Birthday Social

Yesterday evening, the second day in a row with a Meetup group, but not a formal Meetup: London Museums from A-Z were kind enough to stage an event for those of us with October and November birthdays! We were meeting in The Goodman's Field, then having a ghost walk - one of the group not only researched spooky stops, but came up with a script for each (with due credit to AI), and advertised for people to read them! I was one who volunteered. Hallowe'en costumes encouraged! but with showers promised, I skipped it.

Naturally, with the whole day to get ready, I was rushing. Naturally - having bought goodies for the occasion, as we'd been encouraged to do - I forgot to take them. Nearly forgot my keys, come to that! And sure enough, as I was thinking of leaving - it poured rain. I said it on the group WhatsApp - the organiser remarked that I was just trying to prove myself right.. ;-) Yes, I do seem able to make it rain..

It was close enough to walk. And it was as I approached the bridge that someone mentioned making a detour to get cake, and I realised I'd forgotten my contribution. It was also at that point that I realised the bridge had been raised.. so I had to wait for that, and then shuffle along with the crowd. 

I did get there eventually, bumping into another of the group en route, and we found the early comers a bit inside the door. Some spook-tacular costumes made me jealous:

..as did the lady who went to the trouble of baking! A couple of the treats were shared around at this point. We started a bit late, of course - and a bit abruptly, me having to neck half a glass of wine - so our route of 10 stops got shortened, and so did the actual walking route! but I did get to do my bit, happily, and I loved wandering among the skyscrapers I used to live among..

Some people substituted their own stories for the script.. all speakers were entertaining: but we had a booking in the Minories, so in due course we just made for there, post haste.

Wouldn't you know it, we had booked the same area where I was when I was last in this pub! (and the booking was made for quite a bit earlier - we were lucky they kept it.) We ate here.. some had thought of eating in The Goodman's Field, but there'd have been less time. I had fish n chips, as did someone else - one was on mac n cheese, somebody had a burger.. we had the whole raised section at the back, and when I saw the smorgasbord of cake, I was glad I hadn't contributed! It never did get completely finished.

I was back and forth to the bar a few times for drinks - I was served by the same guy twice, who told me to look for him next time - and then promptly disappeared! Oh, and what are they doing with a confessional box on the way to the toilet..?

It was lovely to have that section all to ourselves though, and made conversation pretty easy - and it flowed freely. I love meeting this group - some great people in it, a good night guaranteed. A couple of people were organising birthday cards down the back, getting people to sign them and avoiding them signing their own - and gee, we got a rose each from the organiser's bouquet! (see above). Claudia the rat (also pictured) decided she'd had enough eventually, so retired with her pet human..

Some of us stayed till past midnight, and of course I could walk home. And.. the bridge was raised again. Is it always this busy? or is it just targeting me, much in the manner of the #188 bus, which always finds a reason to slow me down..? Anyway, I went to bed a happy camper - thanks for a great evening as always guys, I am delighted to have found this group! Oh, and apparently there are plans afoot to make the birthday bash a regular event..!

This evening, I'm with TAC at a classical guitar concert, Due Cordi Brillanti, at King's Place.

Then three Meetups: tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) at Soho Theatre for Little Brother - planned to meet my sometime travel companion, who's also going, in the nearby Nellie Dean beforehand: but she figured she couldn't make it in time, so booked Flat Iron for after, and I said I'd join her.

On Tuesday, a new Meetup group to me, Rewind Tours of London, which apparently runs pay-what-you-like walks, has a special Hallowe'en walk - London: City of Death! (Actually running daily until just after Hallowe'en, but I'm going on this day.)

And on Wednesday, The Hideout has grabbed me again - we're headed to Nightmare on Elm Street 2 at Cineworld Leicester Square. And yes, meeting at Victory House again, and I'll be in Bella Italia before that.

On Thursday, thinking of film again - as my co-worker says, it's my movie night - Urchin is at the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Appropriately, Hallowe'en weekend is all about The Hideout/Movie Roadhouse London (MRL)! On Hallowe'en itself, The Hideout are on another field trip - following the success of Shocktober, we're now off to Haunt Fest. I'll have to get off work as quickly as possible - blast that I can't take the day off this year, I always try to but my days have been spoken for. Anyway, we can get there by Thameslink from King's Cross (gee, I'm there a lot all of a sudden!), and handily, Harpenden, our destination, had the Oyster system extended to it some years ago. We're meeting in The Parcel Yard - well, unless I need to go straight to the train!

On Saturday, planning to go with MRL to the 40th anniversary screening of Back to the Future in the Cineworld Imax - finally got a ticket booked, after some internet trouble. As usual, eating in Bella Italia, meeting the group in Victory House.

And next Sunday, I'm back with The Hideout for a new horror, Shelby Oaks, Leicester Square venue TBD..

Finally, on the 3rd, fourth Meetup in a row, back with UITCS for Fatherland at Hampstead Theatre.