Book Launch: Pantheon

Tonight, third in a row of six days of Meetup and the last of three days of mythology, I was at Watkins Bookshop (yes, they have their own Meetup group) for the launch of a book called Pantheon, about the Roman Pantheon and the society that birthed it. Had to leave a bit early, as it was an early start - and thank goodness, as I'd absolutely run out of anything productive to do! but at least I could walk there from there. 

Had forgotten where the stairs were, but found them eventually, and got a seat to the side:

Hmm. From the beginning, as she spoke about "connecting" with these gods, it was apparent that she considers all gods, from time immemorial, as equally valid and in existence, just disregarded as the civilisations that worshipped them fell. She even described how, when she travels, she always takes the time to give her respects to the local gods where she arrives.

She did make a couple of interesting points about, for example, how all the mother goddesses' names tend to start with m.. like, as she pointed out, the sound of satisfaction from a breastfeeding baby. And so how many gods are just kind of alternatives of each other.. she also made a case for the Romans having had gods with functions pretty different from what they ended up with, and how they copied Greek mythology's rigid structure of the gods.

Sorry though, not even in these surrounds could I bring myself to worship at a pagan altar.

Booked to eat in Bella Italia Cranbourn Street afterwards. Unfortunately, they were severely understaffed, it seemed, because service was woefully slow. The food was as good as ever, except that I was constantly batting away flies. And to add insult to injury, my ongoing discount, which was supposed to entitle me to half-price food all through next month, has been axed halfway through, to be replaced by one that's not valid at this restaurant! I guess I used it too much, eh! To be fair, they knew I used to get it, and did give me a £10 discount.

On top of all that, the bus journey home took half as long again as it should have, the first bus horrendously crowded, and the second bus crawling along. I swear, this night was sent to vex me.

Unfortunately, I'll be eating there again tomorrow (presumably without discount), when I'm with The Hideout. It was supposed to be for Her Private Hell - a stylized, futuristic psychological thriller set in Tokyo, and starring Sophie Thatcher - but it seems there was, as so often, a distribution problem. So now, instead, we're headed to Hope, a South Korean film (the most expensive ever made there, it seems) about a monster attack. Showing in Cineworld Leicester Square, and as usual, we're meeting in Victory House beforehand.

On Saturday, I'm back at last with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for a walk entitled Heavenly Heights of Hampstead. Had forgotten to pay him (as I always do in advance by bank transfer, it's handier), would you believe, I've had so much on!

And - as so often on these walks - that evening I'm off to a film (second day in a row). This time, it's with Movie Roadhouse London for Bad Apples in the BFI - a comedy with Saoirse Ronan as a teacher who locks a problematic student in her basement.

And on Sunday, back yet again with London Museums A-Z to see The Coming of Age exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.

On Monday, I'm back with TAC to see Who Killed Marilyn? at the Emerald Theatre. Spoiler, this assumes it's the Mafia..

On Tuesday, thinking of cinema - coming up is, again, Coyote Vs. ACME, a partly animated comedy based on the roadrunner cartoons, in which Coyote sues ACME, whose products always blow up in his face. It's getting great reviews - nearest showing to me that day is in the Odeon Luxe Haymarket, and again I'll have to leave quite early for it.

On Wednesday, heading with CT to see Franz & Marie, a new folk musical version of Woyzeck, in preview at Charing Cross Theatre. Eating in Bella Italia Strand beforehand.

Next Thursday, thinking of film again - and what's coming up is something I saw the trailer for ages ago; Tony is the story of how Anthony Bourdain became a chef. He's played by Dominic Sessa, his mentor by Antonio Banderas. Closest showing to me that evening is in the Barbican. And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend, because otherwise I shan't get back at all next month!