19th January 2011 – James' Travel Pages

Well after an email on Monday from Matilda at the Rainforest Alliance, it turns out it could be a two way run-off between myself and a lady called Carol for a place in the marathon

Anyways had a 'marathon meeting' with the Rainforest Alliance folks near Kentish Town tonight after a hectic day at work. Met a couple of guys doing the Brighton Marathon and the other 7 or so of us are doing the London. Matilda gave a nice presentation, didn't know Sting set this thing up, plus gave us some fund raising ideas.

UPDATE: Got a call from Matilda and was told that she had to draw straws between myself and Carol (she was a very nice lady and very enthusiastic + she'd done the Dublin marathon back in 1996) and she won the place. Must admit I'm wasn't entirely surprised, BUT Adam Brown at Save the Rhino does have a place for me an expects a call!

I'd seen the posters around and resisted so far, BUT it wa too much, my hero Michael Knight was starring in the pantomime at Wimbledon theatre! Yes, the star of my fave TV programme as a kid Knightrider AKA Mitch from Baywatch AKA David Hasselhoff was visiting my hometown and this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see him! so I went along for the Wednesday 1:30pm show! It was Peter Pan with The Hoff as Hook and Louie Spence from Pineapple Studios as the Cabin Boy (named Roger lol). These two made an unexpectedly brilliant combination. The Hoff's very-English announcement of the start of the show, hinted to me that he may have actually grasped what the very British institute of panto really is, which is most impressive for an American! 🙂 After curtain up, came the songs, the dances, the jokes and even the story, which was wonderfully told and acted out by all the cast involved! Louie Spence was flippin hilarious and what a dancer too! The dude playing Peter Pan was excellent too, had a real quality for being a nice guy and luring the audience in with the traditional BEHIND YOU and OH NO HE HASN'T routines too! 🙂 Top marks to both him + the lady playing Wendy, you guys got the characters 100% right + the funny pirates ruled (esp the bit where Louie got them doing a caberet).

What I loved was that rightly there were references to everything – Baywatch, KITT (best car ever if you don't know), the talking watch, Pamela Anderson (who was at the theatre last year), they even had a bit introduced as singing 'live from the Berlin Wall' (oh yes, all you Germans out there, who remembers Hoff sitting on the Wall singing Freedom in 1989). The delighted shouts and laughs of what sounded like thousands of kids around me along with adults and a large number of pensioners alike, made a great atmosphere.

Got a txt from a friend earlier saying that the Daily Wail had slated the show, I really dunno what version the reviewers saw but this was EXCELLENT STUFF! the best panto production I've seen and certainly better than the last one I went to a while ago. Even had a fab DISCO INFERNO ending!

Was also very lucky having a great seat about 5 rows back from the front and happened to be sitting next to a very pretty blonde, who people around obviously thought I was with, Spicegirl Emma Bunton being one of them, as she + her man + kids were sat behind us! Turned out this girl was cool and knew the guy playing Peter Pan and loved the show too, her squeals everytime Louie said something, are gunna be a lasting memory 🙂 So, a most splendid Wednesday afternoon.

P.S. WISH I'D KNOWN WHEN KITT HAD BEEN OUTSIDE THE THEATRE, WHY DON'T THEY ADVERTISE THESE THINGS???!!