Basildon and London

We went to stay with my sister Barb and husband Des in basildon last week as we were invited to the wedding of my neice Alison who was marrying Ian. Here we are outside the golf club near Purleigh in deepest Essex. That's my lttle brother John and my sister Barb and me enjoying the late afternoon sunshine and the Pimm's taking effect. It was nice to see a few relatives ( my other sister Dee couldn't make it for some reason ) at a jolly function for a change and not a funeral as in previous meetings.
On Bank Holiday Monday Barb and Des took us to a huge boot sale in Basildon but we didnt find any bargains but had good fun looking in the bright sunshine. On the Saturday before the wedding we got the train to Southend to see how much it had changed and have a nostalgic ride on the pier train which goes to the end of the mile and bit pile of charred and mangled wood that is left after several fires and accidents. We were encouraged to "Adopt A Plank" but decided they had enough. Great to see some beuatiful thames barges in full sail at the end who were stragglers in a race. The wind had dropped and they were be-calmed but went round slowly for our pleasure between the sand banks and the Kent coast beyond.


We stayed then with our old friends Jane and Graham who run a second hand bookshop behind Waterloo Station for a couple of days. We walked along the south bank of the Thames from Fenchurch Street to Waterloo and took in the sights along the way including the replica of the Golden Hinde ( Francis Drake's ship ) which is in a dry dock not far from London Bridge and the Globe Theatre experiance. Also the London "Eye" and the Festival Hall etc. Nice to see again the BFI archive housed in what was the MOMI and through the NFT. We looked for more Percy Stow but couldnt find any but enjoyed "Daisy Doodad's Dial" we had discovered on the internet BFI site.
Had a nice turkish meal down by the Old Vic later that evening though suffered terrible wind the next day - all that houmous and flagelot beans! Never again!

The next day went to the Tate Britain which was virtually empty as everyone goes the Tate Modern now which is a shame because there is a lot to see. Here is a gallery with a diving suit and some logs. The headphones do not really add to the experiance being just words of no signifcance or humour as far as I could make out. I should have made a note of who made this but alas I failed to do so.

Also popped into the Garden History Museum by Lambeth Bridge for tea and cake in the lovely but noisy garden. Later we met up with Hazel's ex-student Adele and her handsome new baby Hector in the Festival Hall again and took her to see the glowing bowls of Lynette Wallworth in the small gallery by the BFI archive - an interactive installation with glass bowls and film projected down from the ceiling . Very atmostpheric and soothing with ethereal music playing in the background whilst your bowl fills with plankton and other squirming sea life. Well worth a visit as nobody seems to know it exists!