magictreehouse (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
magictreehouse) wrote2009-11-23 10:27 pm
magictreehouse) wrote2009-11-23 10:27 pm
'I'll run to you now from somewhere you won't find me. A different place, a different time. '
We've been in London for the weekend. We'd promised ourselves that this time would be a relaxing trip but as usual, it never works out that way does it? Actually, it wasn't too bad but we did do a lot of walking. Over the years we've done all the main things so it's nice to go off the beaten path a little bit isn't it? On Friday we had the day off from work so we got to London at about half 1. We checked in at the hotel and then headed straight out again. We went along Oxford Street and saw the Xmas lights. Christmas Carol has really got a big marketing budget right?! We then headed down Regents Street and to Hamley's. It's been a while since I've been in there. It was pretty packed but I love it so much, I didn't really care. We went right up to the top and had a drink in the cafe, then we had a look around. We ran into the new Lego boardgames which are just brilliant. I'd actually earmarked one to get to James for Xmas but it was blown wide open after we'd seen them because we fell in love with them! So we bought the Minotaurus one for ourselves. We totally failed at getting presents for anyone else but we succeeded in buying presents for us. We win.
Anyway, after that we went to Piccadilly and then to the venue of the musical for the evening (more on that in a minute). We needed to get some food so we crossed over to the south bank and had a look around the Xmas market there. We didn't buy much, although we did get some cute tree decorations. We then ate in Giraffe. It's tasty but I'd have an easier time ordering if they put some chillis on the menu so I could see how spicy the food was!
After food we went back to the Palace theatre to see Les Cages Aux Folles. Mistakenly we thought that John Barrowman was in it but when we opened the programme the slip told us that we off doing Children in Need! Gutted. They could have told us when we booked it, it did when we booked Blood Brothers. It turned out ok though as we managed to convince ourselves that John Barrowman (who is now known in our house as John Barrowman Booo) wouldn't have been all that great. I actually think he'd have been better cast in the role of George. Anyway, the replacement was debuting the night we saw him and he may have taken a little time to get warmed up but it was brilliant on the whole. Not camp at all, oh no....I really liked the way that front of stage/back stage switched. Song wise, they could do with a few more uptempos at the beginning but the second half completely nails as, of course, it has 'I Am What I Am' which when you see it live just amazing. So yeah, great stuff. So great that a fight broke out in the stalls during the interval. We couldn't see what was going but we heard something, very strange.
On Saturday we took the tube to Notting Hill and went to Portobello market. It's years since I went there but I forgot how long they go on for! We didn't managed to buy anything but it was nice just for a look around really. We then went to Kensington Roof Gardens which is a pain to find. They don't advertise it. It was worth it though as it was very quiet up there. It's a garden on the roof of a department store and it was lovely exotic ducks and more excitingly, flamingoes! Strange but it's lovely to get away from the city up there. We then walked to Kensington Park, sat on a bench and had dinner and got rather cold. Then we had a wander round Kensington Gardens where I got stalked by a squirrel. It saw the carrier bag and was convinced I had food. It climb up a pole at one point and I was convinced it was going to jump at me! So I ran away and it stalked me from the bushes for a bit!
We then went back to the hotel and played Minotaurus (so good) as we were wet and cold. Then we came back out a little later on and found a lovely Thai restaurant called Patara, in Soho. I had crab salad followed by pear in coconut cream for dessert which was just lovely. I think Thai might be my favourite cuisine, it's all just so tasty. After that we went to Phoenix theatre to see Blood Brothers. I'd sort of been dragged along by James as Mel C was in it and he's a big fan. I'm so gald I went though because it's a great play. It packs so much social commentary in about class and modern history too with it been set in the 60s, 70s and 80s. And yet the move from year to year is seamless. I did wonder if the songs were necessary at all but it's because of the songs that the time moves so easily. The actors in it were great, with them having to play children through to twenty-somethings and I was quite surprised that Mel C was actually brilliant. I knew she'd be good but she was perfect for the role. We stalked her afterwards (ie, waited with about 15 others outside the stage door round the back) and met her! She signed our programme, had her picture taken with us and chatted to us all. I think people were a little star struck but she was lovely. I asked her if she was finding it hard work. She said 'yes' without hesitation, she'd done two shows that day. She was tiny as well. I'm not used to meeting celebrites, it was very strange. Good though. James was ecstatic anyway!
On Sunday we went to the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. Unfortunately there were on the change over for exhibitions so we missed out on that. However, we saw the permanent rooms, of which there are two. One has lots of interactive stuff so we had fun playing with the touch screens, and the other if full fo Mr Wellcome's 'stuff', historical bits he'd collected from other countries over the years. So things like Japanese sex aids, models made out of teeth. y'know, the usual. It was fascinating. And I felt pretty good as I went to a medical museum and didn't faint, I faced my fear head on. Now I just hope that my head gets back to normal now. We had dinner in the lovely cafe downstairs and then wandered down to Foyles bookshop and Fopp. I got the new Phoenix album (thanks Steph!) and we finally found the new DK book, the prehistory one - the stuff of dreams. It will be mine when I can find it cheap. We have all the others. then we got a train back home and collapsed. A great weekend though. Pictures on Facebook. I would put them on here but it's such a faff that there's really no point. Boo LJ!
Anyway, after that we went to Piccadilly and then to the venue of the musical for the evening (more on that in a minute). We needed to get some food so we crossed over to the south bank and had a look around the Xmas market there. We didn't buy much, although we did get some cute tree decorations. We then ate in Giraffe. It's tasty but I'd have an easier time ordering if they put some chillis on the menu so I could see how spicy the food was!
After food we went back to the Palace theatre to see Les Cages Aux Folles. Mistakenly we thought that John Barrowman was in it but when we opened the programme the slip told us that we off doing Children in Need! Gutted. They could have told us when we booked it, it did when we booked Blood Brothers. It turned out ok though as we managed to convince ourselves that John Barrowman (who is now known in our house as John Barrowman Booo) wouldn't have been all that great. I actually think he'd have been better cast in the role of George. Anyway, the replacement was debuting the night we saw him and he may have taken a little time to get warmed up but it was brilliant on the whole. Not camp at all, oh no....I really liked the way that front of stage/back stage switched. Song wise, they could do with a few more uptempos at the beginning but the second half completely nails as, of course, it has 'I Am What I Am' which when you see it live just amazing. So yeah, great stuff. So great that a fight broke out in the stalls during the interval. We couldn't see what was going but we heard something, very strange.
On Saturday we took the tube to Notting Hill and went to Portobello market. It's years since I went there but I forgot how long they go on for! We didn't managed to buy anything but it was nice just for a look around really. We then went to Kensington Roof Gardens which is a pain to find. They don't advertise it. It was worth it though as it was very quiet up there. It's a garden on the roof of a department store and it was lovely exotic ducks and more excitingly, flamingoes! Strange but it's lovely to get away from the city up there. We then walked to Kensington Park, sat on a bench and had dinner and got rather cold. Then we had a wander round Kensington Gardens where I got stalked by a squirrel. It saw the carrier bag and was convinced I had food. It climb up a pole at one point and I was convinced it was going to jump at me! So I ran away and it stalked me from the bushes for a bit!
We then went back to the hotel and played Minotaurus (so good) as we were wet and cold. Then we came back out a little later on and found a lovely Thai restaurant called Patara, in Soho. I had crab salad followed by pear in coconut cream for dessert which was just lovely. I think Thai might be my favourite cuisine, it's all just so tasty. After that we went to Phoenix theatre to see Blood Brothers. I'd sort of been dragged along by James as Mel C was in it and he's a big fan. I'm so gald I went though because it's a great play. It packs so much social commentary in about class and modern history too with it been set in the 60s, 70s and 80s. And yet the move from year to year is seamless. I did wonder if the songs were necessary at all but it's because of the songs that the time moves so easily. The actors in it were great, with them having to play children through to twenty-somethings and I was quite surprised that Mel C was actually brilliant. I knew she'd be good but she was perfect for the role. We stalked her afterwards (ie, waited with about 15 others outside the stage door round the back) and met her! She signed our programme, had her picture taken with us and chatted to us all. I think people were a little star struck but she was lovely. I asked her if she was finding it hard work. She said 'yes' without hesitation, she'd done two shows that day. She was tiny as well. I'm not used to meeting celebrites, it was very strange. Good though. James was ecstatic anyway!
On Sunday we went to the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road. Unfortunately there were on the change over for exhibitions so we missed out on that. However, we saw the permanent rooms, of which there are two. One has lots of interactive stuff so we had fun playing with the touch screens, and the other if full fo Mr Wellcome's 'stuff', historical bits he'd collected from other countries over the years. So things like Japanese sex aids, models made out of teeth. y'know, the usual. It was fascinating. And I felt pretty good as I went to a medical museum and didn't faint, I faced my fear head on. Now I just hope that my head gets back to normal now. We had dinner in the lovely cafe downstairs and then wandered down to Foyles bookshop and Fopp. I got the new Phoenix album (thanks Steph!) and we finally found the new DK book, the prehistory one - the stuff of dreams. It will be mine when I can find it cheap. We have all the others. then we got a train back home and collapsed. A great weekend though. Pictures on Facebook. I would put them on here but it's such a faff that there's really no point. Boo LJ!