London trip, 17-19 December. [BAFTA!]
I just want to make a note of what a great weekend I had with my friends from uni (arty pals). I hadn't seen Mermaid in a YEAR AND A HALF due to work on both our parts. How rubbish! We need to get our act together bigtime. So here's the caption to the photo album I made on Facebook:
Overall, I had a pretty dire year in 2010. Lots of awful stuff happened, it was CRAP! So I really really needed this weekend with my friends. And it was just wonderful. We laughed, we ate, we laughed some more, and I went on endlessly about the amazing shoes I was going to wear to BAFTA but somehow managed not to even ...though I carried them there in my handbag. Well. The snow was incredible and even more incredible we actually managed to do the 2 things we set out to: Go to a BAFTA screening (!!!!!) and go to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. And I saw a woodpecker which is just great. So. I love you lot, thanks for a fantabulous weekend to perk up my year. Bring on 2011. :)
L-R: Ash, Helen, Mermaid, Ele (me!)
In summary, main points of interest were:
- Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park: Lots of spangly lights, food, decorations, handicrafts and booze in a big German type market.
- Ash & I wander London: And chance upon Fleet Street, a possible Anthony Gormley sculpture, The Old Curiosity Shop a la Dickens, St Pauls Cathedral and a life size penguin statue. Bonus!
- Visiting Orion Publishing: Which I've done before but this time we hoarded a bunch of free books/DVDs/whatever else we could find.
- Eating Christmas dinner: Because once a year is not enough. The turkeys disagree, however.
- Getting snowed in: Massive deep freeze in London with periods of no public transport. Sitting in Helen's front room and drinking tea while watching endless weather reports. Blankets. Lots of them.
- Going to BAFTA: A friend of a friend sort of thing for a private viewing of a film. Was really bizarre, lots of gold theatre masks on walls, and photos of famous people framed up. We all dressed like trendy twenty somethings as it seemed appropriate to do so. So glad I bought a new dress with poofy bits - was not a bit out of place. BAFTA was very poofy indeed, in a fluffy way. And a trendy bar where I failed to pay £7.50 for a drink. Big black leather sofas and trendy people (directors, actors, etc.) who we were all (bar Helen as she knows 'em all) too scared to speak to. We sat on a sofa and channeled "we are artists and we don't belong here at all!". Until Helen rescued us and made us socialise which was good. :)
- Swapping and unwrapping gifts: Birthdays and Xmas. Was pretty cool, Helen made me a cushion embroidered with a fish. Mermaid gave us xmas socks, which is always superb.
- Visit to the local: Brief trek through snow to have one drink in the pub before trekking back home.
- Woodpecker: We saw one, in the snow! He was red and green and awesome.
- Cockney Fish and Chips: Fish and chips. Served in a box. In. A. Box. Only in London.
- Snow walk: Spotting icicles with Helen's parents. Taking photos. That sort of thing.
- That's about it!: Sitting around giggling, having serious life-direction chats, eating and drinking tea. Like the good old days, really.
So yes, after an interminably shite year, I am absolutely chuffed to bits to have it saved by a good time with my friends. Who live a zillion miles away. Eighteen months is too long for a reunion. Let's hope talk of a Paris weekend in Spring really do materialise. :)
Merry Christmas Eve! :)