Out again at last [updated]

Yesterday we had our first ‘proper’ outing since the first lockdown.  We made a trip to London to see  Historia Theatre Company’s current production, Kate Glover’s Mayflower: They Knew They Were Pilgrims.  It is being performed until 11 June at the Hen and Chickens at Highbury Corner.  A well-constructed and moving piece, acted with the usual spark and eloquence of a Historia cast made up of some familiar and some impressive new members.  It traces the progress of the Leiden non-conformist congregation from their decision to set up in Virginia to their unplanned arrival in Massachusetts.  As well as the underlying theme of religious persecution, the plot addresses the exploitation of refugees from persecution by ruthless venture capitalists who fund the journey in exchange for years of slave labour from the pilgrims, and send them to sea in overcrowded, barely seaworthy vessels.  The play was written to mark the 400th anniversary of the 1620 voyage, but of course could not be performed live in the anniversary year.  Four hundred years on, the parallels with the present day could scarcely be more chilling.  As pub theatres go, the H&C is pretty good, if bum-numbing.  The traffic noise can be a distraction - but it can’t outdo Michael Murray’s exuberant sound effects.  

It was a matinee performance, so we took the chance to have lunch nearby beforehand, at the Trevi restaurant at the foot of Holloway Road.  Friendly place with decent food and pretty reasonable prices: two courses and two glasses of wine each: £60 including tip - cash only.  We took a crowded train up from our nearby country station (where parking is now charged, but only on weekdays in the daytime) and used the 43 bus between London Bridge and Highbury Corner.  What one notices on a first trip to the Smoke after a longish interval is the crowding and the noise.  London was thronging on the fine Saturday afternoon, so the people-watching was good sport.  We missed our train home by a few minutes, so sat on the concourse for best part of an hour with tea and a sandwich.  It was a relief to get away from the noise to the relative peace of our train when it pulled in.  Unfortunately, we shared a carriage with a young couple who felt able to spend the journey winding up their screeching sprogs.  We like public transport, but….  

Oh, and why, according to announcements, do trains arrive ‘into’ particular stations rather than ‘at’?  And why are we enjoined to ‘ensure and make sure’ that we haven’t forgotten to pick up our belongings?  It’s a bit like the ‘last and final’ calls made at airports (when they are seldom either).