Month: November 2014

Posted on by

It’s Wednesday morning and the game is on Watson

sherlock1Yesterday I arrived at the Museum of London at 8am. I am always a keen bunny but I’d heard that there were free coffees and pastries so this hastened by desire to get there.

I was attending an event at the Museum, visiting the Sherlock Holmes Exhibition and listening to a short talk from its curator. This was organised through the Art Fund, of which I am a member. I love the work of the Art Fund, they help museums and galleries to buy and show great works and keep them in the country. However, these events always make me feel like a freak show as I’m generally about 30 years younger than any of the other attendees and am looked upon as some kind of novelty species. Is it really only the over 60’s who support the arts? Or perhaps it’s only the over 60’s are free on a Wednesday morning?

The exhibition is great, I didn’t realise how much I love Sherlock Holmes. I wasn’t keen as a kid in the 80’s as Jeremy Brett scared me but almost by accident I have watched all of the modern adaptations; the Robert Downey Jr/Jude Law films, the new BBC version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Elementary, my current appointment to view Sherlock, with Jonny Lee Miller.

sherlock2

If you love film memorabilia then this is for you, Benedict Cumberbatch’s dressing gown is draped over a chair and you’ll also find the deer stalker from the 80’s and the famous tweet coat. I enjoyed this part of the exhibition but the stand out pieces for me were the maps (I love a map) and images of London from the original Holmes period. They were all smoky and played to my romantic vision of Victorian London.

My particular favourite was a huge painting; The Bayswater Omnibus by George Joy. It features 7 characters, mother with baby and small child, fashionable young woman, a City man, a milliner and a nurse. This piece feels so timeless. Those people existed when Conon Doyle was writing and, like Homes, so easily exist today.

Posted on by

Coveting things I just can’t afford

Liberty

As I pulled the buggy over the threshold tonight I ran over the post. As I picked up the white envelope, now with a buggy tire mark across it, I realised it was the Liberty catalogue. It’s so glossy and sophisticated, I felt as though I was in a different world.

Surprisingly, I’m a Liberty card holder. It all happened about 10 years ago when I worked somewhere that gave proper bonuses and I bought my mum a necklace for Christmas. They obviously thought I would become a loyal customer and signed me up. Now I can barely afford a button or birthday card from Liberty but I still enjoy looking at all the shiny things that are beyond my reach.

Scarves, bags, jewellery, glasses, make up and skincare all glimmer from the pages and Liberty have been kind enough to give me £30 discount, but only when I spend £150.

The final page of the magazine is devoted to Camila Batmanghelidjh’s Kids Club as Liberty are selling cards which have been designed by some of the children Kids Company works with and Liberty will also be giving over the store front to showcasing these designs.

Posted on by

Get the stretchy pants out, it’s eating time 

sandwich

A couple of weeks ago Time Out helpfully listed the top 13 most indulgent dishes in London. My first two thoughts were (1) I bet there were plenty of hands up when the idea was muted at the subs meeting and (2) Why 13? unlucky for some to try all?

This list is brief but epic, it features a great diversity of cuisine. There are the obvious American favourites: sandwiches (as featured above), hot dogs and doughnuts. However, the ‘soup’ at Bone Daddies and the fondue at Androuetdo sound very intriguing.

Despite my best efforts I am still yet to sample any of these dishes, I am hoping for a woman vs. food episode soon.

http://www.timeout.com/london/food-drink/the-13-most-indulgent-dishes-in-london

Posted on by

A fitting way to remember 

poppies

It’s Remembrance Day and this year the 11th November is more poignant than before as 2014 marks 100 years since the start of WW1. It was the conclusion of this conflict which created Remembrance Day marking the official end at the eleventh hour on the eleventh day on the eleventh month in 1918.

Every Remembrance Sunday, the Cenotaph Parade runs through Whitehall to remember those killed in conflict. However, this year Londoners have been able to remember and pay their respects from 5th August as 888,246 ceramic poppies have progressively filled the moat of the Tower of London.

I was late to the party and didn’t manage to visit ‘The Poppies’ until late October. I was also lucky as I arrived early (there are some benefits to being regularly woken at 5.30am) so could take in the view without too much jostling.

I have never lost a friend or family member in conflict so it’s hard for me to appreciate the feelings of loss and sorrow. ‘The poppies’ did help me to appreciate the scale of the loss of life in WW1, as each flower represents a British fatality during the war. The flowers cover such a huge area (it normally takes about 10 minutes to walk around the whole moat) you are left with the impression of a sea of red as if blood is flowing through the dry moat. Shelia Hancock has said the poppies should be mown down and left shattered to really show the sacrifice of those who lost their lives and stop viewers romanticising the loss of life.

I am no supporter of war or conflict and I’m not sure I believe that ‘Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’ is true but I found the instillation very moving and a fitting tribute to those who fought bravely for their country.