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Posts Tagged ‘travel’

  1. Just a jump to the left

    February 17, 2010 by Amy Hansford

    After work yesterday I drove up to Leicester to meet with friends who were watching The Rocky Horror Show. I admit, I was anticipating to be a little bored by the show having seen it so many times. But once it got going, I remembered how beautifully it’s been restaged. The finale is so moving, the message now true having beaten the hen-night-mentality brought on by previous tours. And it may be the techie in me coming out, but the lighting in the last reprise especially was gorgeous.

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  2. Location, location, location

    July 22, 2009 by Amy Hansford

    It’s all been a bit quiet on the Awakey front, or so you would think. I’ve actually moved up from London to Milton Keynes to our new house, which is very exciting! Four days after we moved in, all the boxes are now unpacked and we’re back to normal life, which is lovely. My other half is testing the new route to work – a little different from changing tube stations – while I’m free to job hunt and give a bit more time to the As If By Magic Costumes orders. My colleague Ilona has made some truly beautiful things of late, so I’m looking forward to publishing pictures of the latest pieces soon.

    I’ve also been working on the costumes for the New Expressions production of We Will Rock You. I wouldn’t say it’s been too much of a challenge, just tricky when the cast swear they’re one size when they’re actually another. Such are the stigmas attached to size labels! Much kudos to Maggie for the loan of her amazing purple furry boots.

    Keeping with the amateur dramatics side of things, I’m looking forward to auditioning for Rent with Luton Light this weekend. I’ve not auditioned for what seems like years, and am well aware that my singing peak was back in Anything Goes in 2007, so I’m a little nervous. But excited!

    So, not a huge update. Just a little update to let you know I’m still kicking about.

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  3. London London London

    April 2, 2009 by Amy Hansford

    A friend visiting London was asking for some advice on places to eat and shops to visit. It’s not the first time, but I always forget what I’ve said. Through sheer laziness of not remembering this nugget of information for every person, I thought I’d put a few notes down here for future reference.

    Dinner:

    TREAT: Ping Pong. These do Dim Sum and are cool without being snooty. There’s a few around including one near the National Theatre on the Southbank.
    PUBBY: The Crooked Surgeon. This is just off Leicester Square (not far from The Prince Charles CInema) and does decent pub grub. It’s not a traditional pub – they’re so hard to find these days – but it’s okay value.
    CURRY: Masala Zone. This is off Covent Garden. They, like most places in London, do a pre-theatre deal. You don’t have to be going to the theatre to use the deals! About a tenner for a very tasty three course meal.
    FUN PUB: Ben Crouch’s Tavern. It’s off Oxford Street. Probably the only place I feel at home in London! Again, good menu, great value and it has a horror theme. Don’t tell your family about the screaming/chainsaw sound track playing in the toilets!
    Plus there’s plenty of Wagamamas around and all the usual chains.

    Shops:

    CAMDEN is all there and complete. The smaller market by the canal’s closed, but everything’s there. Sadly, they ditched the hotch potch covered stalls in all the arches for some glass monstrosity that I’ve not looked into – all glassware and t-shirts – but Punkyfish and the New Rock boot shops are all around as are the goth shops.
    OXFORD STREET is still packed with every shop imaginable.
    Check out FORBIDDEN PLANET for amazing sci-fi and film goodness.
    For your musicals, check out DRESS CIRCLE off Covent Garden. It has everything to do with every musical ever made.

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  4. Travel etiquette

    September 25, 2008 by Amy Hansford

    During my daily commuting, once I?m done with reading the adverts, the free papers, and making up interesting stories on where the bizarrely dressed person sitting opposite is headed to that day, I get to pondering. You know pondering, those odd thoughts that everyone thinks about in probably more depth than they should, but that aren?t important enough to raise in normal conversation. And this ponderation is something I?ve been mulling over for a couple of weeks now.

    ?

    Bus etiquette. Train etiquette, whatever you’re on, so long as it?s public transport.

    We?ve all been there ? you get on the tube and the only spare seat is next to, well, someone. Anyone. But it?s there and you take it. And so the aisles fill up with other commuters and you all go off on your way.

    You get to Commuter Central and the bus/train/etc empties out, leaving a rather empty carriage. A guy listening to his music a bit too loud, a few people reading the newspaper, a woman who?s fallen asleep against the window, and you. Sitting next to Mr or Mrs Anonymous. Potentially trapping them against the window, unable to escape freely to the aisle.

    ?

    What do you do?

    Do you move, allowing both you and the other person more freedom? But how will that make Mr or Mrs Anonymous feel? Your movement may trigger all sorts of feelings and thoughts from them. ?Why did they do that? Do I smell? Is there something wrong with me? I feel so unloved – even someone I don’t know can’t stand me.? The simple action of moving away could possibly make them feel so rubbish they may end up getting off that train and, I don’t know… kick a puppy or something.

    So, do you stay? It keeps the norm, doesn?t it? But then again, what about Mr or Mrs Anonymous? Will they feel trapped? Will they think you fancy them? Will they start to wonder if indeed you?ll ever release them from their seat?

    ?

    So that?s my ponderation for the day. What?s the etiquette? Next time I?m in this position, what should I do? Advise me so that I may know better!

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