London Still Rocks!

Tonight , yet more storytelling - I was back at  Folklore Hoxton  for  A Dance with the Minotaur's Sister , told by  Steph Brittain  and presented by the  Crick Crack Club  ( CCC ) , tickets with  Dice , as usual - completely sold out, as they tend to. And wouldn't you know it, I've been so busy, it completely slipped my mind to book the  Blues Kitchen  for beforehand! Got it done in time, phew. Well, I headed out when Google Maps told me to - to discover that the bus was delayed. Never mind, it still got me there within five minutes of my booking.. and service, while slightly slow, wasn't disruptively so. Happy to say the chicken is as moreish as ever - and wow, the chips are a lot less salty, mercifully! Someone must have had a word.. I see the cocktails were reduced to £6 today - but I didn't fancy them with my meal, and hadn't time afterwards. Pity - I do like their ginger margarita. The bar at Folklore was unusually non-busy - I o...

I was pretty stuck for what to do - until   my cheap ticket sites - particularly TAC - came up with options at last! And for the last two nights, that's whom I went with - last night, for another   Kirckman Society classical concert   at   King's Place , this time featuring the   Astatine Trio . What a delight to have the buses back in working order - I made it to King's Cross in time to get something to eat. My go-to around here is Nando's - there have been times the queue has stretched out the door, but happily not last night, and I was soon seated. Ordered on the app, and waited. Now, this venue is kind of notorious for their slow service - well, I watched as, of the couple beside me, he got his dinner. Another pause, and I got my dinner.. I didn't blame the young lady accompanying him for questioning where hers was, at that point! She did swiftly get it, which makes me think it was ready, and just ignored - not sure what the issue is with the staff here, b...

Yesterday, booked with  Rewind Tours of London  for his  Death, Disease and Fire Walking Tour . Was to have been the last in a run of four Meetups . Was curious to see how similar it is to his  Hallowe'en walk .. I set out in what should have been good time, but I was going on information from the night before - yesterday, as I was checking instructions on how to get to Barbican Tube Station , where we were to meet, Google Maps wasn't giving me anything like such convenient options - and certainly didn't seem to have heard about the roadworks that meant some buses were diverted off my route. I finally realised I'd have to get a bus to Liverpool Street , and the Tube from there - it was the only way I'd be there on time. Worked a charm, in fact, and I was there early. Stood in the place we'd met before, played my phone game .. and when the time to start came and went, I figured he wasn't coming. I left a message on the event page, and thought about what to...

Last night , second of four  Meetups in a row, back with  La Isla Flamenco Club , olé! This show was called Light & Shadow, and happened in The Gold Bar in the  COLAB Tower  (walkable, lovely..) - tickets from  We Got Tickets . Also available from Eventbrite . I managed to get an Early Bird ticket, but they soon sold out - regular and student tickets were still available up to last night. There were other places I could have eaten.. but none as cheap as Nando's , nor so exceptional that I'd choose them instead. Third time in a row, dearie me! So, off I set - in unpredicted rain - and got there in decent time. I was sat upstairs: Delish, served in good time - what more could you want? Afterwards, it was only a five-minute walk to where I was going.. apparently. I skipped dessert all the same - time'd have been too tight. I travelled backstreets - Google Maps said something about climbing stairs, but lo, I was still on the lower street level when I came to t...

Now, four more days of  Meetup . Tonight, back with  Up in the Cheap Seats  for  Safe Haven , at the  Arcola  - the true story of  Operation Safe Haven (1991) , which protected, and provided humanitarian aid to,  Kurdish  refugees in Northern  Iraq  after  Saddam Hussein  defeated the  Kurdish rebellion . I was coming from work, which made bus feasible - I left a bit early, and lo, there it was, conveniently just arriving! Getting on so early, I got a seat, and was nice and comfy for the next 40-odd minutes, until I had to get off into the rain again. Made for the local Nando's , as always there - got a seat, and lo, the app was back working again! Had the same as yesterday - and it was even more delicious. Skipped dessert though - I was full enough: but I did have a second glass of wine. Which made me slightly late to meet the others at the theatre! Plus, I had to run to the loo. Never mind.. we were in Studio 2, i...

I was having terrible trouble finding anything for tonight - and then  Nell Phoenix  came to my rescue, with another storytelling evening at  Torriano Avenue ! (I see she's still advertising it as £7 on the website, but it's actually £10.) Anyway, this evening, it was Yamamba, with  Laura Sampson ! Far enough out that I had to take the Tube - Northern Line it was. And a bus came along handily to take me to the station , so I treated myself to that. The train, luckily, wasn't at all busy. Spotted one of the storytellers (not previously mentioned, and I can't remember her name) sitting across from me. When I got off, a short walk brought me to my usual Nando's , which wasn't busy, and where I got a window seat. I tell you though, neither the app nor the website was working - first time I've had to order at the counter since I was in the Frith Street branch and the WiFi didn't work! At least it meant I got my wine straight away - not that it was that co...

Tonight, last in a run of five Meetups , I was back with  London Classical Music and Theatre Group  for  The Makropulos Affair , by the  London Symphony Orchestra , conducted by  Sir Simon Rattle , at the  Barbican  - one of the group with a wildcard ticket couldn't go and kindly offered it for free, so I snapped it up. Eating at  Cote Barbican  beforehand. And gee, you guessed it.. Haven't been there since  September , but was with the group slightly more recently, in  October .. Having fulfilled a tricky deadline, I was relaxed by the afternoon, and left in good time. Would have made the restaurant even earlier, except the bus bloody let me off early! So I had twice the walk I should have. In pretty heavy rain. Dripped my way inside, 15 minutes early, and was seated without issue. Had calamari - second day in a row, but they're so good here. Had already decided I wanted steak frites - but that's not quite as simple these days; th...