Exhibition: Nordic Noir

Yesterday, 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 how prescient of the organiser to remind us to book an admission ticket - they're free, but you need one to get in the main entrance. Plus, as he pointed out, it could be busier than usual, after being closed temporarily during the week because of a local fire!

Blast it, my bus was just going to Aldwych again - I do wonder when that's going to stop! Anyway, it was damned crowded - including no fewer than three buggies! (The kid in one stole the biscuit from the kid in the next one.. well, that's one way to get acquainted.) So I said I'd get another bus from there - and lo, there appeared one behind me. I was only going two stops.. how unlucky was I that, in that short space of time, there was a diversion?! They've completely closed Kingsway northbound from just past High Holborn! ..which is, of course, exactly where I was supposed to be going. We eventually stopped outside my office.. which I figured was slightly closer than where I'd have got off if we'd gone direct.

No queue outside the museum - and from initial appearances, no security either! Lo, the tent was still there - they've just moved it to the other side. Members can enter closer to the stairs, without going through the tent, it seems.. Apart from the lack of signage to tell you where to go, it wasn't a hassle though, with them only checking large bags. I arrived about 2.30 - pretty much straight away ran into another of the group, but at that point we didn't see anyone else. We got some stuff from the cafe - sadly, they had none of the delicious ham baguettes I usually get - and sat where we normally meet, by the totem poles near the rear. It wasn't long before we had company - lots of people seem to have decided this would be a good time to come! The organiser had a sign - and had brought badges, for himself and other organisers:

Just as well they had signage - we had quite a large group, including, as always, several newcomers. And we chatted merrily until it was time to go to the exhibition - actually, slightly late, but who's counting? By 'eck though, there are a lot of stairs up to this - it's showing in room 90, right on the top floor!

I was looking for snowy pictures - and I got snowy pictures:

This one is a reflection of how consumerism affects nature:

And here's a reindeer:

There were some interesting political examples - this highlights racism against the Sámi (or in the local language, Sápmi):

Further in, we had a wall of political works:

One strikes a feminist note, the subject apparently ready to tear her head off, or some such:

..which you could also group with a number of other rather spooky works:

And some were just plain weird:

I got a phone call while I was there, so missed some of the exhibits - but it is an interesting display, and of course, free of charge! Anyway, we had booked at Penderel's Oak for afterwards, and our organiser mustered us on the landing, and led us past the lovely restaurant that I hadn't known was at the top of the reading room, and down the stairs that wind around the outside.

The usual longish walk to the pub was, as usual, a good chance to chat - and as usual, slightly confusing, with our leader not entirely sure of his way. ;-) We got there safely though, and had pretty much the entirety of a rear section to ourselves! We also met a branch of the local occultists.. the organiser of that had a quick word, asked us to send any Satanists over to where he was sitting, and apologised in advance if anyone from our group ended up possessed by Jesus' cousin..

No such eventualities occurred (that I noticed) and we had a lovely, long session there - including food for some of us, of course. I noticed, after a while, that our table numbers were no longer accepted to order from the app - perhaps they were sick of handing orders from the end of the long line of tables we'd pushed together..

So, another lovely, convivial evening with this group. I tell you something though, I was tired.. first time I fell fast asleep on the bus home and ended up at the terminus, and having to get the bus back again..! so I let myself off blogging last night. Was also late starting work today (from home) - if anyone queries it, I'll say I had an internet outage..

Tonight, 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.

Tomorrow, thinking film - finally thinking of The Mastermind again! A 70s art heist film starring Josh O' Connor, it's now showing in the Curzon Bloomsbury.

Wednesday is our work Christmas party, this year in Brasserie Blanc, pretty convenient to me, but which I've never tried.

And on Thursday - well, looks like I'm finally going to get to see Frankenstein, as per Guillermo del Toro! Looks to be a supremely gothic epic, with Jacob Elordi as the monster, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance as the father of the scientist, Oscar Isaac, who brings the creature to life. Well, I've seen the exhibition, it's about time I saw the finished product! Showing in Hackney Picturehouse - and since everywhere was full the last time I was there, I've made sure to book for Pizza Express beforehand.