Storytelling: The Luck Child & Other Strange Tales, & Hallowe'en at Kew
Yesterday was the last of three days of Meetup, and two days of London Museums A-Z (LoMAZ). It ran too late to blog on Friday, because yesterday afternoon, I was hosting more storytelling, courtesy of the Crick Crack Club - this time it was Daniel Morden, who's telling The Luck Child & Other Strange Tales in Jacksons Lane. With messages flying back and forth about Friday, I was a little late leaving again - that far up, it had to be Tube, and to be fair, I arrived just a few minutes late - and first of the group. To be honest, only one other had signed up, and that a person who had been a no-show previously, so I was expecting to be on my own. Still, I wore the badge, and had the sign on a table.
I got a glass of wine, and was drinking at the table when who should walk in but my sometime companion, who had signed up and then cancelled because she had been unsure she could make it! Well, make it she had, and I duly amended her RSVP - she ran to the loo, then had to run and buy a ticket quickly before the start. They hadn't asked whether I wanted my drink in plastic, so when I heard on the PA that was a requirement to take it in, I had to queue and ask for a plastic container. I took a seat around the centre:
It's been a while since I saw this stage setup at storytelling, and it's nice to see.. Anyway, she joined me there shortly. And who should come over but Ben Haggarty, who wasn't performing, but was there as organiser, and asked us to move forward - something to do with the lighting setup. Ah now, if Ben asks..
Now, this was advertised as being for families, suitable for 8+.. so there were a lot of kids and parents there. But you know, that kind of thing can be really good.. and Daniel Morden, who's written a lot of children's books, is well able for small people. He came on and told a tale about a boy on a quest, who encounters many things. But the whole thing was all the better for his interaction with the kids - he's great at keeping them entertained, can take hecklers, and was absolutely hilarious throughout. It was only an hour long, but well worth the trip.
Afterwards, the two of us repaired to the cafe bar again for a drink - that person who never shows never showed. And then we made our separate ways. Because, that being in the afternoon, I also booked something for the evening - The Hideout was off to Hallowe'en at Kew, so I signed up! We were meeting in The Tap on the Line beforehand, and I was coming early to grab a bite to eat.
It's a really long Tube journey - the Northern Line was pretty empty, but the District Line was crammed! I'd anticipated spending longer at Jacksons Lane, so came to the pub an hour early - but she was ok with me taking the table early.
It's lovely not to be rushing - I had sourdough to start, served warm with Guinness butter (which, frankly, was a bit watery), and as shepherds pie was one of the specials, I had that. She'd asked whether I wanted the sourdough as a starter or at the same time, and sure enough, the pie came before I'd finished the sourdough - never mind, I finished that first, knowing the pie would be piping hot. Which it was. Not perhaps the greatest flavour, but you know, lovely and warm and filling, on what was a cold day. And I had time for dessert, and they had salted caramel ice cream.
Well, the group arrived as I was finishing, and joined me in there - but we couldn't stay, as they weren't eating, and I think all the tables were reserved anyway. So we got drinks at the bar, and I found a table just outside the entrance:
..where we chatted before going in. I'd actually got chatting to a couple at the table beside me, who were heading in earlier - it'd been his idea, she's really not into horror, and they compromised by going in daylight. I told them we were for eight o'clock, and she agreed that it'd be too scary for her in the dark..
Unfortunately, my group weren't inclined to wait as I was taking pictures - they were moving quite quickly too, whereas I wanted to pause on occasion. So it wasn't long before we lost each other. Never mind.. I found the Hallowe'en trail very good!
They had some live actors:
Ah, they catered to many tastes - here's a bit for the vampire fans:
And tomorrow, I'm going to The Liberal Club, of all places, to the David Lloyd George room, where they hold all their public events, for a piano concert called Norwegian Seasons. Fun thing is, CT made sure to warn me that it was formal dress.. but I checked online, and both the club website, and AI, seem to agree that it's smart casual! Well, that means I shouldn't have to go and buy an evening dress.. if they throw me out, I guess they throw me out!
And on Tuesday, I'm at the Albert Hall for The Moonwalkers, with a score performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and two specially created films about space exploration, the titular film narrated and co-written by Tom Hanks.
On Wednesday, I'm back with London Fun at Leicester Square Theatre, for Rosie Holt: The Illegal Aliens Have Landed! Eating beforehand, of course, at Bella Italia Cranbourn Street.
And then I'm on holiday for the rest of the month! And thus begin 13 days of Meetup, and 11 straight days of horror.. On Thursday.. I fly to Dublin for the Bram Stoker Festival (starts next Friday)! Again, part of the LoMAZ Dracula shenanigans. Flying to/from Gatwick - out with Ryanair, back with Easyjet. I'm flying a day early and returning a day late, to make sure I don't miss anything - and am hosting a group there. I'm meeting up with an old, Dublin-based friend and her fiancé that evening. We decided to have dinner in the Good World Chinese restaurant, which was always a favourite of ours. Now, when I was booking this, it had to be by phone or internet form - it was noisy where I was, so I filled out the form. Never did get a response, so I finally rang them - no record of the booking, of course, but we're now booked. Anyway, I'm staying in Staycity aparthotel in the Liberties.
The festival kicks off on Friday - and one of the group flagged a series of events, including a free guided walk - Life, Disease and Death at Collins Barracks, which I might go on. Seems it used to be part of the festival, but not any more. Rough plans to meet my sometime companion for lunch - she's on the trip as well. Do you know, as we were browsing the schedule, events were selling out in front of us! So the only thing I managed to get booked in the festival that day is a live horror podcast called Petrified, showing in the Project Arts Centre. Eating at Smokin' Bones afterwards - and with people in the group arriving at different times, I only have one companion for that, at time of writing. How bad! I started out with bar seating, but when I amended the booking to two people, I got standard seating.. much better..
On Saturday morning, again as part of the festival, there's a treasure hunt in the National Library. Tickets are free, and were supposed to be available from midday last Wednesday - but when I checked, I discovered they weren't available because of industrial action, and indeed, they have to check whether the event is still happening!
That evening, a couple of us are going to a play that's running throughout the festival - Stitch is billed as an homage to Frankenstein, and claims to explore our capacity to be both monster and maker. Playing at Smock Alley Theatre - some of us are eating at Lundy Foot's afterwards, which is right beside it, and wouldn't give us a booking after 8pm! which is when the play finishes. So we're rushing right there.
Next Sunday, we were talking about starting with brunch/lunch in Doyle's - another internet form, another non-reply. But behold and lo, I hadn't noticed that they don't open that early there on Sundays! Shelley, who's also coming, found us an alternative, and we're now brunching/lunching in Cafe 1920 at the Fleet Hotel. Anyway, it's convenient to Trinity College, where we're headed to a couple of talks that afternoon, in the Graduate Memorial Building - to which, I must say, they provided excellent directions! First up is Dacre Stoker, a relative of Bram, with a talk called Stoker on Stoker.
Later, there's a talk on Stoker on the Runway: The Gothic in Contemporary Fashion.
And that evening, again at Shelley's suggestion, a few of us are dining at Fallon & Byrne. All these eateries are new to me, BTW!
For those of us left, there's a Macnas parade ("Fiáin", which means "wild") on the 26th. We might head out of the city a bit on one of these days, for some sightseeing..
I fly back on the 27th, and am rushing off, with The Hideout, to the Prince Charles Hallowe'en Quiz that night. Victory House bar beforehand, as usual.
On the 28th, well, Clare from LoMAZ flagged a different storytelling group to me - so I'm hosting a trip to see the Bloomsbury Folklore Club talk about vampires and the undead, downstairs at Waterstone's Bloomsbury. Tickets from Eventbrite. And there's a bar down there too!
On the 29th, the Prince Charles (PCC) is doing a vampire day! So I said I'd take the day off for that.. and with the first two days of the week off as well, why, I said I might as well take the whole week off! so I am. This vampire day has a variety of vampire films.. I'm starting with From Dusk till Dawn, because I've never seen it - stars Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Tarantino (would you believe), who also co-wrote it, and Salma Hayek.. it's about a couple of criminals who hole up in a truck stop that turns out to be populated by vampires! With Salma Hayek's character name of Santanico Pandemonium, I have to wonder whether she isn't one of them..
Then I'm seeing Sinners, because I just love it. Afterwards, I should just have time to eat in Bella Italia..
Before I join The Hideout for The Lost Boys, about a town full of vampires (Kiefer Sutherland is one of them), and which I've also never seen! Back to Victory House again beforehand, of course.
On the 30th, second day in a row with them, back with The Hideout for Crawlers.. the latest spider horror! Details TBC.
And on Hallowe'en itself.. I have two Meetups! First up is Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, with a walk around Sensational Soho!
And that evening - I couldn't resist Hallowe'en at the Museum! Happening at the Natural History Museum, with a vampire theme - they have a vampire wedding, a vampire council, vampire bands.. and I am so dressing up for it. I'm hosting with The Hideout (making it my third Hideout day in a row of four - and the first time I'll have hosted for them), and also with LoMAZ - fewer on the LoMAZ side. As of now. Well, tickets are £65..
On the 1st, back with Museums, Art & Culture Socials for the Korean exhibition at the British Museum. Pub social afterwards, location TBD.
I can't stay long though - back that evening with The Hideout for the director's cut of Ken Russell's The Devils, at the PCC! Couldn't resist, I love this debauched vision (even censored) of the possessions at Loudun, where a hysterical group of young nuns gave testimony that the magician responsible was one Fr. Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) - the fact that he'd gone up against the powerful Cardinal Richelieu probably didn't help. Also stars Vanessa Redgrave. Meeting in Victory House beforehand, as usual.
And finally, two days of Up in the Cheap Seats - on the 2nd, at Dogstar, at Hampstead Theatre.
And on the 3rd, Five Days in the Sun at Sadler's Wells. Eating at The Wilmington beforehand.
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