The best things in life are free if you are exceptionally lucky

Entertainment & Economy scale went into overdrive this weekend. Not least because the South Bank was having its celebratory opening so every time I walked past on the way to the station there were weird and wonderful free events going on. But this excitement aside, I was the lucky beneficiary of much E&E joy...

Friday night

• Early evening drinks at the Fortnum & Mason wine bar. The immensely charming French staff let you buy food from the deli and bring it into the bar to nibble on. E&E rating: wine=fair, nibbles=good.
• Royal Academy summer exhibition. My parents are Friends of the RA, so receive a pair of preview tickets, so I went with my dad. The exhibition is free anyway, but if you go to the preview you get the opportunity to buy Pimm's at £5 per glass. Hmmm. We resisted. Thanks to the pre-exhibition tippling, though, I was nearly tempted to shell out inappropriate amounts of money on artworks. Close shave, but ultimately achieves an E&E rating of Excellent for being both fun and FREE!

Saturday

• Met up with friends for champagne and mini macaroons to celebrate Kristin's birthday. E&E rating: um... I think we'll evaluate the day as a whole... moving on to...
• Stalls seats (row E, darlings!) at ENO's production of Benjamin Britten's Death in Venice, starring the sublime Ian Bostridge. And a glorious counter-tenor (Iestyn Davies, per the programme). E&E rating: oh, how smug am I? My friend at the Beeb procured press tickets so it was FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE and truly amazing, which puts it off the scale.

Sunday

• Brunch in the sunshine.
• Run in Richmond Park. The best things in life are indeed free.