Uncommonly beautiful

The pond on the Common is now considerably healthier than the drip that remained last summer. Still, even in early March it was warm enough to saunter alongside at sunset.

And what a sunset.

British Museum

Unsurprisingly one of the first questions levelled at my tour guide was on the rights and wrongs of the venerable British Museum keeping the Elgin Marbles. They’ve obviously become accustomed to dealing with the question and the museum’s policy and justification is well-rehearsed and confidently delivered.

Aside from well-documented claims to the Marbles, part of the answer begs the wider question. What would a world where all antiquities rested in their original country of origin look like? What would that do for preservation, for education, for understanding? That said, I can’t but help feel a slight uncomfortable twinge that we make that argument from a position of great empirical strength in our collections.

The Museum is impossible large and diverse; from my personal point of view not necessarily engaging on its own. It needs the tour guide to bring context and stories alive. Stones with labels alone don’t keep my attention for long.

I have a slightly guilty admission; I’m as enthralled by the architecture as I am by the exhibits. Nothing particularly exceptional about the outside though living in London makes you a little blasé about the scale and quality of such buildings.

Inside however the Great Court is, well, inside. The Foster-designed glass roof is astonishingly impressive covering the refurbished library and new, if rather over-priced, restaurant. The library reminded me of Magdalen’s Grove Quad; classic in design but a bit too clean. Give both 50 years and they’ll be perfect.

Two hours of tour and we’ve only scratched the surface of a few countries’ bounty and a mere couple of centuries making a return visit (or 6) inevitable and essential.

I spy

Just found this live webcam of Wimbledon town centre – surprisingly good refresh rate compared to those city cameras in the old narrow-band world. Click here to get a live view looking towards the centre from Wimbledon Hill Road; the camera is near Ely’s department store and the train station is on the left past the traffic lights.

New home

I’m still in SW19 but I’m also now here on WordPress, leaving Blogger behind with a smile on my face. More regular updates to follow.