Bubble and Squeak and Banoffee

Sometimes, it just overtakes you.  You can feel the idea creeping up on you.

And it just Must Happen.

On previous trips, I have particularly liked this dim sum place in Wardour Street because it's served from trolleys, and also the staff are plentiful and, seemingly, overjoyed to see you.

After lunch, by way of contrast, I went to see a series of very svelte and beautiful Regency ladies, as painted by Thomas Lawrence.

Not just ladies:  Lawrence was extremely popular in his own time, and had commissions to paint many of the leading figures of his day.  I particularly enjoyed his paintings of children.  Maybe a little bit sentimental and romaticized, but gorgeous and immediate, with real child expressions.  Also, if you wanted to be painted wearing red velvet, I think Lawrence was your man:  The rendering of fabric was sumptuous. 
http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2010/thomas-lawrence-regency-power-and-brilliance-minisite.php

I also wandered around to see recent acquisitions in photography, and this show:
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?search=ss&role=sit&LinkID=mp06556

Oh no, wait, so sorry, this show.  I got distracted.
http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/display/jason-bell.php

Then there was some wandering around the antiquarian bookshops in St. Martin's Lane.

From St. Martin's Court, in the next street, I bring you today's theatre dorkage moment:

They're loading the scenery for a play we're going to see next week into the back of Wyndham's Theatre.  I think the workers were bemused by my presence, although it did not stop them from being quite swear-y and loud. 

This cafe is a tourist trap right outside the Leicester Square tube station, but it served as a convenient meeting spot for JY and me.  The tourists that are trapped are mainly Italian (it's called Fiori) and I observed two occurences with frequency:  The Italian waitresses help count out English money for them to pay their bills, and also shout after them when (not if) they forget one of their multitudinous shopping bags.   I think perhaps the money is confusing because it is in nice small numbers - a cup of tea does not cost thousands of lire as it seems to in Italy.  I had a perfectly nice wodge of banoffee pie with my tea, but forgot to take a picture.

We went to the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square for a showing of Mike Leigh's Another Year.  I know some have found it to be slow, but naturally I liked the long shots of the actor's expressions, and the vast amount that goes unsaid.  And is there anyone better than Jim Broadbent?  I didn't think so.

Back to Islington for supper (CR: Steak and Guinness pie with roasted carrots and bubble and squeak for me, shepherd's pie with roasted pumpkin for JY).

Go it, Colin!