London Still Rocks!

This evening, was absolutely delighted to be seeing the medieval music group  Rune  again. They're now artists in residence at the medieval church of  St. Bartholomew the Great , and I'm on their mailing list - they've announced a programme of four concerts there for the year, but only the first two were available to book, last I looked. This one was Soave Dolce Melodia: Music of the Trecento (14th Century  Italian ). And wow, did I have trouble finding the ticket last night, particularly stressful as booking was now closed - duly found, which saved me some stress today. I emailed the  Old Red Cow  for a dinner booking beforehand - and they confirmed the same night! Maybe they're speeding up. When they sent me a reminder for the concert, they pointed out that the concert started at 6, with doors open from 5. Crap, I thought - perhaps I should have booked for food earlier! I headed in a little early, picking the bus combination that'd get me there quickest -...

T onight - way-hay! I've become a big fan of the Irish comedy trio  Foil, Arms & Hog , from their online videos. I'd never seen them live - and was very keen to see them when I heard they were performing their latest show,  Skittish , at the  Palladium ! For some reason, however, I could never get the booking link to work - and just as well, because tickets then came up on CT and I snapped one up. Booked to eat in  Shakespeare's Head Soho  beforehand - a Greene King pub again. And wouldn't you know it, I mistook the showtime and booked dinner too late.. it was only last night that I thought, am I sure it's on that late? Sure enough, it wasn't, and I managed to change my dinner booking for an earlier time. I wanted 6pm, they'd only give me 5.45 or 6.15, so I chose 5.45 so as not to be rushing - I could easily leave work a bit early, nothing to do anyway. Was out in good time for the bus - and Lordy, it was another bus with an overenthusiastic announceme...

Last night, headed to a film -  Wasteman  is a prison drama, closest showing to me in the  Everyman Broadgate . The trailer looked really powerful, as an inmate close to parole, and looking forward to seeing his son, gets a violent new cellmate and finds himself in danger of losing his "good behaviour" status. Because most of the seats in that screen are sofas, tickets for which have to be booked in pairs, I thought I'd better book an armchair while they were going. Booked to eat in the  Red Lion Moorgate  beforehand - a  Greene King  pub. I was in the office again during the day, and it closes at 7 - I wanted a booking around 7.45, but had to settle a little later, at 8pm; they were booked up till then. Stayed in the office until about 6.30, then took the first bus that arrived and that Google Maps said I could use in a combination to get me there. Sure enough, arrived at the pub about 7.40 - and my heart sank to see the crowd outside. Still, I per...

Tonight , more storytelling - seems to be the popular day of the week for it at the moment! This was The Goddess of Spreadsheets, by  Tim Ralphs , at  Torriano Avenue . This far away, it had to be Tube - the Northern Line , to be specific: and isn't it ironic that, with it closing early on weeknights, I, who usually don't take the Tube at all, ended up on this very line two nights in a row.. Anyway, this evening, a bus heading by the station was due as I passed, so I took the sensible option and waited for it. And so I arrived early at Nando's . The tables by the window, where I usually sit, were full - I ended up beside the door to the toilets. Handily, it's also beside the cutlery etc. And that's where I was when he came with my wine, looking all confused to see an empty table.. I wonder what the issue is. Quite possibly they're supposed to check that the person receiving it isn't underage, which means they're in a bit of a quandary if no-one is the...

Tonight, second play in a row, back with  Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS) for  aggy , at the  Park Theatre . As one of the characters presents a fake persona to secure work, questions are raised about attitudes and prejudices. According to the blurb. Long way up there - had to be Tube : and I had fun figuring out the route. I might have got a bus to the station - but the next one was 7 minutes away, so I decided to walk.. and sure enough, no bus had passed me by the time I got there. I was a little late for the Thameslink , which would have been faster. So, Jubilee or Northern Line .. Northern Line seemed to have fewer stops, to go more in the direction I wanted; either way, I'd be changing to the Piccadilly or Victoria Line .. again, Victoria had fewer stops. Anyway, I alighted at Finsbury Park , and it was a short walk - to Nando's . The theatre is always advertising pizza - but not only does it hardly ever have it, I'm intolerant to tomato anyway - so I wouldn'...

Back in London, for last night, I was having trouble finding something - and lo, finally, when I checked last week, my cheap ticket groups had something!  America the Beautiful  is a set of plays that, as the blurb says, offer "a uniquely skewed view of life and relationships". Showing in the King's Head again - Chapter 1 this week, which is a set of three. Both my cheap ticket groups have it, and for the same price - I booked with TAC, just because I've been going with CT so much lately, to provide some balance. Showing gloriously late, so I had plenty of time - to work, to have a nap (after my strenuous chiropractic session). Finally moseyed out the door in time to eat - headed to The Bull again, naturally (gee, so long and then twice in the space of a week !). Had the chicken schnitzel again - strangely, they'd heated the lemon that came with it. (?) Anyway, it was good, and this time I had time for two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc - I wasn't asked which I...