The Play’s The Thing

Catchup, catchup, catchup, this time the theatre over the summer!

Acrobatic

Coming back from the interval

In we went to new venue in the appropriately named Bridge Theatre in the shadow of Tower Bridge. We went to see a wonderful production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which swapped effectively Oberon and Titania’s roles, produced in the round, with some of the audience immersed in the rising and falling stage sections. Very enjoyable.

On a slightly less grand, but equally entertaining scale, an trip to Gravesend took us to see The Pantaloons performing Hamlet, complete with unscripted falling during one of the (many!) death scenes. All very silly and wonderful as always.

Our final play, was probably even smaller scale, an AmDram production of The Rivals in the Medway Little Theatre. We were there (with David) because Emma was providing a wonderful Mrs. Malaprop.

A Couple Of Quick Trips

Part of a little bit of a catchup:

Newcastle

Nao Victoria

Replica of the first ship to go around the world

Way back at we took a little weekend trip up north to Newcastle. There we met with Gemma and boyfriend Ross, having a stroll around the city. Down on the river we found the Nao Victoria, a replica of the first ship to sail around the world. For a small fee we got to look around on board the frankly cramped quarters, marvelling that anyone could endure a day let along long enough to head around the world.

There was a call to old favourite Bridge Hotel and a wander across the bridges before dinner in Marco Polo.

The end of the weekend was mainly spent in Centurions waiting for the trains to sort themselves out though!

Window View

Nesting

Nao Victoria

Mast And Bridge

Stash

Ring The Bell

Captains Cabin

Along The Bridges

Rochester

The Cathedral

Seen from the castle

then saw the annual trip to Rochester. It was only a little day trip out, to go up round the castle as is tradition. We had a call at a couple of pubs (The Arrow and The Eagle). Best not mention Baggins!

Rochester Heather

Castle

The Cathedral

Down Below

Winning Winchester

Buttercross

So called, because butter was sold there

There’s nothing like a break away to an historic city, and one I hadn’t been to at that (though Heather had, many years ago). So it was we found ourselves heading away for a week in August to the old capital of a kingdom, and Winchester.

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Cider Country

Balloons

Floating through the museum

So, a little break away from London where Heather and I decided to go west, spending some time in what turned out to be the interesting city of Bristol (I’d been there once, for about a day—I know this because I have a few photos taken then, but don’t really remember anything of the city from then). The start of the journey wasn’t the best, given the lack of trains from our home station but the Superloop actually proved a decent link to another station and from there it was a straight train to Paddington, and then onwards!

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Old Operations At London Bridge

The Apothecary

With it’s array of bottle, jars, and cures

In an unassuming church barely noticed on a street in the shadow of towering companions sits a peculiar museum we’d been meaning to get to for ages. The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garden sits in the garret (attic) of St Thomas’ Church, where it had lain forgotten (more or less) for decades after the coming of the railways forced St Thomas’s hospital to move. It had been used for the drying of herbs and the like by those at the hospital, but it’s most remarkable feature is the nineteenth century operating theatre left behind and restored to its original state.

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