Walk: Newton and Legal London & Show: Afrique en Cirque
Last Wednesday, back with London Literary Walks (LLW) for a walk about Newton and Legal London. We were meeting in The Devereux, but they don't do proper meals - I ate in The George, up the road, beforehand. At least, after last week, I had some idea of the complicated street mapping!
He didn't seem able to find my booking when I arrived - never mind, upon discovering that there was just one of me, he split a table that had been pushed against two others for a larger booking, and put me at it. Now, imagine having this guy staring down at you as you eat:
The menu here is a little fancy. Of the meals I considered, I could have had fish n chips, or steak. I fancied steak. They have three kinds - none cheap. I chose the cheapest - flat iron - having had a good experience with that at the Angus. I asked for it medium, but was told that the chef tends to do it medium-rare.. the waiter said he'd ask for medium, on my behalf. I've had steak like that before, so said it was ok either way. I asked for pepper sauce with it. This is also one of those places that doesn't tend to include sides - so I ordered chips.
I was served before too long, the steak pre-cut into slices. Oh my though - the chef patently ignored the request for it to be medium. I did actually manage most of it - but towards the last third, I started to baulk at the texture.. I was very glad of the sauce to disguise it, but still couldn't finish it. The chips, at least, were very good - homemade, pre-salted. I managed most of those, paid, and made a swift exit. Won't be back there for food! Although perhaps they do a marvellous fish n chips..
And so, down to The Devereux. Where I got a drink, and secured a table at the side - I was the first to arrive.
They posed a curious question at the bar:
..which we considered in due course at the table, in the group. Go on.. how many can you name without looking it up..?
I'd noticed someone at the bar with an aluminium briefcase.. and then the couple at the adjacent table appeared with one, too! Our guide had alerted me to the phenomenon. I had a peek at what the couple near us were looking at, from inside the case - seemed to be clues: a code to decipher, a page from what looked like a Swiss newspaper, a map.
We didn't ask, though - and after a while they left. So, the mystery remains unsolved.. at least by us..
The walk centring largely on legal London, we naturally explored the adjacent Inns of Court - a lovely spot:
We started off, right across from The Devereux, with Middle Temple:
Easily identifiable from the lamb and flag symbol. Something was happening around Middle Temple Hall - perhaps a legal students' graduation:
Look carefully, and you can see when you've strayed into the precincts of another temple - in this case, Inner Temple:
Although the gate we'd entered by was closed when we returned to it, it turned out not to be locked! so we escaped to Essex Street - historic in its own right:
We also met Dr. Johnson in person:
I popped into The Tipperary for the loo on the way home - claiming to be the first Irish pub in London, it seems absolutely tiny! Most of the seating seems to be in the beer garden.. anyway, I used the loo and left.
I stopped to shop, on the way home - and that's when I realised that my sunglasses were missing! They'd been in the top of my bag. Anyway, I immediately knew what had happened - at one point, my bag had fallen off the couch in The Devereux. I retrieved it, but it was a high couch, the floor was in shadow, and I'd completely forgotten that my sunglasses should be on top, and must have fallen out! Anyway, I looked up the number and rang them, described where I'd been sitting, and what I'd lost - and the guy on the phone found them immediately! I agreed to pick them up yesterday. Anyway, it was too late to blog, given that I was in the office yesterday. Neither did I have time, in the office.
These two days, back with Over 40 Living the Life. Last night, it was Afrique en Cirque at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - always love a circus! Not fancying eating around Waterloo - two expensive dinners in a row - I booked Bella Italia in Wellington Street. Figured I could walk there from work, eat, then pick up my sunglasses, and walk to the hall.
I arrived just in time for my booking - and, of course, was kept waiting in a queue. Happily, it wasn't too long before the people in front of me were seated, and so was I. The maitre d' here, who seats people, doesn't seem to consider it his job to provide them with menus too, but happily, my waiter was on the ball and provided me with one. I ordered my usual, garlic butter dough balls and a chicken milanese with fries. The wine wasn't long in arriving - I like their pinot grigio, which, indeed, is their recommendation.
The dough balls took forever. Meantime, the lady beside me had some problem with the sea bass she'd ordered, and sent it back - I couldn't say what the problem was. She ended up getting another dish to take away. Which came eventually. As did my dough balls.. which were cold! To be fair, it's never happened before - they'd obviously been left out, neglected, too long. Two of them were lukewarm. I sent them back. In due course, they were reheated and sent back to me - with no dipping sauce! He said he'd bring it - didn't bother until he was bringing my main! Which was when I discovered they were now rock-hard, and inedible. I asked for them to be deducted from the bill, and they were. At least the main course was lovely..
All of that delayed me a bit, but anyway, off I went to collect my sunglasses. Had to queue a bit at the bar, but they were right there for me, with a note for the bar staff to explain. And so off I schlepped to the hall - quite exhausted of lugging that laptop around all this time! I located the others, who were sat at a table in the lobby, and queued for a drink. But it wasn't long before we took our seats - right at the back of the Stalls:
Look carefully, and you can see two baskets suspended from the ceiling. To this moment, I have no idea what they were supposed to be for - they were never used. Anyway: this wasn't what I would call a circus show at all. Yes, there were circus acts - the contortionist, in particular, deserves mention; he was great! A veritable human spider. The acrobatics, however.. were nothing I haven't seen before, and seen done better. Plus, they took forever to start, and were cut too short. And I think someone needs to teach the juggler to stop dropping things - he was doing it too often for it to have been an act.
No, the best part of the show was the music - and it was very well staged, with some lovely costumes. Just either expand the circus section, or drop it completely. Now, there was an almost complete standing ovation at the end - from what was a very full house. I didn't join in, but evidently this was popular with a lot of people. So, if you fancy making up your own mind, it runs till Sunday - limited availability for tomorrow's matinee. Just don't go expecting a circus.
We stayed for a drink, and a lovely chat, in the Royal Festival Hall afterwards (more space) - the guy at the bar curtly told me they were closed, without bothering to mention that you could get a drink at the bar on the terrace and bring it in! which is what we did. Again, it ran too late last night to blog.
Tonight, it's Slave Play - at the Noel Coward, it got terrific reviews. Stars Kit Harington - who apparently gets his kit off! (pun intended). Eating in the nearby Bella Italia - happily, not the same branch as last night! And also happily, it seems I've worked so many hours this week that I can skive off early today.. whee!
Tomorrow was the next date possible for my ex-coworkers' reunion, what with everybody travelling hither and yon, and suffering from jetlag.. I was thinking of going back to Brown's. But then Ivan requested Sunday, because he's rehearsing that day - and the others were fine with it. But now it turns out he's needed in Scotland, where his family lives, on Sunday, so kind of has to meet us tomorrow.. he's cutting his rehearsal short.. and you might ask why I say it's like herding cats! So we now seem to be back to that day again.. I've booked The Albert for that day now, instead of the next.
On Sunday, I'm back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) (at last!) for a short play, Comment is Free, at the Putney Arts Theatre. Sounds really interesting, having cancel culture as its theme. It's part of their Box Set Summer Festival - they do have a discount if you book multiples. The organiser is availing of that, but I'm not - I've seen one of them (A Hundred Words for Snow), which was a memorable production, but I don't generally like to repeat myself - and I'm not around for the others she's going to, the following weekend. I only just remembered to book somewhere for food afterwards - I'm heading to Lila, just up the road. It's got great reviews, and it's years since I ate Thai food! And we're meeting for coffee beforehand.
On Monday, finally going to Mnemonic, at the National, which this group saw on Wednesday, but of course I was otherwise engaged that day. Does sound interesting though.
On Tuesday, back with CT: for The Improv Comedy Show - Can We Have a Word? at Upstairs at the Green.
On Wednesday, I'm back with UITCS for Starlight Express! Heard of this, never seen it - it's at the new Wembley Park Theatre. And I'm trying out their Studio Five restaurant beforehand.
On Thursday, heading to Frankie Goes to Bollywood at the Queen Elizabeth Hall again - should be fun. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend again.
On the 5th, heading to Next To Normal, at Wyndham's - cheapest tickets with TodayTix. Eating at Bella Italia (St. Martin's Lane) again.
On the 6th, headed back with CT to Stagetime - more improvised comedy - at Shoreditch Balls! Eating at the nearby Blues Kitchen, which I love.
On the 7th, back with LLW for Dickens, Woolf and Lawrence. Meeting at The Dolphin, but they don't do food, so I'll eat at the nearby Isolabella Italian restaurant beforehand.
And on the 8th, back with Buddies on Budgets for a sketching evening (!) in Phoenix Garden. Tickets from Eventbrite. If I go.. not usually my thing, but we'll see.
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