Back in London - and wow, such unanticipated heat! Major outfit change today, as I ditched tights, long sleeves, and a coat. Tonight, I was thinking film - what was coming up was Lollipop, a drama about a mother, released from prison, whose children have been taken into care, and who is now dismayed to discover that social services want them to stay in care! Looked ok - not as depressing as you might expect. Showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury.
Checking seat availability on the app, as soon as I saw my member's discount was available, I jumped at it - their tech is notoriously unreliable, and discounts have a habit of disappearing. Doesn't seem to matter whether I'm using the app, or staff at the cinema are - whoever first sees the discount should grab it. So I did, the only problem being the navigation of the ridiculous booking system, which won't let you leave single seats. I wanted the middle row, but two seats had been booked on the aisle, leaving four free seats inside.. which is why I ended up at the wall, that being the only way I could avoid sitting right beside them, and also avoid leaving a single seat.
Our bus first announced that there would be a pause "to regulate the service" - which there wasn't - but then the driver decided to finish at Waterloo instead. Happily, I got another bus almost immediately, which took me right there. Well, when I say "right there", I had a five-minute walk.. which I started in the company of a veritable army of what sounded like Spanish schoolkids. Mercifully, I didn't have the pleasure of their company for long - they crossed again, to the Tube Station. Poor Tube..
At the cinema, I had some trouble to get the app to stop showing me my ticket, so I could get it to display my membership code instead, so I could also get a discount on my wine and chocolate! Worked in the end - and happily, this screen was only one level down, so I didn't have so far to go. Arrived during the ads, and yes, the two in my row were already there, and I had to squeeze past them.
Well, the film starts miserably enough - our protagonist, "Lollipop" (turns out to be a nickname her mother gave her) is on the phone from prison to her kids, expecting to take them home straight away when she gets out. The truth, of course, is rather different - and here, it turns into something like a Ken Loach film, as she lurches from one official meeting to another, incredulous at the unexpected way she's being treated, livid at the injustice, and pissing everyone off. And you could weep at the flinty face of officialdom, as she's caught in a Catch 22, unable to get suitable housing without her children, unable to get her children back without a suitable home..
BUT this isn't a Ken Loach film - and throughout, she remains a sympathetic character, a likeable character.. Posy Sterling is an absolute joy to watch. And ultimately, the whole is a feelgood film, showing how, if people are shown a bit of humanity, and they cooperate, and work with the system instead of against it, good things just might happen. I mean, this isn't the story of everyone who falls foul of Social Services, but it isn't meant to be. And yes, it's touching, and it's feelgood. Not the worst thing to watch.
Afterwards, headed to GBK, as usual - but they were just taking in the tables and chairs, and when I looked, there was nobody inside! I just got the feeling I'd be preventing them from closing early, although they were supposed to be open for another hour.. I headed across to Nando's instead, where (hah!) they were also stacking the chairs - in contrast though, they had a lot of customers. I asked for a table - she seemed quite confused about which to give me, finally plumping for one.
As usual, I ordered on the app - they didn't have my usual thighs, so I had butterfly chicken instead - much the same, although I do think the thighs are tastier. But my goodness - for the first time ever in Nando's, whatever happened, they got the order wrong! Mostly correct, but one of my sides was wrong - which she wouldn't accept, standing there while I checked the details on my phone. Sure enough, I was right, somehow they brought the wrong thing - she duly brought me the right order, and it was lovely. Weird though. I certainly had time for dessert - or another glass of wine - but gee, I didn't feel like it. Probably the heat. Anyway, it did mean I had time to get to Waitrose before they closed.. and they do that particular chocolate that nobody else seems to, locally.. Anyway, so handy going to the cinema here, it's so convenient for shopping..
On Thursday, back with London Social and Cultural Meetups, who are headed to the Prince Charles to see 10 Rillington Place. Based on a true story, it stars John Hurt as Timothy Evans, a man of diminished mental capacity who was wrongfully hanged for the murder of his wife and daughter at the address, where he lived. The actual murderer, it later transpired, was his neighbour, John Christie, who was also responsible for other murders there.. he's played by Richard Attenborough.. the case played a large part in the introduction of the idea of diminished responsibility, as well as the abolition of capital punishment. Eating beforehand at Bella Italia Cranbourn Street, and we're heading for a drink afterwards.
On Saturday, I'm back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, for the rescheduled tour of the Wallace Collection, yay! And what's more, Helen is coming to town.. and I doubt not that much of our chat will be about the Hurtigruten cruise I've booked for later in the year, and which she's been on.. ;-) Not to mention the one she's going on next month.. Might just be the three of us on Saturday, but what the hey.
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