Categories: uncategorized
Date: 12 December 2004 13:07:03
Yesterday I was up in town digging out yet more London culture, this time at the wonderful Museum of London (click on the link to Galleries which is the bit I looked round). I remember going there on a school trip when I was about 9 or so and really liking it then (it had only just opened at that point - late 1970s), and ever since I've lived in London I've been meaning to go and have another look. It's just as good, particularly after a major refurbishment and overhaul last year, and I found it fascinating looking at London from prehistoric times through to the start of the 20th century. Very interesting to realise (I hadn't before) that in prehistoric times, prior to there being an actual settlement here, mammoths, woolly rhinocerouses (rhinoceri?), lions, hippos and elephants roamed the Thames Valley. There'd be a bit of an uproar if they did that these days - the Thames Valley just doesn't strike me as being that kind of place really, a hippo walking up Staines High Street would be quite a sight. Anyway, for anybody who's in London and at a loose end, there are a lot worse ways to spend a couple of hours and it's a really interesting look at the history and development of the Big Smoke.
After that I wandered on up to the Museum Tavern, a regular haunt of London SoF meets. Actually the irony of that particular description of the pub appearing in a feature called "Full Pint" isn't lost on me, as the Museum Tavern does have a bit of a reputation for not filling entirely to the top of the glass, but anyway that's by the by. Met up with various Shippies and bloggers, pretty much the usual suspects, good time had by all, though I must say it was ever so smoky in there last night, more so than I've remembered it before. Mind you, I was glad of the excessive smokiness on the way home - shortly after I parted company from Maddie a bloke at a bus stop tried to grope me and was blocking my path, but when I barked out "Look, that just ISN'T FUNNY!" it came out about 2 octaves lower and quite a lot hoarser and scarier than usual and he just stepped aside really meekly. Hee hee.
Thanks to everyone for their comments about the newsletter dilemma. I did manage to buy some Christmas cards at church this morning so now all I need to do is find my address book (which has been missing in action for a few months now) and then write the letter. On my way up to London I had a massive burst of inspiration, and, inspired by Dave's reinventing of his own wiblog, have decided to do a cartoon newsletter. I'm not sure how it will turn out, particularly as my artistic talents are somewhat less obvious than Dave's it has to be said, but I've got all my speech bubbles planned and I can see it in my head and it's making me laugh a lot. Probably when I start trying to draw my utter lack of artistic talent will make me cry, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.