Last of London
Friday July 2nd is the last day I have in London on my own. So much to do. So little time. With Amy’s Globe Theatre membership card in my hand I headed to the Globe for a free guided tour. I highly recommend this one. Lots of interesting facts to learn about the Globe. Did you know that they were only allowed to have a thatched roof (banned in London since the great fire of 1666) after agreeing to have sprinklers installed in the roof, fire-resistant material between the roof and the people sitting below and a fire crew on duty for every performance? Or that the seating on the top floor was often used by prostitutes? Well now you do and there are many other exciting things to learn too.
There’s also a exhibition about Shakespeare and the Globe but my time was too precious to do anything but a quick lap around.
I then headed back to the Tate Modern (only a few minutes walk away) to do the 5th floor that I didn’t have time for when there with Peter. Overall I’d have to say that I preferred the 3rd floor. On the 5th floor I came across a most perplexing installation of two cylinders of light which one could walk into. The larger of the two had a light that changed from pinkish white to bluish white. The smaller cylinder had a warmer white light. I didn’t think much of it until I walked out of the cylinders and into the room and the walls were pink. I thought it was interesting to have pink walls in an art gallery instead of white. I had a last look in the cylinder and when I came out the walls were white again. I’m still confused about what was going on because I couldn’t get the walls to be pink again. Maybe I was just imagining all of it.
I left the Tate Modern to catch the Damien Hirst (so called because he decorated it in big colourful spots) Tate-to-Tate ferry. The original Tate is quite magnificent. It has a whole section devoted to Turner including a room upstairs devoted to materials from teaching he did at the Royal Academy as Professor of Perspective (I wonder if such a position still exists). All lines, angles and circles. This room was empty except for the security guard.
Somehow the day was almost over and I had to get back to Amy’s soon as we had tickets to see the Beta Band that evening at Brixton Academy. I quickly check email then stop at the Borough Food Markets near London Bridge en-route to Amy’s place. London Bridge is a damn big station. Almost every time I was there I exited a different way. As I rode up the huge escalators I had my fingers crossed that I’d come out at my favourite exit but no such luck. I take a punt on which direction to head in rather than waste time looking at my London A-Z. I don’t recognise where I am but I wouldn’t dare risk my pride by asking someone for directions in London. I overhear somebody else asking for the direction to the Tate and realise that I’m heading in the opposite direction. Oops.
I finally get to the pretty flower shop I’d spotted in the morning just as they were closing and grab some tulips for Amy (we’d previously discussed how horrible we both find mixed bunches of flowers). I then make a quick stop at the fish market next door to get a snapper for the feast I was to make that evening before having a quick wander through the food markets as they were closing. I was sad to not have been there when everything was open but it was probably best for my bank account that I wasn’t.
As I was boarding the bus at North Greenwich station to get to Amy’s place she calls me to tell me not to rush because the Beta Band has been cancelled. What? Due to nervous exhaustion of one of the band members she says. Nervous exhaustion before they’ve even played the gig? Interestingly enough, I’ve just read on their website that it was cancelled because Steve Mason lead singer and guitarist had a sprained wrist. Who is to know? After our rage died down we both realised that we were exhausted and a night in wasn’t such a bad thing. Especially when we had such a big weekend planned ahead.
Oh and yes, the snapper was excellent ;)