Christie's Late

I was back in Ireland for the weekend. Grabbed a moreish steak slice at Panopolis en route, while I waited for my platform to be displayed. As I was on the train to Stansted, I got the news - on the Ryanair app - that the flight was delayed: by two hours! Now, when I got to the airport, I went straight to the gate, which was already displayed on the app - the departure boards weren't telling me, but the app did: and I figured, well, even if the gate is changed, it'll be somewhere in the same part of the airport. And it's a cattle market in the departure lounge..

The crew at the Ryanair desk knew nothing about the delay, much less about the voucher I was entitled to after two hours - one said I'd need to wait the two hours, and use the voucher then. So, I plonked myself in the bar at the gate. With a drink bought without benefit of voucher:

I was nearly finished the first wine when the voucher came through on my phone! A whole £3. So I had a second drink - mind you, as I'd suspected, you can't use them on alcohol. So I bought a bottle of water with it. And a wine without it:

It was with something like glee that I received the news - also on the app - that the flight was delayed another hour! Now, if the delay runs over three hours, they have to issue compensation.. but crucially, this delay applies to the arrival time; in other words, you have to arrive three hours (or more) later than the scheduled time. This is because they artificially inflate the flight time, you see, always estimating longer than it actually takes - so just taking off three hours late doesn't guarantee you'll arrive three hours late. Anyway, in the meantime, I had a lovely cheese and onion sandwich.. and wow, was I glad I'd hit the bar early, and got a seat - when the gate was finally displayed on the departure boards (and didn't change, BTW), the hordes descended..

And my word, when it was finally time to go, did they try to get us off quickly - we were made to stand on the tarmac, in the freezing cold, staring glumly at the passengers disembarking, rather than waiting in the building, as normal. Closer to the plane, you see. We were on the plane in good time all right.. and then we didn't go anywhere. Our original flight time was supposed to be 8pm, arriving at 9.30.. our actual departure time was after 11.30. And.. we arrived at 12.50 - 20 minutes after the three-hour deadline. I put in my compensation claim later that night - £220 per person. A lot more than the cost of the return flight..

Well, after all that excitement, film for Saturday was, of course, Napoleon - it's the highest rated that I want to see, haven't seen, and was showing at a time I could make. Showing, conveniently, everywhere - handiest for me is the Omniplex. Directed by Ridley Scott, but has mixed reviews. Whatever I think of the film, I'll be fascinated to see what Joaquin Phoenix does with the role - he can turn his hand to anything.

Of course, I didn't make it.. traffic in Limerick was dire, and I arrived fully half an hour after the scheduled start time. No point in spoiling it for myself, I figured - blast, and I had booked the ticket in advance. Ah well, hope I get to see it eventually..

No comparable delays last night coming back to London - and bless Shannon Duty Free, which turned out to have alcohol I can't get anywhere else! He warned me I wouldn't get duty-free prices - sod it, it's the only place I can get it. So I bought it, for them to keep when I return - must remember to collect it when I fly back next!

Tonight, back with London Social Detours, to see whether this one would be as much fun as my last outing with them! We were headed to a Christie's Late on Old Masters, pub after.. Well, I left myself running late, and fairly galloped out the door. I should have been able to take buses all the way - however, late as I was, all I could do was grab a bus to London Bridge and take the Tube from there!

There's only one bus that passes practically outside my door, and doesn't go to London Bridge. Of course, which did I end up getting? Never mind, I figured, it goes to Waterloo, and I could catch the Tube there. Eh, no.. we got as far as Elephant & Castle, and were diverted - I got off and walked to where we should have gone, only to find the road closed for road works! Oh, hell.. with no buses going where I needed them to, I got on the Tube there - back to London Bridge: finally got on the line I should have in the first place, and got to the station within the time that she'd said she'd wait. Then I couldn't find the exit where she'd said she'd be.. happily, I know my way around the station (from the outside), and when I exited in the park, I knew which way to go. And the group was still there, phew! I'd messaged that I'd be a little late, but that message didn't come through for hours, it seems - so much for the Meetup app! I was lucky.

We passed along the front of the Ritz:

I tell you though, Green Park is not near Christie's - it seemed an eternity before we got there. She'd wanted to meet somewhere where we could find each other, which is fair enough.

We joined what turned out to be a very long queue, in the end - obviously, this was the point of her meeting us so early! Interestingly, London Social & Cultural Meetups (LSCM) were there tonight, too - reasoning that I might meet someone I knew, I said I'd better let them know I was going with another group: so I left a message on the page, which meant I got all of their group's messages! They joined the queue a lot later..

The doors weren't opened till 6pm - we had a very damp wait outside, staring longingly through the windows. The talk we were starting with wasn't until 6.30. Our guide knew the drill well - it was my first time, but she's apparently been through it all before, and advised us to take our seats asap. I dropped my things off in the convenient, free cloakroom - interestingly, it's over the other side from the sign that says "cloakroom"! Then I headed straight upstairs - sure enough, the place was packed by the time the talk began. Just as well, mind you, that they provide you with a map - as we queued, a guy came around checking names off the list (or adding them) and stamping hands, and he it was who provided the map. The place is a maze - you need it. Our talk was in the Great Room:

They have this initiative, it transpires, that gives people alternative ways to experience paintings. They took a particular old painting - of a stormy seashore - and Penhaligon's, the scent people, invented several scents for it! There was an "olfactory" exhibit downstairs - when we eventually found it, there was a tablet on which you could press buttons for the different scents, then lean forward to the portal in front of you to inhale the fragrance. My nose has never been the most sensitive - I didn't honestly get much from this.

More successful, to my thinking, was the musical piece that was written, based on the same picture - the composer, who also created his version of the painting, was concerned with the sea level rise in the intervening years. The musical performance consisted of three violinists, pacing the room - one represented the sea, one the land, one the people on the boat. The performance started in 1630, when the original painting was created - with the performers in perfect harmony. And so it stayed, for a long time.. I could feel myself dropping off to the strains of the music. The composer gave a constant narrative, acting as conductor by telling us what year we were in, and how much the sea level had risen from 1630.. sure enough, no change for years and years, then a change to discordance right near the end. A very interesting piece, truth be told. His painting is hung by the olfactory experience - on the same theme, it relates to the rise in sea level:

Original:

Present day sea level in the same area:

By the end of the musical piece, it had begun to sound like a dirge - as it moved to the future, based on scientific predictions, all we could say was how glad we were that we wouldn't be alive to see it..

Well, that - to be honest - went on for ages. And by the end - the group had pretty much vanished! I thought I'd stick with the guide - we explored the building, but hardly found anyone else. Never mind, we did eventually find the bar - it's in the same direction as the cloakroom and toilets. And wow - 175ml glasses of wine for £5. Yes, very nice.. what we couldn't get over though was the way none of the paintings were protected. The place was crammed after a while, and people were brushing right up against the paintings! Some very expensive ones, too.. No-one to stop them.. and with people carrying glasses of wine, there could have been some nasty accidents. Honestly, as she remarked, such a different experience from a museum..

Me, I was delighted to get a nosey around the place - I'd never before been. Anyway, the evening was wearing on, and we'd arranged to convene at The Golden Lion, across the road. In the end, although we met a couple from the group, it was just me and the guide who meandered over to the pub. Where we met another couple who'd beaten us to it, and the guide put up a message on the group page. Which one person came in response to. Well, we had a convivial time - and mercifully, I was well fed; the chicken kiyev was burnt on the outside, but succulent on the inside. They actually ran out of Sauvignon Blanc - I was told I could have a medium glass of that, when I asked after I'd eaten, but I opted for a large glass of Pinot Grigio instead. Pity the group dissipated like that, though..

Got buses home. Tomorrow, back for the first time in months with LSCM! This is for a talk entitled City of Angels - about the angels visible in the architecture of the City. My last chance for a daytime event before I restart work..

On Wednesday (at the end of my first day at the office), there's a joint Christmas party, in the BFI bar, for the London Movie Club, the Hideout Horror SciFi Club, and London Hot 100 - all of which are run by the same people. I'm in all of them, so just RSVPed to the first to advertise it!

On Thursday, I'm squeezing in a pre-Christmas meeting with Ivan, at the Lamb & Flag - he can't do weekends before Christmas, they're all taken up either with trips to Scotland to see the family, or rehearsals with his band. He won't get there before the kitchen closes, knowing him, so I've told him to let me know what he wants, and I can order it. Long as it's ok cold..

On Friday, I'm with CT - going to see The Dirty Thirty, Best of 2023, at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. Honestly, I didn't even know what it was when I booked it - turns out to be a potted version of the best 30 plays of the year! Crikey.. and now my erstwhile companion from Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) is coming too..

On Saturday, meeting James at The Anchor - probably with Martin joining us later..

On Sunday, back with The London Horror Film Group - for the Satanic Christmas Market! Yay, always wanted to go to this - and we're off to the Fox on the Green afterwards.

The next two days, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats again - next Monday, it's for Infinite Life, at the Dorfman Theatre.

On the 12th, it's for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) at the Kiln.

On the 13th, I have the Christmas party with my new company - now, there's timing! It's at Haché, and I've already put in my food order!

On the 14th, got another CT ticket - this time, for the Backyard Comedy Club. Always good. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 18th, making my annual pilgrimage to Winter Wonderland - as usual, seeing the Ice Palace (Norse mythology this year, it seems!) and Cirque Berserk. My goodness though, my bank isn't a fan - this booking caused problems with online payments with my card.. now sorted.

On the 19th, heading to a free carol concert at St. Stephen Walbrook. As advertised by Cultureseekers - who apparently have 74 signed up, as of my last peek. So they shouldn't miss me..

On the 20th, at yet another carol concert - this with Buddies on a Budget. And my last Meetup of the year! This is at the Actor's Church - St. Paul's, Covent Garden. Tickets from ShowFilmFirst.

On the 21st, back with CT to Backyard Comedy - then back to Ireland for Christmas on the 22nd. Happy Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year!

I fly back to London on the 2nd, and on the 3rd, well, there isn't a lot advertised on Meetup - at the moment, I'm thinking of heading to the Winter Light Festival at the Southbank Centre that day.

And on the 4th of next month, I'm off to see The Time Traveller's Wife, at the Apollo. Handily enough, Seatplan was one of the sites with the cheapest tickets to this - and I was eligible for a Seatplan voucher. So I used it, and got my ticket for £5. Let's just hope, from that high up, I can see something..!