London Still Rocks!

For tonight, second film night in a row, I went to  A Real Pain , a comedy where  Jesse Eisenberg  finds himself travelling around  Poland  with his really annoying cousin as a travelling companion. Showing in my closest cinema,  Curzon Aldgate ! Two showings I could make - I went for the later one - had a lot of work to get through, and I could leave later for that one. Intending to eat in Cote St. Katharine Docks , I could walk there, so in due course I did. A few minutes for anyone to notice me standing at the door, and I was seated without too much bother. Ai me though, the service.. I was later told they were "covering". Huh. I'd believe it. It took ages for anyone to take my order. When I got a carafe of water, I wasn't given a glass and had to ask for one, which was eventually thumped down unceremoniously. My wine didn't arrive until after I'd started eating. It took 25 minutes for my main to arrive after I'd finished my starter - which still hadn...

These two days are set aside for film again - yesterday, I went to  The Girl with the Needle  at the  ICA . A  Danish  film, it's loosely based on the story of Danish serial killer  Dagmar Overbye .. and described as a psychological horror. The trailer certainly looked intriguing.. I got myself out in good time. Again, no sign of the #188 - happily, I could take that or the #381 . And lo, they were all advertised as going to the end of the line. So, I got on one - and a few stops later, what happened?! Another destination change - it was stopping short again. Mercifully, another was coming right behind, which was actually going all the way - and changing buses, I had a choice of three. So I did get there in time. I'd forgotten you can go through those big gates on Whitehall - it's the Household Cavalry Museum ! So I cut through there, and the ICA is just up the road. You couldn't actually have missed it - it was the scene of a massive, obviously pro- Pale...

Tonight, I was at  The Little Foxes , starring  Anne-Marie Duff , at the  Young Vic  - booked the local  Bar + Block  beforehand. Nom-nom-nom.. Unfortunately, Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS) is going tomorrow, but what can you do..? Starved of work (sometimes happens), I headed off early. The buses were being weird again, the #381 stopping short.. but happily, the #188 wasn't as scarce as on Wednesday , and I got that. And then that stopped short too.. but mercifully, it took me to where I was headed. And I got there on the dot of when my booking was for. And then was kept waiting some minutes before the maitre d' got around to me. He initially thought I was on the "Saver Deal" - I shrugged in confusion: turned out it's for residents of the hotel where the restaurant is based. I took a central seat, rather than the side one he suggested - familiar with iffy service in the past, I wanted to put myself in the way of the table staff. So, I had sirloin (...

Yesterday wa s a busy one - in the middle of the day,  Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS) had a social, which I signed up for, in  The Royal George, Charing Cross Road . Excellent chance to see them all - I don't so much these days! Anyway, off I popped, one of the first four to arrive. In the end, it was a large group, people going and coming as they needed to. We had lunch (brunch for me) - and I'm delighted to say I loved my chicken schnitzel. Chat was good, and I stayed there till the bitter end, hanging out with old faces and new. It's nice to have a sit-down with them, and it was a lovely afternoon. In the evening, I was back with  Movie Roadhouse London  for  Maria , in which  Angelina Jolie  plays the famous opera singer,  Maria Callas . In the  Curzon Mayfair  - which is great, because as a  Curzon  member, I got a free ticket! and this would be expensive enough, otherwise.. It was walking distance from the Royal Geor...

Tonight, headed to another film - and specifically,  Her Story , which I was supposed to go to last Monday, until my flight was cancelled and my return delayed - it's a comedy that looked decent. Showing in the  Odeon Luxe Haymarket  - and mercifully, more than half an hour later, making it much easier for me to get there! When I checked today, it was mostly sold out, so I booked - the Odeon is cheaper online anyway. Left a little earlier than I needed to - and brother, is it cold out there! Thank goodness I didn't have to get up early to go to the office today! Anyway, I arrived early, got a wine and a packet of Minstrels at the cinema - I wouldn't have the wine again, I think, it was rather sour - and the cleaners let us know when the screen was ready. And ooh, all the seats are recliners.. more expensive, yes, but boy are they comfy! and each with a little tray table attached to the arm, incorporating a drink holder. How relaxing, after a hectic week.. the leather on ...

Yesterday, I booked with CT for a play called  10 Nights , at  Riverside Studios . But it was a colleague's last day, and he booked the  All Bar One  by the office for leaving drinks - so I did that instead. I loved working with him, he'll be missed - and I was just as happy not to have to traipse all the way to  Hammersmith .. A large card went around, appropriate for all the people that wanted to sign it - and before the pub, there was a speech in the office, streamed on Teams for anyone who wanted to watch and wasn't in yesterday. It was pointed out to those online that we had drinks in the office, too - there was plenty of beer, something fizzy, and a bottle of regular white wine. Unfortunately, I never did get to that - there wasn't a general move, although the CEO's wife, who'd come in for the occasion, partook of the wine. But you see, I didn't want to start a glass and then discover we were en route to the pub! I needn't have worried - I thought...