Sunday 4 May 2014

May Bank Holiday Monday 2014

Plan for tomorrow (5-May-2014):

 Pics:

So, yes, the pics from one year to another are similar but I like 'em.

The subsequent years had poorer weather so there are few or no pics but the forecast is good for tomorrow.

Thursday 20 March 2014

London weekend trip of 13 March 2014

Pics: Clerkenwell walk - London skyline towers - From Millennium Bridge

I tried to go to the BM's Vikings exhibition but the place was packed, with all the day's tickets sold by 2pm. Another time, on advance ticket.

NPG exhibs: Janey Morris: Pre-Raphaelite Muse, Hans Holbein Remade and the current blockbuster, David Bailey's Stardust, which is huge and an odd mix of the usual celebs (LOTS of Mick Jagger) plus more serious photojournalism of less fortunate people.

Tate Modern exhibs: Richard Hamilton, a comprehensive retrospective. I tend to like his Pop Art era stuff, which is only a small part of this. Inverted House was odd, like most stuff shown in the Project Space.

Tate Britain exhibs: Ruin Lust and Richard Deacon. Ruin Lust is a comprehensive survey of a fascinating strand in art, covering more than the Romantic/Picturesque period, and there's an excellent little book of the exhib. The Richard Deacon exhib has rooms of his various constructions, which are interesting in terms of the How, the Why was far from clear.

Rather than the usual train journey, I took a rambling trip via bus 3 from TrafSq. through Lambeth and Dulwich to Dulwich Picture Gallery The route goes past (for instance) the IWM and Brockwell Lido. I had time to see something of Dulwich Park before Hockney Printmaker, which was an interesting exploration of a lesser-known aspect of the artist.

I had another walk around Clerkenwell including the Farmiloe Building in St Johns Street, currently the Grand Budapest Hotel, with purple-suited doormen roaming around. Nearby is The Longroom, a huge brick cavern where I tried Franklin's Grumpy Govenor, one of the 3 real ales (+1 cider) available. No doubt achingly trendy, like the Pelt Trader I tried during my January London weekend.

The weekend highlight was to see Angela Lansbury and a fine cast in Blithe Spirit.

Sunday 2 March 2014

Some London exhibitions 1st March 2014

As I haven't posted in a while and it's easier to do the following as a blog entry than a series of Facebook comments, here goes with a write-up of yesterday's day out in London, trying to catch up with some of the many interesting exhibitions on at the moment.
[Pics]

First I revisited Thames Barrier Gardens to see how it's changed since 2006 [pics], when it was much newer. The pagoda/whatever is being revamped and generally the place looking a bit tired.

I had a short wander round the Thames Path near East India DLR station and the 'New World' First Settlers Monument. Sadly there's was no time to go to Trinity Buoy Wharf - one for another time.

Next to Carscapes: How the Motor Car Reshaped England - an excellent mix of objects and photos.

As there was time before the Crossrail exhibition opened, I went to see David Lynch / William S Burroughs / Andy Warhol - the David Lynch ones were the best.

The Crossrail Archaeology exhibition was a follow-up to one last year and similarly impressive, especially the Roman finds.

Two Temple Place has a fascinating selection Discoveries: Art, Science & Exploration from the University of Cambridge Museums - sadly it's easier to see this lot here than go round the source museums. [IanVisits review]

Finally, Spitting Image: From Start to Finish was a joy - so many 'best bits'.