The wastelands on a snowy winter’s morning

Dublin, Ireland, Travels to work, Uncategorized

20180206_081606

Like the wailing from the lost souls in hell, my alarm clock started ringing at 6.30am. For most daytime dwelling, commuter folk – particularly those with offspring – this is a normal time to start the day. Not for my good self. I have my morning routine, refined to a precision that would make an Olympian proud. A simple matter of misplacing my keys for thirty seconds can mean the difference between catching, or missing my bus to the grim, industrial wastelands of North County Dublin. Continue reading The wastelands on a snowy winter’s morning →

Going round in circles

Dublin, Uncategorized

grand-canal-dublin-ireland
It’s become almost a tradition at this stage, that I walk across the river to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre at 2pm on a Saturday in the hope of getting a cheap seat for a Saturday matinee. Today however I was out luck. The theatre was in darkness. No show for me. Just as I was about to pirouette around and head home, I had a brainwave. I really ought to do something useful with my Saturday afternoon. So I decided to take a stroll along the Grand Canal. Continue reading Going round in circles →

I might be going to see U2 in November

Uncategorized

U2 and Ticketmaster - still scamtastic after all these years

I  have never seen U2 live in concert. Despite being the biggest band in the history of Irish music; and the fact that they have played countless gigs in Ireland in the years since their formation, I have never really felt a major inclination to see them. While it is widely accepted that they put on a good live show and have done some iconic tours, something about them sets my teeth on edge. Continue reading I might be going to see U2 in November →

Class reunion 2018

Dublin, Travels to work

bus

January is complete. This is always a nice psychological boost. It feels like spring is on the horizon. As you leave work there is still a tinge of daylight in the air. If like me, you have time measured by the second in the morning to ensure the longest possible lie in, then you notice that it is bright by the time you rouse yourself from your slumber-pit. Spring is approaching. This feels good.

Then you remember that February is pretty damned terrible as a month also. Cold, harsh, bleak and grey. With nothing to brighten your mood except for a Hallmark inspired, fake celebration of couple-hood in the middle the month.

And you are single
Continue reading Class reunion 2018 →

Cult movie time: ‘Whatever happened to Baby Jane?’

Film, , , ,

babyjane

I have just watched ‘What ever happened to Baby Jane?’ What a riot. These days it is a cult classic, with a back story equally as fascinating as the tale being told onscreen. It is a psychological horror /thriller starring Bette Davis as ‘Baby Jane’ Hudson, and Joan Crawford as her sister Blanche. Blanche Hudson is a paraplegic, 1930s film star, being cared for by her sister ‘Baby Jane’. Baby Jane is somewhat eccentric – attired in gaudy make-up, and a dress and hairstyle more in keeping with her time as a child star. She is now a fifty-something, decrepit alcoholic, poisoned by bitterness and jealousy that her disabled sister is having a career comeback thanks to her old films appearing on television. In fact Jane is losing the very few marbles she ever possessed. Continue reading Cult movie time: ‘Whatever happened to Baby Jane?’ →

#Bloggergate: The White Moose edition. A deeply grubby tale.

Dublin, Ireland, Uncategorized, , ,

 

I felt slightly soiled after reading this tawdry tale of opportunism and malice; but for those of you outside Ireland (or those of you without an affinity for ‘human interest’ stories – what the kids these days called ‘clickbait’) then you might not yet have heard this sordid story. Continue reading #Bloggergate: The White Moose edition. A deeply grubby tale. →

Theatre times: ‘Forgotten’ by Pat Kinevane

Ireland, Theatre, Uncategorized

socks

The Pavillion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire was my destination last night, to see ‘Forgotten’ – the one-man show written by and starring Pat Kinevane. Through the media of Japanese kabuki theatre and Irish storytelling. Kinevane tells the interlinked tales of four geriatrics living in care homes (or ‘assisted living facilities’ as they are so euphemistically described by Americans) in Ireland.
Continue reading Theatre times: ‘Forgotten’ by Pat Kinevane →