HOBBLING

Last time we met, I was heading to London for a good weekend of theatre and drinking and all things debauched. Well I'm pleased to say that that all happened.

I arrived and headed straight to my friend's flat - we had a blether and a cuppa and my other friend David arrived from Brighton. Dinner was made and David and I headed into town to meet with Jon who is staying in a hotel with work. From there it was off to see Elaine Paige in The Drowsy Chaperone. The show closes for some unearthly reason at the start of August - I don't think it was pulling the punters in too much, however it was packed the night we were there. I guess Londoners and tourists are keeping it busy and catching it before closing. Anyway, the show has been a favourite of mine ever since January when on a whim, I downloaded it from iTunes. Utterly superb and unique - it had me dancing and laughing away in my seat which is really what a musical is supposed to do - to take you to another world. Sublime.

Met up with Rod, the friend I was staying with after the show and the 4 of us trawled round London's west end bars for most of the night - we ended up getting the night bus home which was an experience. The bus dropped us off on Brixton Road and I said to Rod that I could murder a Pot Noodle - classy I know, but without a chippy in sight, it was the next best thing. So this guy started walking towards us literally as we got off the bus and Rod said "Run" which I did halfway up the motherfucking road. He said as we were running that he thought the guy had something in his hand which I didn't notice as I was 3 sheets to the wind, hence the Pot Noodle desperation. Anyway I looked back and the man was chasing us. I turned to Rod and started to run again and just screamed "Fuck the Pot Noodle!!" and scarpered. We got home quick smart and just a little out of breath minus a Pot Noodle or a stabbing or worse. I guess it was a win win situation as I ended up eating some rice cakes and watching Eastenders with psycho Stella making deaf Ben eat a cold burger.

On Friday, I met David in town and we wandered about, had a snooze and a bite to eat (not a Pot Noodle) He and Jon were going to see Billy Elliot the musical that night so Rod, his lover and I again trawled the bars. What suprised me was how inflated the prices in bars are on Friday and Saturday nights. What cost £6 on Thursday, cost £12 on Friday - on holiday I'm no slouch with the cash but that was disgraceful - I suppose those London bars have to justify the large rent of buildings by shafting customers with drink prices when they can. Somehow on Friday night I ended up 3 in abed with David and Jon - David had had a fight with a vendor at a burger stall and we had changed venue and I had not a clue as to how to get to Rod's at Oval. Anyway,David was literally piggy in the middle but during the night, he had gotten a tad claustrophobic and lurched out of bed and decided to sleep on the floor with what turns out were wet towels.

Saturday was highly emotional as Helen Dallimore was leaving the cast of Wicked. We had some fantastic seats to enjoy the show. I didn't know until the end of the show that Kerry Ellis' standin Shona Blake played the part of Elphaba the whole night as she was also departing. The show is just magical and was mobbed - when Helen Dallimore and the rest of cast appeared they were greeted with rapturous applause - I thought Helen was going to get a standing ovation. I've championed her from the start although my friend's thought she was decidely ropey - she didn't let herself down and put in a blinder! We were all a bit undecided as to where to go dancing after the show. I suggested trying a night called Shampoo at Soho Revue Bar but the concensus was G-A-Y which was blah beyond blah and not even that busy. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

I got home from the hilarity on Sunday but thankfully wasn't back at work until Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, my friend Stewart and I bit the bullet - we had been chatting all night online about booking up on holiday - so we did. We fly to London on Hogmanay and spend the night there before getting an early flight to New York on the 1st - it was a fabulous price and I'm so excited - we miss the hustle and bustle of New Year but after reading Lubin Odana's problems with New York at New Year then I think it may be a good thing. I'm picking out some shows that we definitely have to see and before anyone is shocked, Wicked will be part of it - and also the revival of A Chorus Line (if only to hear At The Ballet - I'm such a fag!)

Jon popped up for a visit this weekend aswell which was fab and needless to say, booze, chat and dancing were involved. I was totally wrecked on Friday that when I got home, I sat on the couch and then somehow found the energy to walk to bed although I walked in the completely wrong direction and nearly smacked into my table and chairs in my living room before realising the error of my ways! I redeemed the abuse to the body today by spending 2 hours sweating it up playing tennis with Cameron and his friend Scott. I got my ass whipped royally by Cameron but managed to sneak a win against Scott as I started to get into my stride, we plan on making it a regular thing and if I sweat as much as I did today that can only be a good thing. I only hope I can hobble off this couch to get into my bed tonight!!