Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Why didn't I?

...take my camera on my UK trip last week? What a numbskull! I wouldn't mind but it's tiny and would just have nestled in a corner of my bag. There were so many opportunities for me to have taken just amazing photos.

We spent a week staying at this hotel, which turned out to be pretty good. I got a very good deal; normally it would have been £195 per night booking direct with the hotel but through Expedia I got it for £120. Being above a pub did not turn out to be noisy because it was mainly end-of-day workers that frequented it and they were gone about 9pm.

Right - photos I could have taken;

We were crossing Waterloo Bridge on the way to the Aquarium when walking towards us were about 20 men in - I reckon - their early twenties. They were dressed as Roman centurions - leather jockstraps, tridents, helmets with wings, and very defined chests which looked very impressive from a distance but close up you could see that they were plastic fronts. Still a good effect, even with the (mock) woad with which they were painted.

We also went to see the current Harry Potter (it's hard to see movies in the original language where we are in France; they like to dub everything) at the Leicester Square Odeon - one of the small cinemas upstairs. We went to the afternoon showing and when we came out of the cinema about 7.00pm there was absolute mayhem. It turned out to be the premiere of Stardust and it was (minor) celeb after celeb on the green (when did it stop being red?) carpet. I couldn't tell you who I saw - lots of soap stars I reckon - except for the fact that Take That were standing just in front of me being interviewed.

The day before we'd seen (Lord) David Puttnam having lunch at the table next to us at the NFT. And the day after -again whilst having lunch - we saw Chris Evans and a bit later on had to jump out of the way as Aldo Zilli drove his Alfa really fast down Wardour Street.

One really excellent thing that we did was go and see Lord of The Rings (the musical). It really is a misnomer describing it as a musical. It conjures up all sorts of images that don't do justice to what is a sensational show. I know the reviews have been mixed but if you get a chance to go and see it, go!. There is much that reminded me of Cirque de Soleil and the costumes and settings are glorious. There is much audience interaction with hobbits and orcs (I had a firefly taken out of my hair by a hobbit) and I think we'll come and see it again next year. This time from the front row of the Dress Circle as opposed to the front row of the Stalls.

It's good to be home but I adore being in London. It's where I grew up and I feel totally alive when I wander around. Where we live in France is beautiful, but quite quiet and calm. I wouldn't want to live in London any more but I think I will visit it a bit more often that I have done

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