Musical: The Secret Life of Bees

Well, from last week with no Meetups to this week with (almost) nothing else! Today, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I was in the next bracket up..

Ah now, I don't get up this way often enough. And one place that's good to eat up by this theatre is The Bull.. I love their chicken schnitzel, but as I see from my blog entry from the last time I ate there, I was too late for it on that occasion! It's close enough to walk.. but just as I was gearing up to go, the rain started to thunder down. Really, thunder. Yeah - no. I took the bus(es) - just in time to miss one, of course! And then, when I changed, we were diverted.. I was wondering how Google Maps came to predict a 15-minute journey to travel two stops! Well, I wasn't too late to the pub - which was pretty full, but I found a free table by the bar. Secured it with my coat and grabbed the barman, asking hopefully for the chicken schnitzel. Well gee, if I didn't get the last one! As I said, that's revenge for the last time I was there.. And it was served quickly, and was lovely.

A short walk then, to the theatre, and met the others in the lobby (where I didn't notice immediately, but they've introduced a couple of low-level tables, complete with chairs!). They could do with them.. there is a perpetual shortage of seating, here. And we chatted before we went in. Ah me, my first Meetup chat in over a week.. And so to our seats. Seems that those of us in the Circle were in the minority in our group - there seemed to have been a last-minute release of Stalls tickets. Ah well, out into the rain again with us.. (the Circle entrances are outside..)

Decent seat, well done Seatplan! The seats are raised, and there's a bar to rest your feet on. Also a decent view, although we had to lean a few times to catch action happening right under us, and I'd have pitied anyone sat behind us! except there wasn't - the row behind us (Row C) was completely empty. So, the theatre wasn't completely sold out, then - just mainly!

Justifiably. I can't quite remember when I last saw something this good - not this year, I think. An incendiary story, set in South Carolina in 1964, sees a young white girl, abused by her father, run away with the black housekeeper - only to find the bee farming community that once took her mother in. Combine that with the racial issues, the movement to get black people registered to vote - and a story interwoven with the events that inspired Mississippi Burning - in a blistering hot summer, and you get a tale that will get your blood boiling.

The staging is excellent, with a revolving pathway on the outside edge, and simple props providing the backdrop throughout. Everything is lit in a wonderful, golden light - honey-coloured, you might say.

But for me, what swung it was the music - catchy and more upbeat than you might expect from this desperately serious story, it was half musical, half gospel concert! A glorious score - and wow, I have never heard better singers in a musical than I heard tonight. The sheer power of the performance blew me away. As someone remarked afterwards, this will probably transfer to the West End - as far as I'm concerned, it's a given!

Runs till the 27th of next month - you'd be mad to miss it! before it transfers, and ticket prices soar..

Tomorrow, I was to be back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Until I got a message this evening to say that everyone had pulled out - dunno why - and it's been cancelled! Ah well - Plan B, as usual, is a film. Now, I already had the film list done for this week - but that blasted listings site is so unreliable, I had to do it again. And sure enough, I came up with a whole heap of films at the top of the list that weren't even on the list, last time I looked! Standout among them is the NT Live production of Good. This stars David Tennant as a German professor at the outbreak of the Second World War, who is forced to examine his conscience.. Closest showing to me is in the Vue at the O2, which I've booked, to get one of the cheapest seats, under their new theatre-style seating. So delighted to have the chance to see this - I missed it when it was showing live.

On Wednesday, I was thinking film again - couldn't see anything better coming up than what's advertised by The London Movie Club and The Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London! both of which I'm a member of. And both of which, it transpires, are run by the same people! So I've signed up with the Hideout. Specifically, what's happening is Alien Day - a special double bill of the classic, Alien, and its sequel, Aliens, at the BFI Imax! See, the first planet where the aliens land is named LV-426.. So, you know, 26th of the 4th.. Now, I've never even been to the Imax, so this'll be interesting! Also good to meet these folks again - apparently, there'll be a break between films as well, when we can have a chat.

And on Thursday, Helen's in town for a conference - we're meeting for dinner at Colosseo, before I head off to join UITCS again, for The Good Person of Szechwan, by Brecht, at the Lyric Hammersmith! 

Film: Barber

Back to Ireland for the weekend. And a much nicer journey than normal, what with (a) the plane going from a gate numbered under 40, so we could get the transit there, rather than spend all evening galloping through the airport, and (b) the plane being a Lauda, rather than Ryanair's own, which meant more comfortable, leather seats and decent aircon! No wonder I slept for half the journey..

Interesting anecdote - the seats beside me were occupied by a young black couple, and when we got off, he was bouncing around the place, taking selfies.. another man asked her what the story was, and she explained that, while she'd been before, with a youth group or something, it was his first time.. in fact, it had taken five weeks to get a visa for him, just to come for the weekend! Blasted red tape - well, I hope he's enjoying it! despite the weather..

Checking films for the weekend - and what I might actually enjoy, and was on as a matinée - I came up with Barber, an Irish PI thriller, starring Aidan Gillen as the PI, with, of all people, Liam Carney as the cop in charge! Jeez, it was going to be hard for me not to think of him as the lothario building developer in Fair City! This is showing in the Omniplex, so I booked, which was handier.

Identified some extremely cheap petrol en route - it really does seem to be coming down in price! which is nice. I got some on the way back. Anyway, I wanted a snack - unfortunately, got behind a family that wanted the works, so it took a little time. And by the time I got to the screen, of course, the lights were down - again! Great - I managed to feel my way to my seat though, which I'd chosen for its proximity to the door.

Well, first off, I had great fun people-spotting! In common with most films made in Ireland, this is jam-packed with people you'd kind of recognise, even if you couldn't remember their actual names. For a start, Liam Carney isn't the only Fair City alumnus in this - Barber's and his ex-wife's daughter is Aisling Kearns, who on Fair City used to play Maria, a mild-mannered accountant from the country, who nonetheless took a blunt instrument to an intruder in one episode. She fled Dublin when she discovered that her boyfriend had lied to her. Took me a while to place her - she's blonde in this. Mind you, I did wonder about her accent, which is indeed from the country - assuming she's supposed to have been raised in Dublin, in this film. Also, the woman who hires Barber to find her missing granddaughter is Deirdre Donnelly, who plays Jacinta in Fair City - what you might call a right wagon, who causes her adoptive son nothing but trouble. She's much nicer in this. Apart from the Fair City crew, I recognised Gary Lydon, who plays Barber's police contact, David Herlihy, who is the missing girl's stepfather - and, of all people, Steve Wall, who plays an ex-colleague of Barber's on the police force, but whom I know better as the lead singer of The Stunning! Huh, I never knew he'd turned to acting! Weird that he gets such high billing though, given that he's only in one scene..

Well, this really made me nostalgic for Dublin, where I spent a few years as a Master's student at UCD. Ah, the buses, the grey skies.. Obviously, Barber does well in his profession to be able to afford a swish apartment overlooking the river! Well, €50 per hour plus expenses isn't bad. So, this is a film noir - and not a bad one at all. Not terribly original, but the characters are well-drawn, and the cast is good. It's handy that he has a Lithuanian assistant, to whom he occasionally has to explain plot points, so we can listen in and keep up. And wow, they did make an effort to be topical - it's set just post-pandemic, when people still often wore masks, and when it was actually filmed. The masks make a handy disguise in a film like this - and I find it ironic that, early in the film, we see Barber taking surveillance photos of someone who has a mask on..! Further to this, we also hear about the Me Too movement, plenty about gay rights, and Barber's daughter keeps him clued-in about social media. The story is engaging, and the whole is enjoyable. Recommended, if you come across it.

Well, from last week with no Meetups to this week with nothing else! On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

On Tuesday, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Five of us going so far..

On Wednesday, I was thinking film again - finally got the film list (partially) done, and couldn't see anything better coming up than what's advertised by The London Movie Club and The Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London! both of which I'm a member of. And both of which, it transpires, are run by the same people! So I've signed up with the Hideout. Specifically, what's happening is Alien Day - a special double bill of the classic, Alien, and its sequel, Aliens, at the BFI Imax! See, the first planet where the aliens land is named LV-426.. So, you know, 26th of the 4th.. Now, I've never even been to the Imax, so this'll be interesting! Also good to meet these folks again - apparently, there'll be a break between films as well, when we can have a chat.

And on Thursday, Helen's in town for a conference - we're meeting for dinner at Colosseo, before I head off to join UITCS again, for The Good Person of Szechwan, by Brecht, at the Lyric Hammersmith! 

Talk: Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture

This evening, I was with TAC for a talk on Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture, at St. Mary Magdalene Church. Or Grand Junction Arts Centre, as it's also known. The weather promised rain - it didn't look like it, but sure enough, when I got out it was drizzling. And as I waited for the bus in the cold and damp, I bemoaned the fact that O' Neill's has changed their menu - if they hadn't dropped the chicken katsu, I'd definitely have been eating there, instead of standing outside and shivering..

After that bus, I could walk for a quarter of an hour - but this was hardly the weather for it, so I waited for another bus. And while I did, I was entertained by yet another loud-mouthed Irish bus passenger! This one was sat at the stop, regaling someone about Christ. Oh, I don't know when I last heard such an extended sermon, especially as the first bus was full and I had to wait for the next.. I didn't get a good look at him, so I'm not sure whether he got on the bus when it came, but I must say, if he did, he seemed to have said his piece - there was no sermonising from then on.

I'd identified a gastropub - The Waterway - near the venue - right across the canal, in fact (this is Little Venice, it's packed with canals). Got a table without trouble - I chose to sit inside, frozen as I was after my journey! I was glad to see the nearby bridge, and the spire on the other side of the canal - I was only a hop, skip and jump from where I needed to be! and speed was of the essence, as with the delay with the buses, it was now within an hour of the start. Outside, mind you, was popular with people with pooches:

I ended up choosing the garlic roasted half chicken, which comes with chips. And a large glass of sauvignon blanc - they actually have carafes too, but that'd be the equivalent of two glasses, and since it was exactly twice the price, there was no saving. And since I was in a hurry, less was more.. I have to say, service was swift. However, I also have to say, the chicken was obviously on a diet.. I could have done with more. The chips were lovely, the chicken not bad - but it occurred to me that I'd have gotten more food, and tastier, at Nando's. Plus loyalty points. I shall remember that in future.. Predictably, they were invisible when it came time to pay. I could probably have legged it - instead, I put on my coat and stood by the till until someone noticed I existed. Happily, when he did finally give me the bill, it came with a couple of chocolates..

And so to the church / arts centre. There's a canalside, cafe entrance, but it looked kind of deserted, so I headed for the other side. Where I came across someone with a checklist, who directed me upstairs, to the main body of the church. Where they had drinks! Lovely - I had another wine. Cheaper. And chose a seat near the front - seating was open.

It's a lovely old building - and, as we were to discover, the perfect setting for this talk, one of the Islamic influences she was talking about being the Gothic style of architecture, and in particular, the pointed arch! She was promoting her book - Stealing from the Saracens - and pointed out that this was the word that Europeans used for Muslims up to the the 17th Century. And funnily enough, it actually derives from an Arabic word meaning "to steal"..

Well, I never expected such a fascinating talk. The main thrust of it was that, during the Dark Ages, Europe lost the knowledge of the Classical world, but the Arabs didn't - they retained this knowledge, and built on it. So, by the High Middle Ages, if you wanted fancy, pointed arches in your buildings, the only people with that knowhow were Arab architects! Ironic, really, as this knowledge was generally used to build churches and other Christian religious institutions.. I loved her anecdote about how the Abbé Suger made sure to have himself included in the stained glass windows of Saint Denis, but not the actual architects!

But wow, if Arabs were responsible for the origins of Gothic architecture, that leads to so many things.. of course you would expect their influence around the Mediterranean, and she showed us fascinating examples of what she was talking about, from the Mezquita of Córdoba, and from Venice. One of the more surprising revelations from the talk was, possibly, the confession of Christopher Wren about how much he owed to "Saracen" architecture! Indeed, the cover of her book is a shot of the interior of the dome of St. Paul's. Now, there's a thought.. I determined to buy a copy of her book, but checked out the prices on Amazon - and lo, although her (signed) hardback copy was cheaper than theirs, the Kindle version was a lot cheaper again. And easier to carry. So I've bought that. No sign of it downloading for me yet, though! They suggest I restart..

Tomorrow, it's back to Ireland for the weekend. Checking films for the weekend - and what I might actually enjoy, and is on as a matinée - I came up with Barber, an Irish PI thriller, starring Aidan Gillen as the PI, with, of all people, Liam Carney as the cop in charge! Jeez, it's going to be hard for me not to think of him as the lothario building developer in Fair City! This is showing in the Omniplex, so I've booked, which is handier.

Well, from a week with no Meetups to one with nothing else! On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

On Tuesday, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Five of us going so far..

On Wednesday, I was thinking film again - finally got the film list (partially) done, and couldn't see anything better coming up than what's advertised by The London Movie Club and The Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London! both of which I'm a member of. And both of which, it transpires, are run by the same people! So I've signed up with the Hideout. Specifically, what's happening is Alien Day - a special double bill of the classic, Alien, and its sequel, Aliens, at the BFI Imax! See, the first planet where the aliens land is named LV-426.. So, you know, 26th of the 4th.. Now, I've never even been to the Imax, so this'll be interesting! Also good to meet these folks again - apparently, there'll be a break between films as well.

And next Thursday, Helen's in town for a conference - we're going to try to coordinate meeting for dinner, before I head off to join UITCS again, for The Good Person of Szechwan, by Brecht, at the Lyric Hammersmith! 

Play: For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy

For tonight, I booked For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide.. at the Apollo. I had a front-row seat in the Dress Circle - now, I remembered ridiculously tight legroom, here - so I was at the end of a row, and Seatplan said it'd be OK if I leant forward.. Just a few days ago, they asked me to "check in", and thereupon sent me my ticket..

Blasted, boring work meetings always keep me a bit late on Wednesdays - I missed the luxury of the late show starts of the past two days! So, I didn't really have time for a proper meal - headed to Pret, ate quickly. Caught the bus - though I spent so long staring at it, stopped just down the road, that I wondered whether it had actually broken down! Perhaps they've moved the terminus, which is supposed to be around the corner..?

Beautiful evening for a drive, mind, glorious sunshine. On the second bus, we had some fun when a loud-mouthed guy with a Northern Irish accent got on. My, but he managed to start a row with everyone - two people standing on the street where he got on were making faces at him through the bus window, then he started a row with the passengers on our bus who were - rather unwisely - staring at him. The guy opposite him advised them to leave him alone, he wasn't "right in the head", but they were on a roll.. when they got off at the next stop, they were shouting back in at him as well! (Isn't it funny how, when an intervention might do some good, nobody can be found, yet at other times, people won't leave well alone?) Around the same time, the driver told him he'd put him off if he didn't keep quiet. Mercifully, I was getting off myself, the stop after.

Well, that's an unmercifully long show title, isn't it? I climbed the stairs to the Dress Circle, where the doors to the auditorium weren't yet open - got a drink at the bar. No seating.. but the doors opened almost immediately after, and I took my seat. The usher could use a little adjustment in her attitude, mind.. Just a teensy bit snappy.. Also, beware the steps here, they're uneven, and I spilled some of my drink while navigating them. The smoke billowing from stage before the show didn't help.

Yes, that's the view from the seat - Seatplan was dead right, as usual. You really do have to lean forward, and even then the view is partially obscured by that bar with the lights on. Legroom ok, given that I was on the aisle and could turn sideways - which I kind of had to do anyway, from that angle!

My mood was not improved by the incessant, loud hip-hop playing before the start - which was delayed by 10 minutes. I literally had a headache by the time it started. The house was pretty full by then. When the curtain rises, it's to six black fellows, who start with a dance routine - after that, it's kind of like a mixture of group therapy and roleplay, as they relate their experiences as young black men. A poster in the bar gives an extensive trigger warning - well duh, the word "suicide" even appears in the title! Sure enough, there are tales of stop-and-search, of being beaten by an alcoholic father - also someone's description of how black men can try to "better themselves" by "whitewashing" (going to college, acting like a white man), even thinking they're part of the club: until something happens, and they realise they're not.

They kind of lost me when one of them described an incident of "white saviour complex" - i.e. a six-year-old white boy, more popular with the girls than his black classmate, who offers to team up with him. Jeez, damned if you do, damned if you don't, huh? Combine that with the recurrent hip-hop (I don't have anything against hip-hop in general, but I was getting sick of it this evening), and the macho posturing.. the crowd laughing at things I just didn't find funny.. the crowd getting really jiggy with some hip-hop piece I didn't recognise.. and the guys striking a macho pose at the start of the interval, sending the crowd absolutely wild..

I practically ran out of there at the interval. Patently not my thing - I found it far too aggressive, although it certainly appeals to a lot of people. Outside, they had roped off the entrance - I had to squeeze around the barrier to get out. So, not the most successful of evenings! Well, at least I got home early.. Runs until the 7th. You have been warned.

Tomorrow, I'm with TAC for a talk on Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture, at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend. On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

And on Tuesday, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Five of us going so far..

Film: Bachelor Mother

For tonight, what came up tops was a Ginger Rogers film - the BFI is doing a season of her films, All That Sass, lasting until the 29th. This one is a comedy called Bachelor Mother - daring for 1939, it has her as a single mother! Mind you, in her case, she finds the baby abandoned outside an orphanage.. also stars David Niven, and Charles Coburn as his father, her boss. Also a late one, which was just as well, as it gave me more time to work.

So, I got a fair bit done, before heading off at 7. Arrived at O' Neill's at maybe 7.15 - downstairs was full, but upstairs pretty empty. (I'd beaten rush hour - tons of large tables arrived right after.) As he showed me to a table, he recognised me - and pointed out that the menu had changed. NO MORE KATSU!! Ah, bummer - he suggested the replacement, chicken tikka masala, but no, I'm pretty sick of that. Had a pretty mediocre gammon steak instead - with a steak knife, yet. First time I've been given one for gammon - but it was just as well, since it was a bit tough. At least the onion rings are still good - also just as well, because, not to put too fine a point on it, the chips were shite. I left a substantial portion of them. Honestly, I probably won't be back - pity, but then I have several alternatives now. Hey, it's over a month since I was last here, anyway..

A cold wait, then, for the bus - and I just made it in time for the film. As I hurried in, the usher explained how a little red light at the end of each row had the row letter on it - mine was the row whose light was broken! With the lights off, for the actual seat number, I just had to count..

So, the BFI always distributes info sheets at the films it shows - I picked up this film's sheet afterwards. And I see that this was Ginger Roger's foray into real acting, as opposed to just dancing. Sure enough, she doesn't do much dancing in this - there are a couple of token dance scenes, for her longterm fans, I guess. As for David Niven, it was his first comic role.

And it is really funny! Not "funny for its time", or "making allowances for when it's set" - these folks could settle quite happily into contemporary society - or we into theirs. Several people in the cinema laughed out loud throughout - including me. As the film sheet said, it's a topic that lends itself to farce - but the genius of this film is that it plays it straight. The acting is excellent, the comic timing superb - this is a real tonic. Delighted to have seen it! and what a contrast from last night..

For tomorrow, I've booked For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide.. at the Apollo. I have a front-row seat in the Dress Circle - now, I seem to remember ridiculously tight legroom, here - so I'm at the end of a row, and Seatplan says it'll be OK if I lean forward.. Just a couple of days ago, they asked me to "check in", and thereupon sent me my ticket..

On Thursday, I'm with TAC for a talk on Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture, at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend. On Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

And next Tuesday, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Five of us going so far..

Film: The Beasts

There isn't honestly much coming up at the moment that interests me on Meetup - so I'm  heading to the cinema for today and tomorrow. I've been having terrible trouble with that film listings site, though - even with the new week's films started, listings weren't complete! and new listings were being added over the weekend. Anyway, for tonight, it was The Beasts - set in Galicia, in Spain, this is the story of a French couple who move to a rural area, only to spark an argument with a couple of their neighbours.. I heard good things. Showing in my local cinema, the Curzon Bloomsbury. Not that you'd know it from the listings site, which - last I looked - had no listing for that, in that cinema, for today!

I was glad of the later start - I have an avalanche of work. As it was, I left a bit later than intended - handily, I passed the recycling bins, and dispensed with a large load there! And headed for something to eat - at GBK, which I'd missed while I was away.. Unfortunately, I hit it at rush hour! Dunno whether it's a regular thing, but certainly, 7.40pm on Monday of this week saw a flood of people, both for tables and takeaways. It was 10 minutes before I was seated, another 10 before I got my drink, and another 20 after that before I got fed! They did apologise.. honestly, I don't think they could have worked any faster, it was just bad luck, everyone arriving at once. Anyway, it was gorgeous, as ever - sadly, I didn't have time to finish the fries.

And so to the cinema, where a beaming lady with an American accent served me a ticket, sauvignon blanc, and chocolate honeycomb bites - remarking that everyone seemed to want them, she figured it was a hangover from Easter! As she pointed out, helping me choose a seat, gee, there were all of two other people in the screen - I took a seat in the row in front of them. I think my free tickets are used up - but I still get a discount. Arrived as the ads were underway, and reclined in my comfy seat, where I quickly polished off my picnic.

Whew. This isn't an easy watch. We're introduced to the tone of the film right at the start, as men subdue wild horses.. we're then immersed in a scenic landscape, where this French couple are trying to go about their business - of living the dream. Unfortunately, some time before the film opens, there was apparently a vote about selling some local land to Norwegian wind farmers, and gee, our French couple were almost the only dissenters. And wouldn't you know it, their next door neighbours are the type to bear grudges.. Well, the older brother is; his little brother apparently suffered an accident when he was younger, which impaired his mental capacity. Now acts as his brother's lackey.

What follows, as described in all the reviews, is a great psychological thriller. How can this couple even bear to live, knowing the hatred felt by their next door neighbour, whose door they have to pass to go anywhere? How can they know what he's going to do next? If there's a moral to this story, it might be - don't go live in the countryside unless you're made of strong stuff. It certainly doesn't do the people of Galicia any favours - especially when you realise it's loosely based on a true story! Gorgeous scenery, mind.. but perhaps somewhere you wouldn't want to move to. Truly compelling stuff, beautifully made. The small crowds could be partly attributable to the fact that it was showing here last week as well - hey, I can't get to everything immediatey!

For tomorrow, what's coming up is a Ginger Rogers film - the BFI is doing a season of her films. This one is a comedy called Bachelor Mother - daring for 1939, it has her as a single mother! Mind you, in her case, she finds the baby abandoned outside an orphanage.. also stars David Niven, and Charles Coburn as her father. Also a late one, which is just as well, as it'll give me more time to work.

For Wednesday, I've booked For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide.. at the Apollo. I have a front-row seat in the Dress Circle - now, I seem to remember ridiculously tight legroom, here - so I'm at the end of a row, and Seatplan says it'll be OK if I lean forward.. Just yesterday, they asked me to "check in", and thereupon sent me my ticket..

On Thursday, I'm with TAC for a talk on Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture, at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend. Next Monday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

And on the 25th, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Four of us going so far..

Walk: Movers & Shakers of Marylebone

Now, my boss suggested - quite a while ago - that we might have a jaunt to the head office in Tel Aviv today! I hadn't heard anything since, though - so I finally asked him. He confirmed that it won't be until at least next month now - wants to get the latest release out. (Just as well really, with all the unrest over there.) So I'll be in London this week. And in fact, for today, I finally found something good to do - London Herstory Guided Walks was doing Movers & Shakers of Marylebone! Great to be back with Mandy again.

Also nice to have a later start - why, I didn't even have to rush! much. She had mentioned that she'd be outside the Globe pub, across from Baker Street Station - the bus let me off just down from there, and Google Maps pointed me in the right direction; had I directed myself by Madame Tussauds, mentioned in the event description, I'd have gone wrong. Perhaps that's what happened to the one of our group that got lost.. apparently wandering around looking for us, but we never found each other! despite Mandy's best efforts. Ah well..

Speaking of which, did you notice that there is no apostrophe in the name? Turns out that's deliberate - because that family doesn't own it any more, but obviously wanted to keep the name..

Anyway, this, as she said, is a huge area, and we had some long walks between stops. Also, I didn't take so many photos.. well, unless you're a fan of architecture (or art, as one of the group, who went around snapping things that were blue!), what's there to photograph isn't that varied. Interesting, and certainly pleasant to look at, but not, perhaps, to photograph. Having said that, we next came to the parish church, which is striking.. and also where Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning were married! in secret.. for some reason, her father disinherited each of his children who married. Imagine..

We were later to come on her house - rather than a plaque, they decided to carve her name into the fabric of the building:

Most curious plaque of the day was the one about the Queen of Haiti:

This lovely piece of architecture apparently started life as a Debenham's!

And lo, for the computer fans among us:

Used to hang out with Ada Lovelace - I was intrigued by the story of how her mother encouraged her interest in science, to make sure she didn't follow in the footsteps of her feckless father, Lord Byron!

This is an exclusive part of town, full of attractive mews and courtyards:

We heard about other interesting women, such as Christine Keeler, where we stood outside the house where she created the fuss that brought her affair to light. And saw the house where Emmeline Pankhurst really died! (contrary to her Wikipedia entry). But this is the thing about London - it's not only packed full of history (and herstory..), but interesting people continue to live here, and interesting things continue to happen. So many stories..

We finished on the site of the "hanging tree", where we learned the origin of the word "hangover". The site is now marked by a plaque, on a traffic island, on a busy junction.. but hey, they did plant three trees around it, to commemorate the triangular gallows!

And so we repaired to The Carpenter's Arms - where the sauvignon blanc is incredibly good value! so I had two. And we sat outside - my first time this year, and boy, did it feel good. And the company was excellent.

So to food - I ended up in the nearest Spaghetti House, where, funnily enough, I didn't feel like pasta! So I had a veal escalope, which was gorgeous- far from the one I remember in Malbun, years ago, where - in a highly expensive place, and keen to keep the price low - I had the cheapest option possible, which was dry as a bone. This one, today, came with a slice of lemon, and was very moreish - I had the option of sautéed potatoes or spaghetti, and chose the spuds - which were served as wafer-thin slices! For starter, minestrone - for the first time in ages - and, of course, chocolate cake for dessert. And sauvignon blanc that was more expensive than the pub. Naturally. When I finally rolled home, I was exhausted - ended up falling into bed, and sleeping the rest of the evening away! It's a while since I did that..

There isn't honestly much coming up that interests me on Meetup - so I'm thinking of heading to the cinema for the next two days. I've been having terrible trouble with that film listings site, though - even with the new week's films started, listings weren't complete! and new listings were being added over the weekend. Anyway, for tomorrow, what it's looking like is The Beasts - set in Galicia, in Spain, this is the story of a French couple who move to a rural area, only to spark an argument with a couple of their neighbours.. I hear good things. Showing in my local cinema, the Curzon Bloomsbury. Not that you'd know it from the listings site, which - last I looked - had no listing for that, in that cinema, for tomorrow!

For Tuesday, what's coming up is a Ginger Rogers film - the BFI is doing a season of her films. This one is a comedy called Bachelor Mother - daring for 1939, it has her as a single mother! Mind you, in her case, she finds the baby abandoned outside an orphanage.. also stars David Niven, and Charles Coburn as her father.

For Wednesday, I've booked For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide.. at the Apollo. I have a front-row seat in the Dress Circle - now, I seem to remember ridiculously tight legroom, here - so I'm at the end of a row, and Seatplan says it'll be OK if I lean forward.. Just yesterday, they asked me to "check in", and thereupon sent me my ticket..

On Thursday, I'm with TAC for a talk on Arab & Islamic Roots of Europe's Architecture, at St. Mary Magdalene Church.

Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend. On the 24th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for The Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida - no seats left in the stalls, when I booked! Seatplan made me wary of the cheapest seats, so I'm in the next bracket up..

And on the 25th, back with Over 40 Living the Life, for dinner at the Greenwich Yacht Club again. Well, it was good last time - good food, cheap prices, good company. Four of us going so far - I'm sure there'll be more!