Leaving Drinks

Yesterday, I booked with CT for a play called 10 Nights, at Riverside Studios. But it was a colleague's last day, and he booked the All Bar One by the office for leaving drinks - so I did that instead. I loved working with him, he'll be missed - and I was just as happy not to have to traipse all the way to Hammersmith..

A large card went around, appropriate for all the people that wanted to sign it - and before the pub, there was a speech in the office, streamed on Teams for anyone who wanted to watch and wasn't in yesterday. It was pointed out to those online that we had drinks in the office, too - there was plenty of beer, something fizzy, and a bottle of regular white wine. Unfortunately, I never did get to that - there wasn't a general move, although the CEO's wife, who'd come in for the occasion, partook of the wine. But you see, I didn't want to start a glass and then discover we were en route to the pub! I needn't have worried - I thought they'd never leave: seems they were waiting for him, and he was something like a film star, having so many photographs taken of him.. Ah well, the speech was good anyway!

We did finally decamp, into the cold, and in the pub, it turned out the tables (two of them) were booked from 5.45 - I didn't actually notice what time we got there. The CEO was good enough to buy a round - a large one, although with many participating in Dry January, it wasn't as expensive as it could have been. Later on, my boss asked, a couple of times, whether anyone wanted anything - but in terrible timing, every time he asked, I had plenty in my glass - ah well. As to the social aspect, it was lovely - we dumped our laptops by the wall, and mostly ignored the stools, standing, or leaning at the tables. And he had a marvellous send-off! Hard to imagine the place without him, actually.. Never mind, the company has lots of nice people. I stayed till the bitter end - and was far too tired to blog last night. Particularly as I hadn't managed to get food - I would've been the only one, and it would've been awkward.

Tonight, heading to another film - and specifically, Her Story, which I was supposed to go to last Monday, until my flight was cancelled and my return delayed - it's a decent-looking comedy. Showing in the Odeon Luxe Haymarket - and mercifully, more than half an hour later, making it much easier for me to get there! When I checked today, it was mostly sold out, so I booked - the Odeon is cheaper online anyway.

Tomorrow is a busy one - in the middle of the day, Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) has a social, which I've signed up for, in The Royal George, Charing Cross Road.

And in the evening, I'm back with Movie Roadhouse London for Maria, in which Angelina Jolie plays the famous opera singer, Maria Callas. In the Curzon Mayfair - which is great, because as a Curzon member, I can get a free ticket! and this would be expensive enough, otherwise..

Sunday is this month's get-together of my ex-colleagues - arranged for a Sunday so as to accommodate Ivan's Saturday music rehearsals. So, this time we're going more central, to oblige those who have further to travel, and are at Victoria Taps, a congenial place that James and I discovered before. We managed an all-day booking - and the code JAN40 gives a 40% discount, but it turns out they're only applying it to our first round. So, as the lady said, we'd better order food first off, to get the most value..

Monday, I'm at The Little Foxes, starring Anne-Marie Duff, at the Young Vic - booked the local Bar + Block beforehand. Nom-nom-nom..

The next two days are looking like film again - on Tuesday, I'm thinking of The Girl with the Needle at the ICA. A Danish film, it's apparently based on the story of Danish serial killer Dagmar Overbye.. and described as a psychological horror. The trailer certainly looks intriguing..

And on Wednesday, I'm thinking of A Real Pain, a comedy where Jesse Eisenberg finds himself travelling around Poland with his really annoying cousin as a travelling companion. Showing in my closest cinema, Curzon Aldgate! Two showings I can make - we shall see which suits.

Next Thursday, delighted to have managed a cheap ticket for Dara O' Briain! See, he's touring later in the year, but is doing this warm-up show in the Pleasance Theatre.. now sold out. I jumped at the chance as soon as I heard of it.. Eating at The Depot beforehand. Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend.

On the 20th, back with UITCS for Tarantula, at the Arcola.

And on the 21st, I'm back with CT for Stage Time, the improvised comedy show at Shoreditch Balls. Eating at The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch beforehand.. ooh, looking forward to that!