London Still Rocks!

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...

Currently in Ireland for the weekend - a little earlier than anticipated, but I'll be busy for the rest of the month, so figured I might as well go now, before things hot up! The flight was fun, apparently full of members of some girls' team or other - given the Irish accents, I'd guess they'd been over in London for the week and were now coming home. Anyway, I did manage to get a nap in - also read a bit more of that work book club book I never finished - James Acaster's Classic Scrapes . And it continues to be hilarious.. Today, decided to go and see  The Secret Agent , finally - a political thriller set in  Brazil  in 1977, highly rated, and happily still showing in  Ennis , which is handier. There was only one showing today - at 3.20pm - so I managed to get myself out for that. A bit late leaving, of course - and my heart sank as I entered the cinema and saw the queue at the box office. Never mind, I persisted - and wow, still made the film in perfect time! The ...

This evening , back with  Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS) for  Blink , at  The King's Head . A romcom that asks, in the digital age, when we can see everything someone is doing, what does it actually mean to know someone? An early start - but a quick bus trip from the office, so worked fine, as today was my office day. I nipped off in good time - just in time to miss a bus , but I did have plenty of time to catch the next. And as I arrived at The Bull , in time to eat, it occurred to me that it'd been quite a while since I was last there! August , in fact. Anyway, I got a table I've often had before, near the bar - ordered the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a chicken schnitzel. He had run out of the NZ in the bar, ran to check in the cellar while I paid. When he returned, he apologised and said they were completely out of it, asked what I'd like instead - well, since he'd offered me an alternative of South African Sauvignon Blanc , of course I had that, and took my...