So I'm a little late with the update this week, but my initially gloriously commitment-free weekend became utterly consumed with writing the personal statements for a couple of job applications (and a visit to the cinema to finally catch Captain Marvel), but more on that in a couple of weeks when I (hopefully!) have something more interesting to say about it.
Last Monday was Sean's birthday, so as much as I was able I wanted the weekend to be all about him. That's why Saturday afternoon found me wearing an England rugby shirt, sipping a pint of cider in a sports bar in Victoria station and watching two back-to-back rugby matches. It was the Six Nations final weekend and Sean wanted to see the Wales v. Ireland and England v. Scotland games, so that's what we did. Now here's the part that may shock those of you who know me at all: I actually really enjoyed the afternoon. I have never been remotely interested in watching sport, and I've only dabbled in playing - and that never competitively. I suppose that's one of the beautiful things about love: broadening your horizons and all. But there was something about actually wearing the team shirt (well, kind of...I think it was a touch rugby shirt) and being around so many people who were having a few drinks with their friends and thoroughly invested in the outcome of the match that was incredibly energising. Beyond that, I took delight in watching how much Sean was relaxing and enjoying himself, chatting to his friends who joined us and commenting on the games. His pleasure was at least half of my enjoyment that afternoon. I think it also helped that the England v. Scotland match was absolutely incredible to watch. England dominated the first half - up 30 points and making some ridiculous plays that were practically taking the mick out of the Scotland team (according to Sean, at least). After half-time, Scotland utterly destroyed our lead, making it an absolutely mad dash in the final two minutes of the game to tie it up. It was unbelievable to see. Though I will admit that somewhere in the first half of that match I was checking my emails and Instagram. England seemed to be doing so well that I was taking it as a given we'd win the match. My bad. While my Saturday might have been an unusually out of character pastime for me, Monday evening was certainly right up my alley. Sean had been eager to see the musical Hamilton since before the show arrived in London but tickets have been expensive and difficult to get hold of. Way back in November I managed to get online right as they released the next batch of tickets and bought a pair of stalls seats for his birthday - both as a gift and actually for the date of his birthday.
Hamilton is incredible, deserving every syllable of the hype surrounding it. When Sean and I spoke about it afterwards, we agreed that it's easily the best musical we've seen since we've been together. The music was thrilling, the lines and story so tightly written and rich with subtext and references and humour that I would have to see it a few times to feel like I actually noticed everything. The first half was definitely the stronger half, though there was no point in the show where I felt even the slightest boredom or restlessness. There were moments where I wasn't at all sure where it was actually going, but I don't know the history of America's foundation, nor did I know anything about the musical before we went to see it, so that was more ignorance than anything to do with the musical.
If you are a Londoner and would like to see it, I have to warn you that tickets are still expensive. They're not completely unreasonable anymore if you catch the new batch releases early enough so if you can, I would definitely recommend seeing it. It's the first musical I've been to where I left the show thinking about ordering the soundtrack. In fact, when Sean mentioned that he wanted it too, I ordered it off Amazon that night on the train home. I can't sing it's praises enough, though since I can't really sing very well at all, I will just let the cast do the singing for me; here is the opening number performed and filmed at the 2018 Olivier Awards. It's also the song that has been stuck in my head all week. Enjoy! Tags
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Last weekend I wound my way through the tube network over to Acton in west London, where I met Sam and Liana for a much overdue girls’ night out. We’d booked tickets to a show at a pub called The Aeronaut, about five minutes away from Acton Town tube stop. It’s an unassuming building, from the outside seeming less warm and welcoming than the weatherspoon’s over the road. Inside is a quirky pub decorated with red and yellow stripes and murals of fire eaters and trapeze artists. A mishmash of pieces from old carnival rides adds flair, helped by the menu of sticky sweet fair-ground-themed cocktails (I had two candy floss bowls, as much for the sugary garnish as for the fruity mix of gin and liqueurs). Going out back into the beer garden revealed a lengthy stretch of paving and astroturf packed with colourfully painted, heated booths and rows of park benches. March is still too cold for hanging out in beer gardens, but Liana said in the summer it’s so packed they actually set up a BBQ and a bar outside. As fun as the pub’s decor was, the real draw to The Aeronaut is the show; the pub is divided by a mobile wall and thick black curtains, behind which is another bar, a dining area, and a stage with bright spotlights and aerial performer ropes and slings dangling from the ceiling. The Aeronaut hosts its own circus and burlesque performances.
Tickets to the show were £15 (or £18 for front-row), and the area was small enough that there aren’t really any bad seats. Beyond being unfortunate enough to sit behind a post, you would always have a good view of the stage. The show was hosted by a familiar face - a burlesque performer who goes by the name of Lilly Snatchdragon. Sean and I first encountered her at a show in Southbank the summer before last, as an assistant to the host there. She’s good fun, with a beautiful singing voice. The show itself was quite short, lasting about an hour and a half with an intermission, but the performers were all talented. I particularly admired the woman who performed some great hand stands and balances, all while singing beautifully. Even the serving staff were talented singers, providing sporadic entertainment before the show and during the intermission by singing covers. After the show the stage was packed away and the space became a dance floor; the curtain and mobile wall were pulled aside to open the whole pub up for the dancing.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the night, I did think the bar was overpriced compared to the shows I’ve seen at the Udderbelly festival in December and the Speigeltent at Southbank in the summer. Especially given that we weren’t even in central London. While the drinks prices are fairly standard for London, I did think it was a bit steep for a pub in the outer edges of the city. Again though, it was really good fun so I do recommend giving this pub a visit if you’re anywhere near Acton. Just maybe don’t go all the way into London and out again to get to it. There are better spots in central. Tags
Experience bars are the current big thing in London, with various pop-ups popping up around the city for a few months and then disappearing, only to re-emerge a year later in a new location. I was a bit sceptical of them when I saw them on Design my Night, but when Sam suggested this ‘magical cocktail experience’ for her birthday in January, I said sure.
For £35 each we got a two-hour time slot and three quirky cocktails. When we arrived we were given robes, wands, and assigned to a ‘potion’s master’ who gave us the instructions for our first cocktail and the menu for the additional drinks. I had an absolute blast. The drinks all came with a long list of ingredients, pre-measured into potion bottles, and a complicated set of instructions for mixing. It was such good fun! Lots of smoking, bubbling drinks in lurid colours and a steeped heated infusion that I definitely wanted more of. A warning though: they do not skimp on the alcohol in these drinks. They were strong, especially the additional ones you could order, which we also sampled freely. Each cocktail was beautifully presented – including the Dragon’s Breath, which arrived on fire – and was by turns tart and sweet, and all were flavourful and potent. We had a great time, and all left the bar walking a little unsteadily for a Sunday afternoon.
The Cauldron is gone for another year, but Sean and I went through the other experience nights currently available in London and made a list of ones we’d like to try at some point:
The Bletchley Moonshine Saloon The Piano Works tags
I can't remember the last time I played tourist in London, and this past half term I was romanced into doing so once again. Sean took me round London on Valentine's Day, exploring its quieter, brick-faced, literary side.
We started at the British Library and proceeded to walk, in a very slow, winding sort of way, all through London to Leicester Square and Piccadilly. He told me things about the city that I had never known before and showed me places I would not have thought to explore on my own, including a tour of Charing Cross Road's bookstores where I picked up a copy of American Gods and The Three Musketeers. The Church of St. Pancras' churchyard was another one. Mary Wollstonecraft is buried there, and Thomas Hardy worked as an architect's apprentice in London and helped with a project in the churchyard. There's a tree there that has grown up around all the tombstones that he supervised the moving of when railroad was being built. It's called the Hardy tree now.
We wandered around Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia as well, eating and drinking at a couple of lovely pubs frequented by the likes of George Orwell. On our walk we happened to cut through a park where a promotion was running for a new Westend show: An American in Paris. We stopped to have our photo taken on a poster-covered bench in the park and were given a rose with free tickets to see the show in March. A completely unexpected, delightful stroke of luck!
My favourite moment of the day though was in Gordon Square Garden where, sitting on a bench and enjoying a rare moment of sunshine on that beautiful Tuesday, Sean read poetry quietly to me. Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, one of my favourites, and, of course, Shakespeare's Sonnet 18. At first I was a little uncomfortable. I have such a knee-jerk, cynical reaction to grand romantic gestures, originally a defence against disappointment. I never thought I would be with someone who wanted to make those kind of gestures for me. But as I listened to the soft rhythm of his voice and felt his hand in mine and the warm sun on my face, I found myself relaxing. Sinking into the moment. I could hear London rumbling gently in the background, and had spent the morning strolling the streets of this city I have always dreamed of living in. And though I never expected it as my due, I had found a man I have fallen in love with and who was spoiling me with affection. It was a perfect moment. And a perfect Valentine's Day. Tags
I have never thought of myself as a city person. I am, of course, ignoring the fact that Barrie has a population of around 143 000. It wasn't a proper city; Barrie was suburban and that's where I was comfortable. Proper cities were dirty, crowded, noisy, and claustrophobic. Two years ago, when I was talking to agencies about where I wanted to teach in the UK, I constantly emphasised that I wanted to be far away from London. It was overpriced and overpopulated.
Of course, I ended up in London anyway and this city has gradually won me over. When I first got here, mind you, I still thought it overpriced and overpopulated, as well as dirty and noisy. I hated that my ears would ring and my sinuses would be stuffed up after spending an afternoon in central London. I felt completely overwhelmed and sure that I would never get used to the frenetic pace.
But I am nothing if not adaptable. I live and work along the outer edge of the Greater London Area so it's not quite as overwhelming, and even when I go into central now, I barely notice the pollution anymore. The noise and crowds don't bother me like they used to, either.
The biggest thing that has helped me adjust to city living is the amount of green space in London. It feels like you can't walk five miles without having to skirt around or wander through a bit of park. Some are small, like the tiny patch of grass and trees that wraps around the fountain in Leicester Square; or the bit of grass right outside Victoria station where, if you can squeeze through the press of tourists trying to figure out how to get to Buckingham Palace, you can usually find at least three or four people lying under the trees with their rolling suitcases or enormous backpacker rucksacks, taking a break in the sunshine and (relatively) fresh air before the next leg of their journey. Then you have the bigger parks like St. James's on the one side of Buckingham Palace and the very well-known Hyde Park on the other. The weather has been absolutely marvellous lately and I've been spending a lot more time in these bigger parks. This is thanks, in part, to Sean. Our first date was a few weeks ago and we met for a pint in a pub, which then turned into a wander through the city via a few green spots until we ended up at Hyde Park Corner, lounging on the grass and talking. It was really relaxing, though in this case only partly because of the company. What I find incredible about London's parks is how the busy streets and traffic noise just seem to fall away as you step onto the grass and make your way through the trees. It's almost like you've stepped out of the city altogether. Even when the park is crowded with people, it lacks the frenetic energy of being on the streets. There's usually something going on in the bigger parks too, Hyde Park in particular, so if you're not the kind of person who's happy just lounging on a picnic blanket with a bottle of lemonade and a book, there's still plenty to do. Fitness classes, galleries and museums, memorials, and even paddle boat rental are every-day options inside Hyde Park. My personal favourite is the music: Hyde Park frequently hosts travelling bands, concerts, and even a big festival over the course of the summer. I met Eric, a fellow Canadian teacher, for lunch in Kensington on a gorgeous Sunday and rather than waste the afternoon by heading home right afterwards, we went for a walk in Hyde Park. We wandered past a bandstand near Kensington Palace where a big band happened to be playing, so we pulled up some grass and sat back to relax and enjoy the performance. People were renting garden chairs, setting up their picnic lunches, and dancing on the grass. It was an idyllic way to spend a June Sunday.
Some really great news is that I've recently discovered a lovely garden and wooded area just a ten minute walk away from my flat. It's on the other side of the playing fields where I've been going, since we don't even have a balcony at my flat, let alone a garden. While the playing fields are nice, they're not exactly pretty, and it's going to be wonderful not to have to make my way into central London to enjoy an afternoon in a pretty garden. The best bit? There's a café with public toilets, so I can even stay all day if I wanted to!
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Last night I went to the Magical Lantern Festival at Chiswick House. I'd seen a link on my tumblr feed and thought it looked like quite the spectacle, more proof that I'm a sucker for random advertising. So I invited Nick. And by 'invited' I mean I messaged him the link along with the word "interested?"
Who is Nick, you ask? He's the guy I'm currently seeing, and am tentatively optimistic about. Of the guys I've been on a date with recently, he's one I've found easy to talk to and attractive in a way that has more to do with just looks. I'll admit I do go on dates pretty frequently. POF and Tinder make it really easy to connect with guys and then arrange to meet for coffee, drinks, or occasionally dinner. However, though I usually don't have trouble finding a date for an evening, finding someone I'm interested in seeing again (or vice versa) is a bit more challenging. Nick is someone I am keen on seeing frequently and so far we seem to be on the same page. This Magical Lantern Festival brought us up to date number four, I think. The festival is a grand display of elaborate lanterns arranged around the gardens of Chiswick House. There's a set route laid out that you go round to admire all the different scenes and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful evening to enjoy the display (read as: not raining; it was still quite cold and very windy). It was a slow, rambling walk spent dodging children, chatting, and admiring the view, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I particularly loved the way the lights reflected on the man-made river that runs through the centre of the gardens. There's an area near the entrance with food carts, toilets, and stalls of souvenirs so you could buy some pastries and hot tea or coffee to warm up as you go round, though we didn't bother. It took us about an hour to wander through all of it. It could have taken much longer had we stopped to take more photos, but it was chilly enough I didn't want to take my gloves off too often.
As we were leaving we realised how smart it had been to buy an earlier ticket as the queue (which had been non-existent when we started) now wound through the car park and out down the street. We finished off the date by ordering a massive pizza from Dominoes back at mine and polishing off a bottle of wine. Definitely an all-round good night.
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Last weekend Isabelle and I went to see Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty at the Sadler's Wells. I'd seen posters all over the train stations advertising this 'gothic romance' and decided on a whim to buy tickets. I knew it wasn't going to be a classic ballet but what I didn't know is that Matthew Bourne is actually known for his creative twists. He's also choreographed a version of Swan Lake with all male dancers and a version of Cinderella set in 1940s London.
Sleeping Beauty was stunning. Between the costumes, set design, and incredibly talented dancers, the show was visually stunning and surprisingly moving. I enjoyed the moments of humour as well, particularly the tongue-in-cheek mimicry of the selfie generation after intermission and the antics of the servants and infant princess puppet at the very beginning. We left the theatre eager to see more, though we both agree that next time we want to try for a more classical production to see what that's like.
I'm nowhere close to an expert critic on ballet, so I have a link here to The Guardian's review of the show, if you're considering buying tickets yourself and want a fuller review. I don't think it's playing in Sadler's Wells much longer, but I've started to see posters advertising it in Wimbledon cropping up, so you still have plenty of time to see it.
If you're a fan of ballet, dance in general, or even just stunning performances, I wouldn't miss out on this show! tags
I don't think there's much that can compare with London's theatre district. Unless you're talking about Broadway, but that's a whole other ball game.
Since September I have seen Wicked at the Apollo Victoria, The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, The Lion King at the Lyceum, and Cats at the Palladium. All of which have been incredible shows that left me humming the songs for about a week afterwards. Being able to see so many shows is so exciting for me! I've always wanted to see them but, usually because of financial constraints, haven't had the chance. Now that I'm working full time I have the disposable income (particularly since my expenses are minimal); and have I mentioned how wonderful the theatre district in London is? Cats has, hands down, been my favourite. But I've loved it since I saw the pixelated, choppy version on YouTube, so seeing it live and in great seats was amazing! The songs were impressive, the dancing brilliant, and I loved how they'd switched up The Rum Tum Tugger's number. Instead of the rock n roll number I was expecting, they had elements of rap. Adapting to the times, I assume, since rock n roll culture isn't exactly considered rebellious anymore. They did a great job with it though; coming from a woman who doesn't particularly like rap at all, that's saying something! They did something similar in The Lion King, actually. When Zazu was to sing, 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts,' he instead broke in Let it Go from Frozen. The whole audience burst out laughing, especially when scar snapped his normal line, 'No! No, anything but that!' Considering how overplayed that song is right now, I thought it was a really cute twist. There's also talk of Disney adapting Frozen to a stage production as well, so it kind of connects the two a little (though whether that was intentional or not, I can't say. Probably not.) The Phantom of the Opera was awe-inspiring from a technical point of view. The set, lighting, and general gadgetry that went into the production was insane, and generated one heck of a show. I'd definitely recommend seeing any of these musicals if you get the chance; particularly if you get the chance to do so in London! Next on the list at the moment is Les Miserables in June, but we're thinking of going to see Matilda between now and then as well. I would love to see Shakespeare in Love, as I'm a fan of the film. And I want to see Billy Elliot too. Once the Globe's season opens up again I want to go see a few plays there. Sadly the ones playing at the end of the summer weren't ones I was particularly interested in, so I'm waiting for it to come around again. Beyond plays and musicals, I would love to try seeing a ballet, or STOMP. Both are in multiple theatres in London, it's just a matter of finding tickets and times. Seeing Cats made me realise just how much I love watching dance, so I think seeing more is definitely in order. Tags
I think I've found my favourite part of London.
Admittedly I haven't really properly explored all that much of London. But still. Of what I have explored, I have loved Greenwich the most. I went there when I met up with Chris to go to a friends' housewarming party, and he showed me around the area. He used to live there and I think it made a huge difference having a local showing me around, rather than blundering across all the tourist hotspots on my own. We started with the park, taking a walk down the lane that leads, eventually, to the Royal Observatory. This building, like many in London, has stood for centuries, and it boggles my mind to think of all these people I studied in my history class sitting in that building and trying to answer some of the major scientific questions of the time. The answers for which ultimately influenced the way we live today. Chris was telling me that one of the projects involved coming up with a clock that could accurately tell time while at sea. You see, all the clocks up to that point had relied on a stable, level surface for accurate timekeeping, and that was impossible to find while at sea. Eventually they came up with this really small, simple design that worked, but I have no real idea what was involved. I'm no engineer. Or clock-maker, for that matter. Another interesting piece of history was that in 1833, a big red ball was installed on top of the observatory, creatively named the Time Ball. Because of the location of the observatory, ships coming into the harbour on the Thames at the bottom of the hill could easily see this time ball, and used it to set their clocks. Every day at about 12:55, the ball would rise to the top of the spire. Then at precisely 13:00 (1pm) it would drop again, allowing ships to set their time according to Greenwich Mean Time. That way they would always be accurate. The time ball still goes up and down at the same time every day, even though no ships dock there anymore. We were lucky enough to be there in time to see it. And though it was a decidedly underwhelming experience, it was still pretty cool to think about the history involved.
Aside from the Royal Observatory, the park also boasted an absolutely stunning view of London, which I thoroughly enjoyed while we were waiting for the time ball to do it's thing. And there was, of course, the Greenwich Meridian Line, which I stood beside. There was a much fancier, tourist-appealing line in the Observatory, but since we were on a limited time allowance, Chris and I chose not to go into the Observatory that day and instead kept going down the hill toward Greenwich itself.
At the bottom of the hill, we found the Old Royal Naval College. There, we wandered into the Painted Hall, where Chris had his graduation ceremony a few years ago. As I was standing in that grand building, I couldn't help remembering my own graduation ceremony. Held in my university's gym. It really can't compare. Also, because of the grand and stereotypical historical appearance of the Old Royal Naval College, the College and its Painted Hall are popular locations for filming. Chris went to Trinity College of Music, (which is basically in the same piece of land, and often uses some of the buildings there,) and he was telling me about when Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was being filmed. The scene where Johnny Depp has to jump from the burning cart of coal and onto another carriage? That was filmed there. Right outside the building where Chris was giving a performance exam. Apparently it took five or six takes to get it right, and Chris complained that it was incredibly difficult to stay focused when Johnny Depp kept racing by the window on a flaming cart of coal. I was suitably impressed. From there we went into the shopping area itself, and to a café called Black Vanilla. It was small, with narrow halls and narrower staircases, and smelled deliciously of coffee and hot food. We ordered our lunch and, while paying in front of the gelato bar, Chris commented that this café had an award-winning pistachio gelato. I mentioned I'd never had pistachio gelato. At which point our barrister promptly picked up a spoon and dished out a generous mouthful for me to try. The barrister's comment? 'It won an award, you have to try it.' So I did. And now I think it might have ruined all other pistachio gelato for me. After lunch we went to the market, hurrying past all the food stalls at the front since we had just finished a heavenly bowl of curried butternut and spinach soup next door. (Though as a side note, chai lattes don't really go all that well with curried soups…) I was impressed with all the crafts available at the market, particularly some of the jewellery stalls. There was also a stall where you could buy dresses that I want to go back to, because some of them were oh so pretty, and very much in my style. The same with the stalls I found selling scarves. It's a good thing I don't live there, as I would spend far too much time and money there. We rounded the afternoon off with a stroll past the Cutty Sark, one of the fastest British clipper ships built. If I understand Wikipedia properly, she was built around 1890 and her last journey by sail was 1938. I find it incredible that this ship was out there on the waves for as long as it was! It was an impressive sight, though I was a little confused by the Christmas tree tied up in her masts. I don't know if it was a Christmas thing (it was December, after all) or something else, but there was definitely a live pine tree up there. TAgs
I have been remiss in keeping my blog updated, and consequently I have a lot to tell. I thought about doing one massive update, but I didn't want to discourage readers with a massive block of text. Then I thought I'd just do it through photos. But the point of this blog was also to keep myself writing, so that's not really a great option either. Instead, I'm just going to do a couple blog posts in quick succession! I'm a problem-solver, I am.
This holiday was the first time I haven't gone home for Christmas, and it was definitely odd not to be there. In fact, it didn't really feel like Christmas. I put that down to three things:
At school we were working to finish marking the year 11 trial exams and get grades put onto the system for report cards. And of course we were still planning regular lessons and trying to keep up with the marking on all our other classes. I was also making a concerted effort to be more social, with the result that I barely had any time to breathe in December. Oh! And my landlord told me at the beginning of the month that he would not be renting rooms out in the new year, so I was also trying to find a new place to live. Lots going on. But my trying to be more social meant that I did get to do some Christmassy things! Like visit Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park! Winter Wonderland is London's version of a German Christmas market, and was so fun. Stalls selling your standard craft market merchandise were packed in among ones selling all manner of food (including waffles and crepes), mulled wine and cider, and, of course, beer. There were carnival games and rides as well, and an ice skating rink and a circus. The rink was so busy though, that we avoided it and instead went to the ice sculpture tent. They'd done it up in a King Arthur and his knights theme, so all the ice sculptures were inspired by that legend. It was really impressive. There was a life-sized joust scene, and a dragon slaying scene. Those were my favourites, anyway.
After Winter Wonderland, Chris and I went to Oxford street to check out the decorations and lights there. I meant to go back during the Christmas break and have a proper wander around, but my break was so busy that I never made it. I'm quite disappointed about that, really.
While not particularly Christmassy, I also went to a cabaret show in December! Eric, Sam, and Eric, some my Canadian work buddies, all surprised me with a show for my birthday. I don't know if any of you have heard of La Soirée, but it's an award-winning show that started in London, went on an international tour, and is now back in London. We all met at London Bridge station and from there made our way to Southbank. (The London Eye gets gorgeously lit up around Christmas time too, by the way. We wandered right past it on the way to the market where La Soirée was held.) The show was loads of fun, and the best part? We originally had standing-room only tickets, but because they had empty seats they let us upgrade to seats for an additional £5. I don't know why exactly he changed his mind, but the fellow upgrading us decided to give us a table instead of just seats in the rows, so not only could we sit, but we were also right beside the stage and had a table service for the whole show! So we wound up paying £20 for what should have been £60 seats. It was a fantastic stroke of luck. Finally, in the last week before the term was up, when I was so fried from all the work stress and trying to find a new place to live, guess who I saw driving up my street on a float? You guessed it. Santa Clause. I think they were collecting charity donations but I didn't really pay much attention. I was too busy trying to take a photo. It would be a hard-hearted Scrooge indeed who can't have her week improved drastically by being wished Merry Christmas by Santa himself. Tags |
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