On the cheap

Last week we thought to go and hear Nicola Benedetti, but not caring to pay Royal Albert Hall prices (quite apart from not caring for the venue, far too big for me, although with the advent of Bullingdons not as awkward to get to as it used to be), we thought to hear her for a tenner at St. Luke's.

Started off in the now traditional way, picking up a Bullingdon at Waterloo Station 2 (providing much interest for a passing two year old) and pedaling over to Finsbury Leisure Centre, spotting just one open topped and rather shabby looking Lamborghini at the intersection of Farringdon Road and Charterhouse Street and with plenty of time to take tea and a bacon sandwich at the Market Café, with even enough time left after that to check out the DVD's in the neighbouring god shop. Where I learn that if you are a bit lonely the trick is to wander into the local god shop and to engage a likely looking member of staff about god; said member of staff cannot in all conscience decline to engage. And, in this case, pretty too.

And so onto St. Luke's to hear Benedetti (violin), Eischenbroich (cello) and Grynyuk (piano) do Schubert: Notturno in E-flat major D897 and Piano Trio in B-flat major D898. Didn't know either but they both went down very well. We were not alone, as for the first time ever, the place was more or less full, there were even people queuing for returns, not a concept I had thought the place would go in for.

Afterwards we thought to go to the Blackfriars' branch of El Vino for a spot of white; can't remember now whether it was German or Alsace but it went down well enough whatever it was. Accompanied by a ham sandwich: excellent ham on white and they managed, as instructed, to omit all the trimmings except some rather odd looking crisps. Plus an odd story from a bored gent. about his grandfather's incinerated stilton. Very comfortable place, oddly quiet for a late lunchtime, so off to the art nouveau pub next door to see how they were doing, which was rather better. Entertaining interior, justly saved by Betjeman from demolition.

Thus fortified, off to bottom of the Oxo Tower to see their rather odd selection of mutilation pictures from northern Uganda, the work we were told of the Lord's Resistance Army. Rather disturbing pictures and despite it not being very clear what Christian Aid could do about it, I thought they had earned their donation. Then to a rather thin book market under Waterloo Bridge, but where I did pick up an illustrated, heritage version of some Wodehouse story, originally cobbled together for a magazine in the US, this version published by Galahad Books of Cecil Court. And so to the Cabin at Waterloo to take the last drop of white of the day, yet another gewürztraminer, entertained the while by the crowds milling around the concourse area below. A posh version of the Wetherspoon's balcony at Victoria: posh venue that is - I think the crowds tend to be more interesting at Victoria. More mixed, less dominated by suits.

PS: on the train out was disturbed by a mobile phone which had a very bright white light shining out of the top left hand corner as I faced it, a bright white light which reminded me of those things that people erect on their houses to deter burglars. Must have been burning up a lot of battery as well as annoying me.