London Still Rocks!

Last night , first of two films in a row, I was back with The Hideout for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the Prince Charles . Connor from London Museums A-Z  (LoMAZ) came, his first Hideout event, which was cool.. I got there first, as it happened, but the organiser, Stefan, wasn't far behind me. And quite a large group of us gathered in the cinema bar - I was surprised to hear how many had never seen it before! There's a lot to love about this film.. early on, you get that metallic background noise that permeates through the whole film. And the weird family are seriously, unremittingly, weird. Mostly, I love the short, sharp killings that are meted out for the most part - quick, efficient, and brutal. People treated like pieces of meat. Shock the senses. The only part I've never liked, as I told the group afterwards, is the dinner, which is just a tad too slow for my liking. But I rated it highly - and I wasn't alone, with an overall average of nearly 8/10. Afterwa...

Yesterday, second Meetup in a run of three, second of two with The Hideout , the group was off to see The End of Oak Street , where Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor find themselves and their family transported to another dimension, at the Vue Leicester Square , meeting in Victory House beforehand as usual. I finished the last post in Bella Italia Cranbourn Street , eating a delicious dinner! (I also see I included many typos in my haste, apologies.) Made my way around the corner to Victory House afterwards, only to discover that their bar was closed! Well, I hung out with the few who'd come by that stage until the organiser messaged to say that, because of the bar closure, we were going to meet in the cinema bar instead. And so we made our way up there - and for once, the bar was staffed and I could get wine! It was a large group - we gathered in the central part of the bar, but the sofas were soon full, and people had to pull up chairs. We had a good chat before going in...

Last night , I was supposed to be back with The Hideout for the latest Scary Movie ! The trailer looks hilarious, with its references to horror films and popular culture.. and as usual, it'd be interesting to try and spot them all. Only thing is, it was run by the Southeast London branch.. and while I'm in the Southeast, this was far, far southeast.. they were headed to Vue Bromley . I'd have to get another train.. But wouldn't you know it, they switched to today, which I can't do. Never mind, said I, I was looking forward to it too much, I'd go see it on my own last night. Closer to me. Turns out it's showing in The Arzner , which I've never yet been to, but which is walking distance from me! It's an LGBTQ+ cinema, and last night's showing apparently had a drag intro.. well, fine.. And then, to top it all off, The Hideout cancelled today's event, and someone from the group advertised the same film for last night, in Greenwich . Ugh, to...

Couldn't blog on Friday night - I had to be up early.   On Saturday - back with Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies for his Nooks and Crannies of London walk - and damnit, Meetup was charging for RSVP again! (plus an extra charge, of course). Seems as though that'll continue to be a feature - although not consistently. I was one of the first there, as it happened, and arrived at the same time as Laurence - and his wife - and the dog, Daisy - and his wife's friend. Quite a retinue! We waited a bit for latecomers, and set off - on a day that, mercifully, wasn't as hot as earlier in the week. Especially good for Daisy, whose woolly coat did cause her some problems all the same. Laurence's wife took charge of her mainly, walking with her in the shade, and frequently carrying her. Soon, we were stopped in Red Lion Square : Now, the reason I've taken a photo of the ground is there's a rumour that Cromwell is buried there. Somewhere. During the reign of...

On Sunday, I thought about heading back to The Lanesborough for sachertorte , this time with Mark and Martin.. our monthly catch-up. But Lordy, this hot spell continued, and both bailed! Never fear, The Hideout came to the rescue - they were going to see Passenger . Now, the trailer gave me some misgivings - but I liked the concept, and was delighted to be seeing the group again anyway. Booked Bella Italia for beforehand, and as usual I'd then be meeting them in Victory House before going to see the film in the Vue . Third Meetup in a row, therefore! I was apprehensive about the bus ride in - but the aircon was on, and it was deliciously cool. Arrived at the restaurant pretty much exactly on time - and as usual, in time to beat the rush! Sat well inside, out of the heat. I was thinking of doughballs to start - but was sad to see they only have the cheesy ones now! Guess that rules them out for me then - just as well I have another option: and the crispy chicken fries were d...