London Still Rocks!

In the middle of two  Meetups   just now  - last night, back with  London Social & Cultural Meetups  for a  social  at  The Parcel Yard.  I warned the organiser about how busy it was  on Tuesday  - turns out she did book a table, but then arrived early, before it was ready. As for me, I did try to get there at the same time, made it about 10 minutes later, after my first bus was delayed, and traffic showed the second .. and oh, it was nostalgic driving through Shoreditch , it seems like an age since I was last there, now that I'm not flying to Ireland as much! Not hard to find the pub, having been there recently - she'd left a message saying where to find them, and it wasn't hard: although it turned out two of the group hadn't got the message, and were waiting outside for ages! Anyway, I was hungry, but held off on ordering anything until we moved tables. Decor is train-related. When we did move, it turned out the table was too...

This evening, decided on   The Story of Souleymane , jury prizewinner at  Cannes , which is an immigrant drama set in  Paris . Showing in the  Garden Cinema . It wasn't booking out until today - when I checked this afternoon, and it was mostly sold out, I decided I'd better book! It was on so late I could stay really late at work.. I was second last out of the office (the other guy was waiting for the best, quietest train). This had the advantage that I finished all the work lined up for me! Phew, hope nobody finds anything for me tomorrow.. Anyway, I was going to be really early for the film, so of course I ate beforehand - and Nando's Holborn was convenient to both office and cinema. I got a nice little corner table, and was well fed. And when I was done, and still had nearly an hour to the film - I thought I'd treat myself to their excellent choc-a-lot cake! I hardly ever have time. Also delighted to see they're serving it cold these days - I hate it when they h...

I was just figuring out what to do tonight when I got an email from  Top Secret comedy club , advertising a WIP show by  Russell Howard  tonight - looked better than what I had been considering, so I booked! In their new venue on  Kingsway , which I hadn't yet visited. The #188 made terrific time, I have to say - when it (inevitably) stopped for a change of drivers, it was not a surprise to hear the replacement driver wasn't there - this one was early. So when a #1 pulled up behind - and Google Maps said that had the same route, as far as I needed it - that's what I took. Arrived 10 minutes early, had my ticket scanned, got a stamp on my arm that amounted to a green stripe. Have to say, it's pretty much the same layout as the Drury Lane venue - downstairs, venue behind the black screen. Excitingly, there are two bars here! The sauvignon is unprepossessing. I couldn't see a single free seat when I went in - someone on the stairs had remarked it had sold out in 1...

Last Monday , back with   The Hideout   for a  film quiz ! Also hosted by  Movie Roadhouse London   (MRL) , and happening in the   Prince Charles Cinema   - so glad I got to go to one of these at last! It only just occurred to me the night before to buy a ticket - the quiz is actually run by the cinema, and is ticketed! I'm just not used to buying tickets for quizzes..  I booked to eat in   Bella Italia   beforehand - and yes, the #188 had to stop for a change of drivers. I was in time, though - and wow, was to be glad I booked, it was packed! As I paid afterwards, I asked the server whether this was normal for a Monday, and she said no.. As to the meal, I went back to the dough balls for starter. I couldn't face the chicken milanese after the last , disastrous, time I was there though - I had the carbonara, with chicken. I was a bit jealous, seeing the guy at the next table eating the milanese - which didn't look burnt - but you know, ...

Today, decided on film - and what came up was   Cutting Through Rocks , a documentary about a female politician in   Iran . Showing in the   Curzon Bloomsbury   - and with it booking heavily, I booked too. And on a miserable, wet day like today, what else would you be doing..? Despite the usual change of driver en route (and my slippy shoes on wet concrete), I was in good time - and of course, the cinema app played up, displaying my ticket when I'd asked it for my membership card to get my discount on food and drink. I did make it on time to see some interesting trailers - as always, here. This documentary focuses on an unusual woman - after having several daughters, her father hoped for a son, but she was born instead.. they did have sons later, but he also treated her somewhat like a boy, taking her, as she puts it, "places only boys were allowed". She also learned to ride a motorbike - which then informed her clothing choices, so that she wears trousers and a fit...

Yesterd ay,  The Hideout  persuaded me to go to  Ti West 's X trilogy -  Pearl ,  X , and  MaXXXine  - at the  Prince Charles   (PCC) . Never seen any of them before. Lord knows when I'd have time to eat.. but then, in the afternoon, someone, trying for a last-minute ticket, pointed out it was gone from the cinema website - and not only that, they had other films scheduled! The organiser checked - sure enough, it was cancelled. Very bad form, not to inform ticket holders! Well, never mind, another contingent of the same group was headed to Black Phone 2 , which I wanted to see anyway! Plus, this meant I had time to eat - I booked Bella Italia . And I got to stay a bit later at work! Win-win.. They had my usual table for me, pre-empted my drink order. I changed the food order up a bit, having crispy chicken fries for starters - which were lovely. The chicken milanese, however, was burnt.. I didn't finish it, and if I ever get it like that agai...

Wednesday wa s our work social - we were headed to  Boom Battle Bar , which has, em,  axe throwing .. among other things.  Augmented reality  features. Well, I missed it at  Shocktober .. I worked from home, as usual on a Wednesday - headed in slightly earlier than expected when the head of HR, who'd arranged it, mailed us all to say they wanted us there 10 minutes early to "settle in with a drink" before getting stuck into the games. I should still have made it on time - early, in fact - so was glad when the bus was predicted to come five minutes late; it'd kill time! But then they stopped for the proverbial change of driver - and to cap it off, the new driver decided to finish early, at Aldwych ! So I ended up walking from there. I'd never noticed this place before - it's on Oxford Street , so I was pushing through shoppers. Got there about five minutes early, all the same - the guy at the door told me just to head downstairs, where everything happens, and ...

Tonight , headed to  Blessings  at  Riverside Studios  - a play about a staunchly religious family in the 60s, with change in the offing. Damnit, I saw it was on CT, checked to see whether full-price tickets were more expensive, which they were - and accidentally booked one of those instead! At least it was on late, so I had time to organise myself! Now, a while ago, I ordered a warm black coat on Amazon , to be delivered to an Amazon locker - for once, they gave me a long collection window, but when I saw the temperature forecast for the day, I decided today might be the day to pick it up! In the event though, the coat I wore to walk to the collection point was absolutely fine - but at least I've picked up the other one. Mind you, speaking of weather forecasts, it didn't say it was likely to rain today, but it did as I headed out.. This distance requires Tube - I had to stand on both, but on the much less crowded Piccadilly Line , there was aircon. Arriving at Hamm...