My weekend

It is Saturday night and I am sat on my bed writing to you all drinking a pre-mixed rum and coke...I have job applications to do tomorrow so I guess my weekend is already over.

Friday - I went to see Journey's End at the Duke of York Theatre, London.

This is a stunning and at times heart wrenching piece of theatre was admired by Winston Churchill and its first performance starred an unknown Laurence Olivier. Steeped in history it will not disappoint those looking for a first-hand account of life in the trenches.

It was written within ten years of World War One ending and by a man who fought in the trenches. Now that none of the brave souls who fought in that war are still with us, first-hand accounts of the conflict have also gone. A play such as Journey's End should be admired for bringing history to life.

The set is simple but incredible effective and the sound goes some way to expressing what it may have been like to live there. The battle that the play is set around saw over one million shells land on British trenches in five hours and as such, the sound will not convey that but it is certainly more than you would expect for a west end play.

Several first class performances really help you engage with the characters. You will laugh and cry and at the finale, you will sit in silence not really comprehending the immenseness of that war.

Saturday – Lots of thing!

We went to Loraine Pascal’s bakery in Covent Garden, Ella’s Bakehouse. I say with no word of a lie, their cupcakes are incredible. I had a malteser cupcake which consisted of vanilla sponge with crushed maltesers inside and a delicious creamy topping with crushed maltesers on. Their service was excellent, the cupcakes were excellent and although they were a bit pricey compared to a supermarket equivalent, there is really no competition and they are worth every penny.

Then we went to the Museum of Broken Relationships at the Tristan Bates Theatre just near Covent Garden. For those who don’t know the premise, it is a touring exhibition where people can donate items that they associate with a broken relationship. 

Highlights were a gnome that had been run over by someone’s ex as they drove away from their house and for me the most moving piece was a radio that someone had been given by a partner and that they had listened to the bombings in Yugoslavia on.

The exhibition originated in Croatia and so many of the pieces are from the Balkans but it is definitely worth it, the £3.50 entry is a bargain.

We then went to the press photographs of the year exhibition at the National Theatre on the Southbank. So many of the photographs are recognisable from newspapers but it is a treat to see them blown up in the glory that many of them deserve.

Brief I know but I thought you may be interested.