Dougie and I were supping G&Ts in the bar of the Palace Theatre on Thursday night when John Prescott and his wife Pauline walked in. They joined us in the stalls to watch the new musical revival of Singin’ in the Rain. This wasn’t the first time we’d bumped into him; a few years ago we saw him in a diner on the A1 tucking into a full English.
On Friday night comedian Frank Skinner sat in the row in front of us in Wyndhams Theatre where we had gone to see veteran comic, Jackie Mason. Having looked at the back of Frank’s head for a couple of hours I can now say with some authority that he must have a very good barber: what a lovely cut! And a very handsome profile. As we followed him out of the theatre, he pulled on his rucksack and left with his friends and I was tempted to tag along as I reckon he would have been excellent company.
Two great nights of entertainment, regardless of the celebrity spotting. Singin’ in the Rain was a fabulously joyous show: full of colour, brilliant dancing and, naturally, all those great show tunes. I had booked seats near the front, Row D, which came with the warning that we might get wet. I should really have taken note of this and not worn a white top as, just before the interval, Adam Cooper performed the title number, kicking up waves of water into the front stalls. I walked to the bar looking like a Miss Wet T-Shirt contestant.
Show over, I was in heaven and skipped all the way back to the hotel, wishing it had been raining so that I could have splashed about in the gutters. Dougie enjoyed it too, though I could sense him fidgeting at bit at some scenes: “They could have easily cut half an hour out of that!” Philistine.
Jackie Mason’s show was a hoot. Performing without any support act at the ripe old age of 75, he entertained for two hours, mainly poking fun at the habits and peculiarities of his fellow Jews: the crowds of Jewish supporters in the audience lapped it up. We gentiles loved him too as most of the topics resonated with everyone.
During the day we walked…and walked…and walked. For the first time in my life I went to the National Gallery and wondered why on earth I had never been before. And oh how easy it was, so unlike the major art galleries abroad where there is a charge and a queue and a bag search. Because it was free there was no need to spend hours in there getting our money’s worth. We cantered around a few rooms, happily coming across major works from Constable, Gainsborough, Van Gogh, Manet and Canaletto. Coming out into the warm evening sun in Trafalgar Square we paused to watch a man squeeze himself through a tennis racquet.
On Friday we visited the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. Affordable in so far as the works ranged from £40 to £4000. I did look but couldn’t see the 40 quid one anywhere. However we did spot a tiny bronze sculpture, titled ‘Headstand’, in one of the galleries. From a collection called ‘Wee Souls’ by Scottish sculptor Alison Bell, the figures were of children and as Dougie and I were missing our own boy who was off gallivanting in France, our hearts melted at this little character. We bought him.
Aww you big softies. I've always wanted to bump into Frank Skinner (I used to have a major crush on him).
Glad you had a great time.x
I can see why you had a crush on Frank as he does have a lovely face and looks genuinely warm and friendly.
Frank is a top bloke and genuinely very witty without ever being nasty. He's a cheeky chappie!
I remember hearing how he had done some research on comedy and had decided to see if it still worked with today's audience if he cut out swearing. Apparently it does and so he has made this part of his stand-up routine.
Ooh! Was that the OK diner? They're surprisingly good aren't they?! Never seen John Prescott in there though. Maybe we frequent the wrong one.
Love your sculpture too.
Yes, it was the OK diner near Newark – early on a Saturday morning. He was on his own but tucking in, as we were too.
Your blog is constantly edifying – had to go to Wikipedia to find out who both gents were – but I'm very impressed at the elbows you and Dougie are rubbing with! Loved your little 'Wee Soul' – I think I'd have bought him, too. Glad Rory's home safe and sound – Happy Belated Mother's Day!
Edifying! Haha! That'll be a first.
It was so lovely to have Rory home on Sunday night: Mother's Day was late but the best yet.
I would have thought that bumping into John P would have been enough to have you choking on your G&T! Love the little bronze!
Well I did splutter a little!
That's a lovely sculpture. I also love the national art gallery.
Thank you.
I will definitely go back to the National Gallery to see the rest.
Love that little sculpture.
I lived for most of the 80's in London and apart from seeing Anthony Hopkins (before he was really famous) in a wine bar, never clapped eyes on a sleb!
So we were both in London in the 1980s! I was there from 1985 to 1988. That's another chance we could have met.
I always wondered just how affordable that fair was. It sounds like it's worth a visit next year.
It's certainly worth a visit; great way to see lots of art galleries from around the country in one venue. It's also easy to mooch about without feeling conspicuous. We've also visited the AAF in Cambridge too. A good day out…and lots of children there too which was great to see.
I'm amazed you'd never been to the National Gallery. It's so cool that all these fab places are free. I usually pop in there with my boys in the summer just to have a quick look at something interesting. They can't cope with too much culture in one go, bless 'em.
You may have bumped into my mum at the fair, she was intending to pop along too. The statue is lovely.
I'm amazed I'd not been either! When Rory was younger we would take him to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum etc but for some reason not the National Gallery, which is odd as the poor little bugger has been dragged round the equivalent in other capital cities.
I'm more ashamed that I didn't visit when I lived in London. I think I must have worked and gone home each day. What a waste!
I was at the fair around Friday lunchtime.
I did some Art Fairs in Battersea in the past…. bringing back painful memories really… did 3 years in a row but I don't know if it's the same organisation. The people who organised the ones I did didn't really like me – especially in the second year as I made puppets and other papier mache models which they didn't consider 'art'. When I booked the following year they interrogated me about what I'd planned to show as 'last year you did CRAFT not ART'. This was made even funnier by the fact that I'd got my picture in the local rag that year representing their precious event holding one of my inferior puppets – ha ha haa!!! Anyway… I digress – I love your little sculpture. …….And I think there's something about living in London that you just don't really GO anywhere 'cultural' when you've a perfectly good local pub to slob in instead…. ? Twas my downfall… rent was so high, everything so expensive, work so much of a fag to get to and back from…. so time off meant sleep or pub. Daft eh?
I think it's probably a different company: this one seems to be an international organisation bringing lots of smaller galleries under one roof.
How dare your puppets not be classed as art! Do they know who you are?
I'm glad someone else suffered from the same issues of living in London and not really making the most of it. Work and slobbing got in the way of culture!
Sounds like you had a fab time, Miss Wet T-Shirt contestant!! Love the little sculpture, and hope that Rory had a blast in France!
So pleased you like my 'wee soul'.
Rory had a brilliant time in France: Avignon, Aix en Provence, Marseille and playing pool in an Irish pub!