Two visits to the Goat, which seemed more crowded than usual, leading to a discussion about whether the Institute's discourses were usually held on Thursdays or Fridays, this one being on a Friday. Or was the presence of sport on television more relevant?
Further diversion on the first visit from an engaging pot-girl from eastern europe, not particularly young or pretty, but engaging. She was supplemented by a couple of large black limousines containing embassy Thais, followed by what seemed like a regular procession of goon vans. Why were they so windy in this obscure corner of Mayfair. And they were supplemented by a confusion about bells. On my last visit I noticed the bells, alleging that they came from Old Bond Street. See reference 2. But on this occasion the bells sounded as if they were coming from the top of Brown's hotel in Albemarle Street. For once, google unhelpful, so I shall have to pay a visit to Brown's when next in the area.
Dame Julia gave a good talk, only slightly marred by some of her visuals being a bit crowded. But she packed a lot of accessible stuff into her hour and a bit. My neighbour was a Japanese lady scientist from the NPL, chat with whom revealed little beyond the fact that I had more or less no idea what the NPL did. The little being the fact that NPL did do some weather & climate related modelling.
The occasion was graced by the presence of HRH the Duke of Kent, looking a lot older than his business-suited lady, presumably a lady equerry, although wikipedia suggests that such are few and far between.
No free glossy magazines turned up on this occasion, but one litter bin did offer an entire but rather tired & cheap looking violin case. Empty. Unable to think of any use for the thing, I passed.
Opposite we noticed that a very expensive looking gallery called Mazzolini had taken a leaf out of the Hiram Butler book (see reference 1), and was offering what appeared to be sheets of slightly textured white paper; expensive white paper which had been nicely framed and displayed. Illustrated above, and although I say it myself, the telephone did a very good job on this interior of a shop snapped through the window, in the dark. The interior was subject to both interior and flash light. The exterior was dark.
Back at Vauxhall we had a chance to take a look at the new tower, the one which was the subject of a helicopter crash just over two years ago. As had been suggested to us, less than 10% of these very expensive flats appeared to be occupied. First thought was the waste, second thought was that if this is what it takes to balance our payments, so be it. If all the foreigners to whom we owe money are content to sink that money into very tall but empty apartment blocks, so be it. Totem poles to mark the fact that we Brits continue to live well beyond our means.
Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/a-new-sort-of-rubbish-2.html.
Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/bells-of-bond-street.html.
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