Saturday 29 June 2013

So much time to write, so little to do here

"Strike that, reverse it" - a song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory taken from this line in the first movie. Also relates to the title

 

 

Today

Conran Store and icons

Their own Paddington Bear

Matilda

 

 

 

Conran and icons ... REE POV

I took a morning to catch up with my lovely ex-flatmate from the 90s, Nicola, in South Kensington, to find a decent coffee and revisit a few old haunts - I spent my first weeks ever in London staying in a bedsit in South Kensington and the green leafy streets haven't changed a bit. Just the fancy cars driving around them have been updated.

Have just loved being back in London again - so much remains the same despite the world's machinations. London knows exactly what its all about - its a city that has been on the grow for over 1500 years and despite suffering attacks, diseases, fires, economic downturns, wars and huge waves of immigrants over the years it seems resolute, and confident and maintains excellent queueing protocols. Plus there's lots of red stuff round the place that seems to jump out at you and say "Hello! I'm British"

 

 

 

No evidence of the GFC here. Not in the shops, the window displays or the number of people carrying flash shopping bags.

 

 

 

The Conran Shop is one of my favourite stores. Filled with objects of groovy splendor and well known for its displays and the brilliant Michelin building which houses it all. Everything from children's books to solar barbeques - you can buy an exquisite camera or a block of boutique Swiss chocolate, clothes, tableware, perfume, designer chairs, light fixtures. Its all very pretty and no photography allowed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nearby there is the Kings Road - with shop after designer shop and galleries, cafes and lots of people with credit cards meandering all the way to Sloane Square.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing in my price range here - so having had a wonderful catch up and fabulous caffeine fix (London IS getting better at coffee I'm pleased to say), I went to join Lorry and the kids at the HUGE-ORMOUS Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush.

 

 

Their Bear

Went to Shepherd's bush shopping centre which is a bit like Claremont Quarter and Galleria combined - its HUGE and should you like shopping centres, all you need in retail. I don't like shopping centres - surprise!

The kids found some kind of Teddy Bear shop where you choose your bear, its stuffing, a message / wish that goes inside as it is sewed up in front of your eyes and of course its clothes. You get a birth certificate and a pawsport which you can then stamp at many other locations where such bear shops exist. Sounds all a bit Cabbage Patch reborn to me.

The kids were TOTALLY into it and negotiated heavily with each other so they could get one bear to share.They forked out their dosh and were proud as punch as they bought their bear now known as "TIny Tiger Dembo" back to his apartment.

I am without speech.

Forget they are kids sometimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matilda

 

 

 

 

 

Bizarrely true

 

 

 

The lyrics and backstory make this such a great experience. Its definitely the Tim Minchin show with dialogue a segue into the next song.

 

Many faves but here is one

 

 

 

 

Lots of caricature characters and a seamless but far less extravagant than Chocolate factory set. Its the message and the way Tim Minchin has written that message into the lyrics that resonate and mean that it's hard to stop singing - much to the horror of the kids and unwary subway travellers.

 

I found Matilda quite similar to my first theatre experience as a ?6 year old when we went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I remember all the important bits - we knew the songs before hand, loved the show and I got a box of rowntrees fruit pastilles (Neil got wine gums).

We had some Subway issues - the trains stopped on the line we were on - so we made a mad dash in a black London Taxi Cab in peak hour traffic to get to the theatre. Missed a bit but thats life in the big city.

 

Running to get to the train which turned out not to move

 

 

 

Oh yes, much to dad's perplexed angst, the bear HAD to come with

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love "The Tunchbull"

 

 

 

REALLY Love "The Trunchbull"

 

 

 

Hard to compare the two plays we saw in two night. Charlie was memorable because it was "our first". The story is a bit basic without much depth but the set and the set pieces were extraordinary. The theatre was beautiful and Willy Wonka is one of those never forget characters - his songs, imagination (which we all kenw from the first movie) and "Strike That, Reverse That" and some of the super Oomp-Loompah work were highlights. On the other had, Matilda is just so much fun. It's funnier and wittier and easy to see why it's won so many awards.

We all agree - it's a tie.

 

 

Enough

 

1 comment:

  1. How good is Matilda! I couldn't stop singing the "my mummy says I'm a miracle" song for weeks haha

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