London Still Rocks!

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...

Tonight, back with storytelling - and the  Crick Crack Club  (or more likely, Laura Sampson ) has a new idea, the Story Pick + Mix, organised by what she seems to be calling The House of Rumour - rough cuts, experimental work. This one,  The Bodies on the Beach , is the story of the legendary Irish hero,  Fionn MacCumhaill , and is said to combine elements of 15th-century manuscripts, archaeology, and folklore. And these shows are happening at Theatre Deli , right in the  City . Booked to eat in  La Spezia  restaurant next door beforehand - not a long journey, happily. In fact, close enough to walk there. Boy, it was cold though - and foggy, most of the tops of the taller buildings obscured. I found the restaurant readily enough, but slightly late - not a problem, I probably didn't need to book; it looked pretty empty. The nice man took my coat and showed me to a really out-of-the-way table, with a great view of the underside of the stairs, hmm. I orde...