Cultural Activities

Its cold and miserable February in London, its just snowed ..which actually does make everyting temporarily a bit less gloomy. To combat the winter inner city blues Ive been taking myself out on a little whirlwind of culutural activities.

Last week, I went on a spontaneous trip to the Lion King on the way home from work. Cheap seat in the very back row but those theatres are designed so well you could still see everything. Felt very pleased with myself and was quite moved as all the marvellous puppety animals paraded on stage to Circle of Life. I think thst was actually the highlight, perhaps that should have done it at the end. The rest was good but didnt quite grab me in the same way. Still was v pleased to have gone.




Last weekend I went with my mum to the new Two Temple Place gallery. In the wonderful extravagent town house of the Astors, they had a William Morris exhibiton. This vibrant wall hanging was the highlight.


This was the exterior of the gallery.

Following this we went off to see Joanna Lumley and Robert Lindsay in the Lion in Winter. Really good. I always loved the Katherine Hepburn film and the script is stunningly clever. Plots and Inrigues, it really keeps you on the edge of your seat. Very witty and acerbic. The Play delivered just as well. Small shades of Patsy Stone in Joanna Lumleys interpretation of Eleanor of Aquitane. The English Queen kept locked up in a tower for many years but let out for Christmas for a battle of wits with her husband Henry II and sons the future King John of Magna Carter fame and Richard the Lionheart. Eleanor was the richest woman in the world at that time. She had previously been Queen of France and went to the crusades.

London Buses

Dennis Severs House and a Perfect Georgian Street

Today I went to Dennis Severs house, a wonderful little place just off Spitalfields market. They have it all set out as it would have been in 18th Century London, as if the occupants have momentarily left the room. Candles burning, fires crackling, and unmade bed, a half drunk cup of tea. If you sit for a while in one of the rooms you here the clip clop of hooves outside and church bells. What a great idea.

Dennis Severs House


Afterwards I took some shots in a perfectly preserved Georgian street close by. What a wonderful address, so close to everything yet tucked away in its own little world..

Walk to the shops

What things can we see on the way down to the supermarket to do the mundane weekly shop on a winters day...

A walk from Stepney to Canary Wharf

I bought myself a new camera for Christmas, and feeling slighlty cheese and chocolate heavy following the festive binge, I thought I would take myself for a walk and try out the new camera at the same time.

As ive said before, there is a lot of rubbish housing and ugliness in the area to go past, but there are also redeeming features tucked away. St Dunstans church Stepney and its avenue of trees and graveyard. Inside there are Elizibethan monuments. Walking through the back streets of Georgian bomb survivors over canals to Limehouse there are historic wharf buildings and a Hawksmoor church, and finaly West India Quay and Carary Wharf. Some say Souless, my flatmate wouldnt move there despite getting a more swanky flat for less money, I think she is fonder of the gritty innner london multicultural vibrancy than I am. I dont know what its like to spend all your time there, but I quite like Canary Wharfs modernity and proximity to the water.

Back on the DLR, East London line and tube to Stepney with neon lit, Halal chicken shops, Asian veg markets and barbers. Chicken shops and barbers, how they all survive together, goodness only knows . Ive to ban myself from bargain priced Donners and Biyrianis since moving here.

Great Expectations

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Despite abandoning for six months after tiring a bit of the middle bit where its a bit slow and Londons a bit miserable, I returned to it in my Christmas cottage in the countryside. It seemed very fitting for a wintery read in a village. I really did enjoy it again by the end. Though the end itself is quite sad and a bit disappointing in some ways.

I love Joe Gargery, what a lovely bloke, love his dialogue. Theres lots of good character dialogue actually.

Im sure ill return to another Dickes at some point. This was an improvement on Tale of Two Cities



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A Cotswolds Christmas

The English countryside and villages, castles and stately homes, glorious architecture, history.. wonderful in almost any weather. Recently back from a lovely lazy Christmas spent largely in a cosy cottage in the Cotswolds in front of the log fire with a copy of the Radio Times and assorted mince pies and cheeses. Its so great in the UK, you can more or less pick anywhere and be sure to have an assortment of interesting places to visit within an hours drive.



I was amazed by an almost ghostly Oxford after Christmas with almost no one around and choccas with interesting buildings and the Ashmolian museum. Warwick caste is one of the most castley castles in the UK.. they do know it of course, its a tad theme parky, people in medieval garb etc etc.. great place for kids though.

The Cotswolds itself is rammed full of chocolate box villages in golden stone.. lovely to be driving through without the crowds and christmas lights a twinkling..