Did someone mention something about a wedding?

Ages ago I was saying to Kate and Matt how the fireworks at royal weddings were the best ever and that next time a royal gets married we should book up a hotel straight away. Well what do you know, the next day there is an announcement. Tree got right on it and booked a hotel in Kensington for a long weekend. Within a week you couldn't get one anywhere in London - result! Tree worked out an itinerary including the Millennium Wheel, Tate Modern, China Town, Covent Garden and some wedding bash somewhere round Buckingham Palace? Kate and Matt had never been to London so this was a good way to see the sights and get the atmosphere. We didn't get to see much of the wedding because of the crowds but I rather enjoyed our visit to Govinders Krishna restaurant and the National Portrait Gallery. We then went to Old Compton Street to see the street parties. Being the gay quarter of London lent itself to very extravagant outfits and regalia! Fantastic!!

However, seeing as the reason we went to London was to see the fireworks you can imagine we were a bit put out when we heard that "due to cutbacks" there weren't going to be any. Oh well, its a sign of the times I suppose. We still had a brilliant time.

Barry Trotter, Bacon and the Big Smoke.

Tree and I have just returned from a few days in the Big Smoke (a.k.a London) and ,to be honest, I could do with a rest. Tree was on a course so I had the daytime to myself and filled most of it with time in the galleries.

My first stop had to be the Francis Bacon exhibition at the Tate Britain. Bacon has been a major influence in my life since the age of six when I was shown "Study for three figures at the base of a crucifixion". I have been to many exhibitions of his work since then and still feel the same way as when I first saw it.

The next day I spent in the British library, Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. An interesting exhibit in the Science Museum was called "The Bridge". The bridge was constructed of glass with wires fixed, radially outwards, to sound amplifiers. As you walk on the bridge, the distortion is amplified into a weird chime-like music. The glass was clear enabling one to look downwards to the floor 60 feet below. This would be Tree's nightmare as bridges are not her favourite, let alone glass ones!! I was surprised how empty the museums were and remember that, as a child, they were always packed. I went into the Vault, to try and identify a couple of gemstones I have, and was the only person in there for about an hour!! I blame PS3's, TV, etc,etc. It is easy to see where J.K.Rowling got the idea for the staircases in Barry Trotter just by looking at the architecture, which I must say is worth a trip to see on its own.

The highlight of the day had to be the slice of a Sequoia tree that is 1300 years old. Each ring is marked to illustrate a point in our history and you cannot feel anything but humbled by the scale of ones life in comparison.

Out on the street there were a few interesting things to see as well, including an installation by Thomas Schutte in Trafalgar Square and a Banksy artwork on a wall outside Tescos in Highbury.

Mind the Gap!

No I'm not talking about how Gap exploit children in India, but rather about my trip to the big smoke this weekend just gone. Tree and I decided to get "outta town" for a couple of days and settled on a trip to London. We stayed in Pimlico in a hotel on Belgrave Road, within shouting distance of the centre of London. On Saturday we started the day with a visit to Covent Garden Market and stopped by to see the stall of mirrors, and the man who inspired me to make them in the first place. It was here that I said "I could do that" , to myself, and did! At the time, I was in awe of his work but now I feel the pupil has surpassed the master (Tree's words, not mine).
The performing artists, outside the church, were amusing as ever and we stopped briefly before going on to Govindas, the Khrishna restaurant run by devotees, for lunch and to see the Khrishna temple. The food was exquisite, and Prasadam to boot, and we went upstairs afterwards to buy some incense. We had hoped to go into the temple but the landing outside was packed full of people. I went downstairs and left Tree to try and recover our shoes, from by the doorway, which was a mammoth feat. Some time later, Tree emerged, holding our shoes aloft, and looking red faced and triumphant. We retired to the embankment to watch the Lord Mayor's show but only managed to catch the end of it. This was rounded off with a fantastic display of fireworks, set off from barges on the Thames. We headed back to Covent Garden to see The Lord of The Rings stageplay at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The stage set was amazing as it came out of the stage and enveloped most of the boxes and stalls giving the feeling that you were part of the performance, set in Mirkwood or Fangorn! Coming back on the tube, we were the only ones around...very American werewolf in London!
Sunday was a lot quieter for us and we went to the Tate Modern to see Doris Salcedo's Shibboleth. Hence, mind the gap! The work was very powerful, not least by the fact she had actually carved a huge fissure the length of the Turbine hall. My best bit was a litle Dutch boy who rushed up to me and said" careful you don't fall in", which I thought was brilliant.
Also included in the trip were a visit to The Old Baily, Temple Bar, and to see some cool architecture, but I will blog on those another time.