New Year Social

Tonight, back with Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) / The Hideout for their New Year's Social! In the BFI Riverfront Bar as usual - now, someone said there's a good food pub around the area somewhere; I don't remember where, but I picked The Mulberry Bush.

Oh, it just wasn't a good night to travel - not only was I delayed by several things as I tried to leave, but of the two buses I could take (which should get me there in no time), one (the #188) never showed at all, the display just showing a later and later arrival time, and in the case of the other, every single bus for the next half hour was finishing short of its official destination! I ended up having to take one of those and walk half the way - in the freezing sleet, which at least had the good manners not to start until I was boarding!

The Mulberry Bush was packed - and it turned out I had mis-remembered, and didn't actually have a booking at all. When I checked, they don't take bookings for just one person - that'd have been why I didn't book. Anyway, it was as well I claimed to have one, so they made that extra effort to seat me - it was quite crowded. And very noisy. I had the steak and ale pie, with fries - I was starving, and figured that was the best option. And it was very nice. I tell you something though - for £22, I'd have expected a bit more! a larger pie, more fries.. just something a bit nicer. Very, very overpriced for what they gave me - I'll go back to my regulars in future, I think. What's more, when I asked for Sauvignon Blanc, they didn't have any - I asked what they had, and instead of just reading the labels of the bottles he was staring at, he referred me to the wine list. I ended up with a white rioja - which was fine.

Now, I was late to The Mulberry Bush, so late leaving it, but at least I got fed. On my short, but cold, walk to the BFI, I was nearly mown down by a veritable army of joggers - each to their own. Anyway, upstairs to the pleasant surrounds of the Balcony Bar, and it was great to see faces old and new, and chat about whatever - prime topic of the evening ended up being Nosferatu, predictably enough, with them having seen it recently too. Heard some dissenting opinions tonight - but it slotted nicely into my idea of what horror should be. Maybe I'm looking for the perfect monster.. Roll on the next meeting, it's always a fun group! and it was great to catch up with people after the Christmas break.

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

On Friday, thinking of film again - 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! This one isn't booking out yet, so I'm not tempting fate by booking just yet.

Saturday 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 MRL 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 on the total bill! You heard it here..

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 next 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.

On the 16th, 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!