Fun, London

Some fun new tube station signs this summer – check out these temporary TfL Roundels

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Last month Transport for London’s Summer Roundel Campaign kicked off with fun tube station signs, completely unnoticed by the Barbarians. 16 STATIONS, 16 FUN TUBE STATION SIGNS One single tube station sign per station has been changed for 16 central London stations. Many of these stations have more than one line, so earlier today it took me a little while to spot them.   HYDE PARK CORNER – “HERE COMES SUMMER” At Hyde Park Corner I entered the tube station. On the Piccadilly Line platform for trains going to the centre (Destination Cockfoster, Eastbound) you will find a sign that reads “Here Comes Summer.” It is supposed to remind people of nearby Hyde Park and the Serpentine Pond. I then took the Piccadilly Line from that platform and got out at Piccadilly Circus.   PICCADILLY CIRCUS – “GOING OUT OUT” At the Northbound Bakerloo Line platform you’ll find a sign […]

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Art and Culture

Alice Exhibition: Curiouser and Curiouser – Take a Trip Down the Rabbit Hole at the V&A

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Last weekend, Ellie & I ventured to the V&A in South Kensington to see the much talked about immersive experience “Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser.” There were no more than a dozen people queuing at the time we arrived. Two minutes later we were inside the building and walking down the stairs to the reception area. SETTING THE SCENE The first major room is not yet immersive. Instead it features lots of artefacts more like a traditional museum. They are aimed at shedding light on the era when Alice in Wonderland was written, the life of the author. We learn how the books were very much a collaborative effort that was not in any way limited to putting words on paper and then in print. Even this first room is already showing how Alice has changed the world, how huge her impact is.   CHARLES LUTWIDGE DODGSON Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who […]

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Art and Culture

David Hockney at Piccadilly Circus

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For every evening this month, a two and a half minute animated installation by David Hockney will be shown on the Piccadilly Lights screen at 8:21pm (20:21, like the year). To be more precise the piece consists of a 1.25min video shown twice directly one after another. The artist created it on his iPad over a series of early mornings while watching the sun rise from his home in Normandy. He has been based there since 2019. The work is part of an international series created by CIRCA, and which previously had videos of Patti Smith and Ai Weiwei shown on the Piccadilly advertising screens. Hockney said in interviews that he wants to inspire people to welcome spring and stop for a moment to see its beauty. According to CIRCA, “In this worldwide display of unity, Hockney’s animated sunrise seeks to offer a symbol of hope and collaboration as the […]

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London

A new sight in London: The unofficial ‘Covid Memorial Wall’

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When Ellie & I were going for a little stroll along the Thames yesterday afternoon, we spotted the London Covid Memorial Wall for the first time. It stretches over 500 metres just opposite the Houses of Parliament, next to the riverbank and St Thomas’s Hospital. This clinic is where Boris Johnson and a significant percentage of central London Covid patients have received care. The Memorial is still a work in progress, with roughly 120,000 of the planned 150,000 hearts completed since the first heart was painted on the Wall a bit over a week ago on Monday, 29th March. 150,000 hearts 150,000 hearts representing 150,000 dead. That’s the same number of people as live in Oxford or roughly 16 times the population of the City of London’s 9,400 residents. (For our friends from further afield: The City of London is only a tiny part of the UK’s capital, and this […]

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Art and Culture, London

The Amazing Chihuly in Kew Gardens: ‘Reflections on Nature’

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One of Ms B’s and my biggest regrets in 2019 is that we only visited Dale Chihuly’s ‘Reflections on Nature’ exhibition of glass sculptures in Kew Gardens a few days ago, and not much earlier, thus missing out on the opportunity to return again and again. The exhibition will close forever on 27 October after a hugely successful six months. Ms B, whose nick name at school apparently was ‘voucher chick’, managed to find us a 50% discount, which brought the ticket’s price down to £9 per person (deal can be found here) Even the full price of £18 is extremely good value for what you get. They also offer great deals for families. We’ve been big fans of Chihuly’s for many years now, and especially of his large-scale outdoor sculptures. His equally well-received 2005 Kew Gardens exhibition was one we missed out on, because Ms B was busy settling […]

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