Life Gets In The Way

A Week of theatre visits and no cross training

Last week I celebrated my thirty-fourth wedding anniversary on Tuesday and as a treat we decided to go to London to see The Vikings exhibition at The British Museum followed by supper and a show.

Of course, we had started out by thinking we would go to our usual 'spinning' class in the morning but when the day dawned we thought better of it and cancelled. Just as well as we managed to walk a total of about ten miles that day and were thoroughly worn out. There is nothing quite as tiring as the kind of shuffling round galleries and on pavements you do on a day out.

First though we stopped for some lunch in a very trendy corner café Fernandez and Wells on Denmark Street before tackling the shopping.

First, my very lovely husband, David, decided he would like to buy me something special for our anniversary. So I asked if he would mind if we went to Jo Malone to browse the perfumes.

I had a hand massage and tried Peony and Blush Suede body cream and perfume combined with the limited edition summer scent Silk Blossom - so beautiful. What a treat!

I love all the razz matazz as much as the perfume itself! 

Then it was off to the British Museum for The Vikings exhibition. I have to say that this was really a bit of a disappointment. There were lots of things that you can generally see around the museum for free and it was disappointing that lots of items were from the Vikings influence in countries such as Russia. There was a terrible droning voice being played by the long ship which began to grate. I thought the Sutton Hoo exhibition much better and for a large London museum charging quite a lot it ought to have been more enjoyable and innovative. Oh well, I did get to see the Lewis Chessmen which I adore for their mysterious history and their wonderful characteristics.

The world's most expensive lemonade and a disappointing
Vikings exhibition (felt like the chess piece above left!)

Onwards then to have supper at one of the restaurants that came with the theatre and supper deal. We chose 'Porters' which caters for tourists wanting to have an English eating experience. 

It was just as we expected and a decent enough supper - I had steak and kidney pudding and an Eton Mess washed down with a glass of Prosecco.

A very English supper

We left Covent Garden and strolled back down to the Savoy Theatre where we had tickets to see "Dirty Rotten Scounrels" starring Robert Lindsay, Rufus Hound, Katherine Kingsley, Samantha Bond, John Marquez and Lizzy Connolly. It was based on the Michael Caine and Steve Martin film. It was a musical and quite zany but enjoyable. Lots of beautiful dresses and slapstick humour.

The Savoy Theatre is an Art Deco masterpiece designed by C I Phipps and decorated by Collinson & Locke and is now owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group.

I had a glass of champagne in the interval and just as well because when we got back to Liverpool Street Station I needed to be as relaxed as possible because all the trains were delayed.

We finally got home and into bed at two thirty in the morning - what an anniversary!

Thursday Evening 100% Fitness Running

Having spent the whole of Wednesday and the daytime Thursday recovering from tiredness and lack of sleep I went out with the girls for a run on Thursday evening.

I found it very hard to get going. I struggled to get my breathing right and I think it is definitely down to hay fever which is very bad in this country at the moment. Still we managed five or so miles and now it will be rest until Sunday's Round the Island Half Marathon.

I don't usually put my Heart Rate but you can see how difficult it was as the training effect was 4.0 which is quite hard work. It was also very warm and humid but it kept me keen for Sunday.

Yet another trip to the Theatre

This time it was to see "You Can Always Hand Them Back" which is one of the six or seven on our season ticket.

Click here for a Daily Mail review

I immediately wondered what I'd let myself in for when one of the cast (of two with a pianist) said to the audience "well, you would't be here if you weren't Grandparents". Well we are not yet and so I felt a bit uncomfortable and it got worse as the whole evening was a wry look at ageing and the strains of being at the beck and call of children and grandchildren.

At the end of the evening I had enjoyed some of the songs and humour but did not think it warranted as grand a billing and ought to have been a vignette as part of a better written and more story led play.

Oh well, some you win some you loose. And that was the theme for the week I think.

Next up on Through The Fields of Mersea....All Terrain Round The Island Half Marathon Report.