Concert: Kim Cypher

Came back to London on Sunday - with the most entertaining crew member ever making the announcements! Makes such a difference. Mind you, I was tired.. as usual these days.. and slept most of the way. Last night, a Meetup group called London Loves Jazz advertised a concert by Kim Cypher in Pizza Express Soho. I liked the music I heard online, and bought a ticket - but baulked at joining the group, what with the joining fee, and the intensive questionnaire, including whether I was prepared to be "an active member".. so I went independently. I didn't have a great experience with my last jazz group. My companion of Tuesday then decided to come too.

The bus, as usual, was delayed - so I was a little late arriving, but was still in plenty of time for the show, and to eat beforehand. My companion had already got there. I wasn't quite sure of the procedure - they do advertise the show outside, but there's no sign of it inside - but when I told the lady at reception I had a reservation, she asked whether it was for the jazz - and when I said it was, she directed me to the downstairs, reached past the kitchen area. A spiral staircase leads down, and right past the toilets - a step is marked with yellow and black warning tape, lest you shouldn't see it. And I spotted my companion right away, at a nearby table:

It's a small space, you're never very far from the stage. Service for food and drink was quick and friendly, carrying on through the performances, although we were asked to put our phones on silent for those times. Boy, was I hungry.. I had the garlic bread with mozzarella to start, and a BBQ chicken pizza Romana for main. And they were absolutely gorgeous, the pizza having a BBQ base rather than a tomato one, and therefore I managed to finish it! My companion had the vegetarian pizza. And well, with enough time to eat it, I decided to have a dessert too.. the special was a honeycomb and caramel cheesecake, which sounded delectable - and was! We also polished off two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc between us. I guess you could call it my first crack at Christmas splurging - indeed, I overindulged, and towards the end of the night had to run for the loo, thinking I was going to bring it all up again! I didn't.. and it was all gorgeous. Highly recommended.

The music, unfortunately, was a little underwhelming - I was glad I hadn't joined the group, where I'd probably have had to pretend, what with her visiting the table at the interval! Mind you, she had a lot of friends in the audience - as she explained, she and her husband (on drums) left their "proper jobs", she a music teacher, he a bank manager, to pursue their love of music. And good for them! They apparently put on a minibus to ferry friends and neighbours to London for gigs! Also good for them. And I mean, there's nothing wrong with the music.. it's mainly easy listening, it's just not - memorable. Nowt special. As my companion remarked, it's a shame they played jazz music on the speakers at the interval, because that just reminded us there was better out there.. I won't bother with any more of her concerts, but it was an enjoyable evening. And yes, I was too tired to blog last night.

Tonight, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Kindling in the Park Theatre. It's a comedy about a group of perimenopausal women who go on a camping trip to scatter their friend's ashes. My companion is going to that too, and we'll be heading to Palmyra's Kitchen afterwards. Or before, depending how quickly she gets there..

Tomorrow, back with storytelling - Winter's Night Wonder Tales, with Alys Torrance, is back at The Palmerston. Tickets through Eventbrite. And now it turns out that last night's, and tonight's, companion has business in London that day, and will be coming to that too.

Then, two Meetups in a row. On Thursday, I booked with yet another new Meetup walking group - Walks and Tours - for a Xmas Lights walk around Mayfair. Meeting in the Mercato Mayfair. And as it's a Thursday, I'd be lugging my laptop, ouch!

But just the other day, UITCS advertised a trip to see Precipice, a climate change drama, at the New Diorama. Sounds interesting - and crucially, this'll mean less carrying of the laptop! So I've switched, and am now doing this.

On Friday, back with The Hideout for Keeper, directed by Osgood Perkins - details TBA, but it'll be somewhere around Leicester Square.

Saturday is another ex-colleagues meeting - or probably just another meeting with James! We haven't seen Ivan since June, and Martin since last Christmas.. Probably in The Phoenix again.

On Sunday, back with Mandy and London Herstory Walks for Rebel Women of the South Bank.

On Monday, thinking film - and what's coming up is Palestine 36, a recreation of the events of 1936 in that part of the world, with Palestinian villages revolting against British colonial rule - all while the British are planning their typical pursuit of redrawing maps. They also face the problem of increased Jewish immigration to the region. Closest showing to me that evening is apparently in the Curzon Hoxton.

Next Tuesday, heading with Paul and Tim's Greater London Talks and Walks, for Tim's Walk: London by Gaslight. Meeting in the Pret near Green Park Station.

On the 19th, back with storytelling in Folklore! This time it's Nell Phoenix for the Crick Crack Club, performing The Girl Who Married a Dog, tickets with Dice as usual. Eating at The Blues Kitchen Shoreditch beforehand - and wow, it's a couple of months since I was last up that way!

On the 20th, back with Mandy and her new Meetup group (ahem) Rat-Arsed Tours! This is her Knightsbridge & Belgravia Crimbo Walk - and gee, she has a lot to live up to after the last one of these! Meeting in The Plumbers Arms. And just like last time, I'll be getting a workout with my laptop on my back..

And on the 21st, I've lucked out getting cheap tickets with CT to a concert of Spanish classical guitar music at Pixaudio! Regular tickets with Eventbrite. Ah, I adore this music.. eating in The North Pole beforehand.