Maybe it’s because Z’s a Londoner at heart

I do enjoy my governor’s work and find it very interesting, though there are some aspects that I’ll draw a veil over, and have no immediate plans to stand down.  When I do – and I’ll put it this way: I’m now in my 26th year as a school governor and I don’t expect to reach 30 years – I want to choose what else to do, not agree to things I’d rather not do out of weak good nature.

I have visited London very little in the past year and I really miss it.  When Weeza lived there, it was lovely to have somewhere to stay for a couple of nights.  Usually, I’d go up on a Friday and have the day to go to an exhibition or a museum or two, then meet Weeza and Phil in the evening.  She would have booked at a nice restaurant, usually using Top Table to get a special offer, or maybe the theatre.  The advantage of London is good, cheap public transport, of course.  No need for a designated driver to stay wine-free, you can be out as late as you like and, with your Oyster card, bus and Tube are incredibly cheap (I’ve no idea if Londoners would agree with this, but they should try other parts of the country and think again).  On Saturday we’d do whatever we wanted, then an earlier meal and I’d come home that evening.  Although Sunday trains are cheap, for years the line to Norwich had work done every Sunday and journeys home were miserable, largely spent in a bus from one station to another.  This period seems to be over now, fortunately.

It was not that yesterday’s visit didn’t go well, and it was good to meet Russell’s friends.  I’d never met the first lady and we liked each other very much.  I’ll be very happy to drive him back there next week (it really does need the two of us, so that I can itemise the china while he describes and packs it), though I really don’t enjoy the journey down the M11.  However, I did miss being able to do anything at all that I’d have liked to do – which is hardly ever shopping, usually visiting art exhibitions or concerts.

However, one of the things I’d wistfully earmarked is a visit to see the Cheapside Hoard at the Museum of London.  I’ve never been to that museum at all and, I have to confess, I’d never heard of the Hoard, though it was discovered just over a century ago.  I’d half thought we might have an hour to spare, but there was no question of it.  But in yesterday’s post, there was notice of a visit organised by the local Nadfas, in early April.  I’ve sent off my booking at once, very pleased.  We’ll have four hours there, so quite long enough to see the museum as well as the exhibition.  And have lunch, of course.

I’ve rather lost track of what I meant to write about – which is what to do when I’ve got a lot of free time, whether it’s in a couple of years’ time or whenever.  And one thing is, I want to go to London a lot more.  In truth, I could never be happy living far from London.  I feel at home there.

I guess the roots of that are in my childhood, because my parents loved it too and we used to visit regularly.  And that will be a post for tomorrow, as long as I don’t over-think it in the meantime.

 

 

 

8 comments on “Maybe it’s because Z’s a Londoner at heart

  1. 63mago

    I have never heard of this hoard, and of course I first thought it would be from Roman or early medieval time. Very interesting objects, I looked at the images on the museum page.

    Reply
  2. Z Post author

    I know, Mago, me too. Something described as a ‘Hoard’ is usually Viking, Saxon or Roman. I hope the visit isn’t fully booked – I wasn’t able to go to the lecture last week as I was looking after Hay, so I trust lots of people didn’t sign up there and then. Though there isn’t anything to stop me going when I want, paying upfront is a good motivator to keep the day free!

    Reply
    1. 63mago

      I wonder how they will present the objects.

      Would you like living in London or is it the visiting ? I enjoy visiting Berlin, Hamburg or Frankfurt/M. now and then – haven’t done it in years ! – but living in such a place is an entirely different thing.

      Reply
  3. Mike Horner

    I am! I wouldn’t want to live there. But like you we do enjoy visiting, and we’re very lucky to have Liz living where she does – and with a spare car parking space. I usually manage to view all seven Arms and Armour auctions per annum, and usually go to three or four of them. Also lucky to have grandson Matthew there, who always enjoys acting as native gun bearer for me, or will bid on my behalf if ever I can view but not attend the auction. The term ‘got it made’ springs to mind, doesn’t it?

    Reply
  4. allotmentqueen

    When I lived in Oxford I used to get the coach down to go to the V&A or Tate or wherever for the day. When I lived in London, even when I lived in Pimlico, Acton, Chelsea, let alone out in Ewell, I hardly ever went anywhere (except to the Proms, but then I was actually working there).

    Reply
  5. Mike Horner

    When (in the early sixties, we lived in Lowestoft for a few months; partly because we saw the sea every day, we never bothered to go to the beach. Something to do with familiarity breeding contempt, possibly?

    Reply
  6. Z Post author

    When Weeza first worked in London she didn’t go out very much to start with, because life is more pressured there and she took a good year to adjust. She did later, when she found she loved opera and ballet and became a British Museum Friend – when you’ve got included entry to exhibitions, you’re more likely to go to them!

    Mike, to think we lived in the same place 50 years ago!

    Reply

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