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No country for old women: Old Ladies - at Finborough Theatre

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The day after seeing The Old Ladies at the Finborough Theatre , I was describing the play to someone in great detail: about three old ladies who lived in a rickety house in southern England in 1935. Based on Hugh Walpole’s novel and adapted by Rodney Ackland, it is the sort of story with enough believability, humour and mild thriller to stick in your mind. Perhaps it is the lure of this dark, forboding tale of a life without money, to be alone and to be old, that makes you feel attracted to this poverty porn. But then again, given the state of the world, the cost of living, an ageing population, or just the fact that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, it might as well be an every little old lady-for-herself, too. It’s a well-acted and staged piece that moves at a brisk pace, so there isn’t much time to think about it too much. And in the intimate (or should that be claustrophobic?) space of the Finborough, there’s nowhere to avert your eyes. Even if you wanted to.  The scene is a grim Cathe...
News: Shocking news on the tube

A power surge this evening bought most of the Tube network down... London travelers can take heart however, as it was confirmed today that it is healthier to travel by tube than to travel aboveground. Sure there are particles, but they're made of iron not carbon... so that's all okay then...

Conversation on the tube as Central line train pulls into Tottenham Court Road

Driver (on speaker): The Northern Line has severe delays southbound due to a power surge. Customers are advised to seek alternate routes...
Confused man sitting next to Paul: Excuse me... What about the Northern line?
Paul:Well the southbound Northern line is out, but the northbound Northern line is still heading north

At this point I quickly make my way out of Tottenham Court Road thinking that there is something for just numbering your metro lines...

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