London Days 122 to 128 August 11 to 17th 2018
It is about 40 years since my life in London in the late 70s. Brief visits since had not quite rekindled the love. This was a week on my own to rediscover London – and I rediscovered the love.
Even saw ‘Pierre’ – a modern day version of the black and white combi we bought intending to travel Europe. This did not look like the rust-bucket our dear Pierre was! And this one might have made it to Europe.
London 40 years ON and a modern day Pierre!
A very different city from the one I left in 1979 – the growth of modern high-rise buildings overshadowing the beautiful grand old structures made it more difficult to find familiar spots. The endless push of people at every turn made finding respite in quite hidden lanes more distant.
Staying in Seven Sisters gave me time to travel in and around the city as I explored different sights each day. Being on my own gave me opportunity to indulge in sights others would not be so keen on – particularly of the medical persuasion.
Being alone with no time constraints also meant catching buses going somewhere just to see. The plot – catch a double-decker bus get the top front seat and enjoy the tour. Most days I also did this to get back to my little apartment.
Sights visited included –
The Old Operating theatre Museum
I suspect most of the visitors I encountered in this tiny museum were ex-nurses and medical staff some trying to enthuse their children with the exhibits. For an old nurse it was a treat. The entrance was up a narrow, steep winding staircase to the attic. The exhibits were in small rooms that included the oldest operating theatre in Europe – pre-dating anaesthetics which does not bear thinking about.
Wending my way to the Wellcome collection and feeling a bit peckish I found the Quaker Café quite close to Euston Station. It was BBQ day – simple, fresh tasting in a peaceful setting.
I had not heard of the Wellcome collection and it was a random choice. I went expecting art and found an incredible collection of pharmacy and health based art and memorabilia. It was only as I found the collection that I realised Wellcome was the pharmacy company started in the 1800s by Henry Wellcome – described as “… a man of many parts: entrepreneur, philanthropist, patron of science and pioneer of aerial photography. He also created one of the world’s great museums: a vast stockpile of evidence about our universal interest in health and the body.’ The museum reflects this diversity.
Barbican Arts Centre for an exhibition of one of my favourite photographers Dorothea Lange – the first time seeing her photos ‘in the flesh’. This exhibition “The Politics of Seeing” covered the eras of her work and social commentary. A second exhibition featured the work of Vanessa Winship “And Time Folds”. Both demonstrated the potency of photographing the everyday, and photography as potential for launching social change. A 2 favourites in the Vanessa Winship collection were a B & W photo of an older man dragging a suitcase up a hill tied to two sticks as if an animal was towing it. The second was a series of photos of young girls (I think in Georgia) in school uniform each with slightly different touches to the same uniform.
Victoria and Albert Museum – where I requested directions to the “Lustrous Surfaces” exhibition and was given a leaflet with exhibits marked. A little confused at first then found a fantastic trail searching out the pieces throughout the museum linked by a theme – in this instance works in the Islamic, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and more – all lacquered objects.
A delightful interlude resting aching feet and feeding hunger pains in the V & A café – an elaborately Baroquely decorated domed ceiling over clusters of tables, large floral decorations and decoration.
Saatchi Gallery – while there were pieces I loved and pieces that were fascinating I somehow became bogged down with a feeling of aggressive sexual-ness in many artworks from both male and female artists. Yet it was art – challenging, thought-provoking, in a beautiful space.
