I've lived in London all my adult life, and whilst I've visited lots of the landmarks on offer, there are a few places I've yet to go to. One of them is the British Library. As an avid reader with delusions that one day I might sit down and write something of my own I feel this is a little bit of a crime. Therefore I had to add a visit to the British Library onto my 52 New Things.
I jumped on the train into Central, had a quick look at Platform 9 3/4 at St Pancras and then made my way along to the library. I was greeted by a sculpture by Paolozzi of Newton (based on an etching by William Blake). It's a pretty imposing piece of art and nice way to let you know where you are. It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning so the place was quite busy. Lots and lots of people sat on laptops in the halls, perhaps composing the next great masterpiece.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the first publication the library is running an Alice in Wonderland exhibition. I headed there first, and although the exhibition is quite small there are some real delights to check out including Lewis Carroll's original manuscript, beautiful illustrations and a few Alice related trinkets. What I found most interesting was how the story has continued to inspire throughout the generations. It's a story most of us have heard or seen in one way or another and the love for it doesn't seem to be dying down.
After Wonderland I headed into the permanent 'Treasures of the British Library' exhibition. Here you can see some beautiful books including Shakespeare's First Folio and illustrated religious texts. My favourite part though was the hand written notes from Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and even one from Elizabeth I. The Tudor period is an era of endless fascination for me, so to see proof that people I have read so much about really existed was a bit of a geek treat. Now unless you have applied for a readers pass to see specific books in their collection I didn't find there was much more to do at the library, so I left and decided it was time for a quiet drink. To keep on the literary theme, Stuart found one of the last remaining galleried pubs, The George in Southwark
Slightly hidden in an alley near London Bridge the George was established in the medieval period, but part of it had to rebuilt in 1676 after a fire. It is a quaint place made up of a few connecting bars on the ground floor and the gallery above. The gallery is now a restaurant, however it was closed when we visited, but you can still stand up there to drink your beer and grab some fresh air. The Inn is reportedly one of the oldest pubs in London, and Shakespeare probably would have been a patron. In the Victorian era it was also a coffee shop that Charles Dickens visited, and he even mentions it in Little Dorrit. It has a lot of history, and you can definitely tell because of the prices! £5.50 for bottle of beer and £1.50 for a packet of crisps! Even as a Londoner I was a little shocked.
The day out reminded me how much I enjoy the history of London and also how much I love to get lost in a story. I used to spend 90 minutes commuting to work (each way) and would read for the whole journey. I would finish so many books, and I'd read anything I could get my hands on. Since we moved and my commute has been reduced I don't get to read as much, but I made a New Year's resolution to make more time and get back to reading. So if you have any book recommendations let me know in the comments below.
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