The Cult of Beauty...

I was glad that Veronica could stay with us for several days so we could help distract her from Brett moving. We spent an afternoon at the Wellcome Collection, a free museum connecting medicine and art. We were greeted by a life-sized sculpture hanging upside down which was casted from artist Anthony Gormley’s own body. 

We were there to see the special exhibit The Cult of Beauty, where there were lots of unusual artifacts, including this maternity corset from the 1950s and one for babies from 1825. 

While this display of scents was rather elaborate...

…many of the messages were more basic and more powerful. 

The largest artwork, (Almost) All of My Dead Mother’s Beautiful Things, was especially intriguing.  

After finishing this special exhibit, we wandered through the permanent collection and had some lunch.

The library was especially popular with folks lounging in chairs and beanbag chairs on the stairs.

Just love that incredible buildings like this are free to visit. 

 

Dr. Brett...

On March 9, Veronica and Brett arrived for his final night living in the UK. Although he wouldn’t defend his PhD thesis until May, we had a celebratory meal in honor of Brett for finishing his thesis. Veronica is hoping that we’ll celebrate further at his graduation in Exeter in July 2025. 

The following morning, he took the Eurostar to Paris before continuing onto Hamburg where he would be living for several months to do a mini-postdoc before returning to Paris for a two-year postdoc. Once again Veronica and Brett would be living long-distance. 

 

Regent’s Canal with Terri...

Two days later, Terri came over to see our flat before the two of us headed out for a nice long walk from Wapping to Paddington along Regent’s Canal. We started by walking to Limehouse Basin...

…and then cut across to Regent’s Canal. 

It was cool to see some painters in action. 

It was a beautiful day to explore new areas for both us. There were several locks along the way...

…and lots of houseboats.

The path led us through Limehouse, Islington (where the canal went underground so we had to walk through town), King’s Cross, Camden (where we stopped for lunch), Regent’s Park, Little Venice and ended at Paddington Station. 

Terri left to catch a train and I took a few extra minutes to visit Wild Table of Love by Gillie and Marc featuring my favorites: Rabbitwoman and Dogman.
 

Les Miserables with Terri...

In early March, Terri came to London to spend a few days with some high school and university friends from Minnesota. I was thrilled when she invited me to join them for dinner and a show. Dinner was delicious and such a nice chance to get to know twins Peggy and Patty. 

I had first seen Les Mis with Jimmy in New York in 1997; I can’t remember what that theatre was like, but this one was beautiful. Since then I spent four months to read the nearly 1500-page book (although I skipped a few bits) and have seen the movie, so I was much more familiar with the story this time around. 

Our seats were excellent! 

We all really enjoyed the show. Jimmy arrived just as we exited the theatre, thinking that we’d go home together. Instead the ladies invited him to join us for an after-show drink at Soho Residence. What a fun night!
 

Back to Leake Street...

I visited Leake Street Arches once again in March. Many of the murals I had seen eight months earlier had been painted over. 

Can innocence be found once it has been lost? Not sure who this artist is, but clearly someone important as this mural was covered in plexiglass to protect it. 

It was located in a small side tunnel with a ceiling full of the Coronavirus...

…and this antiwar protest.

One of the cool things about Leake Street is that it is continually changing. This artisthad painted over someone else’s mural in preparation to paint his own.  

Leake Street Arches..

Located underneath Waterloo Station. Leake Street Arches is a tunnel where graffiti is legal despite being illegal elsewhere around the country. It was originally created by Banksy for a festival in 2008.

These photos were taken in July 2023 when I first visited this fascinating mural space where anyone can add anything they want. 

This woman is particularly beautiful and long-lasting due to its difficult location to paint over. 

Our time here should not just be a struggle to survive. That’s why every child deserves the chance to truly feel alive.

This lovely mural is just outside the Lambeth exit of Leake Street, above a Thai restaurant where Ashlynn and I enjoyed a good dinner.

This tribute to the National Health Service (NHS) was just outside of Waterloo Station.