London Still Rocks!

Today , London Museums A-Z (LoMAZ) was supposed to be doing a tour of Brompton Cemetery - possibly including the crypt - as part of the series of Dracula events we're doing for the year. Mind you, it was never finalised. If we had gone, that'd have been every weekend this month with them.. but it never came to pass. Instead, a friend of mine who has a habit of booking things in London and then being abroad and not able to go offered me a ticket to a show by ZooNation Youth Company at the Royal Opera House . Part of the Opera House's Next Generation season, showing in the Linbury Theatre - where I'd never been - her tickets were front row centre, and not expensive. So I said I'd take one - she sent it on when it came through. I was in no danger of being late - the bus driver drove like a man possessed! Had to go straight there - and I was rather disturbed by the description of the show as lasting from 12 to 5.30! Anyway, in I went: The young dancers o...

The weekend was supposed to be two more Meetup days. Today, I was to be back with The London Sci-Fi / Fantasy Meetup Group for another social - in the Mad Hatter again! But wouldn't you know it, the pub cancelled it in favour of the World Cup . I thought of film instead, and what came up was Effi o Blaenau , a Welsh-language film set in rural Wales , and based on the most excellent Iphigenia in Splott , a play that I saw years ago. Working-class girl, bored of life, gets an exciting glimpse into another world when she starts dating a wounded soldier - falls pregnant, and discovers the future she'd dreamed of with him isn't happening.. if the film is half as good as the play, it'll be worth it - and this is getting good reviews. Showing in the Garden Cinema . Yeah, but then just yesterday, Up in the Cheap Seats announced a last-minute trip to the Lion & Unicorn Kentish Town to see a play called Being Brave , seven short pieces about people on the cusp of...

Wednesday and Thursday were with Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS)  - on Wednesday, we were at Under the Shadow , a horror play, based on the film , about a mother and daughter, trying to survive in a Tehran that is being bombed, who find themselves being haunted, on top of it all. Showing in the Almeida .  I went early - the bus was stifling, but at least I had a seat downstairs. I headed for food in The Bull , as always around here.. the walk wasn't pleasant, short as it was, but the pub looked inviting: It was a little more crowded than usual, but I got a table - now, the chicken schnitzel, which I love when it's done well, was a little burnt the last couple of times here, and I half thought of getting the fish n chips, which is renowned - but I'm so glad I plumped for the chicken, which was terrific on this occasion. I polished off a second glass of wine before heading on another short walk to the theatre. And wow, if you hadn't noticed the aircon, you certainly...

O n Sunday - I was thinking of heading to see West End Live , the free performance snippets of West End shows, performed in Trafalgar Square .. always a good one! But then, on what was a very busy day for Meetup organisers, London Museums A-Z (LoMAZ) organised a guided walk! And as it was around my area, I could hardly resist - we were to meet in Starbucks before heading off on a Southwark Hysteries Solstice Special walk, as presented by Herstorical Tours , in the person of someone who gloried in the name of Lydia Chlamydia, and was a whore of Ancient Rome .. and Camilla did such a good job of selling it at the   Quentin Blake event that she got a good few more takers. I live not that far away - I could walk there. And miracle #3 of the weekend was that the sign I'd brought specifically for her, from Hever, the day before , as freshly laminated by Jonny, made it to Starbucks safely and was delivered! Not straight away though - I was early. Saw toasties and thought that...