The Barbican Centre. Ugly? You have no idea. Listed? You bet! London is now stuck with this concrete monster although they are spending some 121 million pounds upgrading the centre. Apparently people find it difficult to find their way around. We think that has something to do with the fact that the design is based on a maze... |
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Taken from the middle of the bass section here's our lovely
conductor conducting. Lovely guy, very calm. We think we gave
a great performance, and the audience seemed to think so too.
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A classic English scene, a pebble beach and a deck chair. Yep, going to the beach here is a pretty different story than at home, don't take your towel, bring a jumper (or two!) and a pound to hire your deck chair.
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Chairs are optional, but you'll see that the jumpers are
not...
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Determined to get into the spirit of a day at the beach,
and as a hardened addict, Andrew braved the freezing temperatures
and had a soft serve. Sadly not chocolate dipped but it
did have a flake!
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Kate decided to try the English way of doing things. Here
she is on Brighton Pier in her deck chair. Note the jumper!
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And here we are outside the Brighton Pavilion, one of
the most amazing palaces we've visited. Indian-esque on
the outside, it's all faux China on the inside, right down
to the dragon light fittings and snake curtain holders.
An interesting combination which apparently confuses Indian
and Chinese visitors alike.
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Speaking of dragon here's another one at Hampton Court
Palace, but he's decidedly more English, or Welsh as the
case may be. Another great castle Hampton Court Palace is
slightly more restrained in its decor, just.
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Once Henry VIII's tiltyard, or the place where he held
his jousting tournaments, the Wilderness is now a gorgeous
field of bulbs. Must be pretty plain in summer but in early
spring it was just gorgeous.
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A bit of a mish-mash of styles here's Hampton Court Palace
from the side, looking at the King's Garden and above it
the King's Suite, designed and lived in by William the III
when he was king of England. Apparently he was a hunchback
with bad teeth, not that you'd be able to tell from the
paintings in the gallery, where he looks blond, athletic
and tall!
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