Back in London

Have had a busy few days (what's new you all say)....so much to see and so little time  ...

Arrived back from the Lake District via Windemere (rather like the Blackpool of the Lake District so I was not sorry to leave).The trains (are very expensive thanks to Margaret) but so fast and comfortable and efficient..a pleasure to travel in.

On Sunday Ben and I spent about 7 hours on the hoof ..through all manner of parks (Hyde,Kensington and Green) ending up at the Tate Modern on the river opposite St Pauls....it's an old power station sensationally renovated and full of art as you would expect...fauves,cubists and on...miles of it and it was free! I wanted especilally to see the 'Red Star Over Russia' room exhibiting a fraction of David King's (a rather obsessive Pommy Trot) enormous Bolshevik poster collection and I was not disappointed..it was fantastic....and oh yes as a contrast we had called in at Harrods earlier in the day...capitalist excess at it's most opulent and extravagent!

Red Star Over Russia Room @Tate Modern

Harrods

Australia House

Monday I went to the V&A Museum (also free) and had a cuppa in the William Morris Room...wonderful collection in an amazing building...then on to Australia House to vote (had to run the gauntlet of the Libs,ALP ...but did take The Greens how to vote)....they were pretty busy there so let's hope it all turns out for the best ..then on to Somerset House (across the road from Australia House) and the Courtauld Collection of art...how nice to be viewing a Van Gogh or a Manet without having to dodge heads because those overseas art exhibitions are so crowded at home. Then met Ben and we went to see a play at the Comedy Theatre called La Bete starring Joanna Lumley and David Hyde Pearce (Frasier)...it was fantastic...

V&A

Today I went to see The Wallace Collection of 18th and 19th art and furniture...completely over the top and after a while everything started to look the same..but am glad I went even if to know what sort of art I am not that fond of.....Rubens,Rembrandt etc..in great numbers and a lot of flamboyant furniture and ornaments from the court of Louis XIV and inumerable others of that ilke.,   then on to the British Library and their room of treasures....my god it was AMAZING....the Magna Carta, Henry VIII personal prayer roll, Scott off  the Antarctic's notebook,Joseph Hooke's botanical noebook,Shakespeare's handwriting,Janes Austen's notebook,writing desk and glasses, Charlotte Bronte's manuscript for Jane Eyre, Hardy's manuscript for Tess....on and on and on..............then just when you thought I was too weary(in truth I was really) to do anything else I dragged myself to Gordon Square in Bloomsbury (well I was in the near vicinity) to pay homage to The Bloomsbury set themselves......plaques on all the buildings.....just wonderful to be there.....
Cooked a nice dinner tonight of Irish trout...with clotted cream and British strawberries.....what about that (I did buy all the ingredients at Tescos..it's not as romantic as it sounds)

Ireland tomorrow and a very early start....more later

Kathxo