Sunday, July 30, 2006

A Highly Londonish Weekend

Saturday started more abruptly than I'd hoped as I realised whilst relaxing in Tinseltroos' flat that my Prom ticket was not in her flat but was rather in my flat which was most unhelpful of it. So having pulled on some shoes I raced across town, looked at the queues of buses held up by the extensive roadworks, and decided to get the train back to Atrocity Mansions.

Once there I changed into fresh clothes (still hellish hot) grabbed my ticket and got a bus to Victoria. I walked from there to The Royal Albert Hall, approaching from the South so I could see where they filmed bits of "The Ipcress File". Inside the hall I met The Furry Straaayan and Tinseltroos, who was sporting a top to show off her new tattoo, mostly for the benefit of her parents who we met after the concert and hadn't seen it. The tattoo is really beautiful.

The concert was amazing. Gershwin, Orlando Gough, Poulenc, Bernstein choral works. The BBC is allowing streaming of the concerts for a week after they air, so if you're interested Prom 20 is the one I'm referring to. The first Orlando Gough piece featured a circle of singers spaced around the Gods of the hall singing a low chant which filled the hall. Positioned at either end of the hall were two vocalists who sang a call and response piece in what sounded Arabic to me. There was also a full orchestra and a huge choir for the other pieces. I think the second half which featured a specially written piece by Gough and Caryl Churchill and the Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" were especially good.

After the show Tinseltroos and I headed back into town and went out for dinner with the 'rents and her sister. I hadn't met the Creators of Tinseltroos before and it's always a bit nerve-wracking being introduced to the parents of your love for the first time. I think I managed to avoid making a complete tit of myself and had a lovely evening. It's always interesting to watch how people you know well behave completely differently around their parents and how they slot back into "Family Mode". Perhaps it's different for families who are split up by divorce but I'm most aware of it in families which are intact. There's probably an anthropology doctorate in there for someone.

After the meal Tinseltroos and I headed back to Atrocity Mansions for the night. We watched "Escape from New York", which I love and she didn't. I'm writing this listening to the soundtrack which I've just downloaded from iTunes.

Today I went to Lord's for a very entertaining day's play, Middlesex beating Durham by 13 runs. Much beer and cake was consumed and a good time had by all.

I love London, I can't think of anywhere else I'd be able to all these things I love so much.

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