h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So - to continue the story of my weekend - nothing much has happened today yet, so may as well!

After checking into the hotel and finding I wouldn't be able to get to anything like a museum and spend any time there before it closed, I just decided to go straight to the Covent Garden area and look at the shops, the people, and the famous street signs. Something I could probably do for a few days in a row, given the chance.

I found the theatre, and phoned my son. We arranged to meet at the theatre later, but he is so vague it took about three phone calls to get that sorted, and even then he turned up late. However, I spent the intervening time looking around and trying to find a restaurant for a meal before the theatre. The weather stayed fine, not too cold, and not raining.

It was 6.30 before my son got his act together and we finally met up together outside the theatre. There is no lack of choice of somewhere to eat, and we set off in the direction I thought I had seen a restaurant offering pre-theatre special prices. Either the restaurant had shut in the last ten minutes or I took the wrong direction off the 7 dials, but, whatever, we bumped into someone distributing handouts for an Indian restaurant. Fed up with son's indecisiveness, I decided that a bird in the hand was worth etc etc (have just realised the innuendo in that saying )

So we had a jolly good meal with excellent service but paid rather a lot for it because we went a la carte in the end and didn't get the pre-theatre special.

Sated and relaxed, we pottered back to the theatre and arrived well in time for

MATILDA!

It was great fun and the kids really are amazing. They had made several changes to the story which worked into the dramatics very well. Won't tell any, for fear of spoilers.

There were bangs and flashes and laughs and childish humour and Tim Minchin's songs. What more can you ask? The theatre was small and old-fashioned, but the performance, the music and the effects were very professional. It was perfect but not polished to an unnatural shine - they still played to the audience.

Miss Trunchball calling the children "maggots" was quite a feature. I dreamt about maggots that night. Maybe it was the Indian food.

<popcorn

Long story short - next morning had continental breakfast at the hotel and made it to Liverpool street well on time to catch the coach to the airport (lines were up on the Stansted-Liverpool Street route as well this weekend). We (son, girlfriend and me) took the coach to the airport as planned, picked up the car and drove to my mother's in time for huge Sunday lunch.

Oooh, Tim Minchin's Matilda That's had really good press, nice to hear positive reviews from a real person too. Glad you both enjoyed the evening.

MC

On the few occasions I flew into Stansted, the train was always cancelled on the Sunday return journey.

[Amy P]

I'm enjoying your wanderings greatly, but if even someone as conscientious as you is missing one or two,I was right not to attempt it.Looking forward to some interesting things from your home journey