An idiots guide to an idiot

We have been looking forward to this weekend and all it has to offer for some time now, for starters we were off to see one of our favourite bands in concert at the Assembly Hall in Islington. Initially just us but also being joined by our friends Gary & Cathie ( I went to school with Gary, did I blog how we met up after some 40 years? No? Well that's a whole blog of its own then!) Gary is a recent convert to Magnum & of course, like me, an old headbanger!
Booked into our hotel and had a little light refreshment, the red liquid variety, and made our way to the pub where I'd booked us for dinner The Vineyard which couldn't have been closer to the gig, just opposite infact. We had dinner, and were joined for a pre gig beer by Gary & Cathie. Over we went to the Assembly Hall itself an interesting building. It was built in 1929 & quickly became a place for dances and variety shows right up to the 1980's when it was closed. Revived and refurbished by Islington Council it reopened in 2010 with as many of the original Art Deco features as could be renovated, even though Magnum's bass player Al Barrow told me in a recent brief FaceBook chat that he thought it was like 'playing inside a wedding cake!' Well at least its a Grade II listed wedding cake! I was looking forward to seeing the support act as well, a singer called Rebecca Downes, a really bluesy singer (she's won awards for it!) very much of the same ilk as Joanne Shaw-Taylor. An excellent support who finished with a great version of the Beatles classic 'With a little help from my friends.' Magnum were of course brilliant. They know their stuff and always give a good show with four tracks played off their new album which the tour is named after ( see my blog entry reviewing this album if you are interested) My own personal fave was probably 'Your dreams won't die' which I was able to bellow out hopefully not spoiling anyone's enjoyment! Thought the sound a little off at times though, I didn't always catch what Bob Catley was saying to the crowd at some points.
Here's the set lists:
Rebecca Downes.

At Leighton Buzzard Station waiting for our train.

Pub dinner!

Our room

The end of the gig came all too soon and we left the Assembly Hall. Gary & Cathie had to catch their train home and Tara & I ambled down Upper Street, passed the church that her ancestors would have known and onward to the Hilton Islington. Couldn't resist a night time snack of chips with mayo en route! A sumptuous breakfast next morning, staff rather over efficient as if you left to get something from the breakfast bar you could come back and find your place cleared!!
Made our way to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for a behind the scenes tour, a presie from our dear friends Kas & Stan. It was very interesting though different to what we expected. We thought it would be about the running of a West End theatre, how the flies work, where the green room is etc but instead it was all about the history of the place. Its the oldest theatre in London. It was a very interesting tour with two guides who took it in turns to take us round. They were in different characters of playwrights who'd been there and also Nell Gwynne showed us round. Didn't need lunch after our feed at the Hilton but did need a drink, alot of the pubs & clubs round the theatres didn't seem to open up until later, even the 'Be at one' cocktail bar that all the boys recommend didn't open until later in the afternoon, at last we found refuge in The Lyceum Tavern, just in The Strand, I've blogged separately about overheard conversations there if you're interested! Whistles wetted we then went onto our accommodation for Saturday night, the Hilton at Tower Bridge. It was bit of a pain having to cart our case with us all day & maybe I should have booked two nights at one hotel, I just thought that Islington was near the gig but out on a limb from central London. Maybe I'll do it differently next time. On arrival at the Hilton we were greeted with a glass of fizz, just because it was Saturday! We also had a room upgrade! Very posh! Complimentary half bottle of wine and coffee machine as well! Had bit of a doze then, what party animals we are! Not only is London tiring at the best of times but relaxing tires you out as well! Refreshed, a couple of hours later we got a cab back to Covent Garden for our dinner which was a very nice pizza/pasta place and a part of the presie from our friends. They could cater for gluten free which was good so we had a nice dinner, I had pizza and Tara had a pasta dish. We had starters and puds but I forget what they were! Had an amble round Covent Garden and eventually back to the hotel not before walking along the banks of the Thames passed The Kiln etc .Saw a busker who was playing a drum kit that was abit bizarre! Without a backing track he 'd have been pretty dull! Made bit of a mistake at the hotel, we'd walked passed a number of attractive looking pubs but decided to have a drink at the hotel bar........big mistake! A half pint of beer ( London Pride) and a Jack and Coke ( known as a 'Lemmy' of course!) cost us £16.73! Oh my wallet! While we were sitting in the bar I looked out the window & of all things I saw a Fox trotting along the road! Urban Foxes even in central London! Next morning after another great breakfast, we checked out and walked over Tower Bridge and eventually made our way home. Gary & Ellie were out walking Ida with Olly, Laura & her family dog Lexi on our return so we met them in a nearby pub. We'd had a wonderful weekend, the stuff that great memories are made of.

Our room at the Hilton Islington

The Shard by day.

The Lyceum Tavern.

A chair from the Reichstag in Berlin given the Theatre Royal.

Dinner in Covent Garden.

The Royal corridor in the Theatre Royal.

HMS Belfast, the pointy end.

HMS Belfast, the blunt end.

The Shard by night

With my Love with London behind us. What could be better?

Our room at the Hilton Tower bridge.

Ticket for a great gig!

Waiting in The Hare to be joined by Gary, Ellie, Ida, Olly, Laura & Lexi in Leighton Buzzard.

We were in a pub in London on Saturday (The Lyceum Tavern on The Strand), it's very nice, full of old wooden panels and sort of cubby holes to sit in. More like railway compartments I suppose except they weren't totally enclosed and you could hear what the people in the next compartment were saying. Neither of us could believe the conversation we were unwillingly eavesdropping to!
Two blokes, one probably my age the other younger sat talking about sausages.........(oh matron!) how many they'd eat and how many the children would get and when they'd finish the packet. It became one of those bloody inane conversations that unless you sat there with your fingers in your ears you couldn't but listen to. The next topic of conversation was rough skin on your feet, well the best way to get rid of it, according to dumb and dumber, is to put lotion on your feet then cover them in cling film.........That was it! We finished our drinks and left, thank Buddha I never indulge in such rubbish, so I thought.
Talking over the dinner table next day with Oliver & Tara I mentioned that I nearly grew a beard yesterday. What!? So I explained that I hadn't taken my electric razor with me when we went to London for the weekend and didn't shave on Saturday, but then on Sunday morning I used a wet shave instead. And I reckon I don't talk crap! I can still hear their laughter!