Five go mad in the Museum

[pallas_athena]

Yesterday I had the rare pleasure of seeing pvcdiva and psychonomy: the Diva was in town for the weekend, so we "collected" a few Tube stations for her tubewhore project before heading off to meet fracture242 and her partner (who isn't on LJ, and I don't know how he feels about his name being taken in vain online, so I'll just call him "S.")

The five of us descended on the Museum of London like wolves on the fold. We played the "if you could take home only one object, what would it be" game: Fracture and the Diva strode purposefully off towards the shiny objects, discussing fashion as they went, while S and I enjoyed a more leisurely wander through the Bronze Age artifacts. We found a swordblade that had clearly seen some use-- S pointed out the notches on its edge, and discoursed learnedly of the merits of bronze versus iron blades. When we caught up with the others (somewhere around the Great Fire) they had already chosen their take-home items: a well-wrought chest had caught the Diva's fancy, while Fracture's eye had lighted on a Tudor bedroom, preserved in its entirety: wooden panelled walls with elaborate carved decoration, a fireplace and a glorious curtained four-poster bed: "I'd change the upholstery to a very dark blood-red, but that's the only change I'd make." Nearby, I stopped dead in front of a Delft plate, white, with blue lettering reading YOU AND I ARE BUT EARTH. "It's true, then," I thought, resisting the urge to look over my shoulder. "Neal Stephenson is everywhere."

Midway through the sixteenth century, the Diva and Psychonomy had to dash off to Paddington. The remaining three of us eventually found our way out through Roman and Anglo-Saxon London, and the gift shop. Oh, the gift shop. They didn't have Tudor four-poster beds in there, but they had just about everything else.

So yesterday was a good day, featuring good friends, cool things learned, a museum I hadn't been to before and a good lunch. Seeing Fracture and S was not only lovely in itself, but an important first step in my New Mission: To See The Excellent People That I Only Ever See At Whitby More Often. Hurrah!

Oh, and on the way home I petted a spaniel puppy. Definitely a good day.

The only sad thing about yesterday: the Diva, while discussing her Tubewhore project, mentioned our plans to go and be pirates on the Cutty Sark when speedlime comes over in October. Sadly, it'll have to wait: I woke today to the news that that gallant ship has been damaged by fire. A shame.

Comments

[psychonomy.livejournal.com]

Not just damaged, I fear, but effectively destroyed. There's been some stuff in the meeja about how much of it - the mast and half the planking, for instance - was away for restoration, and some about how the damage looks worse than it is. But it does look pretty damn appalling, and for once I find myself siding with the sturm und drang commentators screeching about nautical annihilation.

Given proper funding, they'll probably have a decent reconstruction, incorporating features of the original, at some point. But I think calling it the original might be a bit of a strech. I'd love to be proved wrong, of course.

[pvcdiva.livejournal.com]

I too was very upset to hear our Green Witch project will be sadly diminished. I only found out at lunch and though of us staring at the tube map and deciding not to do the Cutty Sark with out the magnificence of the Speedlime in attendance. How dreadful...

I only wish we'd had longer, and I left that machine foot in my bag but B has it with him in London...

And I missed the gift shop. I love Museum gift shops...

[fracture242.livejournal.com]

It was such an excellent day - thank you both so much for putting up with us!

[wyte-phantom.livejournal.com]

I love that bed too, but I think it is possibly trumped by the four poster bath to be found at Knebworth House.