London Still Rocks!

Today's schedule was greatly delayed by the fact that I couldn't decide whether I could be bothered with anything on   Meetup . I finally decided I couldn't be bothered, and booked with CT instead, for a play called   Sunsets , at the   Seven Dials playhouse  - mainly, to be honest, because it was the closest on offer cheaply. It sounded interesting, though - a woman, obsessed with rom-coms, decides to create one from her own life.. This, I could get a single bus to - had the misfortune to be sharing it with a number of second-level students, complete with uniforms. One was making herself truly objectionable, sat on a front window seat, her feet on the one beside. On the pair of seats behind her, her friend also occupied the window seat, her books or whatever on the seat beside. And the one in front must necessarily yell her conversation with her friend, sat right behind her, and whom she was turned to face - I was glad when they got off. Well, the theatre is a shor...

Tonight , I was with  London Baroque Music Lovers  for a  chamber music concert  at  Wigmore Hall . Arrangements were to meet beforehand at the Cock and Lion (which advertises itself as the only pub on Wigmore Street ) - checking the menu, I saw they do chicken schnitzel, so that was a no-brainer; I hadn't had it in ages! Unfortunately, at that time of the evening, bus would have taken too long - so I was on the Tube . Alight at Bond Street Station , cross Oxford Street and head up Marylebone Lane - it's right at the top. The upstairs was closed, and the downstairs isn't that big, so it didn't take me long to realise that the organiser wasn't there - happily, someone else from the group was, saw me looking, and figured I was with the group. So I ordered my schnitzel, and we grabbed a table, some others arriving in due course. Ah, that schnitzel was lovely - and the chips came perfectly presalted. I should make a note of this place for food! Anyway, we chatted...

Today, delighted to be with  Buddies on a Budget in London  - rarely do I get the chance - for the  Pearly Kings & Queens Harvest Festival , at the  Guildhall ! For once, I got to bed at a decent time last night - so got up at a decent time - so actually had breakfast before heading out. Truly unusual for me. Arrived early though, even with the bus terminating early - the road was closed off (for the subsequent parade, I guess). Our meeting point was Black Sheep Coffee - but they don't have inside seating, and despite a weather forecast that predicted temperatures of up to 20 degrees, it was chilly - there was a breeze, apart from anything else. So I took myself to the nearby Caffe Nero , and had a luxury hot chocolate. Which apparently always comes in a medium mug, rather than the large she gave me - but by the time she realised her mistake, she'd poured it. So that was ok. Even if they were out of cream. The organiser found me as I was nearly finished - so w...

Tonight, back at last with the  London Classical Music and Theatre Group , for  Mahler's Resurrection , at the  Royal Festival Hall . My sometime companion from  Up in the Cheap Seats  wanted a suggestion for something for the afternoon, though - so we also booked for an  organ recital , at the same venue beforehand. She messaged me when she got there, nearly an hour early - she'd positioned herself in The Archduke , for their live music. Unfortunately, the bus I got on ended up stopped in one of those really sluggish runs of traffic - I was going to be another half hour, as I said, there was no point in my coming there. Instead, when I arrived - hungry - I made for the Southbank Centre's food fair , on today, where as soon as I saw someone advertising chicken katsu curry, I was hooked. Didn't take long for me to be served and eat - whereupon I checked my phone, saw she was in the concert hall, and joined her there. With plenty of space, the guy beside me ...

Tonight,  The Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London  were off to see  Hellraiser  (yes, the remastered original) at the  Prince Charles , heading to  Clubhouse 5  after. Which prompted me to check out the film list - but you know, I simply couldn't see anything more fun on it! And it was about time I saw this, even if I don't like the  book . So I joined them. Film promised to be less scary than yesterday's .. Rain was promised - but obligingly held off until I was on the bus , when it started to lash! It had lightened off a bit by the time I had to change - and had stopped entirely when I got off, finally. I didn't really have time for a full meal - ran to Gregg's , got a pack of southern fried chicken goujons, and mooched around eating them and listening to the most incredible beatboxer. Whom I gave something, once I'd finished eating.. then made my way to the cinema bar, where the organiser had beaten me to it. As others arrived, the chat was good...

Tonight, it was film - and I got enough of the film list done to come up with  Phantom Parrot , a documentary about the unusual powers granted to  UK Border Police . Q+A afterwards.  Curzon Bloomsbury , of course - and already mostly booked out, so I booked. Funnily enough, although I'm still entitled to four free films, I couldn't see how to avail of that! so ended up just getting a discount instead. Will normally not be booking in advance, so should be less of an issue, with staff to help.. It rained a lot today, but sporadically - I escaped it until I alighted from the bus , and as I climbed the steps to the Brunswick Centre , I slipped several times: didn't fall, thankfully. The shoes I wore don't do well with slippery surfaces, you see, and what with the rain, and the smooth concrete of the Brunswick Centre, it was something of a lethal combination. But I survived.. I'd been aiming to eat beforehand, but unfortunately the traffic had been terrible, so I was run...

Tonight, I was with CT for a classical concert - a  Chamber Recital  at  St. Mark's, Hamilton Terrace . Regular tickets from  TicketSource . Looking at the area, I saw a restaurant called Thai Rice and figured - it's a while since I ate Thai , I'll give it a shot! It didn't stop lashing rain all day, so the priority was to avoid walking. The closest station - to both the restaurant and the church - is Maida Vale , on the Bakerloo Line - which I could catch from Elephant & Castle , which I could get a bus to. I had to take the Tube , it's too far to get buses all the way. So that's what I did - and the Tube, as expected, was crowded and stuffy. Also a very long way - but I was starting at the terminus, so got a seat without trouble. And I had the paper to read. The line is part suspended - but only at the outskirts; I was fine. Alighting in Maida Vale, I looked in dismay at the rain, still pouring down outside. Happily, my restaurant was just across the ro...

Back in London, last night, with   Up in the Cheap Seats  (UITCS) again for  Crazy for You , at the  Gillian Lynne Theatre . Met another member of the group for dinner first - as we sometimes do - this time, I spotted the Prince of Wales pub just down from there, and thought I'd try that. This, of course, is the venue for the Horror Book Club 's monthly meetings - so I knew that they rent out the upstairs room for functions, rather than use it as the main dining area. Sure enough, when I asked, the barman said our table would be somewhere over by the window, on the ground floor, with my name on it. And so it was. I'd ordered by the time my companion arrived - I used the app, he ordered at the bar. He went for what used to be my staple, before the hot weather kicked in - steak and ale pie, which he ate with gusto. I wasn't in the mood, so had the BBQ chicken instead - for the first and last time. NEVER have I seen such a miniscule chicken.. in a congealed sauce. And ...