London weekend

London weekend We had quite a full weekend in London last week, first off we went to the national Portrait Gallery to see the portrait newly identified as Catherine of Aragon. There she sits right next to a portrait of Henry painted at the same time and she couldn’t be anyone else. I don’t know why she wasn’t identified years ago. The NPG was a bit crowded so we didn’t linger too long but went off to see the Old Operating Theatre at St Thomas’ hospital near London Bridge. Really fascinating, was used up to about 1860 then got left bricked up and forgotten about for 100 years until someone climbed in through a window 15 feet above an adjacent roof in 1956. It in the top of a church tower and has a large glass roof and is set out just like a theatre with tiered standing rows in a horseshoe. There’s also a herb garret (attic) with old remedies & cures and lots of old operating instruments to see. Worth while going to see for an hour if you are passing by .For dinner we went to Bel Canto a splendid restaurant in Lancaster gate. Fine French cooking and every 15 minutes or so the waiting staff sing opera. NO really! they are trained opera singers and we had two females and three males singing some great opera. With some drinking songs for audience participation too. Sunday it was nice and sunny so a slow stroll along the Thames brought us to the Tate modern. Now try as I might, OK I’m a philistine! I did look with open mind and heart but I just don’t get nearly all of it. Take an example -- Square tube exhibit-- no its just some old ventilation duct rescued from a skip and leant against a wall, and as for the room full of dinosaur poo ….where’s the art I ask. There was one room of photos with an industry and architecture theme and yes some if the photos were brilliant, shadows and angles etc but for the most part it was just dull scribbling on the walls. All too soon we had to travel back to Sussex and home but a great weekend in London