Stand to the right

Why am I the only person wearing sunglasses today? What does everyone else know about the weather that has escaped me? Today I thought I would explore some things in my neighbourhood. The National Library is just around the corner.

The sculpture above is ‘Newton, after William Blake’ by Eduardo Paolozzi 1995, which imposingly sits just inside the entranceway. There was a special exhibition on ‘St Cuthbert’s Gospel’ which was recently acquired by the library for £9m (it’s a very small book!). It is a copy of the Gospel of St John which dates from the fifth century and was found inside the tomb of St Cuthbert. There were some other beautifully illustrated manuscripts on display as well. The library is next to the rather marvelously elaborate St Pancras hotel (below).

I then took the tube to Green Park to see a gallery I had passed last night. Fortunately it was closed and most of the paintings visible in the windows were sold. Suddenly I heard canon fire. It was the ‘Trooping of the Colour’ and there was a flyover of air force jets. I thanked them for the warm welcome! I’m not sure why Britons drive on the correct side of the road (left), walk on the correct side of the footpath (left), but choose to require me to stand to the right on an escalator on the tube stations (?).

At De Beers on Piccadilly I saw this fetching diamond brooch and wondered if they could make us some shaped like our Holy Trinity logo (triquetra). Any takers?

I made my way to the Royal Academy. Always an interesting exhibition here.

Sadly not everything remains the same. One of my favorite shops, Sulka, on Old Bond Street, favoured by the Duke of Windsor, is now a boring Prada store.

But this sign below reminded me of home.

I did manage to find these Jubilee shoes in the Burlington Arcade.

And anyone for some rhinestone encrusted brogues? Whatever were Church’s thinking!?

Speaking of Jubilee, the bunting in Regent Street has already changed in anticipation of the Olympics next month.

And speaking of churches, I have had to do quite a bit of research to find a church to go to tomorrow (Sunday). So many beautiful churches in London, but too many of them are ‘Forward in Faith’ (anti-women). Across the river in Southwark it is a different story. Stay tuned for my decision.

There is a possibility that my great (x4) grandfather is buried in the churchyard of St Anne’s Soho (above). There are no gravestones remaining as over 100,000 people were buried here, including Theodore King of Cyprus (who died penniless) and the Anglican writer, Dorothy Sayers. More family research needed. On the walk home, I dallied for a moment in Bedford Square.

Why am I now the only person wearing a scarf? I am off to the theatre and as it is quite cool I have a scarf to protect me from the chilly wind. Back to Piccadilly Circus for an amusing version of John Buchan’s ‘The 39 Steps’.