London Calling

I’ve, temporarily, lost some of my mojo for complete sentences and paragraphs, so here is a quick listing of a few of the past month’s more interesting family field trips:

Wandering the sprawling grounds of Kew Gardens on a sunny winter day.  When it got too cold there were a number of steamy historic glass houses to slip into, filled with flora from across the world.

A few hours dodging the rain with the prolific William Hogarth at the Tate Britain.  An enormous and fascinating exhibit that clearly illustrates Hogarth’s value as an artist and as a chronicler of 18th century England.

A quick visit to the British Library for London: A Life in Maps.  Viewing the development of maps and charts from the early 16th century through today saves the trouble of digging out all those history books.  The old city?  London after the fire?  A map of the plague devastation? River transport along the Thames?  The six original train routes?  Victorian sewer lines?  The original layout of London’s parks?  The early Underground?  I’ve just scratched the surface…

A night of choke-hold drama watching Coram Boy at the National Theatre.  Philip Pullman says it best: “A rich and almost gothic drama, full of dastardly villains, cold-hearted aristocrats, devoted friends and passionate lovers, and set against a background of cruelty, music and murder.”  A fine history of 18th century England, as well.  The production will be coming to Broadway in the spring.  If you’re there, don’t miss it.

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…and not because I’m home taking care of the kids this year.  It’s because of my magical new umbrella.  One of the few perks of living in a dreary wet climate(though, truth be told, we’ve been pretty dry until recently) is the unexpected pleasure of shopping in a store dedicated to the design, manufacture and sale of umbrellas.  James Smith and Sons has been doing that–and nothing else, save walking sticks and canes, variations on a theme–since 1830.

City umbrellas, Country umbrella, Sling umbrellas, Club umbrellas and Stick umbrellas, to name a few.  Handles made from Hickory, Ash, Chestnut, Cherry, Root knob, Rattan, Whangee cane, the list goes on.    While I could have spent upwards of £500 on a Cocobolo Rosewood handle with silver lapband, I settled for the Classic Rolled Tube Umbrella.  Designed over a century ago to suffer the blustery London rains with dignity and style, it was a bargain at £29.  A slim when furled,  but strong for the winds, 8-ribbed model with a Malacca Cane crook handle.  I’m hoping it lasts a lifetime…or at least as long as we’re in London.

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The Surgeon General’s got nothing on his counterparts at the NHS…

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While London days are finally gettting longer, they’re also getting greyer and wetter.  We’ve recently succumbed to the weather and begun our season of indoor tourism.  Our visit to the slides at the Tate Modern was a compromise between Art and Recreation. 

Our next stop, Sir John Soane’s Museum, was a nod to Art, History and Eccentricity.  Architect of the Bank of England and a professor at the Royal Academy of Arts, Soane(1753-1837) designed and built his private residence to house and display a growing collection of books, drawings and models he organized to be available for his students.

In addition to the world class architectural resources he assembled, Soane also filled the house with an extensive and unusual collection of antiquities and art, displayed from floor to ceiling in the warren of galleries he created.

I could go into great detail about this remarkable museum, but part of the charm is discovering its many unique qualities first hand.  When in London, make a visit to this, rather under-appreciated, gem a priority.

Many thanks to family architecture guru, David Rifkind, and Berkeley-via-London blogger, Tracey Taylor, for cluing us in.

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