The Outing IV.

[FastFreddy2]

As mentioned already, tickets were booked a couple of months in advance to go see Ludovico Einaudi, at the Royal Festival Hall, on London's South Bank. He is a popular Italian composer/pianist, amongst those who know his work. He is also popular with TV Directors/Editors. A week seldom passes, where I don't recognise his work being played during something I am be watching (usually on the BBC).

The Executive Summary, (for those of you used to reading formal reports) is that the evening went well, as did the performance.

What I wanted to wear didn't happen, where I initially planned to park didn't happen. Practice 'runs' were a bit mixed .... Details to follow.  

[FastFreddy2]

Parking:

For those of you who have experience of travelling around our (ahemm ... great) capital in a car, you will know parking anywhere 'legal' is mega expensive, and parking anywhere else is expensive to the point of feeling like you've been held up by Dick Turpin. 'On the night' I had access to a Blue Badge holder, so costs were minimised. That said, my plan was (originally) to park on Waterloo Bridge, which -I know now- was permissible after 6.30pm right up until around October 2015. I found the hard way on the first of my 3 'reccies' for parking/walking in heels dry-runs....

I'm familiar with the South Bank, and have visited often in heels. I used to park on Waterloo Bridge because it provided easy access to a place that has little or no free parking at any time. On very adventurous days, as happened on my first visit to the bridge in 2016, I would park on the North of the river. With enough of the evening left to do it in a casual manner, historically I might walk across Waterloo Bridge, or use one of the Golden Jubilee foot bridges. On the Outing night, time wasn't going to allow that as "free" parking starts at 6.30pm, and the performance started at 7.30pm. Too little time for a 'comfortable' walk across the river on foot. 

Plan B then, was to use the Royal Festival Hall (RFH) facilities, and Blue Badge (BB) parking is free. Yay! But the RFH car parks are currently being refurbished leaving only one small BB parking area. If it was full on the night .... 

 

So the first visit to the RFH for a reccy got me nowhere. In fact I parked up on the North of the river, and had a pleasant afternoon out with Mrs Freddy. If I remember, we ended up at Covent Garden instead of walking across bridges on what was a very hot day. The place was very busy, full of tourists looking for something interesting to photograph. Cobbled streets not so nice for someone wearing heels, but it was otherwise a nice afternoon out.

 

The second visit had me better prepared. I knew about the bridge, and I knew about the BB parking next to the FH. On arrival, I managed to find a BB bay around the corner from RFH, and a bay that unrestricted length of stay. Most are 4 hours max until 6.30pm, when they become unrestricted. Once out of the car it wasn't hard to find the RFH parking for BB holders, it being almost across an access road. While there, we went inside the RFH had have a look around. I asked once of the security staff a question, which he didn't understand at all (didn't speak very good English). I was pointed toward another fellow and asked him the same question. This was a week before the gig, and I wanted to know how we should access the venue for the gig. Apparently there are three places people can perform, and multiple entrances. This fella wouldn't help without seeing sight of a ticket...

We had a walk around, and then went off past the London Eye and reached Westminster Bridge before turning back. I was surprised how busy the place was. Back at the car I changed into some courts shoes, and had a short walk. They were too uncomfortable, so the walk was brief.

 

The third reccy had me without the BB holder, but again on the South Bank in the evening, just past 6.30pm. Amazingly, I found some unrestricted parking close to the venue. As long as got to this spot close to 6.30 on the night, I had 3 options in total, and the hope one would have an empty spot for my car. Since i would be on the South Bank, walking in a heel with whatever height or style, I might only have a 50 yard walk to the venue. Not only a short walk, but one that wouldn't take up a great deal of time.

Edited August 12, 2016 by FastFreddy2

[FastFreddy2]

Shoes:

I had expected to wear red patent courts. Sounds a bit outrageous now, but at the time.... I'd gotten away with courts at the Barbican Centre, at least while inside, and the same was true of the O2. Given I expected to do no more than cross the road in front of the Royal Festival Hall.... Why not?

The ONLY option I'd managed were some red patents, and while I like patent, I felt they would be a bit over-the-top, like wearing red courts wouldn't be bad enough.... I settled on wearing something I already owned.

Initially, these:

 

Worn at the O2. They were spotted, but not by many - as far as I know.

During my second 'reccy' I had returned to my car and changed into these for a walk around, to see if I could cope in the cobbled areas. The walk was short. I could walk in them, as dangerous as that seemed, but I felt some pressure on my left toes and realised these shoes were not suitable unless some protection was added to the tops of one toe and the outside of my big toe. This was a surprise as these shoes aren't a snug fit, Maybe too loose? Anyway, I returned to the car before any skin was broken.

 

The third reccy, had me try these:

 

All PU and a Primarni UK7.

I don't recall going far in them, but they were comfortable. In fact they were so comfortable I could have walked quite some distance in them. I did have one minor stumble, when a heel went somewhere it shouldn't, but the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that both stiletto heels shown here are protected with a couple of layers of heat-shrink. It did, and does work well. I have put this stuff on all the heels I might wear outside, since I have scraped several thin heels when they've found cracks or gaps in pavement.

 

If I wore courts then, they would be these.

On the day, I spent several hours coming up with suitable shoe/jean combinations. Oddly, these Primarni shoes looked best with some straight jeans, that covered the heel and almost all the (potential) toe cleavage. Meaning the lily-white top of my foot.

I had 3 variations to take with me. My almost-always-wearing shoes (as avatar), some ankle boots with moderately slim heel, and the courts. 

Edited August 18, 2016 by FastFreddy2

[FastFreddy2]

The Outing:

Unusually, I didn't leave late. I left later, but not late.

Companion was collected, and we to Brent Cross for an en route meal. We were soon back on the road, heading toward the South Bank.

Having made practice runs several times, we arrived without mishap. Again, unusual. The first space I'd hoped to use was full, but one further along was empty. Blue Badge on the dash, we were good to go. And this is where 'reality' hit me around the face like an old smelly fish.

 

The car was parked in the same  position to the van shown in this picture:

 

 

In all the visits I had made previously, those covered market stalls had not been there. Worse, on the day, there was a row even closer to the car, where the empty space appears between the cars and the potted bushes. It was a busy pathway, with people stopping to browse. And the stairway seen in the background (that least ups to the RFH main entrance) was almost covered in people sitting, eating and drinking refreshments just bought from the market. Getting out of the car felt like getting out on stage in front of an audience, and in bright sunshine too.

The reality was, courts were off the agenda, so thankfully I had not made a special purchase of red ones!

Even after we had left the car, me in the boots shown in my avatar, I was reluctant to walk up through the sitting mass. We walked around to the rear entrance, the one I had used before. Walking past the venues dedicated Blue Badge parking, I could see all the bays were used. There was no way I could park closer, just cross the road. I had just not appreciated (i) how many people would be there, and (ii) how many would be sitting - watching the world around them.

 

 

Inside the venue was slightly darker, noisier, with seated heads a little higher off the ground. Having found where we were to enter the auditorium, we had a quick post-dinner coffee. The cafeteria was like a furnace, so we went outside onto the busy balcony. Immediately I could see a woman, with two male companions with their backs to me had spotted my high heeled gait, so I kept my back to her. In doing so, one of a group of four girls standing by an adjacent table to the woman I'd spotted, told her friends about my shoes. After a quick look by some, they all went back to what they were doing. Apparently, I wan't as interesting as she may have thought. At this point, I was quite glad I didn't have slim heels on, and very glad they weren't red. 

My bladder is either super-efficient, or super-inefficient. Fluids almost fall through me. Back inside I made a visit to the toilet, and we into the auditorium and seated. 

There were some rather stunning couples in the audience, very well dressed and very good looking. Most looked like tourists though.

 

 

One couple were very noticeable. Unfortunately, the fella with the camera hadn't switched it on as he thought, so no pictures.... (Duh.)

 

The actual performance was superlative. We were seated very close to the stage, and pretty much at the best level too.

 

 

 He and the group of artists with him, got a standing ovation, and a well deserved standing ovation. All his concerts are sold out wherever he performs in the UK, with good reason.

 

Once the performance was over, there was a terrific rush to get outside. Not sure why, but there was. 

Outside, it was as good as dark, and only then could I possibly been able to wear slimmer heels and gone almost gone unnoticed. I say almost, because even the shoes I had on got spotted by one person as I was about to leave the front of the building. Hey-ho.

The car wasn't more than 40 or 50 yards away, and we made a quick journey homeward. Another time we might have hung around for a walk along the river as the weather was so good, but our senses were already humming from the gig.

 

Edited August 18, 2016 by FastFreddy2

[Heels]

Being trying to think If I was to go out wearing a pair of heels which pair from my collection would be the most suitable to wear out. Now I have worn heels out. I think maybe 4 or 5 times now but not at least 3 years now.