Liquorice Smoker

I was flicking through some old photos (Denmark 2009) and saw this one. I liked it and though I would post it. When I was a kid we used to have liquorice pipes in sweet/candy stores but not any more in the UK as far as I can tell. Even pretending to smoke a liquorice pipe nowadays is probably politically incorrect. I remember, when I first show the pipes on sale, I bought a batch as much out of nostalgia as anything else. Good on the Danes for not succumbing.

Molly's 80th Birthday Trip to Claridge's

Molly's actual 80th birthday was in the summer, posted here. Anna had a smart idea that our present should be to take Molly to Claridge's for tea. It was super. The tea was great, and was served like wine, in so far as the waiters liked to pour it and you got the evil eye if you poured it yourself. The food was also excellent. We had three courses. Firstly, sandwiches with a good glass of champagne (and champagne at tea time has much to recommended it), secondly, and best of all, scones with cream and jam. There were apple scones and raisin scones. Both were fantastic. And thirdly, cakes. But by then we realized we were just too full and not all the cakes got eaten. Here are some pix:

For a little added interest, we parked right by this plaque:

And on the journey home, Rupert and Anna's car started whirring rather badly. We decided that Rupert drive gingerly home whilst the rest of the party got back via public transport. All in all it was quite a tiring, though excellent, afternoon.

DJ ZOZY B Presents The Barnetts Bonkers Boogy

Part of my birthday present from Ollie was a disco. Check out the disco strobe. It was from Poundworld. What a bargain. What a night. ps turn the sound up when playing the film

Gauguin Day

After morning football (Charlie) and badminton (Ollie) in the afternoon we headed off to London to go to the Gauguin exhibition that is on at the Tate Modern. It was a good little trip, which took in a fair few sights.

We got out of the tube at Monument. The stop is named after the column, above, which commemorates The Great Fire of London of 1666 and burned for three days. 

To get to the South Bank (of the Thames) we walked across London Bridge. There is a good view up and down the river. The shot below is looking east towards Tower Bridge.  The ship on the right is the HMS Belfast, one of the navy's largest cruisers in WWII.

We turned right (west), down one of those little nooks and crannies that you have to have prior knowledge of otherwise you miss, and headed along old cobbled streets, past The Clink , a prison that dates back to the 12th century and is now a tourist experience, and onto the Golden Hind. 

It is very small. I realise that people nowadays circumnavigate the globe in much smaller boats, and single handed, but they have some idea of what is in store for them, and where they are heading. I am less sure that Drake did. Compared to the great tea clippers that raced to and from India, and other ocean going boats under sail, this is a tiddler. 

This area of London is called Bankside. Only a couple of decades ago, it was unpleasant. In the last 20 years it has been rejuvenated almost beyond recognition. What used to be dark and somewhat intimidating backstreets, passageways and tunnels have become an area for tourists and locals to meander and enjoy the variety of cuisines, the historical sites and the Tate Modern. 

The Globe is around the corner from the Golden Hind. It is a reconstruction very close to the site of the original globe, in which Shakespeare had shares and put on his plays. 

Then comes the mighty Tate Modern. 

It's the old Bankside Power Station and it is brilliant. Whoever thought of the conversion should be given a knighthood or some such similar thing. Here is a shot of the insides. It is a great space. 

The Gauguin exhibition (or 'Gog in' as Ollie referred to him) was good. Not amazing but good to remind oneself of how important he was to the evolution of art. Some of the best pictures are quite magical and seem to be an almost childlike evocation of a different world. 

The final shot, below, is of St. Pauls in the background, and the Millineum Bridge in the foreground. It is taken from the 4th floor cafe at the Tate Modern.

And here a little map that outlines our walk. It is a good one. Lots of interesting things within a short space. And we didn't even get to Borough Market. A recommended long half day, or with the market and some additional meandering and art, a whole day.