Saturday 29th April 2023

Woke around 0900. Aki feeling a little under the weather, so lay in for a while. I made her some porridge. Did some work at the computer until breaking to cook lunch. Made for the bus stop, taking a No.253 to Finsbury Park, intending to catch the 106 to Stoke Newington, but the bus was cancelled ...realised we weren't going to make curtain up if we waited for the next bus, but got lucky and flagged down a black cab. Got to the Tower theatre with 2 minutes to spare. 

Geoff and Sarah had just arrived, and we trooped upstairs to the auditorium to see the first musical put on in the Stoke Newington space..."Pal Joey". Frank Sinatra had starred in the 50s film version. It was a terrific production, and a full house...the singing was very good, and the little band were great...the MD is a real talent! Some of the acting was a bit patchy...the lead looked awkward, and wasn't convincing, which weakened the production somewhat, but the set pieces, and the scenes in the nightclub, were very enjoyable. Managed a quick catch up with neighbours from No.36, and No.49, before heading for Stoke Newington rail station with Geoff and Sarah, and getting a train in to Liverpool Street. Took the Circle Line to Temple, and walked up to The Aldwych. Stunned to discover the south side of The Aldwych has been pedestrianised...looks like a little bit of Paris. Really good. Geoff and Sarah took us to the Indian Curry Club in The Strand...you enter through a rather unprepossessing doorway and up some tatty stairwells, to the eatery on the 2nd floor. It's all very basic, to say the least, but the place was packed. It's been there since 1964! The food was tasty and cheap...a lot of LSE students in there, so it's noisy, but we will be back! Caught the No.91 home...