ABBA Voyage

My lovely wife, Helen, mentioned last year that she would like to see ABBA Voyage. Seeing as I wanted to see it as well, I bought us both tickets to see the show on her birthday.

It was an almost stress free journey. Avanti West Coast train to London, and then two Tube rides to Stratford station near to the Olympic village. A small detour and we found our hotel. It was a Travelodge, and it wasn’t particularly good. We won’t be staying with them again.

We found a local bar serving food, which was mostly filled with people who looked like they were going to see ABBA. A couple of drinks later we headed to the purpose built arena, which holds 3,000 people and has sold out every night since the show opened. Long queue for the ladies toilets, as always. I don’t understand. It’s a purpose made arena. Why didn’t they build more loos? Anyway, another drink before the doors opened and we could enter.

The area in front of the stage doesn’t have any seats so that people can dance, although people are encouraged to get up and dance wherever they are sat. There were also a few dancing pods set half way up the seating area for larger groups.

On to the show. What can I say? It was brilliant. A live band. All of the hits and spectacular in every way. So good that you completely forget that ABBA are not actually there. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone.

In hindsight, I should have booked a hotel in the center of London, close to the Docklands Light Railway, which has a station which couldn’t be any closer to the venue. Next time, as we will be going again.

The following morning we had a walk around the Olympic village, although the funny tower thing was closed for maintenance, which was a shame as it appeared that there was a huge slide to take people back down again.

That evening we planned on meeting Helen’s eldest son, who works in London, and his girlfriend, for a meal at Mercato Metropolitano, a huge warehouse filled with dozens of different food stalls, close to the Elephant and Castle.

Afterwards, we went to Puttshack for 9 holes of indoor crazy golf. This was also brilliant, with electronic scoring that recognized each ball. With three different 9 hole courses, this is also somewhere I would like to go again.