Nine Lessons and Snow

We usually go to Oxford on the Friday before Christmas to see the UCSIA office and officers for a Christmas bash, and this year we decided to combine it with a trip to London. Of course, we had snow to contend with. Good trip to Oxford, bit of Christmas shopping when we got there, including a trip to the market, and a nice meal at the boat house. Up early next morning to find more snow, delayed trains, and a bit of a diversion via Reading to get to London. Got there mid morning, found our hotel near Tottenham Court Road, and laughed at Freddie's Christmas hat. Set off to get to St Paul's an noticed a small flurry o snow as we descended into the tube station. By the time we got out, it was coming down in buckets. St Paul's was pretty, but barely visible

and it just got worse as we crossed Millenium Bridge. And Stuart had no hat on, and the zip had broken on his jacket. 

 Crossing the bridge was cold! It was blowing a gale, horizontally, and there was thunder! Neither end of the bridge was visible from the middle.

Eventually we made it to Tate Modern, and spent several hours in there. The Turbine Hall had the Sunflower Seeds by Ai WeiWei - each one made of ceramic and hand painted.

While we were in there the snow stopped, and we could see from the windows that St Pauls had started to appear again.

We'd actually gone down to see Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People, and I was really worried that it would be cancelled, and had been following the twitter stream about it all afternoon - even tweeting the host and organiser to ask that it not been canceled given how far we'd come. Was relived to get a tweet to say it was going ahead, and we started to make our way back to the hotel, being surprised by 3 Elvises  (Elvi?)coming out of a bar - they didn't look too warm but didn't look as if they cared...

Made it back to the hotel in time for a warm, a champagne cocktail and dinner, and then walked through an eerily quiet, snow covered London to the Bloomsbury Theatre. I've been looking forward to this event all year - Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People was conceived by Robin Ince, first performed  in 2008 and organised by the Rationalist Association and New Humanist Magazine. It's a sort of science themed variety show! More info and videos etc here.

It was a great evening - we saw some great comedians including Richard Herring and Mark Thomas

Musicians including Baba Brinkman, Isy Suttie, Robin Hitchcock

and the amazing Frisky and Mannish who I just have to see again.

Scientists included Simon Singh, Richard Wiseman and Ben Goldacre (of Bad Science fame and who's hair I think had got the better of him).

The only disappointment is that when I bought the tickets, Brian Cox was due to appear, but had to pull out as his BBC filming had overrun. Shame.

It was a great night, and hopefully Robin will do it all again next year.