The Courtship of Eddie's Blather

Little Rockin' With the Rhythm of the Train... and the Streetcar... and the Automobile

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So my dad and I met up in Little Rock, Arkansas for a vacation.

He drove from Kansas. I took the train. We dived right into all things Little Rock, as you will see from additional posts. I always have a good time with my dad, and this trip was no exception. That's saying something, considering I was forced to watch baseball against my will.

About taking the train... I really enjoyed it. It was so refreshing to just get on the train... no strip search, no hysterically long list of forbidden items, plenty of leg and hip room, you can get up and roam around AND you can use your cell phone any time you want. You just can't be in a hurry.

Sadly, the otherwise dee-lightful return trip was dee-layed: about 45 minutes north of Austin, the train died. No lights (except emergency lights), no air conditioning, and no working toilets... for 3 hours... did I mention we were only 45 minutes from home? We had to be "towed" backwards to the last town we passed through and then driven into Austin on a bus... at 2am. I don't want to go anywhere for a while, unless Eddie needs me in some comedy/political capacity. Get in touch with his people and pass that along for me, would you?

Little Rock ARgh! Getting around Little Rock (LR) and North Little Rock (NLR) and in between the two by car is NOT for sissies. Maps will only give you false hope, so save your money. When navigating (and I make the sign of the cross when I say that), be aware of these hellish mysteries:

• North Little Rock is a town distinct from its cousin south of the river. This is critical, since the towns both have their own set of numbered streets (2nd, 3rd, etc.) Be VERY careful when asking for directions: Do you mean Little Rock? or North Little Rock?

• The name of the street you're on will suddenly change for no apparent reason. No, you didn't turn a corner and black out. A street straight as an arrow will change names just likethat.

• Wondering where the rest of the street got to? There will be a minimum five block detour around the edifice/railroad track/squirrel crossing before you can continue on your way. These charming interruptions in your journey were no doubt planned by the same people who brought you the magical name change tour mentioned above. What a sadistic lot they must have been.

• Bridges that connect NLR and LR are the concrete equivalent of rainbows. You can see them, but you can't get there from here.

• Broadway is a major avenue in both NLR and LR. It runs east-west in NLR and north-south in LR and (isn't this fun) they even intersect! If you haven't had enough coffee, you'll find yourself at the corner of Broadway and Broadway weeping softly into your steering wheel.

• Don't get attached to the idea that the street you're on is two-way or one-way. Drive a few more blocks, and presto-change-o! I still can't decide which sight was more alarming: oncoming traffic where once there was none, or the fiendish grin of a red-and-white Do Not Enter sign just as we were within a half-block of our target.

• If your usual solution to accidentally passing up an address is to "go around the block," find a new solution. Why? See all of the above. If you don't get it right the first time, you'll never see that building again, unless it's through sheer dumb luck. And as Daddy said many times, "I'd rather be lucky than good any day."

Daddy also pointed out that Austin has the same byzantine street patterns. True, but that's uh... different.

On a more positive transportation note, one of the many fun things we did in Little Rock was ride the electric streetcar.

The routes run through the River Market District downtown and up across the river into North Little Rock. It's a cheap ride, and the operators are friendly and ready to chat.

One of the few things we didn't do was the StoryCorps booth, which happened to be in Little Rock while we were there. Unfortunately for us, they were booked solid. Have to say I'm kinda glad to hear it, though. I like to think of there being a line around the block for this simple and profound project. If you haven't heard some of these everyday stories, I highly recommend listening. Just don't blame me when you get hooked.

That having been said, we sightsee-d ourselves silly in Little Rock. Want to know more? Well of course you do! Pull up a chair and get comfy.

a Little Rock, a Little Roll

We had hit-and-miss luck with the food, but we never went hungry for long. Daddy may demand a recount, in which case I'll tell him what he can do with his dangling chads, but here, for now, are my ratings:

One snout = I'm going to sue the owners
Two snouts = Well, it was better than being hypoglycemic... barely
Three snouts = I'll mention you kindly in my blog, but you didn't knock me off my hooves
Four snouts = Next time I see Bill, I'll tell him you do his town proud
Five snouts = Oink! Here's my Fed-Ex account number and a major credit card. I love you.

The Butcher Shop. Two snouts. Daddy may disagree with me on this; I think he liked it. But when you pay for steak, they shouldn't bring out dry, chewy meatloaf. My salmon was okay, but frankly, I've had airline food that was comparable. They had the stones to provide a separate line on the tab for tipping the chef, which is the only reason they're not getting a One Snout rating. You have to admire their talent at being brazen, if not their talent at the brazier. The decor was nice and dim. Guess that's how they rate their customers.

Cracker Barrel. Three snouts. I have to give'em this... they make great pancakes. So what if all the help looked defeated and the decor is nostalgia ad nauseum? They gave me tiny little bottles of syrup all for myself. On the other hand, they messed up my scrambled eggs one day (how do you mess up scrambled eggs?) and fed me sunny side up eggs another day that wiggled like an amoeba on a rampage, and not in a good way.

The Flying Fish. Four snouts. Daddy wasn't thrilled with his meal. I liked the fish tacos,  mostly because they were served in a crispy shell instead of the soft tortilla I'm used to. I also liked the seating area next to the large open windows. To exit, you could follow the steady stream of people leaving through the door marked "No exit; alarm will sound" or simply step out over the window sill. Also, they have walls devoted to their Adopt a Billy Bass program. You bring them your stupid singing trout, you get a free basket of fried catfish. Each fish is nailed up on the wall with the date of adoption. I appreciate this humanitarian (troutarian?) effort, since it means one less home where I might have to encounter this annoying freak of all items novel(ty.)

Food court in River Market area. Two snouts. Touristy, not worth remembering, too expensive, convenient but blah, a blot on the South's reputation for good food. It's saving grace was it was so well placed on our route, it gave Daddy time to pose on a tractor in front of the Children's Discovery museum. Just as soon as I figure out how to get the picture out of my phone, I'll post it. He's so cute, even if he is knocking a six-year-old out of the way so he can do his Eddie Albert impersonation. "Green Acres is the place to be. Far-hm! livin' is the life for me!..."

Grampa's (catfish, etc.) Five snouts. We should have ordered one entree and shared it with 10 of our closest new friends. The catfish was just right, the hush puppies were sweet, and the fried green tomatoes were delish. We regretfully decided the mound o' leftovers wouldn't serve any purpose except to smell up the car. Daddy was actually able to thump his belly back at the motel, he was so full. Hey, do I make fun of how YOU entertain yourself on vacation? No. So back off, Judgy McJudge. That thump was impressive. The guy next door banged on the wall.

Granny's Kitchen (Hot Springs). One snout. I had the veggie plate. Daddy had something brown. Look, it was so bad, I could get a job there as cook. How much expertise do you need to open cans? Cans of beef, cans of veggies, cans of ... oops, packets of mashed potatoes (just add warm dishwater).

Gusano's. One snout. Why do you exist? Your pizza is acidic and nowhere near Chicago style, as it was falsely advertised. True, it was conveniently placed on the main street of the River Market area, but you should be ashamed to serve people what you call food. And don't screen TV shows about killing that perfect buck while we non-hunters are eating. I don't consider myself to be especially squeamish, but seeing that deer's lifeless head lolling about on the giant screen was enough to make me yarf up my equally lifeless salad. Daddy's sandwich was so-so, but then he wasn't really paying attention. Our waitress(?) wore jeans with a 1x5 inch cutout on her bare hiney, possibly for easy access (her own? someone else's?) The other waitress(?) distracted him with a cleavage shot. Granted, I'm not your target demographic, but I think your food license should be yanked. At a minimum, you should hire waitresses(?) who will make an attempt to pass by the table now and then to actually attend to your customers' dining needs. BAD tourist spot. BAD tourist spot. Go sit in the corner until I tell you you may come out.

McDonald's. Three snouts. It's not that the food was so fantastic... I mean, it's McDonald's. But it solved the immediate problem of where to go for breakfast until we were able to do better. I want to know why Little Rock has such fancy McDonald's. One had a fireplace and two cushy chairs in it! The other one we went to had slate flooring and glossy black fixtures... in the bathroom! It's because Bill might show up, isn't it? Admit it.

Waffle House. Four snouts. The place smelled vaguely of puke, and the hash browns needed another two minutes on the grill. But the food and the coffee were surprisingly good, the service was friendly, it's open 24 hrs, it was close to the motel, and I like living dangerously.

Whole Hog Cafe. Five snouts. Potato salad. Pulled pork. Can't breathe... in ecstasy... someone pass the molasses barbeque sauce (one of six different flavors.) We were a little dubious when we pulled up into the strip mall parking lot. The place didn't exactly look busy. But oh my my. We shared a sampler platter, which gave us ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and maybe something else to share, along with cole slaw, beans, and potato salad, all at a reasonable price. The brisket was nyah; I'm not a rib afficianado, but they seemed pretty good. I started to go blind when I tasted the potato salad, and nearly passed out over the pork. We went back on the final afternoon of our Little Rock stay to pick up sandwiches and fixin's to take to Burns Park for a picnic. Like love, it was just as wonderful the second time around. They win my eternal devotion for providing those little wet naps that KFC used to hand out. I don't know why, but they make me so happy.

Little Rock, Big History

Here are the places we visited in and around Little Rock. 

If you're having to squint to read this, go up to your View menu and increase the font size. To see a picture up close, click on it. If anything is underlined, click on it to see more info. There are also a few short "movies" to watch. Enjoy!

 

William J Clinton Presidential Library. Cool building. Stunning view of the Arkansas River and of a train bridge that will someday be a pedestrian bridge. Here, you're looking out over the barely moving fountain; the Library is to the right, pointing out over the Arkansas River. (Ask my father about his interaction with the fountain. G'head... ask him.) Gotta say, this locale is pretty sweet for the "Let's build a bridge to the 21st century" president.

Enjoyed standing in the reproduction of the Oval Office. (And ask my father how he used this unique opportunity. G'head.) The rest of the displays were interactive, interesting, relevant, and - to us - rather depressing, since we've neither one been happy with the political situation since oh, Nov 2000 or so. For solace, we headed over to the Clinton Library Museum gift shop and stocked up on memora-Bill-ia.

Curran Hall. Serves as a Visitors Center for Little Rock. To see it now, you'd never believe how badly it had fallen into disrepair before it was renovated. One of my favorite Little Rock places. Tall ceilings, lots of light, graceful design. The gardens are full of plants and flowers from way, way back in the day, including this vine with dramatic purple seed pods.

 

 

Old State House. Finished in 1842, this glowing white building served as the state capitol until 1911, when leg biz moved down the street to the new capitol building. The back side of the Old State House used to extend down to the river so that the reps and senators could arrive by boat. What a romantic visual; unfortunately, if half the stories are true, they should have been tossed right back into the drink. Not satisfied with stabbing his colleagues in the back, one fellow went straight to the heart of the matter.

 

State Capitol Building. Looks a lot like the Texas capitol, but made from white rock instead of pink granite. Gorgeous inside. When Daddy asked the parking director where we could park, the guy wanted to know where we were from.

"I'm from Kansas. My daughter's from Texas."

The reply: "You can go in, but she can't. Those folks from Texas are always stealing our silverware."

Oh, hard-ee. Now, what would I want with a bunch of plastic sporks?

The Old Mill. Immortalized on film in Gone With the Wind (okay, it was in the opening credits for about five seconds.) The decorative wooden, iron and stone structures are actually made of concrete by sculptor Senòr Dionico Rodriguez. The grounds are colorful and the stream burbles cheerfully by. You can climb up into the mill and peek out the windows for an even better view of this idyllic scene.

Hornibrook Mansion, a.k.a. The Empress of Little Rock, (1888) Now a bed and breakfast, the house was built by a man with an inferiority complex. Thank goodness for inferiority complexes, is what Daddy and I say. The tour was $7.50 (ouch), but we agreed afterward it was worth it. The docent/caretaker, Mitzi, obviously loves her job and was proud of the home and its over-the-top decor. Daddy couldn't get over the craftsmanship, especially of the woodwork.

We got to go up to a secret room in the attic, complete with a ceiling upholstered in rich fabrics. The owner would hold illegal poker games up there, posting small boys in the turret to look out for the cops. The house has a reputation for ghosts, a small shadow box still life made entirely out of crocheted human hair, and an enclosed, cool, quiet, ivy-overgrown garden. When can I move in?

Arkansas Record-CD Exchange on MacArthur Dr (North Little Rock). We scored a few wins (Daddy in vinyl, me in CDs) and enjoyed the hunt. On our way out, we went through the free albums sitting outside. Anyone in the market for a recording of Robert Goulet in Brigadoon? Hey, it was free.

Historic Arkansas Museum. We had a live human being, Tim, lead us around, and a girl who pretended (at least I HOPE she realized she was pretending) to be a maid at the circa 1826 grog shop. You can take the virtual tour. If you do, yes, that's an alligator on the wall above the fireplace at the inn. Whole areas of Little Rock are reclaimed swamp land. Apparently 'gators were and sometimes are a familiar sight. At least that's what Tim told us. Might not be true. Might be a croc.

I enjoyed the exhibit Purses and the Person: Purses from the last hundred years or so along with typical purse contents from each era. Sort of a time capsule with hankies and gum.

Hot Springs. Managed to pick a day to visit Hot Springs when they're having their Oktoberfest. Yikes. We had lots of company... maybe a little too much company. Gorgeous weather that day. Increased my stamped penny collection by one. Soon, I'll have enough embossed pennies to make a... a really... well, I'll have a lot of them.

We drove through the historic and very picturesque part of downtown, popped into the Visitors Center, took a stroll down Bathhouse Row, and toured Fordyce Bathhouse: Download Fordyce.mp4

Central High School. Anybody old enough to remember the original "The Nine"? In September 1957, nine black students tried to attend the high school classes in which they were enrolled... in an all-white school. This was not a popular idea with some folks. It took an Army division to make it happen.

While we couldn't actually go inside the massive school (Good Lord! Won't they let ANYONE in??) we went to the Visitors Center twice. Until they finish a new Center across the street, a renovated Mobil Gas station serves as an exhibit hall and gift shop run by the National Park Service. We didn't have any trouble getting in there.
 

 

Garvan Gardens. An expansive and expensive woodlands/garden  area south of Hot Springs. Here are some pictures from the gardens (not all of the photos are mine): Download GarvanFlowers.mp4

What fun... they had a miniature village set up, complete with working train! No Amtrak, though: Download TrainMovie.mp4

We walked and walked and saw many pretty flowers and Lake Hamilton and got a little lost. We deserve a medal, though, for NOT interrupting the wedding taking place on the grounds. And trust me, we could have.

Follow along as I stalk and capture the elusive Stanley-bird: Download Garvan.mov.

Had a lovely drive back to Hot Springs, electing to take roads other than I-30. What a beautiful part of the country... I very nearly got my fill of hills and trees and water.

Mount Holly Cemetery and Arkansas National Cemetery . If you aren't a fan of lurking around tombstones, this may seem... well, quirky to you. My dad and I, however, had cemeteries on our separate To Do lists without even consulting each other. We spent one entire day visiting, photographing, and napping in these two. We even brought a picnic lunch. Bonding time is bonding time, all right?

I managed to get away from the National Cemetery without taking a picture of the military graves, but just think Arlington National Cemetery and you'll get the general (no pun intended) idea. So most of the shots in this little slide show are from Mount Holly: <under construction>

 

Heifer International. Fascinating building. Heifer International used to ship cows and other farm animals to needy folks all over the world to help them become self-sufficient (the people, not the animals.) Now they buy the animals locally (the animals are better acclimated, more resistant to local diseases, etc.) This headquarters building represents HI's commitment to sustainable building practices. Among other clever features:

• Bamboo flooring (highly renewable source)

• A golf-tee shaped water tower that provides water for the landscape and the toilets in the building

• The building is designed in such a way that very little artificial lighting is needed. It's oriented lengthwise east to west and is only 62 feet wide, so the folks in the cubicles are working with natural light. (I'm so friggin' jealous, having worked under fluorescent lighting for so many years.) What artificial lighting there is adjusts itself according to how bright the natural light is.

• Smart air. Vents in the floor push up heated/cooled air so that it reaches only six feet above the floor. So, even though the interior of the building is open in some cases dozens of feet high (giving a very open feel to the space), no one's paying to heat/cool air more than six feet from the floor. Too bad for you tall folks.

• Reflective ledges along the hallways. In winter, when the sun's rays are coming in at a lower angle, the ledges bounce the sunlight into the building. In summer, they reflect the rays back outside.

• The building was built with as many recycled and/or local materials as possible and sits on a reclaimed "brownfield." The soil from the brownfield was carted off and is being cleaned and will eventually be re-used.

• The parking lot is designed to capture rainwater, filter it, and recycle it through the reclamation pond back into the building.

 

Burns Park. This is where we spent our last afternoon in Little Rock, eating Whole Hog pulled pork sandwiches with yummy side dishes and chatting about the state of the world. As you might imagine, the world would be better off if we were consulted on major decisions. It was kind of a po' folks' Camp David. I like to think the company was better where we were.

Wm Laman Public Library. And later that evening, we dropped in on the library across from the motel. Nice place! One of the reading areas had big chairs, a fireplace, and a view of a nearby stream under a turquoise blue twilight sky. Daddy read the newspaper and I got as far as I could on a book about Daisy Gatson Bates (a mentor to The Nine.) A quiet, cozy ending to our trip.

Other than that, we really didn't do anything, except watch the Cardinals win a playoff game by at least two touchdowns. I thought they did a fine job beating that team from South Dakota. Which channel is Derek Jeter on? That's what I want to know.

Happy Anne-iversary to me!

Just realized that as of this month, this blog has been online a year. No Eddie in Austin yet, but I'm encouraged that he's been doing some "Work in Progress" gigs in L.A. And doesn't he have a TV series that's going to film/tape in Louisiana (also an LA, by the way)? And isn't Texas kind of in between-ey California and Louisiana? It's bound to drive him crazy to be so close to Austin and not stop by to do, say, a couple of nights at the Paramount Theatre. Crazy, I tell ya.

Couldn't they use some color besides red? Blue is always nice.

Inspired by a post on my brother's blog, here are the states I've visited:

And countries:

London photos

Click on the photos to see them better.

Tube Stop near Kew Gardens. Got it. Got it. Need it. Got it. Do you have this one in pink?

Woodland nymph? Reclining Buddha? Who says you can't be both!

Ducks at Kew. Always having been interested in the theological history of water fowl, I asked them what religion they follow. Would you believe it? They're all Quackers!

James and Claire walking toward the pagoda in Kew Gardens. At least, I HOPE it's a pagoda. 'Cause if it's a lighthouse, we've walked much farther than I thought.

You can call me Al. A statue of Albert the Grantor in Leicester (pronounced "Lester") Square. Do you think that if your last name is Grant, there's a lot of inherent pressure to give things away? Sure glad this fellow gave in.

And you can call me Al-bery. This is James standing in front of the Albery, looking around for the nearest pub. He does that a lot. Well, that and fall asleep in places you wouldn't think a person would fall asleep in. Or perhaps he just found me boring... Nah!

The lovely Chelsea Physic Garden. In the foreground is an almond tree in bloom.

Covent Garden. Street performer attempting to rid himself of a strait jacket. He was very funny and rather handsome, so I brought him home with me. Thank goodness for the straps on the jacket. I was able to carry him right onto the plane!

It seemed that nearly every day, we crossed paths with the Seven Dials monument in the Covent Garden area. It has an interesting history.

And last but not Leicester... No, wait, it is! It IS my beloved Leicester Square! I somehow did NOT get a really good photo of Leicester Square, so I've lifted some from various websites:

An aerial view.

What to do, where to go first!

There's Al again, but this time you can see the Half-Price Ticket Booth in the background. Drool drool drool.

A view toward the Odeon.

Every quarter(?) hour, the bells ring and a line of figures emerge from either side of the clock... cows, goatherders, milkmaids, etc. Charming. Claire thought maybe the buzz I got from Leicester Square was somehow connected with the fact that Switzerland is represented in one corner of the square. But does Switzerland even HAVE a buzz? Maybe from the chocolate???

Is it really over? Appropriately enough -- considering that last photo -- we're out of time and photos, folks. That's right... we're Lon-done.

Eddie captured in The Wild

Eddie as the rather bleary voice for a koala with image issues? Sounds like fun!

Not caught up yet?

If you didn't get over to James' blog to read his London entries and comments made by friends and family, here are links:

3/29/2006
3/30/2006
4/1/2006
4/3/2006
4/4/2006
4/5/2006
4/6/2006
4/7/2006
4/13/2006

Be There - Trafalgar Square!

James and I found ourselves in Trafalgar Square several times. Nelson was right there at the top of his column every time. Want to go there yourself? Don't bother with a long and uncomfortable plane ride! Just hop on the EarthCam! Had we known we were on camera, we would have waved or waxed or something!

And the Rev may find this a little cruel, since the Transport Museum was shut down during our trip, but maybe he can visit a la remote using this webcam? Be sure and take advantage of the 24-hour time lapse option.

It just shows to go ya

Visit the posts from my brother, The Reverend Transit, for a diary of our London days.

Aside from the delightful surprises that are Jeff and Claire, by far my favorite memories of London will be

1. The tube-a-licious transportation system

2. Leicester Square and Shaftesbury Avenue

3. The Gardens.

Getting around. How fantastic - in all senses of the word - to be able to get around such a massive city in minutes. It's just this side of a transporter on the Enterprise. When James wasn't looking, I would sometimes do the doodle-doodle-doodle scat of Eddie's unfortunate "Stevens... Stevens from Accounts." Come to think of it, I was almost always wearing something red, too. It's probably a miracle I escaped with my life!

I love maps. We used the heck out of these Popout maps and the compass and the little watch. It meant too, that for a moment, James and I had our heads together, bent over a map, deciding on the next move. Study, study, point, this route, this bus, this tube line, no, trace the route with a finger... this one... Okay. And off we would go! Even after I got home, for several days, when I needed to know what time it was, I reflexively reached down for the watch. The maps are still in my purse. I carry them around in case I need a London fix or in case someone foolishly asks me what I've been up to lately. Instead of answering, "Oh, about five feet," I whip out the maps and babble on. "And then we saw... and then we walked... and then we ate... and Oh, it was WONderful!" And so it was.

Costumer and Perruquer. From the unexpected but certifiable buzz I got being in Leicester Square... to the London Theatre 101 conversation we had with the gentleman in the Gielgud Theatre... to staying out late on my own to see V for Vendetta at the Odeon on Leicester Square... to that crystal clear moment we stepped out of the Albery after seeing Blackbird -- what a series of thrills. One of my favorite sights was the little clock hanging over a street off Shaftesbury Avenue, advertising a costumer and wig maker's shop (now defunct).

We both thoroughly enjoyed The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre. It's eerie how timely the dialogue is.

James didn't care for Blackbird. In fact, he hasn't stopped moaning about it. It wasn't my favorite story ever - not just because it was a tough and very adult subject. But to have been present at a well-done play in a bee-yoo-tiful theatre in fantastic seats and to come out of there to a crisp clear night and to be able to hash over the story and the elements of the play with someone who - although he didn't like it - could still discuss it in a thoughtful way... Joy. I said when we were planning the trip that I wanted to see live things first and dead things second. The theatre district certainly qualifies as one of the "live" things.

Anything on a stem, I said. Kew Gardens must be visited again... and again. I wasn't feeling my best that day, but I loved walking on the springy turf (it's okay there, really, they don't make you stay on the path!) and playing in the daffodils and the swaths of blue crocus(es? crocii?). The compost heap... ooh aah! Snicker all you want, but it's impressive! The tall tall pines ruffling and rustling. The ducks and fat little gray squirrels. The promise of next time: lilacs!

Within view of the Thames River, Chelsea Physic Garden is a serene little jewel of a garden behind high brick walls, kind of a Noah's ark for herbs. Plus a quince tree, an almond tree in light pink bloom, a magnolia tree(!), a bed of six different kinds of peonies (not in bloom now, but later, later.) A monkey puzzle tree... Eddie may have been right about the origins of the world's species, per his "the world in seven days, full stop" bit in Glorious. I don't know how else to explain a monkey puzzle tree. One feature of the garden provided a perfect Eddie-moment: All together now... Aaagghhhh! I'm covered in BEES! The weather that morning was fickle. Blue sky, then 5 minutes of rain. Then blue sky again. Then 5 minutes of rain. I developed a gunfighter's speed and flourish with my umbrella.

James thinks he semi-enjoyed the gardens because they were interesting. They were, but the real reason is that while he wasn't looking, I zapped him while my phaser (disguised as a compass) was set to "sudden interest in botany."

Note to self: Next trip to England needs to include a visit to the Eden Project in Cornwall, where the mission is: "...explaining how the natural world works seen through the lens of plants, exploring how people might best organise themselves in the face of this knowledge and thereby reach an understanding of what sustainability might mean and, through best practice of these principles, create an organisation that is sustainable to act as a model for others."

And if we can work in a pilgrimage, all the better. The Reverend obediently took pictures of a few Eddie-centric locations, like one of the Albery Theatre (Unrepeatable), the Shaftesbury Theatre (I THINK this is the one from Definite Article), and the tube sign for Hammersmith-Apollo (Glorious). I did NOT lick the stage floor of any of these fine establishments, I don't care what James or the arrest reports say.

But wait, there's more! There's a recording on my phone that tells me my photos are ready to be picked up. Stay tuned!