London Still Rocks!

Tonight , I just couldn't resist  The Monkey , with  The Hideout . Based on a short story by  Stephen King , with screenplay, and directed, by  Osgood Perkins  (son of  Anthony Perkins ), it just seemed to have such a great sense of humour.. definite shades of  Final Destination , with its inventive ways of killing people. They were going to see it at  Cineworld Leicester Square , so I booked for  Bella Italia Cranborne Street  beforehand. The bus was delayed - and packed, the upstairs, where I had to sit, all steamy, with a couple of girls drawing cartoons on the condensation-covered front window. So I was late arriving at the restaurant - on the very first occasion when they were packed, and didn't have space for me! Never fear - as one guy promised me an imminent Pinot Grigio, an older lady I didn't remember from before gave me the nod that a table were just leaving, and beckoned me upstairs five minutes later. My wine arrived before...

Tonight, the start of another run of   Meetups   - finally back with  Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS) for  The Shark is Broken , at  Richmond Theatre . A comedy about the making of  Jaws .. how could I resist?! I was perturbed, mind you, to see that the "cheap" seats in the Stalls involve an automatic VIP experience booking, with champagne and such! Huh - I went for the next price level up, in the rear Stalls, thus paying much less.. Booked for the  Buenos Aires Steakhouse , across the road, for beforehand.. At least being in the office meant I was halfway there - so I managed to get there by Tube in about an hour. Few enough people were actually travelling that far west - by the time we got to Gunnersbury , the train was practically empty! We slowed down coming in to Richmond , as usual - and so I was slightly late for my restaurant booking. Mind you, I was grateful to Google Maps for telling me about this place - down a backstreet, I'd nev...

Tonight, I discovered more storytelling -  Winter's Night Wonder Tales , as advertised on  Facebook  (how sensible), this was happening upstairs at  The Palmerston . Courtesy of Storyjam . Just saw it advertised as I was thinking of what to do tonight! It was going to be a long bus journey - Google Maps had me, in each direction, heading all the way around Elephant and Castle , only to turn right around and catch a bus going back in the other direction. Rubbish! I had a much shorter journey by getting off before Elephant and Castle and taking a shortcut along the appropriately named Elephant Street, circumventing Elephant and Castle - and its perpetual traffic - completely. Mind you, I had a bone to pick with Google Maps - Stop R , on Walworth Road , where I had to pick up my second, outbound bus, isn't at all where they say! Travelling to the right from Elephant Street, as instructed, all I could see were hoardings - feck, I thought, the stop must be closed! I'm be...

Tonight - I was waiting for the film list to come out, just in case, but finally plumped for another dinner at  Greenwich Yacht Club  with  Over 40 Living the Life . It's always a good evening! Unfortunately, the organiser later messaged me to say she was not feeling the best, and might have to cancel - and she did later cancel, but said it was because of a "training evening". Well and good, this had some competition tonight - so Plan B was to head to  La Grande Illusion , showing at the  Prince Charles , again for one night only. A 1937  WWI  drama about  French  prisoners of war escaping from a  German  prison, it was supposed to be good. Oh, thank goodness my bus came quickly, it's so cold.. and I shivered my way down to the cinema.  Now, I'd booked - it hadn't been selling out, but it was in the downstairs cinema, and since there's a bar down there, I figured booking in advance would avoid me having to queue at the lobby ...

Tonight, back in London, and back with CT for a jazz & tap night at  Piano Smithfield . I booked the  Old Red Cow , across the road, for a booking for dinner beforehand. Not supposed to be terrific, but I said I'd give them a try. Oh, what a delight that it was all starting that bit later, so I could put an extra hour in at work, and get something finished..! Mercifully, on such a cold night, my buses came quickly, and I was about 15 minutes early for my booking. All dining is upstairs, and the guy behind the bar led me up there and gave me the small table by the stairs - which was fine. Even on a Monday, I was lucky I booked - the place is very small. Service is quick, and friendly - the only time it slipped slightly was when my server forgot my second glass of wine - not a hanging offence, and as she asked me how my meal was, passing the table, she suddenly remembered! and apologised. Twice. I had chicken tenders for a starter - wonderfully succulent! and southern fried,...

I'm back in Ireland for the weekend - despite the sheer confusion of our gate attendant at Stansted , who didn't know whether he was supposed to walk us the short distance to the plane, or wait for the bus.. and the film for today was  Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy , in which  Renée Zellweger  reprises the role of the lovelorn Bridget, married to  Colin Firth  but now, sadly, widowed. Also stars  Isla Fisher ,  Chiwetel Ejiofor   as the new teacher at Bridget's kids' school ,   Emma Thompson  as Bridget's doctor,   Jim Broadbent  as Bridget's dad, and  Hugh Grant  - although not as a love interest this time; no, this time she finds a toyboy.. by the name of "Roxster". Well, it looked decent - and it was the only film showing in the afternoon, that I hadn't seen and was interested in seeing! It' s showing everywhere - I decided to see it in  Ennis . Oh dear.. I mean, it's highly rated (not as high now, I see), ...