Sunday 7 June 2009

A vibrant part of suburbia

I had a really pleasant and eventful weekend. Normally, we'd be day-tripping to far off lands in deepest Kent and Sussex but this weekend was purely Plumsteadshire. Of course, Saturday was the Make Merry, an event which I feel should be more reminiscent of maypoles, sheep driving and smocks rather than a parade of unmuzzled dogs. However, I really like the utterly terrifying clowns which look like they hail from an Edwardian side-show.

Being a key part of the local social calendar, I bumped into alot of friends at the Make Merry and it was this feeling of a community hub that makes the Make Merry special and essential.

In the evening, I went to the comedy night at The Pavilion (AKA the rugby club), and it was an utterly brilliant night out. The comedians were top notch and the audience were very receptive. I really do love the Pavilion space as it's intimate and you're engaged with the performers. I can see it working as a film club venue. I'll try and look into the viability of this idea. My idea is not for another outlet for mainstream Hollywood tosh, but to screen classics, Saturday morning Laurel and Hardy children's club, Woody Allen Wednesdays, David Lean Sundays. Might be cost prohibitive, but you get the idea.

Today, I went to the model railway exhibition at the Firepower Museum. I've never been into trains but I think I might be coming out of the locomotive closet. I thought the model railways were incredible and with immense attention to detail, the scenery told many stories beyond just a train circling a village. Best of all though, I'd discovered a small scale railway which you can actually ride on. It's round the back of an electricity sub-station in Falconwood and not many people know about it. They have a few open days coming up so we can go for a ride, but we'll have to be quick as it looks like they're going to be moved on from this site. I'll have to blog more on this later.

As if I'd not endured enough excitement for one weekend, my trusted source confirmed that the Plumstead Live! music event is for real. This is the icing on the local cultural cake and promises to be a major date in Plumsteadshire's social diary. Hey, it might not be Glyndebourne, but it's here on our doorstep so let's spread the word.

4 comments:

Plummy Mummy said...

Hey Dr Pangloss,
We may have bumped into eachother as I was there with hubby and tod. I agree about the clowns...tod burst into tears as we passed them but was soon giggling away on the roundabout.
Also, agree about the community hub thing. I bumped into lots of mums I see at playgroups etc. as well as a few neighbours- it felt very nice to say hello to them all.

Shame we missed the comedy night but I've put the Plumstead live into the diary.

As for the film idea, LOVE it. I really miss the Phoenix in North London so would love a similar sort of thing down here. Would love to sit through Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. Did you know he was originally slated as the director for Dune - imagine how different his version would be to the Lynch one we got (and which I sat through all 4 hours of at uni!). Oh and I would be averse to a few showings of the old Popeye cartoons if that was on offer.

Plummy Mummy said...

Dr P,

Would NOT be averse to the Popeye. Sheesh I really should check my comments before sending them out.

Anonymous said...

One Day Cafe is hoping to include a film club on the common. get in touch if you want to take the lead Dr P.
www.onedaycafe.org.uk

kabuki glam said...

Dear Doctor
If you really want to hear Plumstead Live you should be at the Rugby Club on Saturday 25th July to see 4 O'Clock Planes - Plumstead's own post punk glam pub rock experience. Two of actually live just off the Common and a third just off the High Street. We're a bunch of old fellas who get together from time to time and play a set of original material based on the sort of stuff we like, having grown up in the 60s and 70s. Anyway, we're debuting out new CD that night and as Plumstead Live were unable to accomodate us or the One Day Cafe people (spent the budget on non-Plumsteadians? not enough therapy involved? just too noisy?) we're welcoming all to our event (8-12, £5 at the door) - we know that there are a lot of people out there that want to see a bit of live rock music locally so come and have a boogie!