Flew over to London yesterday and went to see The Cherry Orchard at the Old Vic. The actors were excellent, but the play just didn't grab us. I know it's meant to be one of the seminal plays of the last century, but at the interval we just looked at each other and said, "Nah!!!" and left!!! I used to feel guilty about walking out of a play, but these days I figure life's too short. If you're not enjoying something, you have every right to go about your merry way, even if it DOES have a sky-high reputation!! Having said that, if we'd seen it at another time, maybe we'd have been more open to it. But the sun was shining, we'd had a big meal and a couple of cocktails, and the thought of having a beer at a nearby pub and sipping it out in the open was just too tempting to resist!!!! The moral of the story being -- serious theatre is more suited to cold, dark, winter nights!!! We have another highbrow show tonight, Phedre, and it's even hotter than yesterday -- uh-oh!!!!

Had a nice time today. Wrote up the Shanville Monthly this morning, had a refreshing shower, then went for lunch with Bas and her mum to a lovely Italian restaurant called Locanda Locatelli. After that we did some shopping and, for my birthday, I treated myself to a new watch -- well, I say "new", but it was actually made back in 1972, the year that I was born!!! Then we went to the Apple Store on Regent Street and got a new speaker dock for our iPods (our old one no longer charges our new iPods, and we forgot to bring over a charger with us, so it was a good time to upgrade). Now we're back relaxing ahead of heading out to tackle Phedre. Wish us luck!!!!!