On Thursday night I couldn't sleep because the weather was unbearably hot, last night I couldn't sleep because torrential rain was beating against our bedroom window. I wish the weather would calm down a bit. We had been out on Thursday because J had booked tickets to go and see Noises Off at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. What he didn't know was ( Read more... )

Last year they showed the documentary “Nothing Like a Dame” on telly with theatrical Dames Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith all filmed chatting together in Dame Joan’s garden and it was a complete delight. The only thing wrong with it from my point of view was that I realised I had never seen Dame Maggie on stage. I am ( Read more... )

I keep meaning to make an entry, keep failing to do so and have now realised we're off on holiday again tomorrow. My excuse is that we've been really busy and are still trying to clear our house for the Great Boiler Replacement Disruption. This was supposed to take place in April but we had to cancel it as we were nowhere near ready, and still aren ( Read more... )

Happy Easter to those who celebrate, happy holidays to those who don't ( Read more... )

As I've been so bad about updating recently I thought I'd resort to my old favourite - bullet points. This week I have...

• Found myself the unofficial photographer at the secret wedding of very old friends and been one of the witnesses. J and I were the only other people there so we were very honoured. It was all very romantic in a very low-key ( Read more... )

No Book Meme this week as I'm still immersed in The Guns of August so have some BookBenches instead. To promote reading and literacy Books About Town have put a series of BookBenches celebrating authors in four trails around London. It's partly to entertain kids in the school holidays but it's fun for adults as well. I've only done the Riverside ( Read more... )

I'm managing to do this on the right day. It helps to actually be at home and not be either in Lincolnshire or, as last week, spending a wonderful day at the races. It would have been a terrific day out anyway but it was made even more terrific when one of the horses I was betting on came in at 16 to 1. I'd only put the minimum stake on but it was ( Read more... )

A melange of different things.

On Tuesday we went to the Menier Chocolate Factory to see Two Into One a Ray Clooney farce, which was a complete blast from the past in more ways than one. Not only was it a classic old style farce but it also starred Michael Praed, of Robin of Sherwood fame, as the womanising MP Richard Willey (yes, that was the ( Read more... )

I went back to the Globe last night to see A Midsummer Night's Dream. After the weather of the last couple of days we were really lucky to get a lovely clear evening. The only downside was it was really cold and everyone was wrapped up as if it was mid-December rather than mid-September. I felt very sorry for the actors who were only partially ( Read more... )

I missed the Wednesday reading meme this week because, due to being away and then busy last week, I haven't finished "The Winter King" so I'm still immersed in the not necessarily comfortable court of Henry VII. To make up for that have a play review. We were lucky enough to go to see "Othello" at the National Theatre last night. It stars two of my ( Read more... )