goddesstogo

Architect, not architech. My fingers have a mind of their own.

emily71

<<Oh, and we lit up the Christmas Tree at Covent Garden with our kiss...
http://golondon.about.com/od/londonchristmasphotos/ig/Christmas-Lights-2010/Covent-Garden-Christmas-Tree.htm>>

You read my mind! I was just reading about that last night! How cute and what a great exhibit, I hope someone took a picture! That's one of the things I love about London all the funky exhibits they have.

Hope it doesn't snow tomorrow for your play-is that the one about the boy and his horse who is in WW1? I believe Spielberg is making a movie based on the play with Benedict Cumberbatch aka 'Sherlock'.

love_travel_Aus

The 'pinafore' here in Australia is quite often now being called a 'tunic' and I notice this especially with designs from Mela Purdie.

I also notice that on the H and M site they are either called 'tops' or 'tunics'.
They are particularity fashionable when worn over leggings or very slim pants - and usually with a slim fitting knit/jersey top underneath - not so often with a blouse.

A 'jumper' is what I think is being called a sweater - and with buttons down the front it becomes a cardigan.

A sleeveless top that has a blouse under it - and that stops at the waist line is a 'vest'.

Language is fun!

goddesstogo

SNOW -- ugh! ugh! ugh!

Yes, emily, that's the play. I didn't know Speilberg was making a movie of it. Interesting, but from what I've heard, part of the appeal of the play is the puppetry. I'm imagining it sort of like The Lion King where the puppetry was amazing.

goddesstogo

Oh, I forgot to say that on our short walk yesterday we walked by Clos Maggiore (right across from the store where I bought my boots) which is where we're having our anniversary / last night in London dinner in a couple of weeks. (I have another thread about it.) It looks just beautiful! I won't get to write about it till we get home but I'll let you know then if we liked it.

annhig

Boots - mine are worn out. I discovered this in the first of the snow on Saturday [we were ahead of London for once, which makes a refreshing change] when my fet were surprisingly and unwelcomely cold and wet. so i have had to resort to the wellie boots, which ARE fleecy lined, but have been nibbled by mice!

GTG - what is the name of the place you bought your boots? do they do mail order?

goddesstogo

I'm sorry, annhig, I don't remember the name of the store but if I get back there again, I'll let you know. The boots there are fashionable but I'm sure they're not high quality. That's OK with me. I only buy "look-like-leather-but-actually-phonylon" boots. They use salt on the snow at home and that's a killer for leather so there's no point in buying expensive good boots.

Now...War Horse. I don't want to tell you too much about the play because I think it should be seen with fresh eyes but I will say that yes, I think you should see it and we liked it very much. This may sound wishy-washy but it's not. I've just found that if people rave about something to me I'm often disappointed when I see it. But yes, see it.

The theatre is excellent and small. On the main floor there are only 17 rows at the deepest point so even if your tickets are in the last row, you won't be far from the stage. Plus the stage bows out and a lot of the action is at the front half. There's also a balcony of about 7 rows and I expect the view would be fine from there too. I'd say just about the only seats to avoid would be the very far ends of the rows where (and I'm not sure about this) you might not be able to see the action at the back of the stage. We were in the 7th row and if the stage were a clockface, we'd be at 5 o'clock. As far as I could see, the theatre was full but we just bought our tickets a week and a half ago, so it's not like you can't get them.

We started off the evening with dinner at Wolfe's around the corner from the theatre and it was good but I'd not rush back there again.

Tomorrow I'm having lunch with hsv and jamikins. Yay!

Mathieu

You and its website have made 'War Horse' sound intriguing and creative and something I'd like to see. I hope Mirvish or DanCap bring it to TO.

(PS : We just this weekend saw one of the best designed shows of it's class that I've ever seen: Hart House Theatre's production of 'Equus'. I'm familiar with the dark and complex story and most of the acting was good but not great; however I'd heard that show's design was amazing and it was. Simple, stunning and very effective. The horses in it reminded me a little of what I saw on the 'War Horse' web site).

goddesstogo

I was just looking at Dancap's season, Mathieu, and it looks pretty good. We won't sign up for the whole thing but will probably go to a couple of them, definitely Memphis.

I missed Equus the first time around and now I'm sorry I've missed it at Hart House (which is about a one-minute walk from my office). One of my resolutions is to make better use of the events and talks at UofT.

goddesstogo

Silly me, I forgot to say that today I went into the City and had lunch with jamikins and hsv. hsv surprised both jamikins and myself by being male. I don't know why, but both of us had just assumed he was a woman. I'm often suprised by that on this website -- I'll go along having a picture of some poster in my mind and then they'll write something that throws that completely out of whack, usually their age or gender.

Anyway, we went to a nice wine bar near jamikin's office and hsv saved my from my worse self by giving back the chips that were mistakenly brought to our table with our (delicious) sandwiches. Actually, I don't think it was a mistake. I think they bring the chips to the table if you haven't ordered them in the hopes that once you see how yummy they look, you'll keep them and then the restaurant gets to add 3 pounds or whatever to your bill. Pretty clever ploy, I think.

It was very nice to meet hsv and have a nice chat about Hamburg. I'm so pleased to have met so many 'real-live' fodorites while we've been here. And everyone has been so lovely and friendly!

goddesstogo

SO just read in today's paper that Fortnum & Mason have made a profit this year for the first time in 6 years. I believe our tea purchase is to be thanked for that.

Also, he told me that F&M is owned by Canadian, Galen Weston. You probably already knew that but I didn't. So now I'm a patron of GW's two shops, F&M and Loblaws. I think he should invite me up to the cottage for the weekend, don't you?

emily71

So neat that you're meeting Fodorites in London-small world.

I didn't know F&M was owned by Canadians. Is any store still owned by a British conglomerate?

We saw Equus in London with Daniel Ratcliffe and the horse "puppets" were an interesting interpretation. Somehow I thought you were seeing something like a puppet show of old I would ask about the snow, but as a Canadian, I'm sure you've seen worse.

Mathieu

If I'm not mistaken, Selfridges is also owned by the Weston family. Not the Canadian branch but by one of the other brothers. Theirs is a fascinating story. Six brothers I think, all with first names beginning with "G" (George, Galen, Garfield, etc.) and several if not all went on to open grocery empires in countries around the world (Ireland, Britain, Australia, Canada). The Canadian branch of the family were my corporate clients for many recent years. GTG you will notice similarities in the product lines and packaging in the Selfridges and Loblaws stores.

Yes, I am a fan now of the high standard of Hart House Theatre's productions and I'm sure will be seeing more there.
In 1985 while in my final year, I acted in a play there. Ah memories.

goddesstogo

Snow. On the ground. Ugh. Only about half an inch, but still...

I think it's George that owns Selfridges, Mathieu. I'm pretty sure the Westons will be invited to The Wedding.

goddesstogo

We stuck close to home today, me at the hairdresser, SO at the gym, lunch and grocery shopping. Well, every day can't be a glamour day, y'know.

The high point by far was this evening's get-together at The Lion down the street hosted by our very own WHampstead. We drank, we chatted, we met some very nice people, in particular, Andrea and David, and a good time was had by all, especially us. Oh, and I found out what a chav is and how the word came to be. Thanks so much, Jonathan!

And that's all.

goddesstogo

Why isn't The King's Speech playing in London? Or is it?

PatrickLondon

Apparently not due to open in the UK until after Christmas. No doubt the distributors think it will help fill the post-Christmas gap and not get in the way of the "family" blockbusters.

jamikins

GTG - share your 'chav' knowledge...how did it come to be?

jent103

I'm with jamikins - do share! And what exactly did you learn that it means? The best I can get from my English friends is "it's... you know. A chav." I'd be so curious to hear a proper definition.

goddesstogo

Re The King's Speech, I just read that there's a sneak preview on the 14th. To win tickets, go to www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/grolschpresents

We've decided to wait till we get home and make this our new years eve movie.

So...a chav. Jonathan's friends told me it comes from CHelsea AVerage and it's a person (usually a girl, I think) who wears lots of cheap bling and designer knock-offs. I don't think we have a similar word. The closest I can think of is a 'wannabee' but that's not quite right.

Today we went back to the British Museum and started off the visit with lunch in the restaurant (not the cafe; the more formal restaurant). As well as their regular menu, because of the Book of the Dead exhibit, they had an Egyptian menu and I ordered from that (the soup and an eggah, which was sort of an omelet) and the food was fabulous. Really, really good!

We spent most of the afternoon in the Buddism Across Asia exhibit, the Japan exhibits, the Parthenon and the Elgin Marbles exhibits, the Living and Dying exhibit and the Picasso to Julie Mehretu drawings exhibit.

We were finally exhausted so we left and went across the road to the Museum Tavern for a drink for old times sake since we went there a few times a billion years ago. We decided to have dinner at Cote on Wardour Street because that would give us a chance to see the lights on Carnaby Street and I was so glad we did because they're really special! Carnaby Street puts Regent and Oxford Streets to shame. We had a nice dinner and then took a leisurely walk to our bus stop and came home.

We don't understand this -- why do all the stores keep their doors wide open in this cold weather? It has two results. Either the store is icy cold and the poor shop clerks are freezing (the women who sold me my boots was wearing gloves and a puffy jacket) or the heat is on so high that you can feel it as you walk past the doors and what a huge energy cost that is! Why don't they just close the doors? Do they think that shoppers can't figure out how to get in? And when the stores are cold, it sure doesn't encourage me to try things on.

And that's it for the day! Hope yours was nice too.