Being a fan of going to the theatre, and lucky enough to live easy travel distance to London’s West End, I have an annual tradition of going to see pantomime at the London Palladium (some may argue this to be the Queen of Panto, or should that be ‘Dame’?). It all started seven years ago when a friend and I decided to take advantage of discounted tickets to see what all the fuss was about. We booked for the first week of 2017 so as to have something to look forward to after the joy and festivities of Christmas quickly fades and beat the January blues. We weren’t to be disappointed! I half expected to feel out of place not arriving with any children in tow but the audience was mostly adults of all ages. The theme was Cinderella and starred memorable performances from Julian “Dandini” Clary and Paul “Baroness Hardup” O’Grady (RIP). I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a pantomime but it must have been as a young child at a local production no doubt. I’m pretty certain it wouldn’t have been quite as hilarious and contain half as much innuendo as the Palladium version. Mind you, fans of Mr Clary would probably expect nothing less. We had such a great time that we’ve been back every year since (Covid allowing). Each year, the costumes get bigger and better, the staging more impressive, and although some of the jokes become a bit familiar year in year out, it’s still one of the funniest nights out you’ll have … “oh no it isn’t” I hear you cry, “oh yes it is” (etc etc)!!
Why write a Christmas themed blog in February when Spring is fast approaching?? Well, it won’t be long before details emerge of the 2024 offering and I’m already signed up to the newsletter on updates when tickets go on sale ready for this year!
This time last year I visited a good friend of mine in Warsaw. For a change of scenery, we decided to spend a weekend in Krakow, staying in a lovely boutique hotel in the Jewish quarter. Having explored the many sights of the historical town the day before, the next day we took a short drive […]
Cricket might be known as a global sport, but its heartbeat truly lies in local communities. From small village greens to suburban parks, these cricket clubs and groups are where the game comes alive, and where it actually means something personal. Local cricket isn’t just about playing matches, it’s about belonging to a community of […]
Tot ziens, Nederlands! I recently had the opportunity to visit the Netherlands – my first (mostly) solo trip abroad. The first leg of my trip took place in Amsterdam, where I was able to take in the picturesque canals and the colourful canal houses aligning them. I always seemed to be on the move, whether on […]