Weeknotes #99: entertainment every night

Enjoyable week of festive activities, concerts, and media moments.

Week commencing Monday, 9 December 2024

This image depicts a lively musical performance on a stage with dramatic lighting effects. The background features a large banner with bold red text that says, "WELCOME TO HEATONGRAD." Yellow and green beams of light pierce through haze or stage smoke, creating a dynamic atmosphere. On stage, multiple musicians are performing.
Heatongrad

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 7/7; Exercise 7/7 and Move 7/7. (100%). Morning walks: 0/3 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 69,501

Life

  • Some of the Christmas lights went up. The tree was out of the box, undecorated by week’s end.
  • Monday evening, to the cinema for Wicked. Concluding in three hours, you’re only at the interval (if you were at the stage show). It is, visually, very impressive and seems like a faithful adaptation of the musical. The chemistry between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sparkles. Special shoutout to Jonathan Bailey who makes Fiyero stand out.
  • Tuesday, Paul Heaton in concert. £35 tickets; a bargain. I kept my coat on in honour of the performance. 25 songs. The new ones, like Fish ‘N’ Chip Supper, are just as good as the classics, Rotterdam (Or Anywhere). Rianne Downey, a new voice that works perfectly. Perfection.
  • A pension meeting. I don’t know what else can be said. Necessary admin.
  • Wednesday, The Truth About Harry Beck, a drama about the creation of the London Underground map, (oops, diagram). Staged in the London Transport Museum, it’s the story of Beck’s life from draftsman to designer, with his wife Nora as his biggest supporter. It’s nicely done, playing off the audience a little, with a clever scene trying to visualise the map on stage. But, yes, a play about the tube map.
  • Christmas party two. I stayed longer than I should have done but it was good fun. Tried to find a bus home that wasn’t due for 30 minutes and ended up missing a tube by a minute and having to wait ten.
  • The Lightning Seeds at O2 Forum Kentish Town needed a walk from Camden. Twenty songs: a great set. The encore The Life of Riley was partly played by Riley (now a guitar-playing adult).
  • We played oven-glove pass-the-parcel at the annual Stokey Christmas. As much laughter as the first time I played it. Nice to see everybody again.
  • Delicious dinner in New Malden with friends. Perfect way to end the hectic week.

Media