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Talk: Art Cure - The Science of how the arts transform our health

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Well.. flew back into London on Sunday night, with Aer Lingus because it was a bit cheaper than Ryanair  at short notice. Which meant I came into Heathrow . The flight was delayed.. how bad, I squeezed in a couple of glasses of wine while I waited. Unfortunately, this meant we were late into Heathrow.. and my only option was bus! So, I sought out the Central Bus Station in Heathrow, first time ever. It's findable.. and on the departures board, no fewer than five National Express departures for London Victoria  were listed, all leaving at 23.59. "Wait in Lounge", it said. I did for a while - it was about 23.30 - then thought it might behove me to buy a ticket. The app wasn't working, the ticket office was closed, the first of three machines in the wall wasn't working. I finally got a ticket from the next one along. Had a peek out both exit doors, spotted coach stops out of one, went out that way. Checked with one of the workers, strolling up and down the bays, t...
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Film: The Weight

I'm back in  Ireland for the weekend, because otherwise I couldn't get back at all this month! Flew out with   Ryanair , and going back with   Aer Lingus , which was cheaper at short notice.  Today, I headed to see  The Weight , about a  depression-era  prison inmate ( Ethan Hawke ), who gets an offer he can't refuse from the warden ( Russell Crowe ) - join a gang of convicts to transport a quantity of gold bars cross-country, and win his freedom. It was advertised as showing in  Ennis , which is quicker to get to - the friend I usually meet when I go back isn't available. But, as often happens there, when I checked today, it had been removed! Guess they didn't figure it'd be an earner. Happily, it was still showing in Limerick Omniplex - so I went there instead. There's a Nando's right next door, so I decided to eat there beforehand. By 'eck though, I soon began to think it'd been a bad idea - with two couples waiting before me, we were waitin...
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Social, Dance: Flamenc-Oh!, & Film: Coyote Vs. ACME

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Last Tuesday, was thinking of cinema - coming up was, again, Coyote Vs. ACME , a partly animated comedy based on the roadrunner cartoons , in which Coyote sues ACME, whose products always blow up in his face. It's getting great reviews - nearest showing to me is in the Odeon Luxe Haymarket , and again I'd have to leave home quite early for it. But just on Monday, I was in touch with my friend James, first time in about a month - and we decided to meet on Tuesday evening in The Phoenix . As usual. With the buses delayed, I took the Tube , and made it a bit before him - the outside tables were full, to my surprise on a weekday! Mind you, we have never been here on a weekday before.. happily, despite a large standing crowd inside too, there were a few free tables, and I took one in the window. As he pointed out when he arrived, this was probably the after-work crowd, which should thin out. Which it did. He had his usual fish n chips, I had my usual steak - happy to report it's...
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Play: Who Killed Marilyn?

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Tonight, I was back with TAC to see Who Killed Marilyn? at the Emerald Theatre . Spoiler, this assumes it's the Mafia .. I just got emailed my ticket this afternoon. Yeah, wasn't enthused by eating options near there - so I decided to eat in The Sun Wharf . Which was lovely.. and where I caught up on the news from Drumcree , where the Orange Lodge has inexplicably been allowed to parade through Catholic areas again, after a 28-year ban. Except they haven't, because protestors have blocked the road. Eh, good to catch up on the news anyway, idiotic as it is.. A long wait for the bus then - but I was early - a walk across the bridge , and straight into the theatre and to the loo. Then to the bar, got a drink. Caveat - I didn't really notice until my second drink, but the drinks cost £2 more than the menu price here - it's a service charge, and compulsory. The wine is decent though. I was in Row H of the Stalls, which turns out to be in the rear section - which is s...
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