London 2012

Day 14 of the Olympics and day 9 of my trip home.  Wow it has been amazing to be in London in August 2012.  The city has gone Olympic mad and all the people with it!  I have lost count of the number of times I have heard “I’m not that into sports but I’m off to see basketball, Judo, Badminton etc…

Myself?  Well I’m off to the Handball Men’s Bronze medal match on Sunday morning.  It is an opportunity to good to miss when a friend offered me her ticket so I could experience the buzz of the Olympic Park. Here is the proof. 

 I am staying in Wapping so the other morning walked up the river to Lambeth Bridge.  The South Bank is alive with people from so many countries sporting their team colours (Adidas has done very well with their Team GB merchandise as it is everywhere).  This walk also let me finally see the glorious site of Tower Bridge with the Olympic rings displayed so proudly.  Here are a couple of the many photos I took on my walk.

So how is it being back?  Strange.  It was very disconcerting to arrive at Heathrow without a set of house keys and a base.  Luckily though I have bagged my friends flat for the duration and with views like these it’s not all bad.

Looking West

Looking East in the day

and at night

So far I have been to the theatre twice:

Timon of Athens – an awful play which appears to have been staged as a vehicle for Simon Russell Beale  as no-one else really had anything else to do though Hilton McRae did stand out.

The Last of the Hausmanns – what can I say? with Rory Kinnear, Helen McCrory, Julie Walters and Matthew Marsh in the cast it was always going to be a joy.  The writing is not the best by the performances and direction were wonderful.  Rory Kinnear has been one of my favourite actors since I first saw him at the RSC in 2004 and he did not disappoint.  His dad would have been proud.

So what next?  Taming of the Shrew at the Globe and Philadelphia Here I Come at the Donmar but I’m sure something else may sneak in!

Next report will be from Scotland – white pudding supper for me please!