Knightsbridge & Belgravia Crimbo Walk

Last night, back with Mandy and her new Meetup group (ahem) Rat-Arsed Tours! This was her Knightsbridge & Belgravia Crimbo Walk - and gee, she puts so much effort into these! Also advertised with London Herstory Walks. We were originally to meet in The Plumbers Arms, but the location then changed to Tattersalls Tavern. And just like last time, I got a workout with my laptop on my back, it being my one day a week in the office..

Well, I was closer than coming from home - it didn't take too long by bus, although the second bus was a bit delayed. Funnily enough, as I waited for it, two people asked me for directions, separately - I must have that sort of face. The first was waiting for a bus that happened along as she was speaking - the second was looking for the Ritz. Which, as I explained, was right behind her - you could see the sign! Ah, I love being asked easy questions..

I arrived at my destination a little late - had completely forgotten I'd been here before! Only the once though, for lunch after Laurence's Belgravia walk, nearly a year ago. Didn't take long to find it, last night - did take me a minute to find the group though, sat at the opposite end from where I entered. And we had a merry chat before heading off - Mandy was generous with the time, giving us a chance to eat if we wanted, and to have a drink. I skipped on food at this point - had been hungry at lunch and had two sandwiches at Pret, at lunchtime! And it was only today that I remembered that the last person to arrive actually bought me a second drink - nuts, still owe her one!

Well, the goodie bags were produced again - the shot glasses weren't as fancy as last time, but we got sparkly pens, and paper (something to do with the quiz, we gathered): and we got the dinkiest jingly bracelets! Ah now, they're going to come in handy over the season..

I spent most of my time on the walk photographing Christmas lights - posh places put up such pretty ones!

Our mid-walk pub was The Star Tavern - which we visited on my previous Belgravia walk, but I'd never sat in! I wasn't to sit in it for some time last night either - they were cleaning it when we arrived, preparing a large table for us. Took forever.. and then I visited the loo - completely missing the toilet paper, which turned out to be behind the bowl. While all that was going on, I unfortunately missed the culmination of the quiz, which was finished by the time I got back.

Back on the road, we came across a car with an inordinate number of parking fines - reminded me of an old flatmate of mine, who parked her car illegally all the time and just paid the fines, because there was nowhere legal to park nearby, and she was apparently allergic to public transport, and needed it:

And so our tour finished at the Horse & Groom - where, unfortunately, they had stopped serving food. Mandy recommended I swing by Wetherspoons in Victoria on the way home, they'd likely still be serving. For the meantime, I had another drink as we finished out the evening - we couldn't stay too late, some had to get to places far from London. So, another fun evening was had - with two sing-songs, much drinking and seasonal merriment. There'd have been a larger group, apparently, except that some switched to other dates she's scheduled for this. Anyway, as before, kudos to her for all the preparation she obviously puts into them.

And so off to Wetherspoons, where I was indeed fed - and was still finishing my drink when I got chatting to someone. We were there till closing - which made it a very late night indeed for me! It was 2.30am by the time I got home.. much too late to blog. Oh, and getting up today was very difficult..

Next, two days of Spanish music, olé! on my own. Tonight, 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. Appropriately for this frigid weather.

And tomorrow, the first of two Meetups in a row - although this first one is obviously one of those commercial groups, formed to promote an event - La Isla Flamenco Club is advertising an evening of flamenco, folk, & copla in Bistrot Walluc (tickets from Eventbrite). Now, this turns out to be a fondue restaurant - it doesn't appeal to me massively as a proper meal, so I discovered it's not far from the Blues Kitchen Shoreditch, and have booked there again for beforehand! The bistrot is, however, offering a cheap first drink if pre-booked, so I did.

Then on Sunday, second Meetup in a row, and first of two films in a row - I'm off with Movie Roadhouse London (MRL) to Nuremberg, a representation of the famous post-World War II Nazi trials, starring Russell Crowe as Hermann Goring and Rami Malek as the psychiatrist brought in to assess the mental state of the prisoners. They're seeing it in the Gate Picturehouse - and our resourceful organiser apparently has a restaurant in mind for after, for those interested! Crikey, it's 11.5 years since I was last there..

And on Monday, I'm thinking of heading to Dragonfly, on my own.. it's the story of an elderly woman (Brenda Blethyn) needing care, and the next-door neighbour (Andrea Riseborough) who steps in to save the day: possibly with ulterior motives.. Closest showing to me is in the Garden Cinema.

On Tuesday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for a play called Jurassic, at Soho Theatre.

On Wednesday, headed with TAC to Maybe I Should Stop, at the Drayton Arms.

On Thursday, the Crick Crack Club is in action again, in the form of Ben Haggarty, who's performing The Blacksmith at the Bridge of Bones, at the Story Museum Oxford. Happily, they livestream it - available for a week afterwards - so I'm free to go with UITCS again that day, who are headed to Sadler's Wells for Ballet Black, performing Shadows. Eating beforehand in The Wilmington.

Then, two days with MRL, three with Meetup. Next Friday, we're off to Pillion - showing in the BFI, this is a love story between a man and a handsome young biker.. starring Alexander Skarsgard (most memorable for his role as vampire Eric in True Blood, woo!) Booked for the Archduke again beforehand..

On the 29th, we're going to Winter Wonderland! Oh, I've been to this so many times on my own, it'll be great to go with a group.. we're all going to The Ice Palace, then skating is scheduled - not my thing, I'll be going to Cirque Berserk shortly afterwards. Then we hang out together, doing whatever..

On the 30th, back with LoMAZ for a LoMAZ unlimited - they generally limit their numbers, but have the odd event with unlimited numbers. British Museum - on this day, focused on a Nordic Noir exhibition - and afterwards to Penderel's Oak.

And on the 1st, off with CT to Shake It Up - The Improvised Shakespeare Show, at the Hen & Chickens.. My sometime travel companion is coming too, and we're eating at La Pasta beforehand - handily, it's quite a late show, which gives us plenty of time.