Paul in London

Theatre: As You Like It Caught the Young Vic's production of As You Like It at the Wyndham's Theatre on Saturday night and it was quite good (and fun). This production has Sienna Miller as second billing, but playing Celia she hardly has the most demanding of Shakespearean roles. It is quite possible to play this role and to fret over Jude at the same time I suspect. The stars of the show really were Helen McCrory as Rosalind - who playing a man and woman gets to do all those fun Shakespearean things - and Dominic West as Orlando, who looked suitably good looking and all that. On the strength of McCrory's work in this I suggested to A that she deserves to be a bigger star. After reading her bio I realised that she already has quite a film career but surely she should be the next Catherine Zeta Jones. A suggested that CZJ was far more beautiful that HMcC so she had no chance, but I suggested that with cigarettes and plastic surgery surely anything is possible. As for the

The state of being alert but not alarmed... Catching the tube from Balham into central London was an interesting experience today. Passing through Stockwell and Oval tube stations did cause pause for reflection on the past 48 hours. You can't exactly get back to normality when you're reading The Times which gives you great detail about the bombs that partially exploded on the tube Thursday, and looking at CCTV footage of a man fleeing the station you are just passing through. The events of yesterday were also quite extraordinary (not to mention exhausting)... And as the police presence on the ground and in the air becomes ever more noticeable you can't help but wonder and hope if it is coming closer to endgame... Whatever the events of the next few days hold, it is now a case of be on the lookout for certain types of young men with rucksacks. They may be easier to spot if there are smart-casual trendy officers with Glock automatics drawn trailing them... Today I picked u

News: The watershed Today's shooting at Stockwell Tube station (that's where I interchange in my normal commute) was a bit of an shock. But I can't help but think it is a little relieving that there is one less madman out there... Unlike in Australia, police don't shoot people here as much so it has been described as a watershed for UK security . But what is the alternative when a man on a hot day is wearing a thick jacket and refusing to obey police instructions? Also a great piece by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times about the incitement of hatred as well. His article doesn't give much time for the excuse-makers either: When you live in an open society like London, where anyone with a grievance can publish an article, run for office or start a political movement, the notion that blowing up a busload of innocent civilians in response to Iraq is somehow "understandable" is outrageous.

Theatre: What the Butler Saw The opportunity arose on Thursday to see the Hampstead Theatre production of Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw with A. After a day of near-miss bombings on the public transport network it seemed like a sensible antidote. Or a silly one anyway. I thought the cast were great and it is such a great play full of witty one-liners about sex, incest and psychiatry so who could ask for anything more on a night like Thursday night was? It was press night as well so there were all sorts of press reviewers there with their little notebooks (including former Tory MP Michael Portillo - who we made stand twice because we had to get past him to get to our seats in the theatre). The production kept the story set in the 60's which was a good idea since the story while witty and fully of funny lines does tend to go on a bit and all the psycho-talk is very out of date. After the show there were some murmurings about how it was a little amateurish but I thought

22-07-05_0931.jpg Originally uploaded by Pauly_ . Scenes from Waterloo Station Northern Line Friday 09:31 - The morning commute is disrupted at Waterloo after what was described as a suspect package is found at Kennington... My train had to be reversed back up the line to allow another train to reverse back into the station. It would be the bus for me for the rest of the journey... Before catching the 59 Bus from Waterloo Station I thought I could do with a coffee. I started heading over to the nearby Starbucks and suddenly British Transport Police appeared out of nowhere and swooped on a tall young lad with a rucksack right next to the coffee shop. I decided to skip the coffee and head to the bus stop. Starbucks coffee is such rubbish anyway. From the safety of the bus stop I could see that it was a false alarm. **Further Update** It is now reported that a man has been shot at Stockwell tube station around this time (three stops south of Waterloo). Just as well I was late for work to

Scenes from Westminster Tube Thursday 23:16. An all-too familiar notice of service disruptions across the underground network this evening as the city escapes another round of bombings. Fortunately this time there is plenty of evidence that has been left behind. I was coming home from an evening at the Hampstead Theatre and with all the service disruption it was a bit of a roundabout route... Watching the footage this evening on the television as people describe the scramble to get out of Warren Street tube today seems all the more close by. Afterall I use that station a few times a week. Tonight I returned home to my street covered in discarded police tape. For most of the evening Tottenham Court Road was a pedestrian mall, but by midnight the road had reopened.

Email Banter -----Original Message----- From: Paul Sent: 21 July 2005 17:07 To: Amanda Subject: RE: News from a friend... Always count on you with the latest... But WHERE are these men now??? -----Original Message----- From: Amanda Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 5:09 PM To: Paul Subject: RE: News from a friend... hehe.... not in my life that's for sure. -----Original Message----- From: Paul Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 5:17 PM To: Amanda Subject: RE: News from a friend... Yeah I'm glad I don't have men with wires in my life either...

Latest Situation Police search hospital (the one at the top of my street) for a black, possibly Asian man, around 6ft 2ins tall, with wires protruding from a hole in his blue top . It appears they didn't find the man with wires in the hospital, although they have since returned. It is an odd feeling to know that a man intent on blowing himself up over some warped outlook on life is in your manor... As the hours go by without any further reports, the threat appears to have abated for now... It is now a waiting game... But they will be caught... Fortunately I am off to the theatre this evening so I don't need to go home just now... And on the email circuit... -----Original Message----- From: Amanda Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 5:01 PM Subject: News from a friend... Just spoke to X who has spoken to scotland yards ellite special forces unit he used to work for who are the first point of contact for terrorist attacks. Apparently 4 bombs in rucksacks we

PICT2786 Originally uploaded by akira_kev . What now appears to be a minor explosion on Warren Street tube has closed all roads around. This picture is taken by a photoblogger at the corner of TCR and Torrington Place. The hunt is on for the various failed suicide bombers

Warren Street tube station Originally uploaded by donkeyontheedge . Online bloggers are capturing the clearing of the area