Sunday 24 May 2009

highs and lows

I haven't posted anything for a while because I was in London last week with my great friend Daphne, the wise, generous-hearted, unflappable and easy to be with Daphne, who kept me calm and sane by coming with me on my London trip. There were colleagues to meet, Hamleys to visit, and Chelsea Flower Show to soak up. In between times we dipped in and out of the V and A, the National Gallery, the British Library, and Kensington Gardens. By the time I came back I'd topped up my reserves with the Wilton Diptych (didn't know about that until Daphne told me), lots of Italian paintings, Monet, the Lindisfarne Gospels, stained glass, sculpture, carvings, roses, delphiniums, sweet peas, the perfume garden, the Laurent Perrier garden, the Cancer Care garden, the little courtyard gardens, enough life and colour to top me up for months. (And I bought a hedgehog puppet. Not for me, of course.)

Things you may need to know.

The National and the V and A are the best places to go for cake.

They search your bags at places like that. But only on the way in. As a good Northumbrian, the only reason I didn't try to take the Lindisfarne Gospels home is that my case was too full.

Which brings us to the low. Newcastle went down for the first time in sixteen years. Geordie Pride is hurting badly. Hardly surprising, when they don't allow a manager to stay long enough to write his name over the door.

We'll be back.

2 comments:

Stephanie said...

I'm glad you had such a good time - you put us natives to shame!
Please let me know next time you're in town - I know a few good cake spots!!XX

margaret mcallister said...

Funnily enough, I was thinking of Hampton Court Show for next year...

The hair does look very strokable!