Going Out

I'm a feast or famine type of gal!  By that I mean, an all or nothing, rarely anything in between.  So when I'm working - that's it, I work, hard, a lot and I'm not very good at that life-balance thing where you work AND play. I'm not a great advert for work/life balance, I realise that!  So, during term-time I don't tend to go out much, especially during the week; in fact my non-teaching friends now don't even bother to ask.  However, come the holidays I need to make up for lost time and catch up on the world around me whether it be catching up with friends and long boozy lunches, seeing a few films that I didn't catch first time round, mooching round a museum or a trip to the theatre.  Here are some of the things currently on my holiday 'to do' list:

Degas and the Ballet: Picturing Movement at the R.A. I love Degas, especially his sculptures of ballet dancers.  He totally captures their fluidity and grace and this exhibition features sculpture, paintings and pastels.

A Walk On Part Soho Theatre (Nov/December) written by my Uncle, Michael Chaplin, this play debuted at Live Theatre, Newcastle and is coming to London very shortly. Based on the witty and contemporary diaries of MP Chris Mullins it charts the decade of demise of New Labour.  I've booked ringside seats for the opening night and I'm really looking forward to it - a sort of day-late birthday present!

West Norwood Feast  I've been dying to visit this event since I read about it here.  Feast is a monthly Sunday market that brings together a diverse range of skills and entrepreneurial talents.  Run by the local community and volunteers it promises vintage clothes, homemade cakes/food, fresh produce, delicious street food and also a 'stall' I've been dying to find called Letter Lounge.  I'm a great advocate of the written word and I mourn the loss of the simple letter or card.  Whilst I'm as guilty as the next person for using email and text I do love to sit down and pen a handwritten note or card, and when I receive one it makes my day (See this).  You never know, that quiet thump as the envelope hits your mat, may be a letter from me!