London's Cable Car & Christmas Lights etc.

Our first view of the Thames Cable Car.

Waiting for our Blue Badge Guide to arrive.

On the 12th of this month I visited London with my local WI.  Arriving by coach at the the North Woolwich Peninsula I took photos while waiting for our Blue Badge Guide to arrive.

As soon as she'd introduced herself and issued us with our tickets we hurried over to the O2 Arena for lunch as time was tight.
Being nervous of heights I wondered how I would cope, the Cable Car is an amazing 300 feet high.  It can carry 2500 people an hour.  It was and still is sponsored by the Emirates Airline and travels from the North Woolwich Penisular to the Royal Victoria Dock, linking the O2 and the Excel Centre. 

Directly after our lunch we hurried back just in time for us to board.

And then we were on our way.

Amazingly I felt very safe, safe enough to stand and take some of these photos. Seeing the Thames from this height I could see the tight curves which I hadn't appreciated before.  Unfortunately the weather could have been better so that we would have seen views of places further away, although the mist gave the scene an ethereal look.
Directly after disembarking we got back on board our coach, this time with our guide.  She was really amazing with all the facts she had at her fingertips.  Telling us about the different docks and what each one was designated to what kind of cargo.  How the Black Wall Tunnel had bends in it due to it's being built when horses were the mode of transport and, evidently, if the horses had been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel they would have bolted.  Among other buildings we passed there was the Church of St Michael of Paternoster Royal, where Dick Whittington was buried.  The original church had been burnt during the Fire of London and was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren, it was also bombed during World War 11 on both occasions his remains were searched for but never found; although a mummified cat was found.
After a comfort stop at the Natural Museum we reboarded the coach to see the Christmas Lights, as it was now dark enough to show them at their best.  Harrods has a team of twenty who dress their windows all year, they were splendid, each one depicting a fairy tale.  Fortnum and Mason coincidently had chosen Dick Whittington as there theme.  Our guide explained that when lights were first used in Oxford Street they were paid for by the big department stores that lined it.  Now they have different sponsors, this year it's Marmite.  The Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square, donated by Norway as a thank you for our help during the war, is lit by Christmas lights going up and down as is their custom, not round and round.  We also gleaned the fact that Christmas Stockings came from the Dutch who traditionally filled their childrens clogs with sweets etc at Christmas time.  When they moved to America there were no clogs and so they hung up their stockings.
Our final stop was at the South Bank where we could get a coffee and wander the Christmas Market.  Then it was time for home.

The Wonderyears at Wentworth Golf Club

We were fortunate to be invited back to the Wentworth Golf Club, for the second year running, to perform in their Christmas Concert.  These concerts are run yearly in their beautiful ballroom which is graced with chandeliers and magnificent paintings.  The proceeds of the concerts are given to a charity chosen each year by the Golf Club.

This year children from Abbey School in Farnham were first to perform and sang Christmas Carols, then it was our turn. Dave our MD encouraged the audience to sing along with us; as he does with all our concerts. We sang well known Christmas Songs including 'White Christmas' and Rocking Around the Christmas Tree'.  Two of our singers, Joan and Marianne, entertained with a Christmas skit.  After the interval we were joined by the Christ Church Choir and sang Christmas Carols. Ken Morgan, a member of both Wentworth and Christ Church gave a Christmas message based on the rules of golf. 

Ian, our assistant technician setting up our mics with our two guitarist, Paul and Keith looking on while Paul T, our sound technician fine tunes our sound equipment. 

Ian, being watched this time by Paul,Tom, one of our singers and John, our keyboard player.

Keith, Paul and John tuning up.

Some of our singers relaxing before the show.

Vera, Barbara and Christine all Christmassy with their hats on ready to go on stage.

The Wentworth Golf Club ballroom ready and waiting for our audience to arrive.

We were all very well received and I might add very well looked after by the staff who supplied us all with excellent refreshments.

 www.wonderyearsrock.com

My Experience as a Film Extra

Entrance to the film location

Another new experience for me was gained, once again through being a member of The Wonderyears.  Our MD and Founder, Dave Thomas, had been asked by and Assistant Director of a film called 'Lilting' if any of our group would like to be extras on this project.  Five of us decided we would and were asked to join the film crew on their film location last week.
We were made very welcome by everyone, the Assistant Director, Emlyn Pool; who had been liasing with us, put us at our easy and explained what we were needed to do.  Although we weren't to paid for doing this we were 'fed and watered'.

The scenes we were to be part of where the actors were in a Residential Nursing Home, let's hope that our parts are not a depiction of the future as we were to be filmed as some of the residents.  We were asked to sit around this large lounge, and I mean large, some of us read books, some played scrabble (or pretended to) while Joan knitted.  We weren't the only extras, the ones we met were Sam, from Egham New Singers, John, who's son had seen an advert and so applied through this, and Dorothy, who was a local WI member.   (I do apologise for the quality of the photos) the last photo is of myself in one of the places I sat to read).

The story involved five characters, although I only saw four.  There was Ben Wishaw - Richard, the main character. Cheng Pei Pei - Junn, a resident who could only speak Mandarin (Cheng Pei Pei is a well know actress in her own country, this will be her debut here).  Naomi Christie - Vann, a translator. Peter Bowles -Alan, the love interest for Junn and Andrew Leung - Kai, a partner of Richard.  I was amazed at the amount of times the scenes were played out, as the camera repositioned.  This must take a lot of stamina on the part of the actors as they had to repeat the exact words and actions over and over.

There was lots of waiting around, though when off set we spent the time getting to know some of those members of the filming crew who were behind the scenes and the other extras, or as on the forms we signed Supporting Artistes.  Naomi found time between scenes to introduce herself, she was really lovely in all ways.

Some of the film crew watching the run through of scenes that have just been filmed.

Sam reading between takes.

Queuing for lunch (Joan is behind Ben Wishaw).

The kitchen, this isn't in the film.

We were told by Emlyn that the film will be going to the Film Festivals and then will go on general release. We, the extras, will be on the credits.  The whole experience was good despite the waiting around and feeling cold on the first day. 

I wonder what will be next on my agenda of my life?