I always loved visiting London but it is quite a few years since I was last there. At the end of the Arlen 50 event in Cork City Library in early Oct, which I facilitated and was delighted that Catherine Rose the founder of Arlen accepted my invitation to return to her homeplace for the event along with Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Alan Hayes asked was I coming to London to celebrate Arlen at 50. It took me a few weeks to decide but eventually I booked my flights and accommodation deciding I would use this as an opportunity to spend a few days with no expectations or plans. I took an early morning flight on Sun 23rd Nov 2025 and after a rest had a full day with walks in the centre of London crowded with Christmas shoppers at the markets.
After a meal that evening near Covent Garden I walked amidst a long queue of people waiting for food provided by volunteers. The extremes of life within a few steps.
I had booked a ticket for a concert of music composed by Abdelwahab (1902-1991) and performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with soprano, Fatma Said, and conducted by Nader Abbassi at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. As I had time to spare before the theatre opened, I went for an extended walk. The concert was wonderful and it brought me back to the delights of music from the Arab world. The instrumentals and singing were superb and the conductor conducted with his whole body as if dancing or floating almost in mid air even turning to conduct spontaneous clapping from the audience in the middle of a tune that everyone seemed to know. The theatre itself is beautiful.
I was based in Hammersmith so it was an easy route to and from the city.
On Monday I walked along the river from Hammersmith Bridge to Putney Bridge and returned by the other side of the river along the Thames Path.
I walked into the lovely village of Barnes and had a nice bowl of soup at the Olympic Studios Cinema café before spending time browsing in the Barnes Bookshop and picked up a book of poems by Roger McGough in anticipation of giggles with our granddaughter.
I stopped off at the Riverview Studios for a coffee and took a photo of the Dalek from Dr. Who. The Riverside Studios is such a vibrant arts and community venue.
Tuesday morning I visited the Irish Cultural Centre and met the wonderful gentleman, writer and poet John Hurley and a group of writers who meet there weekly. John invited me to join them and I enjoyed listening to them read a combination of their own work and that of other poets. These are serious writers with well crafted verse and worthy of recognition. When I returned to Ireland I found a recording of an interview with John by Portobello Radio where he reads three of his own poems...beautiful and poignant verse.
I met another writer friend at Victoria for lunch and then headed back for a nap before the Arlen event at the Irish Cultural Centre.
The Arlen 50 event was hosted by the Irish Literary Society (ILS). At the event were 14 of the 300 contributors to the Arlen anthology, Washing Windows V, and most of us had travelled from various places in Ireland to be there. We each read two poems and Alan Hayes gave a talk on Arlen. Gavin from the ILS was emcee for the evening. We socialised afterwards in the bar/foyer and it was lovely to meet up with writer friends, new and old.
I opted to return early to Hammersmith to have another pleasant walk by the river before my flight home and enjoyed a bite at the Riverside Studios as the sun set over Hammersmith Bridge.
I loved the random interactions with people, most of whom I will never meet again. The joy of having a smile returned as I walk by the river or on a busy street or on a tube. On the final part of the journey to Heathrow I met a young woman who was travelling to Terminal 5 not for a flight but to surprise her husband who worked there and who disliked the long journey driving home alone. I hope they met before he set off and had a joyous evening together.
(c) Bernadette Gallagher 2025
