Off Topic The Review Thread

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Opted for the four course menu and wine pairing at L’Oiseau Bleu, an elegant and modern space. Very delicate food and good wine choices, attentive but not overbearing service. Enjoyed it…….

…..until the final course, dessert of a green apple concoction with honey which didn’t quite work paired disastrously with cider. ‘Special’ cider from the champagne area and made by champagne people apparently. But it’s still cider, a fizzy apple drink, and this dessert needed a dessert wine and the best, Sauternes, is just around the corner.

Still, not a nightmare. The waitress asked how it was, as she had after every course, so we told her and suddenly her grasp of English deserted her. So my wife, with her degree in French, told her in her own language. Very frosty response, apparently you are not expected to actually give even polite comment.

Was worth a visit, pricey but not ruinous, probably better places in this great town though.
 
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Bar a Vin, Bordeaux.

A part of the marketing for local wine and charcuterie, this place is a must visit if in Bordeaux. Ok you might have to queue to get in and it’s full of tourists, but it’s very comfortable and a lovely room and the wine and meat/cheese plates are sensational and very good value.

Highly recommended and that’s my afternoon wiped out.
 
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sb_73 said:
Bar a Vin, Bordeaux.

A part of the marketing for local wine and charcuterie, this place is a must visit if in Bordeaux. Ok you might have to queue to get in and it’s full of tourists, but it’s very comfortable and a lovely room and the wine and meat/cheese plates are sensational and very good value.

Highly recommended and that’s my afternoon wiped out.
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Well done for hanging in there Sb. It’s a tough job but you’re up to it. Keep up the good work :emoticon-0105-wink:
 
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Yesterday took the local train from Puerto de Santa Maria into Cadiz, €7.80 return each for a 35 minute journey around Cadiz Bay, worth it for the scenery alone. Had lunch in bar adjacent to the city Mercado, Gambas Frittars and Croqutes of squid and seaweed, sound's awful but was delicious.... 2 beers €25 thank you very much...
Today, discovered a Galician bar in Rota, Fish pie according to translation turned out to be Tuna tart followed by Pulpo stir fry which was fab and Santiago tart for dessert, a tart originally made by nuns in Santiago de Compostella.... all washed down with a €10 bottle of Ribiero wine from a bottle with no label, probably poured from a cask into the bottle, but who cares, €37 for the lot....
All aches and pains have gone thanks to wine, olive oil in cooking and sun...
 
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What to do with a rare day off, I know go to the cinema. But what to watch, there has been nothing I’ve wanted to watch in a while. Today offered a couple of films with no interest, you know what you are gonna get with “the devil wears prada II (a lesser version of the first.)
So it’s “the Christopher’s” a film with Sir Ian McKellen so it should be good.
Well he was and the film was, also it included the girl from baby reindeer and James Corden, they played annoying,
money grabbers without the Scottish accent so no acting required.
It’s the type of quirky film the Brits should be making, (American director) also perhaps a dig at the art world. McKellen play an artist passed his sell by date, famous in the 60/70’s, now old and Ill, his offspring the afore mentioned have heard of a series of 8 painting never shown but have gained a myth like existence (The Christopher’s) so they hire an artist known for forging to find and find there whereabouts and copy them as they have already sold them for a vast sum. Also stars a very attractive alien Michaela Cole (I may destroy you) a very entertaining subtle comedy.
Entertaining and a 7/10
 
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Wherever said:
What to do with a rare day off, I know go to the cinema. But what to watch, there has been nothing I’ve wanted to watch in a while. Today offered a couple of films with no interest, you know what you are gonna get with “the devil wears prada II (a lesser version of the first.)
So it’s “the Christopher’s” a film with Sir Ian McKellen so it should be good.
Well he was and the film was, also it included the girl from baby reindeer and James Corden, they played annoying,
money grabbers without the Scottish accent so no acting required.
It’s the type of quirky film the Brits should be making, (American director) also perhaps a dig at the art world. McKellen play an artist passed his sell by date, famous in the 60/70’s, now old and Ill, his offspring the afore mentioned have heard of a series of 8 painting never shown but have gained a myth like existence (The Christopher’s) so they hire an artist known for forging to find and find there whereabouts and copy them as they have already sold them for a vast sum. Also stars a very attractive alien Michaela Cole (I may destroy you) a very entertaining subtle comedy.
Entertaining and a 7/10
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Heard good things about this, but as soon as you mentionef James Corden my brain disengaged
 
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He’s not the main part of the film and try and look passed him, it’s worth a watch, if you feel that strongly wait til it’s on Netflix or something
 
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Just watched Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh play Prospero in the Tempest at the RSC and very good it was. But first I had a three course meal at the rooftop restaurant in the RSC for £40, good food, service and setting. Managed to double the bill with alcohol though.
On to the play, how does Branagh be the best loved current British actor and perform showing he is above everyone else. Well simply he was very good, commanding the stage without up staging the rest of the cast, leading the show yet happy to let all other actors have their moment. Although listening to comments leaving “oh he’s a genius”, “fantastic performance”, “I can hardly believe what I’ve just witnessed”. Maybe I missed something.
This version of the tempest concentrated on the humour of which there is plenty, rather than the revenge then forgiveness normally put forward, all set on an open empty stage. The whole evening was wonderful dahling
 
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Wherever said:
Just watched Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh play Prospero in the Tempest at the RSC and very good it was. But first I had a three course meal at the rooftop restaurant in the RSC for £40, good food, service and setting. Managed to double the bill with alcohol though.
On to the play, how does Branagh be the best loved current British actor and perform showing he is above everyone else. Well simply he was very good, commanding the stage without up staging the rest of the cast, leading the show yet happy to let all other actors have their moment. Although listening to comments leaving “oh he’s a genius”, “fantastic performance”, “I can hardly believe what I’ve just witnessed”. Maybe I missed something.
This version of the tempest concentrated on the humour of which there is plenty, rather than the revenge then forgiveness normally put forward, all set on an open empty stage. The whole evening was wonderful dahling
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You did well to get a ticket, they sold out fast.
 
I managed to get one cause I went to see hamlet last year therefore allowed to purchase a day before they went on general release. 9:00 am that day I signed in and was told i was 2426th in the queue. But it moved fairly quickly and managed to get one
 
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Wherever said:
Just watched Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh play Prospero in the Tempest at the RSC and very good it was. But first I had a three course meal at the rooftop restaurant in the RSC for £40, good food, service and setting. Managed to double the bill with alcohol though.
On to the play, how does Branagh be the best loved current British actor and perform showing he is above everyone else. Well simply he was very good, commanding the stage without up staging the rest of the cast, leading the show yet happy to let all other actors have their moment. Although listening to comments leaving “oh he’s a genius”, “fantastic performance”, “I can hardly believe what I’ve just witnessed”. Maybe I missed something.
This version of the tempest concentrated on the humour of which there is plenty, rather than the revenge then forgiveness normally put forward, all set on an open empty stage. The whole evening was wonderful dahling
Click to expand...
only double
were you ill
 
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Wherever said:
Just watched Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh play Prospero in the Tempest at the RSC and very good it was. But first I had a three course meal at the rooftop restaurant in the RSC for £40, good food, service and setting. Managed to double the bill with alcohol though.
On to the play, how does Branagh be the best loved current British actor and perform showing he is above everyone else. Well simply he was very good, commanding the stage without up staging the rest of the cast, leading the show yet happy to let all other actors have their moment. Although listening to comments leaving “oh he’s a genius”, “fantastic performance”, “I can hardly believe what I’ve just witnessed”. Maybe I missed something.
This version of the tempest concentrated on the humour of which there is plenty, rather than the revenge then forgiveness normally put forward, all set on an open empty stage. The whole evening was wonderful dahling
Click to expand...
Was walking the dog past the theatre a few minutes ago and noticed a large number of obvious security men. I didn’t think Sir Ken was such a risk, but it turns out the King had come up by helicopter to catch the show. He must have read your review.
 
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sb_73 said:
Was walking the dog past the theatre a few minutes ago and noticed a large number of obvious security men. I didn’t think Sir Ken was such a risk, but it turns out the King had come up by helicopter to catch the show. He must have read your review.
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King appears as surprise guest at sold-out Shakespeare play​

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ByYang Tian
    • Published
      4 hours ago
King Charles III has appeared as a surprise guest at a sold-out performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC) production of The Tempest.

The monarch was met with cheers from the crowd as he arrived at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire and took his seat in the packed auditorium.

Backstage, the King toured the company's costume department, describing the pieces as "brilliant" and was seen sharing a laugh while appreciating a replica crown.

The RSC's co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey called the visit from the King "a tremendous honour". The production is directed by Sir Richard Eyre and stars Sir Kenneth Branagh as Prospero.
Harvey, who sat next to the King, said he seemed like a "true enthusiast of the theatre" and was "laughing away" during the performance.

"I think he genuinely enjoyed it," she added.
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After the performance, the King, who is a patron of the RSC, greeted the cast backstage and was seen chatting with Sir Kenneth and Sir Richard.
The RSC's production of The Tempest marks Sir Kenneth's return to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for the first time in more than 30 years, and is Sir Richard's debut with the company.

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Seems I have an ancestor called Tommy Christmas (and of course his dad, Father Christmas)......

Thomas Christmas
Direct ancestor (11 generations)
Birth: 1639 - Buckinghamshire, England
Death: Buckinghamshire, England
Father: Phillip Christmasse

That's just short of 400 years, though. Only 11 generations?
 
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Just watched the first episode of Obituary, an Irish comedy-thriller, on ITV.

Really good, and I'm already looking forward to the rest of the series.
 
Joseph Fiennes's portrayal of Gareth Southgate in BBC's Dear England is uncannily accurate. I was tempted by the stage production, but never made it. This series looks excellent, though.
 
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