"The weight of this sad time we must obey" - Theatre Review King Lear @ Almeida Theatre, London Saturday 20 October 2012

When this was first announced about 18 months ago, Helen Lisette and I were both very excited - the prospect of seeing Jonathan Pryce on stage doing King Lear was a great prospect.

And we waited.  And waited.  We thought we may have missed the public ticket sale dates, but then somehow, HLW did it ---- she got us tickets.  Hurrah!

So last weekend, with the late addition of an early schedule performance of 55 Days to enjoy as well over the weekend, we headed to London for what we hoped would be a tremendous theatre experience.

It was: if I see a better Lear in my lifetime I will feel privileged indeed.  I suspect it may take a current generation to get older before there will be something to match it.  The sisters, especially Goneril (Zoe Waites) and Regan (Jenny Jules) were excellently venal in their manipulation and overthrowing of Lear's power - but there was also a well-played (and mostly understated) hint of a somewhat abusive relationship between Lear and his older daughters.  For example, in the opening scenes, where Lear throws open the map to allocate his kingdom according the whim of the daughters' ability to flatter him, Lear kisses Goneril.  And the kiss is... unseemly, excessive, inappropriate, unnerving. The jealousy of the older sisters towards the youngest, Cordelia, reaffirmed by Lear crowning her with a coronet before the division of land has even begun, is thus undercut by the pointers to the past.  What horrors have the older sisters endured before their - much younger - sibling arrived?  It is not overplayed throughout, but there are hints to highlight the power relationship between father and daughters that perhaps contextualises the later violence and horror of the play.

The cast was uniformly good I felt - a real ensemble performance.  Cordelia (Phoebe Fox) stands her ground to her father; Gloucester (Clive Wood) is powerhouse of a figure, bought low by the betrayal of his King and his bastard son; Kent (Ian Gelder) never waivers from his loyalty to Lear despite the horrors that ensue, and he works throughout to bring Lear back to himself, to those who care for him; and the Fool (Trevor Fox) is charmingly wise in his observation of the social disintegration around him.  These are just a few of the key performances, and I always find the worst weaknesses in the role of Cordelia are within the text itself (though Fox and the director Michael Attenborough, do their best to make this a livelier Cordelia than is usual).  But everyone does their part.  I never quite got the measure of the Duke of Cornwall (Chook Sibtain), but Cornwall is an odd role - the utter violence and spur of action with Regan at his side one moment, having come across initially just as an ambitious and thwarted husband to Lear's second daughter who ends up cuckolded almost as badly as Albany (Richard Hope).  Indeed, the husbands to the elder Lear daughters have a rough time all round really, and it is credit to Richard Hope that Albany's own cuckolded haplessness is pitiable rather than despicable (Steven Elliott as Oswald really bring out the self-serving venal qualities of this character). I was also impressed with Richard Goulding as Edgar who was suitably fit (in all senses) to play the high-born, well-born son of powerful Gloucester, who is bought down by the intense hatred of his illegitimate sibling, Edmund (a finely powered Kieran Bew).

An additional note: hilariously, at the interval (post-eye-gouging) I actually heard someone complaining about the production "excessively bloody, far more than necessary".  I nearly fell over in astonishment - did they fancy bloodless eye-gouging?!  What is this - the Disney version?

Probably difficult, if not impossible to get tickets before this closes next weekend, but a gem nonetheless.

Clothing and other things: London October 2012

Ooooh... goodies....

Hat from Covent Garden market

Lisa modelling new hat, and with my new weekend bag I tested out on this trip!

Lisa modelling hat in close-up

Art Deco cufflinks (to share with Neil) from Circa 1900 in Camden Passage, Islington

 Small handbag from Covent Garden

And if you didn't see it elsewhere, here's the dress I didn't buy.  *sob* - it was a lovely 1930s dress from Annie's in Camden Passage, beautiful fabric, and the fit was fine, except on my back where the fact it was probably for a taller lady (oh to be Professor Celeste-Marie!) really came into play.  The bag hung like a sack on me and nothing in the world could change that.  Given the bias-cut and patterning it would have took a really serious vintage expert seamstress to even restitch it to fit me so sadly it had to go back on the hanger.  Gutted.  Sorry about the picture quality.

Theatre Review: Bingo - Scenes of Money and Death: Young Vic, London matinee Saturday 10 March 2012

Erratic reviews have been thrown at this awkward play - from 1 and 2 stars to laudable 4 stars. It's pretty easy to see why there is this diversity of opinion, though I'm not convinced the loathing is deserved. For me, it didn't feel like anything less than 3.5 at my least charitable about the play's premise and probably a 4 given the performances.

The thing is that Bingo is a play ABOUT Shakespeare rather than by Shakespeare - there's one whole job-lot of expectations going to be thrown for a start.

Beyond that, in some ways, it isn't even as explicitly ABOUT Shakespeare as the writer - it's set in Shakespeare's latter days in Stratford, past the point of him actively writing plays (and certainly the 'great' plays). It isn't an exploration of the life in the way that (say) Simon Callow's 'Being Shakespeare' works - in that instance, the audience gets lots of crowd-pleasing quotations of best-loved lines and passages. There is almost nothing of that in Bingo. Problem number two.

Additionally, in many respects, the pre-interval act particularly could be about any land-owning, doubt-ridden older man, frustrated at his living arrangements, powerless to see how to change them, and torn between self (and self-pity) and empathy for the local community in a time of social upheaval, and against a backdrop where religion and attitudes to morality and poverty have been rattled about for quite some time. There's another problem.

But this nevertheless IS Shakespeare and part of the reason why he succumbs to the plans of enclosure that will benefit him but negatively affect his neighbours is likely tied to his own financial insecurity in earlier life (what little we know of Shakespeare senior is a falling off from temporary power and authority into ignominy and insecurity). This does not however make for comfortable viewing for those who want their Shakespeare to be a straightforwardly humane writer, let alone the relatively god-like figure of eloquence he is held up to be by Callow's one-man extravaganza.*

Above all, this is a play by a Marxist with avowedly Marxist themes and characterisations and whilst I personally have no problems with that at all, 2012 - all that cultural Olympiad nonsense being thrown about - is perhaps not a great moment for a 1973 play on such lines to woo audiences to depictions of Shakespeare amidst his servants railing 'was anything done?' in regret for his inaction to do more for the poor.

Bingo therefore makes for uncomfortable viewing - it is not a play presenting easy, enjoyable thoughts and reactions or even easily managed philosophical debates (even the most awkward of Shakespeare's own plays don't hurt their audiences psychology in the way Bond forces his to be hurt). It is a harsh and awkward play, with harsh voices and difficult characters hurt by and causing hurt in unequitable times - there is little that is lovable, likable, and nothing laudable. Only drunken Ben Johnson (and dizzingly cantankerous Richard McCabe berating Shakespeare 'but what are you writing?') brings any kind of light relief and he's hardly a beacon of positivity.

I read the excellent James Shapiro's book 'Contested Will' a while back, and I've become rather drawn to its analysis of how the Shakespeare-worshippers were a goodly part responsible for generating the 'Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare' crap that has been flying around the last few centuries (I'm not watching 'Anonymous' however much you pay me).

It therefore strikes me that as well as carrying Marxist baggage, there is an element of audiences perhaps not getting on board with the character that is 'Shakespeare' being portrayed in a negative (or at least non-positive) light, as irredeemably confused, angry, cruel and frustrated by coming to the end of his life. This is not the Shakespeare they expect and he's too tied to being 'Shakespeare' to be viewed as A.N.Other person of the 1600s. 'Was anything done?' applies not just to Shakespeare's action/inaction over matters of class and poverty but a doubt about his own worth overall - are the plays and poems worth anything if family life can still be miserable, if the poor still starve and the 'rich' can exploit their power? What could have been done to make life better?

Perhaps my personal empathy for the play and the production were also tied with the experience: HLW and I were with my colleague Caroline, a long-term admirer of Sir Patrick Stewart who took the lead role. Sat on row C in the stalls, it was a giddyingly close experience and we may well have felt more out of sorts with the play's tone if we'd been sat further away. Additionally, I'm not easily put off by Marxist intentions and topics: I'm an insufferable old leftie at heart.

And the cast were very good and intense at what the play required them to do - Stewart is unsurprisingly excellent whether delivering lines or simply letting his expressive face communicate his isolation, and McCabe's small role is delivered with characteristic gusto. But in various ways the rest of the cast also deliver the goods, from Ellie Haddington as the housekeeper/confidante to Shakespeare, to Alex Price** as her moralistic son leading the campaign against enclosure. Catherine Cusak has a horrible role to play as Shakespeare's daughter Judith: taught enough to know there is more to life, but not able to break free of home, she lurches from righteous indignation and frustration at her father to lonely despair at managing her mother and father's separate lives. It's a thankless part in a pitiless play where no-one comes out feeling good.

Does that make it a bad play? No: it perhaps makes it a flawed and definitely an awkward play, but not to my mind itself a bad play.



* Don't think I don't like Callow's performance or Bate's script for 'Being Shakespeare': H and I loved it when we saw it in Sheffield a couple of years ago. But it is much more of a crowd-pleaser.

** Yes, he DID play Francesco the vampire fish-man in Doctor Who.

Belated London post: 5 December 2011 - the V&A Museum of Childhood and Broadway Market

Well this was a gem of a find --- Neil had been to Broadway Market earlier in the year (whilst me and the girls were indulging in Much Ado), and mentioned that to get to it you had to go to Bethnel Green tube station on the Central Line and walk past the Museum of Childhood.

Walk past?

I don't think so.

Turned out this wasn't as he thought just the Tower Hamlets museum of childhood, but rather a spectacular outpost of the Victoria and Albert Museum: the Museum of Childhood is a full blown brilliant space with a great collection and lots to see and do.

As you go in the wonderful entrance-way, you currently encounter an exhibition of Julia Margaret Cameron's photographs of children. There is also a brilliant display called The Stuff of Nightmares, featuring the tale of Fundelvogel.


There are the expected collections of children's toys and amusements through the centuries --- everything from Star Wars memorabilia to 18th century dolls-houses, from baby's rattles from many centuries ago to the latest must have robot toys.

But the exhibitions are so much more than 'just' these treats - there are also several excellently put together displays on themes, as exemplified by the Magic Worlds show (on til 4 March 2012) on magic and illusion, fantasy and enchantment. It covers everything from children's magic sets to Derren Brown, from Grimm's Fairy Tales to Walter Crane's Flower Fairies, from Middle-Earth to mermaids. It's beautiful, fascinating and covers every medium of product, story-telling and imagery. Gloriously displayed to please both enquiring young minds and memory-driven adults.

Going to the Doctor Who Experience -- Neil takes my picture

Neil zooms in on Rullsenberg... with stripey scarf.

Visiting the New Zealand gang in London

It isn't quite as crazy as it sounds: Neil's brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew were on an extended visit to the UK --- they went to LA first, then over to the UK to London, to the West Midlands to visit their old home, to Scotland to visit family, to Budapest and Vienna and then back over to London (which was where we caught up with them).

It was just delightful to be able to see them, spend time with them AND to even say farewells to them without the usual heightened emotions of knowing it would be a year, likely much more, before we would see them again. Being able to do a "bye" and being able to say "see you soon!" was just... priceless.

Hurrah.

Forthcoming treats: Betrayal (the play)

Yum....

London St Pancras - hotel and refurbishment

Ever since Neil has known me - over 20 years now and approaching 21 years - I've been in love with the idea of the St Pancras Grand Hotel. A glorious neo-gothic achievement of High Victorian architecture, the hotel had long been closed when we first started going to London together but it already held a place of fascination for me. The announcement and funding of the refurbishment of St Pancras (the station) was one point of delight for me ---- now the St Pancras Hotel has reopened.

First off, Neil guided me and my friends Chrissie and Caroline into the bar: the old ticket booking office of old where I have many happy memories of both buying tickets, making phone calls and meeting people. Its old dark wooden surroundings still retained (though not with the set up Neil imagined for the refurbishment of drinks being served through the old ticket hatches to the waiting drinkers!)


We had lunch in here and it was worth the expense for the wonderful surroundings. Truly sumptuous. We then exited through the old taxi rank - now the hotel lobby - and out to the front of this always magnificent looking building.


But then thanks to Caroline's determination us girls next made our way into the hallowed vestibules of the hotel, its rounded corridors, its dramatic wooden staircases, its gothic windows and bells.

Just breathtaking.



We then head back there at the end of the day for drinks and to make sure Neil saw what it was like in the bar area.


And to get him to take my photo there - dressed in my theatre finery (blue silk dress...)


Still, I'll definitely be going back if only to venture further up the stairs and look up at the awe-inspiring stairwell decoration (see the hotel website for more visuals).

"Loved of all ladies" - Much Ado About Nothing @ Wyndhams Theatre London Saturday 2.30 matinee 21 May 2011

It's been coming a LONG while and was the cause of my giddiness both at the time of booking and over the past week. Yes: finally, the collective got to see Much Ado About Nothing starring Catherine Tate and David Tennant.

Whoever they are.

A wider review of the day will come later: certainly it was a day with much brilliance and beauty surrounding the central event.

The Play/Production
There is much to enjoy about Much Ado anyway: despite the horrible central moment where Hero is humiliated unjustly, virtually all of the play is about the laughter, the bickering, the biting wit and the verbal comedy.

The staging is relatively sparse, with columns and a rotating stage that allow us inside/outside views of the characters and their positioning in rooms in relation to each other. This production also lends the play a suitable amount of slapstick (or slap paint) and the height of the stage space is wonderfully utilised for comedic effect. Everyone gives their all, and it was really nice to see so many familiar faces amongst the actors performing. There are many delicious lines delivered with great incision and verve. But....

It's all about Benedick and Beatrice
Oh we'd all be lying if we said this wasn't what we'd come for. Whilst an RSC production inevitably HAS to be all about the ensemble and the play - with particular performers the icing on the cake for the production, albeit incredibly desirable icing - with a West End production it can be harder to ignore the power of the specific performers in key roles.

Tennant and Tate acknowledged this in the rounds of interviews they've done for the show: they're savvy enough to realise that their names create a buzz and draw attention. They put bums on seats and potentially bring in audiences to a Shakespeare who may otherwise not have been interested. Mind, with the Globe also doing Much Ado this season, this production may turn out to have stiff competition on the Shakespeare front - one can also imagine the Globe sniffily groaning at its commercial rival for even thinking it could steal the Globe's 'Authentic Shakespeare' thunder.

But as I say, in this instance, our Beatrice and Benedick are our central focus and not just because of who is playing them. These two verbally dextrous figures must be a delight to play: bitterly witty, playful, human, and a little reflective. With the right staging and use of their characters on stage, even little gestures can become points of high entertainment.

From Tennant's first entrance, positively making great show of his emergence to an attentive audience, to the finale of joyous dancing, one can't help but feel the director and Tennant were thinking 'how best can we wind up the fangirls/fanboys?' for there are so many directoral decisions that are beyond the play text. Poses - a languid stretch at one point emphasises his slender physique; dances - every movement of body, clothes and hands screaming 'flirt!'; glance - his oh-so-expressive eyes contacting with the audience with mischief.

Tate also continues to prove her worth on stage and provides further evidence of her dramatic as well as comedic talents - to combine such gifts for physical comedy with such elegance and excellence of delivering verbal humour is a rare combination. And she clearly gets a huge buzz of performing with her 'mate' Tennant.

And that's another thing: if ever a pairing required chemistry of some sort, Benedick and Beatrice are that pair. I'd make an argument that the best performances of B&B are where there is some kind of pre-exisiting connection between the actors in these roles. Whether that is as friends, colleagues who have worked together over some lengthy period of time, and/or indeed are in a romantic relationship --- one of the core things underpinning the B&B relationship in the play is the longevity of their knowing each other, the history that is behind their barbed wit and seemed animosity. So it just makes sense that some of the best performances of this play involve pairings where there is a history of some sort. Two unknown actors coming together for the first time have to work extra hard to begin to convey the easy intimacy and connection that Benedick and Beatrice need to convey to the audience. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it is possible to tell when there isn't some kind of history between the actors I think.

I'm avoiding spoiling too much of the stage direction and quirks of the production - others will provide that elsewhere should you desire to read in advance. The main thing is go and enjoy. There may even be a few tickets left for certain performances if you're lucky. Give it a whirl anyway if you're not already going because it's certainly a helluva ride.

Eesti Fest - Estonian Piano Orchestra - Friday 25 February 2011 King's Place, London

On Friday, Cloud and I went to see the eight-piece Estonian Piano Orchestra, with guitarist Ain Varts and percussionist Hele-Riin Uib (sadly, composer Urmas Sisask, who was due to attend and play shaman drum was unable to travel to the UK).

The evening included Jaan Rääts's Concerto for Eight Pianists on Four Pianos, Op 126 (2005); Arvo Pärt's 'For Alina' (1976); Sonatina No 2, Op 1 No 2 (1959); Variations for the 'Healing of Arinushka' (1977); 'Hymn to a Great City' (1984/2004); Peeter Vähi's 'Pianist's Internet Week' (2010); Suite for four pianos 16 hands, percussion and electric guitar; ‹lo Krigul's 'Aquaspherics' (2010); and Urmas Sisask's 'Voices of the Universe', Op 88 (2002).

WOW: what a venue (it's the building that the Guardian/Observer now live in) and WHAT an evening of virtuouso playing. Incredible sounds and visuals. Breathtaking experience.

These video clips give you a flavour.

Theatre Review: Season's Greetings - National Theatre, London Saturday 18 December 2010

With a cast that included a Who-gasm triumvirate of Catherine Tate, David Troughton, AND Mark Gattis alongside Katherine Parkinson, Nicola Walker and Neil Stuke, with support from Jenna Russell, Mark Wootton and Oliver Chris --- well, I couldn't miss seeing THAT at Christmas time! Though please don't think I was being shallow in wanting to see this play: we've seen Tate on stage before and she is a wonderful comic actress, and I certainly couldn't pass the chance to see the rest of the cast either since they've all proven their acting chops on stage, TV and film.

Season's Greetings is by Alan Ayckbourn - that most English of playwrights - and has typical elements of farce edged with the most wonderfully bleak despair you could hope to get away with at Christmas.

We studiously ignored the reviews in advance - many were effusive, others much less so - and frankly Poly's opinion counts for more than any of the reviewers! And thank goodness we did go or else we would have missed out on splitting our sides with laughter and grimacing at the bleak humour the play offers. Despite the accusation that some parts are underwritten or that some of the cast have too little to do (alcoholic Phyllis, put upon Pattie and her incomprehensible husband Eddie are those most often critiqued in this way), we found the balance of the play wonderful.

I ended the first half in tears of laughter (I haven't laughed like that in the theatre for a long time) - farce may present the obvious in 'disasters' but our expectations are all the more sweetly enjoyable for that. I can struggle with slapstick, but in the right mood I love a good farce. But even better in some respects are the bleak aspects -- the disastrous puppet show, the disintegrating relationships, the never-visible children, the violence. All these have the own humour (a christmas where children are never seen?!) but there is domestic horror in the fractured lives on stage.

Whatever you do, don't discount this as just a play for Christmas - Season's Greetings first played from September 1980 and in this run plays until March 2011. I would definitely urge you to see it if you get the chance to go to London before the Spring.

Reviews:
Independent
Observer
The Stage
Telegraph
What's On Stage

Art Deco London on Capper Street

Shropshire House on Capper Street (near Heals) was a nice random find on one of our usual long walks through London.

Seems we're not the only ones who have been attracted by Shropshire House's (mostly) retained beauty.

Built in 1931-32 (thank you 'English Buildings' blog!) it really caught our eye.

Proof that we did experience the London blizzard before Xmas 2010

Rullsenberg in the London blizzard waiting for a mistletoe kiss

Covent Garden only just visible through the snow!

Teddy Bear hand puppets trying to stay dry in the conditions

The Covent Garden reindeer was a popular spot for photographs

Neil crossing the bridge to the RFH. We were pretty snowy by this point!

Rounding up on the festive period

Blimey, given we haven't even been to NZ this Christmas, it has been a pathetic show for blogging hasn't it? Last time I was able to get in - and yes, Internet facilities have been an issue at home and elsewhere - it was for a review of Hamlet starring the smoking man! (Not THAT one).

At this rate, I'll be back seeing it live (February when the National's production of Hamlet with Rory Kinnear et al hits Nottingham) before you'll get more from me.

And that will never do!

So, between my last visit to you we had an abortive trip to see Belle and Sebastian (singer had a cold so the gig got pulled 5 mins before the doors opened) and the rescheduled date is for .... well even the band aren't sure since they appear to have been consulting the 2010 calendar for a new date [NOTE: Wednesday was 2nd June in 2010 --- so they either mean Wednesday 1 June 2011 OR Thursday 2 June 2011].

Still, we did get to go to London for a long weekend before Xmas - hitting the snow with a vengeance and squeezing in much fun with a trip to the theatre (Season's Greetings at the National - more on that separately I hope, especially as it runs till March 2011) and to the pictures to see The Shop Around the Corner at the BFI. Lovely: proper sweet and sour as you can only expect from Lubitsch.

And then it was back home for a Xmas Eve screening of It's A Wonderful Life. I had a lovely day at the bar (no chuckling!) reading my book as Neil was at work. Plenty of tea and food kept me going till Neil arrived for the final screening of the cinema before Xmas - by the time we exited the place was shutting up shop.

Then it was an idle start to Xmas day with plenty of reading and only finally opening up presents about 3pm.

We settled down for Doctor Who at 6pm - most enjoyable (even if my inner geek couldn't help thinking about the Blinovitch Limitation Effect -- but not so much it stopped me enjoying the episode). Again - I will try and do a belated review for what it's worth.

Since Santa brought both Neil and I plenty of CD, book and DVD goodies, we're going to make a concerted effort this year to CATCH UP ON OUR EXISTING ACQUISITIONS rather than making new ones.

Hopefully this will resolve the ongoing hostage situation that is 'City of God' / 'Diva'. George and Sonia, we can only apologise for being so rubbish.

London pictures - Eltham Palace - Art Deco Heaven Saturday 11 September 2010

Eltham Palace in Kent London, definitely in LONDON, ine the lovely borough of Greenwich, is just DIVINE. Taking a medieval palace and making it an Art Deco heaven was a stroke of genius on the part of the Courtauld family.

London pictures - The Red House

Thames Festival Fireworks - Sunday 12 September 2010

The Mayor's firework display went off with a bang near the end of our London trip.



A slightly less professional filming but with a bit more atmosphere - and nearer to our vantage point (though we were clearly below this filmer as we were down at Gabriel's Wharf -- the fireworks definitely felt as if they came a bit closer as they exploded)!

Visiting London - William Morris and the Red House, Eltham Palace and the Globe Theatre

Makes sense if you actually bring in your memory stick WITH the draft post and pictures on it to post online.... *you bloody dolt Lisa*

Apologies people: it's been a demented start to term.

London and Cricket at Chesterfield

Had a lovely weekend celebrating 20 years together: got up early for train to London on Saturday (sold to me as 'fancy breakfast at Brunos?') and then after a brilliant breakfast we did a visit to Selectadisc in the South (aka Sister Ray), a trip to the National Gallery Fakes exhibition, a stroll down past Houses of Parliament to Tate Britain, and then a wander round Rude Britannia (better than the name suggests, not a good as it good be).

We then dodged our first shower of the day (the forecast had been for a lot of rain) and wandered along the Strand and up to Covent Garden where we took in the madness that was the launch of the new Apple Store.

Insanity.

We then headed back to the Southbank and went to see the Hip-Hop Shakespeare event with MC Marechal from Brazil (part of the Brazil festival). [Read a preview here]

This was a fabulous event, making clear the connections between hip-hop beats and Shakespearean rhythms and language. Truly inspiring and though I wished I had the Portuguese to have been able to fully appreciate the linguistic talent of Marechal's impassioned performance, his meaning was clearly conveyed.

Wonderful.

We then dodged another shower (and there were no more!) and meandered along the south bank, before trotting over to Waterloo and then making our way for tea at our second favourite London Italian, Ristorante Cappuccetto near Cambridge Circus.

We threw the staff a curveball by ordering three mains and a side salad (we have become addicted to their gnocchi with gorgonzola, but it isn't enough on its own so we share it AND have a main each as well. Yes I know: greedy.) But it was lovely. I think they were quite shocked at us clearing our plates so well.

After that it was a slow wander back to St Pancras, almost taking in a viewing of Sherlock Holmes' abode.

We didn't get in until about 1am after the train home but it was worth it. And we think we saw a hare on the car park...

Sunday was a slow get-up but we had to be on the ball as Nick was coming over to go with us to Chesterfield for a classic cricket match: Derbyshire v Yorkshire in a one-day game.

Cricket is gloriously pointless but wonderful. And when accompanied by food and company for conversation it is perfect.

Okay, so the deployment of a troupe of young women in gym clothes with pom-poms doing cheerleader dances was like feminism never happened, and the cries of "Yorkshire, Yorkshire'* from bevied up Yorkies wasn't great fun to sit with, but the sun was out and the weather lovely and we grazed on good food all day.

Marvellous.

Even if Derbyshire lost.

(Maybe serves them right for having cheerleaders. And for using the cheesiest promo line for the sponsor 'AutoWorld' -- "big enough to manage, small enough to care".)

And then home in time for Sherlock's big finale of the first run. Worth coming home for.


*That wasn't the worst of the chants. Bairstow, Bairstow, where's your dad was another. Jonathan Bairstow is a Yorkshire player whose player father, David Bairstow, killed himself. Classy, Yorkshire fans, classy.

London: cricket, a party, and exhibitions (Spring Bank Holiday weekend 28-30 May 2010)

Pictures to follow - possibly.

Friday last week we did one of our regular trips to London - so we of course stuck to the routine of a meal at Pizza Paradiso (Ristorante Olivelli) on Store Street, despite most of their neighbours being boarded up for renovations.

A nice walk on a good night and then we had an early start the next day as we were off to Lords.

Yes. We went on the SATURDAY to Lords for the Bangladesh v England test, the day with the worst weather.

Oh well, least we were in the members enclosure* so it was a bit more sheltered from the worst of the rain. And we had lots of good company for chattering and food/drink sharing. Always the best bit of a good cricket match!

We were lucky and did get some play, eventually, but it was mostly just nice to be there. Its quite a place to visit.

As bad light drew the match to a close, Cloud and I had to gallop off as there was a second reason we were in London: a friend's 50th birthday party.

This would have been something to really look forward to had I not got myself in a total knot over the fact it was on a barge.

The Battersea Barge to be precise. Which, had I checked it properly in advance, would have been obviously revealed as a very dry-docked building. Hurrah. I'm not the best fan of water-based vessels.

Anyway, said party was fine but will be chiefly memorable for the Barge's resident dog, Mungo.

Mungo was a VERY cute poodle type dog, approximately 15 months old. Sweet little face; very affectionate.

Unfortunately a BIT TOO affectionate for one guest who found he took to shagging her arm as she was sitting down. So much so that she had to, ahem, clean up...

Horribly hysterical for everyone there. (Though Mungo must have thought he was on to a winner as when she went to go and clean herself up in the Ladies, Mungo followed her up the stairs and into the toilet... "going somewhere more private! way-hey my luck is in!!")

Like I say, horribly amusing.

Sunday was a more sedate affair. We packed up to leave the hotel and nipped across to see the British Library exhibition Magnificent Maps; Power Propaganda and Art.

I cannot recommend this exhibition highly enough. It is visually stimulating, full of fascinating details and just a real thrill to move around. Warning: you're likely to end up spending at least 30 mins looking at the detail on Stephen Walter's 'The Island' - an idiosyncratic map of London and well worth the FREE admission and your time in itself.

We then moved on to the Southbank. At least our intention was to get to Tate Modern for the new photography show there. Forgetting the closure of Blackfriars, we had to loop across slightly, changing at Embankment and ending up to Monument (it was a great day but I'm not good with heights so we stayed on the ground to admire its newly cleaned up beauty). From there we realised we were close enough to make ANOTHER attempt at locating the National Trust pub.

And at last we found it!

The George Inn dates from the 1600s and is not only beautiful but also does some fine food. VERY good chips for a start!

After a refueling and alcohol, we walked across to the Tate but we hadn't really left ourselves enough time to take in the exhibition. Another day later in the summer probably. Still, we now had just enough time to do a skinny around the Surrealism gallery and then take in more sunshine before heading back to St Pancras.

And home to watch Doctor Who...



*We're not members but came instead as guests of a friend of a friend who clearly got put down for membership at birth by his dad. Handy to know people...