the sun is up, the sky is blue…
And hello to Spring!
The sun is shining, the blossoms are blossoming and I have been making the most of the beautiful weather at all possible times, those being the ones where I’m not either confined to my flat earning a living to pay for it all or sitting inside a dark cinema; Oscar season is done for another year, which is always something of a relief however much fun it is at the time. There have been plenty of opportunities to get out and about, including a singsong in Trafalgar Square, early morning strolls on the highwalk and a lot of Pokémon Go (well on the way to Level 50 now, for those interested).
One cinema week alone included The Monkey, I’m Still Here, The VVitch, The Wild Robot, The Brutalist (again, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to see it at the IMAX), Parasite and In The Mood For Love, plus all the Oscar nominated animated short films right before the awards started later that night. The Nurofen Plus have been on constant standby, and my back did not speak to me for a week.
It’s also a good job I got out of the habit of taking a large bag of Maltesers to every screening (actually, the day I stopped doing that was the warm summer evening I went to see Carmen being streamed live from the Royal Opera House in a white dress; the less said about that the better), since I would be struggling to fit in the seats by now. My thermal lidded cup containing strong tea is non negotiable, though.
Chocolate will be a feature next weekend too as Easter is finally here! This means two Bank Holidays in four days, so a short week – I may be here a little later in the midweek evenings to make up for it however, since the long weekend means everybody else usually in the immediate vicinity is going to be off too. A ballet at the new Sadler’s East, a museum trip and a bit of downtime in the Barbican Conservatory are all amongst the plans – yay! Now all I have to do is get the new Black Mirror out of the way, since I (shamefully) haven’t even had time to start it. Priorities.
As indicated above, some revision of working hours is underway thanks to a few availability changes; all will be made clear as soon as concrete arrangements have been made. The evenings are getting lighter and the urge to eat dinner at 6.30pm and crawl under the duvet at 8pm is waning with them; this does mean that anybody wanting to book early mornings (or at least those who intend confirming and going ahead with them too, which is not quite the same thing) will need to be organised.
Song Of The Week would have been the title, but this sort of weather requires Otis. Lots of Otis.
More soon! New photos may also be on the way now we have a bit of light – watch this space…
do the right thing…
And it’s February already! The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur (and apologies for being MIA for at least part of that time); but some things can’t be helped.
Back at the ranch, those not living in a cave (at least here in London; readers outwith Zones 1-6 are excused up to a point) will have seen our beloved Prince Charles Cinema in the news as it steps up to the plate against it’s landlords, aka the greedy bastard property developers (is there any other kind?) as they try to game the cinema’s lease renewal.
For anybody who didn’t know, this is the same company who recently bought and are now closing the oldest YMCA in the world a bit further uptown which has been used by thousands of people for over one hundred years; the owner is a billionaire who already has half the West End in his pocket. The intention is almost certainly redevelopment and another independent venue will disappear.
As somebody who has been a lifetime member for a very long time and who has spent many a happy occasion – most recently to watch The Hateful Eight on my birthday – the idea of turning the corner and seeing some shiny crap hotel (almost certainly with keycarded lifts, so a waste of space in every conceivable way) in it’s place is too much to bear. Details (and petition) are here – you know what to do.
I first found the Prince Charles by the luckiest chance possible when stuck in London one evening with nowhere to stay, spotting there was an allnighter on when I walked past on my way to get some dumplings. Maybe one day you’ll want to go and see Twelve Angry Men and The Raid followed by Muppet Treasure Island without leaving the building (and if you do, I’ll come with you); my next few PCC visits (so far) comprise The Monkey, In The Mood For Love and The VVitch with Robert Eggars on the 28th (now sold out, I think). That’s on top of seeing Pamela Anderson herself introducing The Last Showgirl this Saturday at the Barbican – yay!
It’s that time of year again, and everything is crossed for Demi Moore at the Oscars on March 2nd. Song of the Week – like the title – has to be a film one (despite being better known as the theme from London geography maverick Luther); anybody who hasn’t seen Nobody, get to it.
Business as usual bar Friday this week when I will be out of town for the day but back in a heartbeat! Meanwhile, please help the PCC triumph.
More soon…
52 in ’25!
It’s been an unexpectedly busy start to the year (and two weeks off does nothing to sharpen anybody’s work ethic, it has to be said), but the new year has been and gone, things have settled down nicely and just in time for my birthday!
I’m keeping it brief, but in a slight change of plan the only available days this week will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, since I’ll be in anyway; I have exciting birthday plans tomorrow including trips to IKEA, the Natural History Museum and (predictably) the Prince Charles Cinema, plus a hot bath and some cheesecake. Gentle R&R is required, so the phone will be off until Thursday morning – yay!
The evenings are gradually getting lighter, the cold snap of the other week seems to be gone for good and Spring will be here in no time; unbelievably, a full year has passed since the move fifteen minutes north! It was a good move in the end, leaving aside the two weeks of cleaning to make the place habitable, plus building work and having to start all over again to compose a directions text that be understood and successfully acted upon by all who receive it. I’m still working on the last part.
For Song Of The Week we’re going trad. Happy birthday to me and roll on 2025!
Proper update soon! Watch this space…
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