London Still Rocks!

Last night, was thinking of heading to a film - and was thinking of Seven Days in May , with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in an Oscar -nominated thriller about an army colonel (Kirk Douglas) who alerts the president about a planned military coup against him - because he supports nuclear disarmament. Showing in Finsbury Park Picturehouse at 5.30. Then I checked the listings again - and decided on The Sheep Detectives , with Hugh Jackman as the farmer who reads detective stories to his sheep, which then use their learned skills when he is murdered! They are voiced by Patrick Stewart , Chris O' Dowd , and Bryan Cranston , among others . Showing in Peckhamplex . And a couple of people said they might be interested as well. And then.. an old school friend I haven't seen in years messaged to say he'd be in town, yesterday only, and would I like to meet? So that was the final plan for a day that turned out to be the most confusing to plan.. we arranged to meet in ...

Tonight, more storytelling - this one was from the Crick Crack Club (CCC) again, and was The Grateful & The Dead , with Ben Haggarty , in the East Dulwich Tavern - and my sometime companion came too. Part of the Dulwich Festival . I booked a table for beforehand in the pub, as Google Maps recommended it. My bus was diverted - wonderful, I thought, it's headed towards where I want to go, but a more direct way! Yeah, it was.. unfortunately, the terminus is on that route, and that's where my bus journey ended! So I had to walk the rest of the way - and as the beginning of my journey was complicated, I got lost, so it wasn't a time saving at all. And sure enough, as always happens, my companion, who never thinks she'll get there on time, was there before me. Never mind, I made it eventually. It's a large pub on a busy junction - I spotted her and made straight for her, and when I caught someone's eye, I ordered; she already had. And ooh, we had the mos...

Yesterday, second day in a row with Meetup , I was back with London Social & Cultural Meetups for a screening of Metropolis at the Genesis Cinema - also advertised with the London European Club and Film, Art and History Matters . . I did manage to get myself up in time - in fact, quite early - and took a couple of buses there. Mind you, Google Maps had me going on one more stop, just so I could have stops that were more closely aligned on either side of the road (I had to head back the way I'd come, slightly). Ridiculous.. you can hardly ever cross the road exactly at the point you want anyway! The bus dropped me right outside the door of the cinema! ..which has a quirky piece of street art outside: ..as well as a list of all the films they're showing cheaply, as part of their birthday celebrations! Inside, I discovered a nice foyer, complete with seating area, socialist bookstall, coffee shop, and box office - and past the ticket check, a cinema counter selling all...

Last   night, I booked with TAC for an improv show called Fabled: The Improvised Fantasy Adventure , showing in The Free Association Theatre . Meant to eat beforehand, but really wanted to finish the blog - so I didn't leave early enough. Did pop into the Union Jack  (UJ), which is right next door to the theatre, but really only had time for a drink: They do like you to check in early, you see. Well, I headed off with little idea where this place was, exactly - but right beside the pub is a gated alleyway called Old Union Yard Arches - sounded right, despite Google Maps telling me it was further down Union Street . So I moseyed down there. It gets quite narrow after a bit, but persevere - there is a theatre right at the entrance to the yard, but the Free Association is past the narrow bit. There's a sign outside - but it doesn't really look like a theatre. I pushed the door, which opened - and uncertainly asked the guy at the desk.. and yes, that was it! He said he...