Christmas Socials

Last Wednesday (at the end of my first day at the office), there was 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!

Wow, it was a hectic, tiring day.. as I told people about it afterwards, someone remarked that that was a very full-on first day! Yes, hmm.. now, they don't have lockers, but as I was in yesterday as well (handier for onboarding), someone made the helpful suggestion that I could leave my laptop bag in one of the stationery cupboards. Heavy as the laptop is, that was a very useful suggestion! 

I wanted to finish some of the interminable HR stuff before I left - which delayed me a bit. So I didn't have time for a proper meal, and didn't trust the bar to provide me with sustenance. So, Pret it was - there's one right across from the office, and down from the bus stop. Scanned the shelves, couldn't see the salmon sandwiches I love - bummer. So I picked up a ham and cheese one - only to spot the last salmon sandwich, which I hadn't noticed! Damnit, as I was leaving back the one I'd taken, didn't someone come and snaffle my salmon sandwich. Grr.. Ham and cheese it was.

Oh my, it was cold outside.. so the long wait at the bus stop wasn't appreciated. Mind you, it is the terminus for the bus I wanted.. and that's never a good place to wait - they always seem to be delayed. (I could have walked, actually, but didn't fancy it in the cold.) As other buses came and went, and the apps to tell when buses come were sure mine had already been and gone (as I was standing there), I finally gave up on the thing, and after yet another disappointment, when the predicted bus didn't arrive, I got on the Tube. Just as well I know my way around Waterloo - it's a maze. Well, I got myself to the BFI - a bit late - and plonked myself in the Riverfront Bar. Got myself a wine. I couldn't see anyone I knew, though, and with two groups there, I didn't know which to approach.. some of them ended up giving me very weird looks as I mooched around, peering at people..

I left a message on one of the group WhatsApp chats - one of the organisers posted a picture of the side entrance though, and said it was the bar there. (There's a bar there? I thought..) Well, by the time he tried ringing me, I had realised I was probably in entirely the wrong place - just had to finish my drink, and I'd go exploring. I couldn't have heard him for the noise, anyway, and was nearly ready to go try and find them - so I didn't take the call. Went back outside, investigated the side entrance - in the door, up the stairs, and wouldn't you know it, there was noise to my right. There they were! Not that many of them, at that point - seems a lot of people did exactly the same as I did, and thought it was the Riverfront Bar. Well, I don't honestly remember a bar inside.. but it has been a while. What a relief, anyway!

Party hats were being distributed - there weren't enough for everyone, and I avoided them. At the bar, the wine list was odd.. no standard wines! I asked for a Sauvignon Blanc, and he thought for a moment and indicated a wine I'd never heard of - said it was the closest. £14 for a large glass.. I said sod it, this is becoming the norm in central London - and there wasn't much cheaper anyway, and I was in some way celebrating my new job. And I'd had a tough time getting there. (I ended up getting a couple more glasses over the course of the evening - his advice was good, and the wine was gorgeous.)

The group expanded enormously over the course of the night, and conversation was good. I always enjoy my meetings with these people, and it was a good end to my year with them - sadly, I'm not going to be seeing them again this year. When I got home, I pretty much went straight to bed - had to be up early again for the commute to work the next morning.

Yesterday, no chance to blog, with the boss looking over my shoulder. After work, I had to bring the laptop - the norm is working from home, it was unusual for me to be in two days this week. Happily, this time I was easy walking distance from where I was going.. I was squeezing in a pre-Christmas meeting with Ivan, at the Lamb & Flag - he can't really do weekends before Christmas, they're all taken up either with trips to Scotland to see the family, or rehearsals with his band. He wouldn't get there before the kitchen closed, knowing him, so I told him to let me know what he wanted, and I could order it. Long as it was ok cold..

Drizzle accompanied me on my walk - but at least I wasn't depending on a bus. Traffic was, apparently, dire - he was on a bus, and pushed his ETA back and back. And indeed, when I did get to the pub, I overheard folks at the next table, joining their friend, saying how bad it was out there. Ivan also contradicted me, saying the pub kitchen didn't close until 10 - I was perplexed at where I got 7pm. Well, when I arrived, I was delighted to have booked - there was a throng of drinkers outside. But it was actually not that busy upstairs.. I was sat beside the Christmas tree, and explained to them that my companion had been delayed.

I ordered wine, I ordered food - he'd told me not to wait, and I was hungry. Steak and ale pie sounded just the ticket, on a cold and drizzly December evening - and this being a Fuller's pub, the pie wouldn't be as large and unmanageable as in Greene King! The poor server got her guesses completely wrong - "I'm guessing," she said, "that you don't want the bottle of wine to be opened until your friend arrives." I disagreed. So then she decided that I mustn't want the wine at all until the food arrived. Wrong again. And that I didn't want the food until my friend arrived. Three strikes - you're out! I eventually got the wine when another of the bar staff asked what was happening with my friend, and did I want a drink while I was waiting - they were a little scatty in serving, and it still took a while after that - but I did get my wine. And it wasn't actually long at all before I got my food.

I was glad I'd ordered a side of onion rings - they were delicious. I was absolutely stuffed, though - left a little of the pie and some chips: made sure to finish the onion rings! I finished at around the time Ivan said he'd be there - I'd told him where I was, and he found me, exclaiming "It does exist!" Yes, it is indeed down a discreet alley. Anyway, he ordered food - I ordered dessert, which took a while, as the guy kept running off.. and took a while to arrive, to the extent that we had to ask again! Happily, we were right beside the bar, which made that easier. And all I wanted was a couple of scoops of ice cream..

The chat, as ever, was excellent - it was just a pity that the upstairs room closes at 10-ish, and we were banished downstairs. I still had some wine left - the downstairs bar was so crowded, we decided to go outside, and were told we could, as long as it was in plastic. So, I finished it in the alley. Great to see him anyhow. But I was way too tired, last night, to blog.

For today's shenanigans, see the next post..