Amuse-gueule: A weekend in London

Margaret & I spent the weekend in London on 29th through to 31st July. Down by mid afternoon we had a meal before the theatre - a magical production of 'All's Well That Ends Well" at the Globe.

The cast were Michael Bertenshaw as Lafew; Sam Cox as the King of France; Sam Crane as Bertram, (a difficult role but played as a callow youth quite well), Naomi Cranston as Diana, (excellent), John Cummins as the Duke of Florence & Rynaldo; Janie Dee was brilliant as the Countess of Rousillon; and James Garnon superb as Parolles. But ... best of all .... I thought was Ellie Piercy, as Helena - the heroine, quite believable and feisty ... though the question remains "why Bertram?" left me puzzled! I hadn't realised that this difficult play was based on part of 'The Decameron' by Giovanni Boccaccio.

This production had gained some rave reviews - for example ...
Time Out - "Stonkingly impressive...pacey, romantic coming-of-age story that not only ends well but also has you cheering that happy conclusion all the way."
The Independent - "With so much to praise, it is hard to prioritise, but here goes..."
The Times - "A tale in which the women win through cunning, virtue and a striding spirit which embraces disguise, cross-country travel, defiance and bedroom swaps. There is always in [Janie] Dee's appeal something regal and maternal ... her anxiety and grief touch your heart."
Observer - "Now that the Globe has pulled off All's Well That Ends Well it has proved - against the baying of its detractors - that it can do pretty much anything."

We were staying in the Rembrandt Hotel, (Thurloe Place, South Kensington) - a Paul Harris recommendation ... and it was great value and a very convenient location near Chelsea and Knightsbridge, and very close to the museums ... of Natural History, the V&A and Science. The next morning though, rather awkwardly but what can I say (?), I took us to Russell Square and the British Museum. I wanted to look at some of the Egyptology artifacts as well a quick look at the Greek and Roman exhibits.

So, we looked at the Rosetta Stone, an ancient Egyptian stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V - in three scripts - Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Demotic script (Ancient Egyptian), and Ancient Greek - hence being the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. The stele was probably moved during the early Christian or medieval period, eventually used as building material in the construction of Fort Julien - near the town of Rashid (or Rosetta - hence the name), in the Nile Delta. It was rediscovered there in 1799 by a soldier of the French expedition to Egypt. British troops defeated the French in Egypt in 1801, and the original stone came into British possession under the Capitulation of Alexandria and transported to London.

I guess the Egyptian Government's pressure ... on the British Museum, to return the Rosetta Stone has eased since the Arab Spring just as the financial crisis in Greece has probably reduced the pressure for the return of the other controversial exhibit in the Britihs Museum - the 'Elgin Marbles' or Parthenon Marbles

As we left - with a few stops in front of cases showing intricate gold and silver jewellery - and a promise to return to do justice to the Jade Collection, we passed something not looted - the Sutton Hoo helmet!

At 1pm we were due to meet John & Margrit, Gerard & Nicoline and Heinrich - in 'The Spice of Life' Cambridge Circus.

We succeeded and after lunch ducked into the Palace Theatre next door for a matinee performance of "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". It's loud, brash and tremendous fun ...