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Even What’s Old is New in LondonBy Valerie Summers
I enjoyed a stop at the Victoria and Albert Museum to view their special exhibition, “Men in Skirts” and the fabulous new British Galleries, a 15 room comprehensive display relating the story of British art and design from the reign of Henry VIII to Queen Victoria including Great Bed of Ware, which attracted a lot of attention from visitors, and five exquisite period rooms.
A non-museum visit took me to Waterstones at Picadilly, Europe’s largest bookstore, featuring more than 265,000 titles. I hiked up and down its seven flights of stairs, stopping to browse on each floor where books were conveniently divided into various subject matter. On the top and bottom floors, the very user friendly former department store venue offered comfortable places to stop and revive with a meal or a cup of tea.
A one block walk took us to Green’s restaurant, owned by that Parker Bowles chap, as typical an English restaurant as one could find. Then walking back across Picadilly Circus, we entered the Gielgud Theatre for the opening of Humble Boy, promising to be another very long running British hit, and starring one of Great Britain’s national treasures, Felicity Kendal. We topped off a beautiful evening and a wonderful visit to London with a nightcap at the Ritz Hotel’s opulent new Rivoli Bar. So much more to see in this wonderful city, but there is always next time. 22 Jermyn Street British Tourist
Authority British Airways |
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London
never ceases to surprise. There is always something new to explore. At the
top of my list during my last visit was the much touted Tate Modern on the
banks of the Thames neighboring another relative newcomer, The Old Globe.
Perhaps taking its lead from the extremely successful conversion of Paris’s
d’ Orsay museum from an old railway station, the Brits converted a fine old
Bankside power station into a museum of modern art. The well planned space
of the Tate’s collection covers the art of the last one hundred years
through four classic themes: the nude, landscape, still life and history
paintings. During my visit, a special Andy Warhol exhibit was being
featured. My taste leans to the impressionists and some of the moderns, but
when I came across a room with 10-12 mylar pillows being tossed about by
some young visitors, part of the Warhol exhibit, I felt it was time to
leave.
Crossing
in front of the Millenium Bridge, the first new bridge to be built in London
since 1894, I ambled next door to the Old Globe. I had had a brief tour of
it before completion and was delighted with the results. The theater itself
is a faithful recreation of the original, designed in 1599, with the
exception of hidden sprinklers. ( It was fire that caused the demise of the
original Globe with its thatched roof. ) In the exhibition hall, an engaging
introduction to the theatre of Shakespeare’s time offered the story
through text, film, music, multi-media and costumed mannequins. I
especially enjoyed perusing the exhibit on Shakespeare’s contribution to the
language and an explanation of the architecture and skills used to build the
open air playhouse.
On
the opposite side of the Thames, recently opened to the public, the newly
restored 18th century Somerset House in the Covent Garden
district, previously served as the depository for the entire nation’s
records of birth, marriages and deaths. Fronting the complex, an impressive
courtyard with fountains and in the back, a lovely river view terrace.
During my visit I viewed two special exhibits, The Gilbert Collection of
gold and silver snuffboxes and a superb display of micromosaics and the
Hermitage Rooms, a rather small and unpretentious collection from the museum
in St. Petersburg which included several French drawings and paintings.
A
much more satisfying experience awaited me at the National Gallery, which I
had not visited previously. I wandered from one wing exhibiting the paints
of Vuillard, Van Gogh, Gaugin, Pizarro, Renoir, Seurat and on and on into
another area featuring the works of Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto,
Michaelangelo and Holbein hung on silk brocaded walls of green and crimson.
On special display were seven rooms of the glorious paintings of the
mysterious and versatile Dutch painter Aelbert Cuyp which included those of
his early career, Italinate paintings, portraiture, panoramas, patrons,
drawings and late paintings.
What
is also new, as a perk for visitors and residents alike, almost all museums
have scrapped the entrance fees except for special exhibits.
My
visits are always are jam packed and my only respite is offered at my hotel.
On this visit, rather than choosing one of the grand luxury hotels which I
generally stay at, I opted for a small luxury hotel on the very posh Jermyn
Street, known for its beautiful men’s shops. Upon checking in at the multi
award winning 22 Jermyn Street, the name and address of this intimate 13
suite, five studio hotel, I was immediately brought a proper tea service
before luxuriating in the over sized granite bath. I perused the carefully
prepared sheets of printed information which hotelier extraordinaire Henry
Tonga always provides guests on restaurants, shopping, special exhibits and
events, and theatre which he personally comments on, one of the many special
services at 22 Jermyn. Conveniently situated in St. James’s Place just off
Picadilly circus, I entertained friends in my smartly decorated sitting room
combining contemporary furniture with handsome antiques before heading to
dinner and the theatre.