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A nice quiet International Women's Day. Can't believe it's 4 years sinceI last did this. I did a couple to keep my hand in.
Back from Sheffield by midday and had a date afternoon/evening with my lovely wife. We went into London to have some sushi and to see a show. The biggest discovery of the week is that Equity members can park for 9 hours in Q Parks in London for £7. This is insanely good value. It's £60 for the day normally and I'd found a deal where I could park 5pm-1am for £30 but 9 hours for £7 felt like it was some kind of trick. But it wasn't. We only parked for about two hours today, but it still saved us money. And the fact that this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me shows where my life is at. But to any Equity members show didn't know about this - log in to the website and knock yourself out (this deal is London only at the moment, but you get discounts at other Q Park garages)
I had booked the parking before I realised the show we were seeing was in Hammersmith. We were seeing the wonderful Sarah Millican in Late Bloomer. It's such a pleasure to get a night off and a night out, and with Sarah you don't have to worry that you've wasted babysitter money on a dull night out - it's guaranteed fun and laughter. Sarah had given us access to a secret bar at the Apollo - I think it was just for afterwards, but we got in before too - where there were only a very few people and even better a toilet where you didn't have to queue. Again, almost as excited about that as I was about the parking. Hold on, am I middle-aged now? No, no. I am still young and cool.
I had been in this bar before, but I couldn't remember when. I have played the Apollo a few times on charity gigs - I doubt now that I will ever get on that stage in my own right, but it's been amazing to experience the rolling laughter of a huge but somehow intimate venue a few times. We also got to hang out here after the show for a small after show drink with Sarah and a few of her friends. Sarah is a magnificent act and the fact that she can play the packed-out Apollo for two nights is a testament to how much she is loved. She is inventively filthy and reassuringly honest and open and is fantastic at audience interaction. A section where she asked the crowd what was the most unusual thing that they had in their bag was incredible (must nick that for an emergency question) with much hilarity over a woman who claimed to be carrying what sounded like a "travel slug". Everyone assumed it was a mishear but Sarah rolled with it. Afterwards it transpired that it was indeed a travel slug, some kind of carry case that resembled the weird and sensitive snail without a shell.
A bit of a busman's holiday, but lovely and inspiring to see someone else doing the work and always a delight to catch up with Sarah. See her tour if you like laughing and inventive filthiness. Take something weird in your bag.
