Other summery bits and bobs

The summer of 2009 brought not only country camping but also in-town cultural excursions. We saw a riotous performance of The Importance of Being Earnest at the open-air theatre in Regents Park, with a picnic on the lawn beforehand and a bottle of wine during the play. We also saw Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre. We bought groundling tickets and stood, packed in with all the other spectators. We also attended an event perhaps slightly lower on the cultural scale but no less exciting for that: a Lord of the Rings movie marathon at the IMAX theatre, starting at midnight and finishing at 10:00 the next morning. We brought yummy snacks and managed to stay awake through the whole thing, helped by free tea and coffee and the exciting jolt of Ian McKellen showing up as a surprise to address the crowd. Those events, plus numerous walks and picnics made the summer relaxing and enjoyable, despite the rubbish weather!