Surprise Cinema, February: 'Mr Holmes'

There's a nagging anxiety when you organise any event as to whether people will turn actually up. The rule of thumb appears to be that around two-thirds of people who'd "love to come", actually will. Which is fine but when you have a maximum of 20 seats, it's hard to have the confidence to invite thirty; what if they did all turn up?!

On this occasion, though, we were already below twenty as the day started; it looked as though sixteen or seventeen people would come along, including, very happily, our friend Shelagh from Edinburgh, who was in Manchester on business. That felt like a good number to me. 

I started the day at home. The news that school was closed broke just after eight o'clock, so Abi and Dan simply headed back upstairs to bed, while I stayed working at the dining table. Normally there will be loads of school kids walking past in the morning but today there was nothing to see outside except snow. 

Until a couple of lads walked past. They looked to be around the age of year 7 and I went to the front door and called to them that school was closed. Aw, the innocent delight on their faces! "Thank you, thank you",  they kept calling back to me as they turned homewards.

I have to say that despite the school closures and problems with the roads, British Gas were as good as their word and turned up to sort the radiator in Dan's room, as arranged on Monday. And after that I popped over to the office for a bit. 

I had been hoping to fit in a swim in between work and Surprise Cinema but although the night fevers stopped a few days ago and I am to all intents and purposes well, I'm still coughing and common sense says I shouldn't start exercising again yet. I am recalling the wisdom of IntoTheHills and using this as a healing period, albeit reluctantly. 

As the day went on, though, it be came clearer that a lot of people were worried about travelling this evening, so even as I enjoyed a beautiful drive to Chorley to pick up the Minx and thence into Manchester, the Surprise Cinema numbers dwindled to seven.

Which was a shame, as tonight's film, 'Mr Holmes', was a beauty. Sir Ian McKellen is amazing as an aged Sherlock Holmes, and the supporting cast is perfect. But before the film kicked off, we had a few drinks and it was a great little company. It was then I realised that the numbers really aren't that important or anything to worry about. 

Anyway, that said, thanks to all the plucky souls who came out in the adverse weather: the Minx, Shelagh, Simon, Max, Denise, and Hannah.

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Reading: 'Lincoln In The Bardo'