Three busy days in London (Day 1)

A jaunt to London. First, a walk to the station in a Scotch mist, literally. I noticed my cheerfulness (jauntiness, even) compared to setting off to walk to work all those pre-retirement years at much the same early hour - though come to think of it, it would have been much earlier. The castle in the mist. Blackbirds singing,. Mind you, I didn't much like carrying my pack on my back. I arrived much too early - good - and had time to enjoy the lovely architecture and carvings of the waiting room. I had never noticed them before. Cherubs on the ceiling holding skipping ropes of flowers. But how did that brown paper bag get caught in the wrought iron under the high glass roof?

One of those laws of nature. Or maybe it's just Sod's Law? When on a train drinking coffee, be the ride never so smooth, just as you raise the cup to your mouth, the train will lurch and you will get coffee down your front. And so it was, today.

A bit of London I was surprised to find. So many times coming to Kings Cross station, so many times pleasantly passing the time nearby, and I had never stumbled across the canal walk, until Alison suggested it to me and Anne.


A little exhibition was under construction at St Martin's College of Art just beside the canal. It was being mounted by students on themes inspired by women's suffrage and the centenary of getting the vote. I loved a witty set of homilies for women, riffing on the usual exhortations to be groomed and charming: witty both in the wording and in the calligraphy. 'Shave off the inhibitions...SUPPORT your sisters...gloss and polish your new decisions.'  There was a piece around 'Black Lives Matter' and (I think) 'Deeds Not Words'.








That is, it was about deeds, yes, but also about ideas. And it consisted of quotations, a poem, excerpts: all in words. As were the parts still under construction.

















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