All change!

I am moving over to a new blog about London life shortly, so please come back soon for more news about the site. Best wishes, Drew

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Sveiki mans Latvijas apmeklētāji - paldies, lai iepazītu manu blogu!

Driving you mad!

What is the deal with bus drivers? As I was waiting for the 242 this morning, I watched as a young guy with a heavy rucksack ran towards the stop as his bus - the 38 - approached and drove away. I am convinced that the driver saw him and yet, he didn't stop. I mean, honestly... what goes through their heads? Of course, it's not the first time that I've seen it - the bus comes along, you can see the stop and you're running, running, running... and, despite the fact that the driver can see you in his mirror, he just drives on. He might as well blow you a kiss and flick you a V-sign. And if the bus is half-empty, it adds insult to injury.

Some - not all, but too many - bus drivers in London are bloody mean-spirited. Credit where it is due - it can't be an easy job - you get cut up by cars, you've got to navigate roadworks, you take verbal abuse from difficult passengers and 'attitude' from ticket-less kids who expect a free ride - but it is their job to stop and pick us up.

Fortunately, the backpacker didn't have to wait too long for another 38 - and when my 242 arrived, I immediately regretted boarding it. It sounded like a mobile hospital ward, and I was stuck infront of some coughing, sneezing, phlegm-swallowing maniac. I moved away as soon as the top deck thinned out at Liverpool Street station, but I woudn't be surprised if I've caught something from the dirty swine.

Favourite quotes

When I come across an interesting, amusing or pithy comment in a film, TV programme or newspaper, I always jot it down and later, put into my red Moleskine notebook. Here are some of my favourites from a wide range of sources, including the BBC's Ashes to Ashes; one of the Bond films; a lecture on how to perform Shakespeare; Ugly Betty; and a stand-up routine from the comedian Bill Bailey.

"You're cleverer than you look!" "Well, better than looking cleverer than you are...!"

"he's got as much charm as Gollum"

"he's got fingers in more pies than a leper on a cookery course..."

"the chicken kiev is the culinary equivalent of the spitting cobra"

"those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first call 'promising'"

"teenagers are toddlers with hormones and attitude"

"I'm in prison with a man who's so dyslexic that he thinks he's in here for HGB"

"I might come dressed as a nun. Or a cat. I haven't decided yet."

"to perform a great text, you need oxygen and blood"

"people in prison have done things that the people outside prison have thought about, and not done"

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Я рад видеть, что этот блог становится ежедневных просмотров в России. Тот, кто вы есть, спасибо - и добро пожаловать!

Mark Rylance returns to the Globe!

I love it! Mark Rylance, who is wowing audiences as Johnny 'Rooster' Byron in Jez Butterworth's award-winning Jerusalem in London's West End, will return to the Globe Theatre on the South Bank next year to play - wait for it! - the title role in Richard III and Lady Olivia in Twelfth Night. 

I can't think of many actors who could pull this off or, indeed, who would be approached to do it at all  - but I'm sure that he will be amazing in both productions. It will be his first engagement at the theatre, where he was Artistic Director, since 2005 - and I'm sure that tickets will sell very quickly for the shows.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16000371

Farewell, Movember!

Here we are. The first of December. Farewell November... and 'Movember'. I wonder how many men in London - indeed, across the UK - spent a bit more time in the bathroom this morning to shave off the furry caterpillar that they've been growing above their top lip to support 'Movember'.

When I met Stephen Fry at the Guildhall a couple of weeks ago, I was quite surprised to see the moustache that he was growing to support the charity - and since then, I've lost count of the number of moustaches - some of them impressive (well, if you like that sort of thing...), others noticeably ratty and under-developed - parading around the capital, as if it had been invaded by a group of 1970s porn stars.
It's all for a very good cause, mind you, and I hope that it raised a lot of money (not to say, a few smiles) and awareness of men's health issues, including depression and prostate cancer. For more details, take a look at http://uk.movember.com/  

Jeremy Clarkson - what a car crash!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15977813

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15987170

You can always rely on Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, to come out with a breathtakingly offensive remark. And here's the latest one - directed at the striking workers. If I may be permitted - albeit briefly - to sink to his level, I think he's an arsehole.

In due course, I'm sure that his representatives will spring to his defence by saying that he didn't mean any offence and that it's all part of his 'knock-about' style, but the words have been said and the damage has been done. Do you ever believe their excuses? In a word, no.

UPDATE: Oh, look, everyone - here's the news of Jeremy's apology... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15993549

Did he REALLY say that?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15937664

Paul McMullan, a former 'journalist' at the now-defunct News of the World tells the Leveson Inquiry in London that he felt "slightly proud" of a story that he wrote that led to a paediatrician being wrongly accused of being a paedophile - chiefly, I'm assuming, because the paper's readers couldn't tell the difference between the two words. I say readers: I mean the people who looked at the words on the page, rather than read or made sense of them. The look of disbelief on Lord Leveson's face is understandable. For myself, words fail me at the crass stupidity displayed here.

Anders Breivik 'insane'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15936276

I remember sitting at my desk in London in July watching, with mounting disbelief, as this appalling tragedy unfolded. Seventy-seven people (mostly, teenagers) killed and 151 people injured. All those lives cut short. 

It is too much to take in and, as experts have now suggested, the 32-year-old 'insane' Breivik is expected to be placed in psychiatric care, rather than prison, for the rest of his life. He would never be released and, if he ever showed remorse for his vile actions, whom would that help...?

Sebastian Faulks in the City

I'm looking forward to meeting the author of one of my favourite books, Birdsong, later today. Sebastian Faulks will sign books at the Red Cross Christmas Market at the Guildhall. I've got the copy that I bought and read in 1998, as well as some new copies that I will put into my 'presents box', which is full of signed books and pieces of jewellery that I stockpile for birthday and Christmas presents for family, friends and work colleagues.

UPDATE: He was charming and, despite misguided efforts by some people at the event to limit the number of copies that could be signed by him (even when you were charged £4 to get each copy signed, I might add...), he was happy to sign five copies of Birdsong. As he signed one of them, I told him that it was "a masterpiece" which, if you have read it, you might agree with.

Second term for Boris?

www.cityam.com/news-and-analysis/boris-extends-mayor-lead

According to a poll by ComRes, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson is on course to win a second term next year. Around 48% of Londoners are expected to give their first preference vote to Boris, compared to 40% to the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and just 6% for Lib Dem candidate Brian Paddick.

Ben Whishaw stars in new Bond film

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15889689

Interesting casting - the young British actor, Ben Whishaw, will star as Q in the new Bond film, Skyfall. He follows in the footsteps of Desmond Llewelyn and more recently, John Cleese.

I've been a fan of Ben's film, TV and theatre work for some years, including The Hour, Criminal Justice, My Brother Tom - and His Dark Materials and The Seagull at the National Theatre, Cock at the Royal Court. (I've never bought tickets for [it] before...), and most notably, his Hamlet at the Old Vic, for which he received rave reviews. Good luck to him - he must be thrilled to be part of the Bond franchise, and rightly so.

Behind-the-scenes at the Gielgud Theatre

I love this photograph. It's the same theatre that appeared in a previous posting, but the photograph is more lively - it shows workmen breaking down the set for the Yes, Prime Minister! play. As with before, I was in the right place at the right time with my camera, and I managed to fire off some shots, because it's a view that you don't usually see. The Ladykillers, starring Peter Capaldi, James Fleet and Clive Rowe, opens there shortly.

Slob!

One of the dubious joys of using public transport is that, from time to time, you will see someone whose behaviour leaves you open-mouthed. A young, rather well-covered, lad got on the 38 bus this evening and sat behind me. Now, don't get me wrong - I enjoy the occasional trip to the golden arches for a burger - but I wouldn't eat my meal on a bus, because the smell of the burger and fries is quite strong and, on a bus, you're in a confined space..

Our Prince Charming had no such qualms, and I was suddenly enveloped in the smell of the cheese - or whichever - burger that he'd just opened. I moved away to a nearby seat and when he'd eaten the burger and fries, the food wrappings were dropped casually on the floor and he proceeded to belch and burp tunefully his way throughout the rest of the journey. Classy boy. I was going to ask if he did requests, but thought better of it. On leaving the bus, his tracksuit bottoms being somewhat slack around his waist, he treated us to the enticing sight of three inches of builders' bum cleavage. And off he lolloped. I guess that my parents' saying is true: "you're either brought up, or you're dragged up."


I suspect that he is single, and is likely to remain so, because I would be surprised if he would be able to find a mate that would put up his slovenly behaviour. He might consider striking up a meaningful relationship with a farmyard animal, assuming that the animal is prepared to lower its standards.

Duh!

I went into my local sandwich shop today and got a baguette, packet of crisps, chocolate bar and can of Diet Coke. "Would you like a bag?" asked the lad behind the counter. No, that's fine, I felt like replying, I'll balance them on my head.

Welcome, South Korea and Romania!

I'm very pleased to see that londonlife is being viewed in France, Germany, Jersey, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Russia, Australia and the US - and I'm delighted to see that it has been now been viewed by people in Romania and South Korea. Welcome to you - and I do hope that you'll be back soon!



"Scouted"

As I headed into work on the 242 bus this morning, I overheard two school children talking to each other about their friends. One of the boys said that a friend had just been "scouted", in other words, recruited into a gang. My ears pricked up immediately. It saddens me that some young men - by accident or design - become gang members and then, invariably, find themselves involved in a whole lot of trouble. Am I right in thinking that some are forced into it by peer pressure, while others just want to 'belong' to something and enjoy a sense of power, support and respect that, otherwise, they would never experience? It is not, and never has been, part of my own world, so I'm not best placed to comment. I was just unsettled by the comment...

'Chilling' video indeed...

"Chilling" is the one word for this, but you could add any number of similar adjectives to describe this scene. I watched this YouTube footage last night and I was appalled.

Whatever your views on the 'Occupy' protest in the US and the copycat protest camp at St.Paul's in London, the seemingly casual use of pepper spray on these students is indefensible.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/outcry-over-chilling-campus-pepper-spray-use-6265203.html

One award, two Frankensteins

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15797668

This is very good news - Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller have both been awarded the Best Actor in the Evening Standard's Theatre Awards. They shared the roles - Victor Frankenstein and the Creature - so I guess that it's only fair that they should share the credit and the award.

I saw the show twice at the National Theatre, both times with Jonny Lee Miller playing the Creature, and it was an amazingly committed and physical performance; and Benedict Cumberbatch impressed as Victor Frankenstein. Much was made in the press, of course, of the opening scene where the (naked) Creature is born and spends about 10 minutes learning how to walk and run. I was in the front Stalls for both performances (i.e. very close to the stage) and I must admit that it takes a particularly brave actor to bare his soul - and everything else - to such a large audience on an empty stage every night.

Bird salad, anyone?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-15742121

I guess this is what you might call a 'very mixed salad'.

Breakfast with Hugh Laurie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15755829

House star Hugh Laurie talks to BBC Breakfast about his love of music and recording sessions with Sir Tom Jones and his hero, Dr. John. You can see that he's sporting Dr. Gregory House's familiar hair cut and stubble - and American followers of this blog may be pleasantly surprised to hear his real accent.

It is amazing how his career has taken off so spectacularly in the last few years, as he morphed into House. From appearing with Stephen Fry (whom I met recently at the Guildhall) in their popular comedy series and playing a range of upper class toffs opposite Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder, he is now the toast of the States. 

'One Man, Two Guvnors' on Broadway!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15752600

Another fantastic success for the National Theatre! James Corden will appear on Broadway next year in the NT's smash hit comedy, One Man, Two Guv'nors. It opens at the Music Box Theatre on 18th April. I saw the play a couple of months ago - and I can tell you that, having seen hundreds of plays in London, it was one of the most entertaining evenings that I've ever spent at the theatre.

The play is a real gem, the cast is superb and James Corden's comic timing is perfect.

San Francisco - here I come!

I've lived abroad and spent several holidays in France(Paris, Quimper, Loire Valley, Antibes), Spain (Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona, Sitges) Italy (Bologna, Rome and Naples) and Denmark (Copenhagen) - but I've never been outside of Europe. That's going to change in March and April next year, because my other half and I are planning to spend ten days in San Francisco.

I am really looking forward to it, but I am hoping for a smooth flight. I don't mind flying, but turbulence scares me. I refuse to drink alcohol to 'zonk me out' during a flight, so I'm scoping out ideas about what to take or do to take the edge off my anxiety during our ten hours in the air! I may leave my heart in San Franciso, but I don't want to leave my lunch on the floor of the 747.

Stephen Fry in the City

I met actor, writer, TV presenter and national treasure, Stephen Fry, in the City yesterday and during a break in filming, I took this portrait of him at the Guildhall.

He has joined several celebrities in growing a moustache for 'Movember'. A curious thing, but it's for a very good cause, because it raises awareness and funds for various men's health issues, including prostate cancer and depression. The Guardian is reporting that he is trying to recreate the huge and hairy upper lip-based 'tache that he sported as General Melchet in Blackadder.

http://uk.movember.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2011/nov/11/movember-moustache-growth?newsfeed=true

New Lord Mayor for the City of London

David Wootton is the new Lord Mayor of the City of London. Following the hand-over of power from the previous Lord Mayor, Michael Bear, during the ancient Silent Ceremony in the 16th-century Grand Hall at the Guildhall (pictured), he posed for photographs for the media and was interviewed by Stephen Fry, who is currently filming in the 'Square Mile', and was then driven to his official residence, Mansion House. He takes part in The Lord Mayor's Show tomorrow from 11am, which features a three-mile-long procession of colourful floats and military bands.

The City and the student march

My bus was diverted from its usual route this morning, because of the start of the students' demonstration and I ended up walking a fair distance to work - and I had an interesting walk home this evening. As I headed up Moorgate and took this dramatic shot of officers heading towards a nearby convoy of police vans, you can see that the police were still out in large numbers to keep a very close eye on the demonstration and the rogue elements within it.

There were a handful of arrests and invariably, some individuals try their luck against the police. A small group of protestors attempted to set up a campside in Trafalgar Square, which was dealt with quickly by the police, and things got quite tense at London Wall, where the march/protest/demonstration ended.

New at the National

There are some really good things coming up in the new season at the National Theatre, including The Comedy of Errors starring Lenny Henry, Travelling Light starring Sir Antony Sher and She Stoops to Conquer, starring Steve Pemberton from 'The League of Gentlemen' (loved it) and 'Benidorm' (hated it).

The 45-minute platforms are also worth checking out - they include Sir Antony Sher, Sue Johnston, Matthew Bourne, Michael Pennington,Simon Callow, Julian Clary, Alain de Botton and Ralph Fiennes. Booking for some of them is already open, I think, and the tickets are a steal at just £4 - or less, if you're a Priority Booker for the NT.

Downton Abbey returns for Series Three

Good news for Downton Abbey fans - it's coming back for a third series and will be set in the early 1920s.

I'm a big fan of the shenanigans at Downton, but I can't help wondering if it could - or indeed, should - go on for more than three series. What do you think?

Should we steel ourselves for the sixth series , featuring a 80-year-old Lord Grantham, grappling with the invention of the credit card and television, or the 10th series, starring a 160-year old Dowager Countess of Grantham, played magnificently by a 200-year old Dame Maggie Smith. The mind boggles...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15577305

Mackenzie Crook has written a book

It's a lovely book - I bought two copies on Amazon last week and I was pleasantly surprised

to see that he has illustrated it. Mackenzie Crook is best known, of course, for playing the hapless Gareth in The Office and Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, opposite the amazing Johnny Depp - and it's great that he has added 'children's author' to his CV. Check it out on Amazon, where you can pick up a (hardback) copy for less than six quid.

Make way for Mr Important

I am convinced that listening to music when you're walking on the street can affect your spatial awareness - and I got conclusive proof of it this evening. I was on my way to MUJI on Tottenham Court Road and as I tried to negotiate a narrow passageway next to some roadworks with several other pedestrians, this guy in his late 20s - cocooned in music through his little white headones - pushed past us, nearly knocking some of us flying.

No apology, no look over his shoulder to acknowledge his actions, nothing. Nor, for that matter, did any of us do anything. More fool us... but he's the asshole. Sooner or later, whether he barges someone bigger than him or doesn't see an oncoming car, he'll come a'cropper. 

Smashing pumpkins

Following on from the previous post about 'Trick or treat', have you seen this amazing artwork? Fashioned out of pumpkins and by using a spoon, this guy creates these incredible faces.

I would love to know if he works in other materials and, if they were within my budget, I would jump at the chance of buying one of his pieces!

Trick or treat?

I've bought a small stash of Dairy Milk chocolate bars and left them near the front door, in preparation for tonight's 'trick or treaters'. They will be handed out to the little monsters - quite literally, of course - who come to our front door, dressed in a range of weird and wonderful costumes. Vampires, witches, ghouls, zombies - you name it. As the masked children call out "Trick or treat!", the parents often stand, somewhat sheepishly, at the end of the path as the treats are handed out. Mind you, I've never called their bluff and retorted "OK, then... trick"!, because you're not quite sure what they might have up their sleeve. Possibly, nothing, but you never know. When I was a young lad, I remember pouring some flour-and-water glue - with food colouring, for added effect - on some people's paths if they refused to give us anything, which I now recall with a mild sense of regret.

Legal action approved for St. Paul's protest

The City of London Corporation, which is the local authority for the financial heart of London, has approved court action to remove the anti-capitalism campsite at St Paul’s Cathedral. The organisation’s Planning & Transportation Committee has voted to go ahead with court action to clear 200 plus tents from the public highways around the Cathedral. Watch this space, as they say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15495019

What's your number?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

This is fun! The world's population is expected to reach seven billion in the next few weeks. You can use this ready reckoner on the BBC News website to find out your number!

West End stars at the Guildhall

I attended an Olympic Games media briefing in the 16th-century Great Hall at the Guildhall last night and, after the speeches from City figures and Games spokespeople, we were entertained by a handful of top performers from London's West End, including Ramin Karimloo, who recently played the Phantom in Love Never Dies and The Phantom of the Opera and Danielle Hope, who plays Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.

They performed beautifully (Danielle, Somewhere Over the Rainbow; Ramin, Bring Him Home) and I was delighted when Danielle posed for this portrait just after she came off the stage.

STOP PRESS: Ramin has landed the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre in London's West End.

Will Ferrell and the trophy

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15434952

I've got a healthy sense of humour (or should that be 'humor'...?), but I'm not sure what to make of this. Did he mean to drop it, or was it an accident? (Am I being naive? Probably.) If it was a carefully, pre-arranged bit of stage business, he took a huge risk to drop a prestigious award in front of a large audience, who had just given him a standing ovation. I wonder if the event organisers will give him a replacement trophy?

The world's best whisky!

I was very interested to read this news. I'm not a whisky expert, by any means, but I enjoy a glass or two of single malt as a night cap. My favourite tipples are Laphroaig, Highland Park and Lagavulin - I love the intense smoky, peaty undertones - but I'm a firm believer in adding a drop of water to separate the oils, remove some of the 'fire' and bring out the flavours.

Old Pulteney comes from Wick in Caithness, Scotland... and I can remember working at nearby John O'Groats for two months shortly before I went to university. I spent two months living in a 10ft caravan in a field next to the hotel. No heating, no running water, no electricity, no toilet - so thank heavens for the hospitality of the hotel manager, who let me use the facilities. A desolate but amazing place - as June approached, I would walk down to the harbour and even at midnight, it was daylight.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-15423862

Another three quid wasted!

Another weekend, another National Lottery draw, another dashed hope. Every week, I check my three lines, only to find that I've wasted my money. I'm sure that I heard once that you've got as much chance of winning the Lottery as watching Elvis land a UFO on the back of the Loch Ness Monster.

Mind you, I guess that none of the winners have ever really expected to win. And so, I'll continue to do my three lines and hope that, one day, It Could Be Me.

Mr Noisy

My evening at the theatre with Daniel Kitson was enjoyable... but my journey to the NT was anything but. Living in London has much to commend it, but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's when some mouthy individual on a train or a bus decides to verbally commandeer the whole space and bore everyone else to tears.

On the 76 bus from Hackney to the South Bank on Friday night, it was the turn of a guy in his mid-40s whose vocal range - and degree of nuisance - could have easily got him into the Guinness Book of Records. He was, quite possibly, one of the most bloody irritating people I've ever encountered on the capital's public transport. Not able to move from my seat, I listened to his annoying patois as he shrieked, whispered and trilled to his friend for 35 minutes. One minute, his voice dipping low, the next, screaming like a school girl on the verge of orgasm - and at no point, did I ever get the impression that he was aware of his surroundings or the noise that he was making. Should I ever find myself on public transport with him again, I shall hurl myself out of the window.
     

In praise of Daniel Kitson

I went to see the comedian, Daniel Kitson, at the National Theatre last night. His one-man show, It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later, has to be seen to be believed - but, as it has been solidly sold out for ages, you'll be extremely lucky to get hold of a ticket... in fact, all the performances in the 890-seater Lyttelton Theatre sold out within hours. Every seat cost just £12 and apparently, he pulled strings to ensure that his fans got in quick to book the tickets.

He ambled on to the stage last night, clutching a mug in one hand, and over the course of 90 minutes, he only drew breath when his stutter got the better of him. His delivery was extraordinary - and it was funny, thought-provoking and moving in equal measure - and it was a phenomenal feat of memory. The set comprised a black stage and a chair, small ladder and around 25 light bulbs, all of which signified a person at one particular stage in their life. At the end of the show, he thanked the audience for coming to see him and walked off. Cue much applause and a standing ovation from a few people in the front row.

He didn't come back on stage to take a bow, so the lights went up and the audience filed out. One of my friends, Gerard, saw the show a few days earlier and told me that he wouldn't come back on stage and that, give or take the odd add-lib, he had delivered exactly the same words when he'd seen the show.

These strange times

Sat here at my desk in my office in London, watching the rolling news reports unfold about Col Gaddafi's death in Libya, it makes you think about the strange times that we are living through.

In a relatively short space of time, we have seen the toppling of former Egyptian leader, Hosni Mubarak, and the deaths of Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and now, Muammar Gaddafi. One by one, these regimes are coming to an end, paving the way for a new life and new hope for their countries' people.

'Bergerac' - 30 years on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-15349184
This makes me feel old... I remember watching John Nettles, Annette Badland and Terence Alexander in 'Bergerac' when I was growing up. Can it really be 30 years ago?

City of London protests

The anti-banks protest continues in front of St. Paul's Cathedral in the 'Square Mile'. I took my camera and went there to see it for myself this morning - a maze of colourful tents outside Wren's iconic building with City of London Police officers, tourists, media photographers and bemused City workers in attendance.

Reporters talk to protestors and film their 'pieces to camera' around them. Banners, signs, flyers, flags and, less ideally, slogans chalked onto the pavement have turned the area into a makeshift community. Not quite sure how long it will continue...

Reaching around the world!

I was delighted to see that, according to my Blogger stats, londonlife has just had its first view in Australia. So far, I've got regular viewers in France, Jersey, Spain and, most notably, the USA - but I'm particularly pleased that my blog has now reached around the world. If that was you, thank you very much - and I hope that you continue to check it out.

'Jerusalem' autograph hunters

I was in the West End yesterday and enjoyed chatting to some lads who were waiting to meet the cast of Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth's phenomenally successful play, starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook, after the matinee performance. We waited for a while and, although Mark Rylance, who plays Johnny 'Rooster' Byron, didn't come out because he was resting in his dressing room, Mackenzie (who played Gareth in Ricky Gervais' The Office) emerged from the Stage Door and was happy to chat to fans and sign some programmes.

'Short and Sweet' by Dan Lepard

I'm no great cook - less cordon bleu, more cordoned off - but I owe some of my successes in the kitchen to Dan Lepard, baker extraordinaire, who has a regular cookery column in The Guardian. His new book, Short and Sweet, has just been published and it brings together hundreds of wonderful recipes for bread, cakes, biscuits, puddings, etc. The recipes are easy to understand and Dan's photographs (is there no end to his talent, dammit...?) will have you drooling. It retails at £25, but you can currently pick it up on Amazon for £14. It's a bargain, either way, and I reckon that it's likely to become a classic. 

Christmas shopping

I've started my Christmas shopping. Yes, I know it's over two months away, but I couldn't resist drawing up a list of ideas for my partner, parents and friends - and before I knew it, I was tapping away on Amazon and pressing the 'Place Order' button. Three days later, the boxes arrived at home and I've just made a mental note to get some wrapping paper and tags today.

The truth is, when it comes to Christmas, I'm not a last-minute person. I can never quite believe that some people leave it until a couple of days before Christmas Day before hitting the shops in a mad shopping frenzy. Secondly, of course, it's much easier and very often, cheaper to get stuff online. Most of the things that I've been shopping for - books, jewellery and DVDs - are half-price, or cheaper. And thirdly, I'm too impatient to fight with the crowds on Oxford Street and at Covent Garden. London gets very, very busy during the run-up to the festive season to the extent that it's not so much shopping, more unarmed combat. When they do arrive, you fight (well, jostle a bit...) to get into the buses and then, you're packed in like sardines. No, thanks. Give me two hours or so with my laptop, a couple of glasses of wine and I've got Christmas... er, wrapped up, as they say.

Are you making dirty phone calls?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15284501

Eww! Scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London, have found that many mobile phones - in particular, in London and Birmingham - are harbouring nasty germs.

I won't go into the lurid details here - just read the report (see above) - but it makes me feel less of a hygiene freak for carrying a small bottle of anti-bacterial gel wherever I go, and not touching door handles in public toilets after I've washed my hands.
  

Too much money?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15253038

I don't think that many of my friends or colleagues share my view, but I can't help thinking that some of the Euromillions 'roll-over' jackpots are just obscene. The latest one - £101,000,000 - has just been claimed by a couple from Cambridgeshire, who are expected to go public about their win shortly.

On one hand, I think "good luck to them!" - they entered the prize draw and their numbers have come - but on the other hand, I think "bloody hell!". Isn't it just a LUDICROUS amount of money to land in your lap? Wouldn't it just panic you? One day, you're chugging along on a decent (or perhaps, not) wage... and then, suddenly, you've got more money than you can possibly imagine or know what to do with.

Ugly Betty does Chicago!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15253436

More celebrity casting news for London's theatreland! It's just been announced that America Ferrera, the star of the hit US show, Ugly Betty, will play Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Garrick Theatre in the West End from 7th November.

The show has been running in London for 15 years, so she looks set to become part of the anniversary celebrations.

'Saved' at the Lyric Hammersmith

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13314221

Since I moved to London in 2000, I've seen hundreds of plays and I don't mind admitting that, over the years, I've had pre-show jitters about some of them. You Me Bum Bum Train was one of them (exhilarating, terrifying and amazing); The Lieutenant of Inishmore (darkly funny and, in one key scene, breathtaking gruesome) was another; and Contains Violence (a fist-eatingly awful waste of two hours of my life) is a third example.

On Wednesday, I'm taking a friend to see a play at the Lyric Hammersmith that includes a scene where a baby is stoned to death in its pram. I've seen graphic sex, violence and nudity aplenty on the London stage, but I doubt that anything will prepare me for Edward Bond's 'Saved'. We'll see...

Lord Mayor's Show

One of the liveliest and most colourful events in London is just a few weeks away. The Lord Mayor's Show takes place on Saturday 12th November, with a three-mile long procession of floats that starts from Mansion House at 11am and ends up on the Strand - and then, makes a return journey from Temple, via Queen Victoria Street, back to Mansion House.

Tens of thousands of people line the streets for the free event, which is also broadcast live on BBC television - and there are also fireworks at 5pm, which you can watch from the South Bank and Victoria Embankment. Of course, one of the highlights is the sight of the 250-year-old golden Lord Mayor's State Coach... with a very happy Lord Mayor David Wootton inside!

www.facebook.com/lordmayorsshow

Jonathan Pryce in 'King Lear'

Nifty bit of casting at the Almeida Theatre in north London. Award-winning actor, Jonathan Pryce, whose recent credits include the Pirates of the Caribbean films, will take the title role in King Lear at the Almeida Theatre from August to November 2012.

I've been a fan of his since I watched him in Terry Gilliam's film, Brazil, and heard him on the original soundtrack of the West End musical, Miss Saigon, in which he played the role of The Engineer. He was also a superb Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, opposite Martine McCutcheon and her understudy, Alexandra Jay, at the NT and in the West End.

http://www.almeida.co.uk/event/kinglear

Joke from comedy legend Barry Cryer

I read a wonderful joke in The Guardian during the weekend, which appeared in Simon Hoggart's column. A man buys some LSD tablets and leaves them in a small bag at home on the kitchen table. When he comes back, the bag is empty. He turns to his mother and says "Did you find any pills in that bag?"  "Never mind those bloody pills," says his mother, "there's a dragon on the shed!"

Rowan Atkinson back on stage?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15123783

This sounds interesting - Blackadder and Mr. Bean star, Rowan Atkinson, has rediscovered his interest in acting on stage, following his spell as Fagin in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2009. I dare say that he wants to appear in the West End - but could Nick Hytner get in first and reel him in for a production at the National Theatre?

When he says that he wants to appear in a "fairly straight, straight-forward play", I wonder what he's got in mind...

Guildhall School concert at Barbican Centre

I'm going to the Barbican Centre (pictured) this evening to listen to Guildhall Symphony Orchestra and Chorus perform in the 1,949-seater Concert Hall. The musicians study at the neighbouring Guildhall School of Music and Drama - and they are, without exception, superbly talented. Tonight's programme is:

Wagner Prelude & Liebestod from ‘Tristan und Isolde’, Poulenc Gloria, and Stravinsky The Rite of Spring - and I've just checked the Barbican Centre's website for ticket availability. There are good seats left in the Concert Hall's Circle for just £10 and £15, if anyone is interested.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=12577