The Rehearsal

"One's life has many compartments." - Harold Pinter

Dad used to do this all the time, so today I was trying out his  'retirement in Chelmsford’ lifestyle routine, learning the ropes, rehearsal for a potential future. Going 'in to Town' to see a show.  Today, at the Old Vic, Waterloo, to meet mbfiatw Jean and see a matinee performance of The Caretaker. 

11.05 Left the house to walk to the bus stop and was back again a few minutes later to pick up my glasses.  This meant that as I rounded the corner on to the main road, so did the bus.  Some ungainly speed shuffling ensued and whether through kindness or amusement, the driver waited for me. 

Cost of bus ticket to railway station £2.00

11.45 Saturday railworks on the main line to Liverpool St meant after buying my fare to London I walked around the corner for the shuttle bus, that (eventually) took us all to Shenfield. All this exercise in what was extremely hot sunshine (yes really!!) meant that I heaved myself on to the second bus of the day in a similar state to when I had clambered on to the first, questioning the wisdom of wearing, now carrying,  my winter jacket.  

Day Return ticket to and around London train fare £19.00

12.15 I was on the third leg of this journey, the train from Shenfield into Liverpool St, when my cell phone decided to go berserk and have a melt down and kept turning itself on and off and on again. Over and over again. My melt down followed. How would I find Jean at the theatre?  People opposite me in the railway carriage told me there is a cell phone shop outside Liverpool St station. I look out of the window and wonder at the relics of the last Olympics in Stratford.

12.45 Thank you to the shop assistant, but No, I don’t want to (a) buy a new phone right now or (b) travel across London to the Samsung shop. At least my phone has been turned off by him wrenching the thing open and removing the battery.

13.30 Having been sitting for a while now on a very full big red double decker London bus in almost non-moving traffic - still very sunny and very very hot so am I, when the driver announces that the No 26 bus, destination Waterloo, will now terminate at the Aldwych.  Some friendly locals tell me how to walk to the Old Vic from there, but I decide, in the heat of the sunshine and stress of the time factor, to wait for another big red bus which comes along moments later.

13.45  Out of the bus window on Waterloo bridge and the panoramic view of London across the Thames makes me wish I had walked so I could take a photograph.  The good news is that I have just turned on my cell phone and it seems to be working.   Jean txts me to say she is at Waterloo - and now, finally, so am I.

14.00 Have collected our tickets and am now downing a lager in the theatre cafe, sitting with mbfiatw Jean and catching up on the last two months of life’s little moments, and some big ones too.

Theatre tickets x 2 for “The Caretaker” at the Old Vic - £132.00 

14.30 And the Play has begun.  We have wonderful seats - row three of the stalls.  I am staring straight at Timothy Spall just a few feet away.  Thrilled to be here, but I still have no photo for the day, so in the interval, I stand and take a quick pic of the empty stage and get told off by an usher. Hey ho. I am blipped if I care.  

17.30  Fully satiated culturally, we leave the theatre to discover that it is now rather cold and raining quite heavily and we walk down The Cut, now very glad of my coat, to the cafe restaurant of the Young Vic. 

Dinner with wine for two £71.00

20.30 Fully satiated calorifically, alcoholicallly, we say our farewells and I wait 20 minutes in the rain for the No 26 which takes an age but at least I get all the way to L’pool St without mishap.

21.20  Train to Shenfield then bus to Chelmsford

22.45  Taxi home from Chelmsford Railway station  

Taxi fare - £8.60


Was it all worth it?
Absolutely. 
Will I do it again?
Yes.  On Wednesday. Les Mis. Shaftsbury Ave. 



btw: intermittent access to internet this week so very little blip time.  Catchup next week back in istanbul.