LoMAZ Bimonthly Birthday Bash & Catch-up

The last of a row of three Meetups was on Saturday evening, finally back with London Museums A-Z (LoMAZ) for their bi-monthly birthday bash - we were to meet at Benugo in Waterloo. What a delight for a late start, allowed me to get a grip on the day (and the last post done, although only just in time, and I had to run). 

Joy, I was just in time for an early #188 - the one I'd been planning to take was delayed. But oh dear, I've honestly rarely seen the traffic so bad on a weekend.. I messaged to say I'd likely be a bit late. And then, of course, we had the driver change. Why always when I'm on..? To be fair, this is the bus I take to the office, and on those runs they don't change driver - just EVERY OTHER TIME I'M ON IT.. Mind you, it's just as well driver #1 was getting off - he nearly neglected to let someone on, early in the journey, because, as he said, he was in a bad mood because of the lady down the back who kept leaning on the buzzer. 

Yes, arrived about five minutes late to join the others. People gradually dribbled in - many were just coming to the pub afterwards. We were due to do a self-guided walk - our organiser hadn't got quite enough readers in advance for the 10 stops, but found it much easier to cajole people in person. And we headed off on our tour a little later than originally planned - within the station! Really, you'd be surprised how much there is to see. We started with a potted history of the station, and the lines that originally ran through there - we also heard how the station was originally called "Waterloo Bridge Station", being adjacent to the actual bridge. 

We had a bit of a trek to the site of the Necropolis Railway, which used to ferry corpses and mourners to Brookwood Cemetery. Then back to the station to learn about Waterloo East, the Underground station, and the Victory arch - an ornate arched entrance to the station, practically lost in the hustle and bustle. Includes honour roles of railway workers who were killed in battle, and statues representing war and peace, flanking the main station entrance:

Inside again, and I did my bit about the Windrush monument:

The last two bits were about the Eurostar, which used to terminate here, and "Waterloo today". And I have to say, I never thought there was so much to know about the station..

..And so off to the Union Jack.. Surprisingly few birthdays at this event, in comparison with the last two.. but that made life a bit easier for the card signers, and fewer flowers were required by the organiser. It isn't until you see the assembly line of card signing that accompanies the larger birthday events that you realise what a well-oiled machine it is.. Now, I hadn't eaten here before, but plumped for the beef lasagne this time. It came as a rather gooey mixture in a bowl - very cheesy, and once the heat had died down a bit, very tasty! Much wine was also consumed, and many of us stayed till chucking-out time. Yep, always good to see these folks.

Contrary to predictions, I did not fall asleep on the bus back - I was too tired to blog though. Yesterday, I was provisionally thinking of a film - what was coming up is Everybody to Kenmure Street, a documentary (Emma Thompson takes part) about a movement of Glasgow locals when a couple of their neighbours face deportation in a dawn raid! Only showing in the Lexi, all the way up in Kensal Green.. but having booked ahead for other things, that turned out to be my only full free day this month, and I was planning drinks with Mark (the others are unavailable), so we did that instead. He finally suggested we just stay local to him!

Sadly, he wanted to meet a bit early - so blogging beforehand wasn't an option. We were to meet at Brompton Cemetery - which meant Tube for me. And wouldn't you know it, my main Tube line - the Jubilee - had signal failure and severe delays! Best alternative - by the time I dragged myself out - was a bus, then the District Line. Which, happily, had internet signal all the way, and got me there in perfect time. He (to be fair, predictably) was late. Wow, it was like stepping into a time machine for me, though - 10 years since I darkened the doors of West Brompton Station, when I used to live there too, when I had my very first job in London.

I had to think which way to turn for the cemetery - it's been a while - but headed to the right, which was, well, right. 

Lordy, I tell you something that wasn't there 10 years ago was the North Lodge cafe! I was starving (hadn't had time to eat properly), so with no sign of him yet, I decided to see what they had - and had myself a delectable ham & cheese toastie and a hot chocolate. And ooh, did that go down well.. I was still there when he arrived, and there we stayed (he had something, and I later had an apple juice), until they chucked us out (a bit early, tsk). Delighted to see it's dog-friendly though - and some very friendly dogs (and owners) there were.

Afterwards, we went on a stroll.. the cemetery houses many famous graves, which I probably should have researched, but didn't. We did pass that of Emmeline Pankhurst:

And I mean, there are just so many ornate tombstones! As we agreed, they don't make 'em like that any more:

One had an intriguing, Egyptian-style image - and I was reminded of the use of such imagery at the turn of the 20th century, when it was often used to represent the occult, or arcane knowledge:

And there's a mysterious tomb nearby:

Well, when we were finished, we headed to The Pembroke, nearby, for dinner. We sat down the back - which turned out to be a bit of a mistake, considering how low they turned the lighting! The menu was more roasts than anything else - so I had roast chicken, with chicken tenders to start, which came smothered in BBQ sauce. And they were gorgeous! It took forever to get both of our courses - he had time to go and pick up his repaired phone between starter and main, and to have a smoke!

The roast chicken - I'd asked for a half chicken, rather than a quarter - came in two parts - breast and thigh. The breast was lovely - the thigh was just greasy, and I didn't eat much of that. And for all the veg piled high on the plate - it was undercooked, tough, and inedible. I doubt I'll be back here to eat again. The chat was good though, and we stayed on for a good while. Again, I was too tired to blog last night.

These next two days are courtesy of my cheap ticket groups! Tonight, I'm with TAC for a Beethoven concert at the Milton Court Concert Hall - and what's handy is the tickets are from the venue, with a promo code - so we don't have to pick them up at the venue, and could choose our own seats; naturally, I picked the most expensive I could get away with. Eating beforehand at Cote Barbican.

And tomorrow, with CT, I found a live podcast - You're Dead to Me is history with a comedic twist! Playing at The Adelphi. My dinner companion of last Monday is coming too.

Then it's five Meetups in a row.. on Wednesday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS) for Oh! Mary, a musical and comedic look at the life of Mary Lincoln, playing at Trafalgar Theatre. I paid a little over the odds for it at late notice, but decided I'm interested enough to get another perspective, after seeing last month's show about her, Mrs. President.

On Thursday, back with LoMAZ, unusually for a midweek event, a talk on Johnson, Crime and Punishment, in Four Cases, at Dr. Johnson's House. Includes a welcome drink and a chance to peek around the house. Tickets were cheaper if bought in pairs, so I paired with someone from the group. Now sold out.

On Friday, finally back with Over 40: Living the Life, for Cleopatra: The Experience, at the ExCel Centre. We're eating at Tapa Tapa beforehand.

On Saturday, back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies - this walk is It's Only Rock 'n' Roll but I Like It! Unfortunately, the event page seems to be set up differently, not allowing people to sign up without paying through PayPal, and incurring the fee. He's having to take people's names offline..this wasn't his intention, and I'm not sure what has happened.

On Sunday, back with The Hideout again for They Will Kill You, a comedy horror about a girl who takes a job at a Manhattan mansion, only to discover it's a temple to Satan, and she's tonight's sacrifice. However, they didn't know about the martial arts she picked up in prison.. not a spoiler, that's all in the trailer. Location and time TBA.

Next Monday, heading to something advertised to me by someone I met on the last LoMAZ event I was on - he organises a WhatsApp community called London Fun, and had a spare prebooked ticket to Lifeline, a musical based around the medical profession and starring real medical professionals. So I said I'd go - in Southwark Playhouse again.

On the 31st, back with Movie Roadhouse London, who are dipping their toe in horror as well.. also now advertised with The Hideout.. we're seeing Brain Damage, an 80s body horror about a guy infected with an alien parasite..  hmm. Showing in The Nickel Cinema - which turns out to be around the corner from The Wilmington, so I've booked there again. 

On the 1st, back with TAC for another Kirckman concert for young classical musicians at King's Place- this time it's Sherri Lun.

On the 2nd, back at storytelling with Orpheus Dismembered, featuring Ben Haggarty, of the Crick Crack Club. Happening at Hoxton Hall, and I'm eating in Schnitzel Heaven beforehand.

And on the 3rd, back with UITCS at Sadler's Wells, for Solera - flamenco with Paco Peña. ¡Olé! Eating at The Wilmington again- and can go a little earlier, it being a bank holiday.