer, and a blogger. So, he's as eloquent as you'd expect - it's just a shame that he has such a soothing voice, because after the week I've had, I had to struggle not to drop off! particularly as I was in the front row. Which would have been embarrassing.
His thesis was that a wandering mind has its purpose - events or speeches in a play might spark some train of thought in an audience member, which allows them to perceive the play from a new angle. Someone asked a very interesting question in the subsequent Q+A, along the lines of whether some wandering thought processes are more worthy than others: for instance, is it less acceptable if, instead of considering the play from a new angle, your mind wanders towards lunch? Considering this, he mused that considering your lunch was an example of fitting the play into the structure of your life - so, interesting from that perspective. (Very diplomatic.)
Apart from him and the mc, a third person was on stage, sitting at the back. I wondered at first whether she was there as a sign language interpreter - and wondered even more when she failed to do any interpreting! No, when he took the podium, he explained that when he enquired, he was informed that, owing to the nature of the building, there were no AV facilities whatsoever. However, he was promised that he could "borrow an actor"! So he did, and she was there to read - in a most accomplished manner - selected Shakespearian passages to illustrate his point. I enjoyed her delivery, but did wonder at the point of the passages, to be honest; at first, she was reading from The Tempest, where Prospero wondered whether Miranda was paying attention. I got that connection. However, when he moved to Much Ado About Nothing, and started to consider all the different interpretations of the word "well", as spoken by the different characters.. It was very interesting, but I'm still trying to see the relevance of that.
The Q+A afterwards had some very well-considered questions from the audience, and indeed revealed him as quite a wit. Yes, I can heartily recommend these talks - would happily go to another, especially in this venue.
Afterwards, some of us repaired to The Anchor, which was quite busy - we ended up on the second floor of this maze of a place, where we pushed two tables together and had a drink or two. I was hungry, so ordered food - never again here! except the chips, which were the best I've had in an age. It took a while to come, then the waiter had the misfortune to take it to the wrong end of our table, where he was told that hadn't been ordered, I couldn't get anyone to listen to me as I was trying to grab their attention from across the table, and it therefore took longer than it should have for me to get fed. Sadly, I can't say the wait was worth it, as (apart from the chips) everything on the plate was either tough or tasteless. The staff are friendly though, and I had some fun ordering my second drink, when the French lass behind the bar, who had to have everything repeated, told me that sadly I couldn't pay in cash, it'd have to be card.. because she didn't have the key to the till..
And so home, after a most convivial evening.
Crossing to St. Paul's, I came across an unusual sculpture, which you can walk through, and which frames the cathedral as you do!
And I got there just in time for my bus!
Tomorrow, I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. On Monday, I really didn't see anything on Meetup (again!), so I'm back with my £3.60 club - for safety, I picked the classical concert they're selling cheap tickets for, in Wigmore Hall. Can't really go too far wrong with that.
Tuesday will be interesting - I'm going to Return to the Forbidden Planet, at the Gatehouse. What's most interesting is that I'm signed up with both North London Friends and Up in the Cheap Seats, who are both there that night! Maybe I can introduce them to each other..
On Wednesday, back with Let's Do This for another Turkish meal at TAS. The last was excellent, so they're doing it again! which I think is a very good idea. And the second host is attending, for the first time in ages..
Next Thursday, London Literary Walks is taking us for A Night in Knightsbridge - sure to be as good as ever.
And on the 18th, North London Friends is going to Quiz, at the Noel Coward Theatre. This is based on the true story of an audience member who coughed at the right answers from the multiple-choice selections, in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, thus enabling his co-conspirator to take away the top prize. Well, the group have onstage seats, which they sold themselves - they had sold them all when I looked, though, so I booked my own in the rear stalls, with the benefit of a Theatre Token I'd earned with Seatplan reviews. I then let them know I was coming.. no response yet. Hope they're still talking to me after Tuesday..!
Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Red, at Wyndham's. Terrible time I had, booking this - I accidentally let my old billing address (I've moved since my last booking with them) go through on the form, the payment was rejected, and I couldn't get back into the page to edit my address! Neither could I start a new booking - everything I tried gave me an error message. Dreadful site. I finally e-mailed them, and they said to ring back during working hours and they'd amend my booking, or if they hadn't heard from me after one working day, they'd cancel it. Not fancying paying for a premium-rate call, I let them cancel, and rebooked myself. Carefully replacing my address with the correct one!
..Well, the correct one for the time being; I'm moving again next month, paid a holding deposit today. You'd think I actually enjoy it! No, I just have the most horrible, noisy, dirty, flatmates - and I'm easygoing, so you know they must be bad. Well, I lucked out on the new place - much nicer, with fitted wardrobes, half the distance to work, and substantially cheaper to boot! Anyway, with all of that angst, and having to schlep out to Stepney Green to make the arrangements, I was a bit exhausted by evening.
Well, I made my way to Wyndham's without having to check my route - I should know this area well enough! I was glad I'd brought a fairly heavy coat, which I closed against a stiff breeze. Ran into the evening's organiser outside, where she was taking a photo of the entrance. We were to meet in the Royal Circle Bar - which is just a mite confusing, as it's actually between the Royal Circle and the Grand Circle, serving both. It got a bit cramped too, as it filled up before the performance - lovely space, though, where we chatted beforehand. Plenty of old friends to catch up with!
When we went in, I was glad to be in the lower part of the Grand Circle - Row D is the last row in this section, before you start having to climb more stairs. I was right at the edge of the row, and I have to say, it's a good seat - decent view (just a corner of the stage obscured), swing your legs to the side if you need more legroom: and there's space for your stuff, although careful with that, because there are steps up to the seat:
It's about 90 minutes, straight through, and is based on the true story of Mark Rothko, a contemporary artist based in New York, who's been commissioned to produce a series of paintings for the Four Seasons Restaurant. The only other character on stage is his assistant, apparently an amalgam of several in his lifetime, to whom Rothko becomes a teacher and mentor. The title refers to his obsessive, you might say, use of the colour red in his paintings - I don't know that he was as particular about that colour in real life, but apparently he did experiment with colour.
It's brilliantly written - eloquent and impassioned, as the two artists bicker on stage, and Rothko defends his art. The audience is used as, literally, a fourth wall, which they stare at while contemplating a painting we can't see - an effect that I daresay works best from the stalls. A variety of Rothko's paintings (in red) are faithfully reproduced, and one after another is brought out and mounted, for our inspection - I came to the conclusion that they were, in themselves, telling part of the story. It's just a pity that contemporary art is something that leaves me completely cold, because otherwise I think this would have been a terrific experience.
Afterwards, we headed down to the stalls for a Q+A:
..which, I must say, was one of the better Q+As I've been to, with the actors and director giving a highly entertaining turn as they took questions from the audience. The show is currently booking until the 28th of July, and will probably prove popular.
Afterwards, I was glad to get in from the bitter night air to the the Hippodrome, across the road, where, as before, we headed to the first-floor bar. Those who were staying gathered chairs in a circle in the lounge, and a couple of us ordered food from the waitress - me, I had "chicken tenders", which even she called "nuggets", and came with a dip that was way too spicy for me. The nuggets were nice, though. And we had another convivial chat, about things related to theatre, and film, and associated matters. My chair was a bit hard, mind.. but it was a good night. Despite the shivery wait for a bus to get home, having missed one by seconds.
Tomorrow, I'm headed with London Social Detours to a talk on Shakespeare and the Wandering Mind, at the Wanamaker Playhouse - my first trip there in over a year, goodee! They were sold out when I tried, which is why I'm willing to go with her and pay her booking fee.. Payable on the day, so I'd better get some more cash out. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.
Today, we were all back to work, and Meetup is back to something approaching normal activity! I was headed, with Henning and the London European Club, to a talk on the Catalan crisis, at the LSE - tickets were allocated by ballot, but even those of us who got them weren't guaranteed entry, as they oversell and it was first come first served.
Well, in the normal way of things, as the time approached for me to leave the office, I suddenly became enthusiastic about finishing what I'd been doing all day. So I managed it - later than I'd have liked. Spooked by the LSE's dire warning that people would be turned away who weren't there 15 minutes early, I decided not to risk the traffic, and caught the Tube instead. And what an ordeal that was - I was to be glad my chestiness is nearly gone! Stood all the way - but it's not that far. The issue was in changing lines at Bank - and all the stairs I had to climb! Oh, and I was wondering where the infamous curved platform was, with some of the largest gaps on the Tube - sure enough, I found it: Central Line. The trick is to head for either end of the train - that's a less curvy part, just as it's also the least crowded.
I found the New Academic Building without difficulty - it's on Sardinia Street, just off Kingsway. And then I just kept on walking around it until I came to something that looked like an entrance - the nice lady at the barriers assured us that she didn't need to see our tickets, just directed us to the stairs down at the far end of the lobby. When I got downstairs, I was lucky I got my ticket to display properly - they were already letting people in, 20 minutes early. I ended up to the centre, near the back.
The speaker was Dr. Pedro Sánchez, leader of the Spanish opposition. The MC, a jovial chap, nonetheless made it very clear from the start that no barracking would be tolerated, and that in the event of any nonsense, he would end the talk. And after a brief introduction, Dr. Sánchez got to the podium, where he was to spend the next 45 minutes or so.
Impressions: 1. He's very softly spoken! Maybe it was because he's so tall, and the mic was too low for him, but we could barely hear him. Things did look up some when he was answering questions afterwards, and was sat closer to the mic.
2. He's a politician, so he gives political answers. Politicians always strive not to talk in absolutes, so it was interesting to see which points he'd choose to make strongly. Like, for instance, the fact that the Catalan politicians broke the law in holding a referendum being the important point - I wonder whether, had the audience not been so predominantly Spanish (my impression, at least), he might not have got a more hostile reaction to that, given that the overwhelming international impression remains that a peaceful referendum was suppressed by jackboots.. (This was one of the reasons why international observers failed to recognise it as having reached international election standards: which makes it highly hypocritical of him to have brought up that fact, as though it were all the Catalans' fault.) I also noted that he mentioned the misuse of public funds - but made no mention that that charge has been laid in relation to buying the polling boxes for the referendum, which, naturally, the Spanish government refused to supply.
3. I guess history isn't his field - he stated quite unequivocally that Catalonia was always part of Spain, when I could have told him it wasn't - it was part of the Frankish kingdom, ruled over by the Count of Barcelona. It subsequently achieved de facto independence, until in 1137, the Count of Barcelona married the Queen of Aragon, and their son eventually inherited both territories - from which time, they've been united. Granted, it's a long time ago - but for heaven's sake, I'd expect an educated man to have known more about the origins of his country!
I'm afraid that this left me with little patience for what he had to say for the rest of the evening. Anyway, he did have a few more points to make - for example, that the referendum was contrary to the Catalan constitution: and he showed an interesting photo of a half-empty Catalan government chamber, where they were voting on this referendum, apparently - the half (or so) of the house who didn't agree with it were apparently abstaining by their absence. Perhaps they anticipated the nightmare to come, and were sensibly in hiding.
Afterwards, it sounded as though every questioner was Spanish - and it looked as though pretty much the entire room wanted to get involved. It wouldn't have been half as much fun without the requisite protest, which was left to the very end:
Those of us who fancied a drink congregated in the lobby, and this time Ye Old White Horse wasn't nearly as busy as last time! Henning was generous enough to buy a round - I must repay the favour, someday soon. Anyway, we took ourselves outside, while the good weather lasts - I was happy I'd brought a jacket.
And as we congregated around a barrel, the Spaniards in our group gave a more nuanced analysis of the whole situation than anything I think I could have expected from the good doctor. They pointed out how this isn't a new situation, how referendums have been held before - it's the violence this time that made it stand out. They also pointed out how it was a bad idea for Puidgemont to make a run for it, thus condemning his compatriots to a longer time in prison, as flight risks (of course, that might have been his purpose). Perhaps the strongest point they made was the division that this has caused in Catalan society, which might not have a majority in favour of independence, but does have a sizeable minority who favour it - and that division is only growing deeper. Who knows what consequences may lie down the line for them?
At any rate, a fascinating evening in good company - and a lively debate with one of the Germans in our company! Always a good group for an outing, and this proved an enlightening topic.
Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Red, at Wyndham's. Terrible time I had, booking this - I accidentally let my old billing address (I've moved since my last booking with them) go through on the form, the payment was rejected, and I couldn't get back into the page to edit my address! Neither could I start a new booking - everything I tried gave me an error message. Dreadful site. I finally e-mailed them, and they said to ring back during working hours and they'd amend my booking, or if they hadn't heard from me after one working day, they'd cancel it. Not fancying paying for a premium-rate call, I let them cancel, and rebooked myself. Carefully replacing my address with the correct one!
On Thursday, I'm headed with London Social Detours to a talk on Shakespeare and the Wandering Mind, at the Wanamaker Playhouse - my first trip there in over a year, goodee! They were sold out when I tried, which is why I'm willing to go with her and pay her booking fee.. Payable on the day, so I'd better get some more cash out. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.
