The frost turned to driving rain in the early hours and continued all day. I did not buy time on Cloud, as spectrum Travel Lodge was not available, until waking in the early hours and deciding I was not going to sleep. I wrote the user name and password code carefully and this was a good decision as I was to find some twelve hours later. I could hear the wind and the rain, although it was otherwise quiet. I was hungry and tried to ignore the call but failed and consumed two cheese topped bread roles without a spread or filling. They were delicious.
I got myself ready for breakfast around 7 although had to wait until 8am. I was hungry and enjoyed two pan au chocolate which I have just discovered can be bought in the USA $3 for one. It is croissant form of baked dough with a layer of chocolate in its base, I also had one plain croissant and saved a Danish Pastry for later, I commenced with a good size plate of grapefruit segments and then had a small bunch of grapes, finishing the meal with strong coffee. Back in the room after collecting supplies from the car I used one pack of Scottish smoked salmon with the remaining two cheese rolls, packed the MS carton of grapes and one Danish but decided against making a flask of coffee. I set off in the rain and the walked up the hill to the station was not enjoyable.
I have taken trains from here on at least half a dozen previous visits but this was the first time I was directed to the open waiting room which quickly filled with everyone arriving for the Victoria or London Bridge trains. I got off at East Croydon for a fast train and then the one stop from Victoria to Sloane Square and the famous Kings Road in Chelsea. I was in the greater neighbourhood in the summer for the Promenade concert at the Royal Albert Hall and three year before I was further along both the Kings Road and the adjacent Fulham Road for the Cineworld cinemas.
The new Saatchi gallery has been created in the former Duke of York HQ building which is right angles to the Kings Road In the Spring of 2003 I visited the former Gallery in the former offices of the Greater London Council on the South bank and that visit together with the visit to the Tate Modern changed my life. Today there was nothing that moved me, nothing that engaged with one exception and I was greatly disappointed, The cloak room was on the lower ground floor and here there was also the only installation which engaged my attention. There were thirteen electric wheel chairs with thirteen life like very old men, including a Greek Orthodox Priest, an Arab Sheik, and Naval Commander and an army general. The exhibit is called Old People’s Home. It captures the sense of waiting for death, of limited or lacking of connection with anyone, of being locked into their past lives and alienated from the present. I asked the attendant if there was any reason why the number thirteen had been chosen and not ten or twelve. We had a little chat. Her interest was architecture, rather than contemporary art. She was very interested in my experience in relation to the care of the elderly and my mother. I also had a chat with a Chinese couple who were visiting because the Gallery had been given over to ten contemporary Chinese artists.
I registered as a member on line and looked at the two areas where work was exhibited from the schools project competition and the on line artists competition. Outside it was raining just as hard and I was in no mood to tramp the streets in these conditions so I decided to go to the cinema again but first it was time for some food. There are only eight seats in the Victoria station area before platforms 9 to 17 but one was free between two people but then the person on the end seat left so I moved over and enjoyed the smoked salmon rolls and a Danish pastry, I fancied coffee but there was time to catch a 12,35 train to Clapham Junction station where I cross over the road for a bus to Wandsworth High Street, It is a matter of debate whether to get off at the Town Hall stop or the one after. I chose the latter but will try the first on another occasion. It is a long walk from the street entrance to the escalator up to the Cinema ticket office and then a further escalator to the individual theatres, some 13. Mine was immediately at the entrance number 8.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a remake of the 1951 science fiction film in which Michael Rennie comes to earth in a flying saucer with a present for President to study life on other planets but is shot by trigger happy soldier until all the weapons are disabled by a large robot who takes Rennie back in the saucer to be revived. He has come to bring the message that the world will not survive if they use atomic power as weapons unless they learn to live together, Rennie takes refuge in a boarding house run by World War II widow with a young son who befriends the visitor and takes him to Arlington cemetery where his father is buried and to a local internationally recognised scientist, completing some work with a solution which amazes the scientist. Rennie explains that he is representing a number of interests across the immediate universe that unless human beings quickly overcome the problem the people of earth will be eliminated, To give a demonstration of power all electricity is turned off for half an hour with the exception of hospitals and planes in flight. As Rennie sets off in the saucer he delivers a warning to the world. The film has a traditional Christianity aspect with a resurrection and statement to humanity before disappearing off into the heavens. I seem to recall something in the New Testament
The 2008 version has Keanu Reeves in the role played by Rennie and John Cleese as the international scientist. The issue of concern to other space races is the failure of the earth to protect the planet from environmental destruction and only at the last moment does the alien prevent the destruction of human kind and all human made constructions returning the planet to its original state. After the film I was asked by a nearby young couple what I thought so I told them about the original and the similarities of the themes. I added that I did think we could expect outside intervention to save us and we had to decide to take action ourselves, although the young couple expressed the hope that there would another remake in 50 years with different concerns. I was entertained and it is a worthwhile remake. I stopped for a coffee and coffee and muffins where the Ice cream was a New Zealand brand. I must confess ice cream is cream and I do not understand why some costs a fortune.
Back at the motel there was some difficulty in getting online before another al fresco meal bought at MS Clapham Junction station together with olives and feta cheese bought on Friday afternoon and then the evening double bill of Strictly Come dancing semi final in which all three couples were taken through to the grand final next week followed by the X factor final. The first surprise of the night was the performance of JLS who have become more professional every week and their performances this evening were entertaining and merited their place in the last two. I have written before that one of my favourite songs of all time is the Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and the second surprise is that this is selected Christmas release single for the winner. I was impressed with the JLS version but the performance of Alexandra Burke was outstanding and was winning if that was not already determined by the public voting. To cap it all, Managerless Sunderland won 4.0 having lost four times at home in succession. It had become a much better day. Hallelujah.
I got myself ready for breakfast around 7 although had to wait until 8am. I was hungry and enjoyed two pan au chocolate which I have just discovered can be bought in the USA $3 for one. It is croissant form of baked dough with a layer of chocolate in its base, I also had one plain croissant and saved a Danish Pastry for later, I commenced with a good size plate of grapefruit segments and then had a small bunch of grapes, finishing the meal with strong coffee. Back in the room after collecting supplies from the car I used one pack of Scottish smoked salmon with the remaining two cheese rolls, packed the MS carton of grapes and one Danish but decided against making a flask of coffee. I set off in the rain and the walked up the hill to the station was not enjoyable.
I have taken trains from here on at least half a dozen previous visits but this was the first time I was directed to the open waiting room which quickly filled with everyone arriving for the Victoria or London Bridge trains. I got off at East Croydon for a fast train and then the one stop from Victoria to Sloane Square and the famous Kings Road in Chelsea. I was in the greater neighbourhood in the summer for the Promenade concert at the Royal Albert Hall and three year before I was further along both the Kings Road and the adjacent Fulham Road for the Cineworld cinemas.
The new Saatchi gallery has been created in the former Duke of York HQ building which is right angles to the Kings Road In the Spring of 2003 I visited the former Gallery in the former offices of the Greater London Council on the South bank and that visit together with the visit to the Tate Modern changed my life. Today there was nothing that moved me, nothing that engaged with one exception and I was greatly disappointed, The cloak room was on the lower ground floor and here there was also the only installation which engaged my attention. There were thirteen electric wheel chairs with thirteen life like very old men, including a Greek Orthodox Priest, an Arab Sheik, and Naval Commander and an army general. The exhibit is called Old People’s Home. It captures the sense of waiting for death, of limited or lacking of connection with anyone, of being locked into their past lives and alienated from the present. I asked the attendant if there was any reason why the number thirteen had been chosen and not ten or twelve. We had a little chat. Her interest was architecture, rather than contemporary art. She was very interested in my experience in relation to the care of the elderly and my mother. I also had a chat with a Chinese couple who were visiting because the Gallery had been given over to ten contemporary Chinese artists.
I registered as a member on line and looked at the two areas where work was exhibited from the schools project competition and the on line artists competition. Outside it was raining just as hard and I was in no mood to tramp the streets in these conditions so I decided to go to the cinema again but first it was time for some food. There are only eight seats in the Victoria station area before platforms 9 to 17 but one was free between two people but then the person on the end seat left so I moved over and enjoyed the smoked salmon rolls and a Danish pastry, I fancied coffee but there was time to catch a 12,35 train to Clapham Junction station where I cross over the road for a bus to Wandsworth High Street, It is a matter of debate whether to get off at the Town Hall stop or the one after. I chose the latter but will try the first on another occasion. It is a long walk from the street entrance to the escalator up to the Cinema ticket office and then a further escalator to the individual theatres, some 13. Mine was immediately at the entrance number 8.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a remake of the 1951 science fiction film in which Michael Rennie comes to earth in a flying saucer with a present for President to study life on other planets but is shot by trigger happy soldier until all the weapons are disabled by a large robot who takes Rennie back in the saucer to be revived. He has come to bring the message that the world will not survive if they use atomic power as weapons unless they learn to live together, Rennie takes refuge in a boarding house run by World War II widow with a young son who befriends the visitor and takes him to Arlington cemetery where his father is buried and to a local internationally recognised scientist, completing some work with a solution which amazes the scientist. Rennie explains that he is representing a number of interests across the immediate universe that unless human beings quickly overcome the problem the people of earth will be eliminated, To give a demonstration of power all electricity is turned off for half an hour with the exception of hospitals and planes in flight. As Rennie sets off in the saucer he delivers a warning to the world. The film has a traditional Christianity aspect with a resurrection and statement to humanity before disappearing off into the heavens. I seem to recall something in the New Testament
The 2008 version has Keanu Reeves in the role played by Rennie and John Cleese as the international scientist. The issue of concern to other space races is the failure of the earth to protect the planet from environmental destruction and only at the last moment does the alien prevent the destruction of human kind and all human made constructions returning the planet to its original state. After the film I was asked by a nearby young couple what I thought so I told them about the original and the similarities of the themes. I added that I did think we could expect outside intervention to save us and we had to decide to take action ourselves, although the young couple expressed the hope that there would another remake in 50 years with different concerns. I was entertained and it is a worthwhile remake. I stopped for a coffee and coffee and muffins where the Ice cream was a New Zealand brand. I must confess ice cream is cream and I do not understand why some costs a fortune.
Back at the motel there was some difficulty in getting online before another al fresco meal bought at MS Clapham Junction station together with olives and feta cheese bought on Friday afternoon and then the evening double bill of Strictly Come dancing semi final in which all three couples were taken through to the grand final next week followed by the X factor final. The first surprise of the night was the performance of JLS who have become more professional every week and their performances this evening were entertaining and merited their place in the last two. I have written before that one of my favourite songs of all time is the Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and the second surprise is that this is selected Christmas release single for the winner. I was impressed with the JLS version but the performance of Alexandra Burke was outstanding and was winning if that was not already determined by the public voting. To cap it all, Managerless Sunderland won 4.0 having lost four times at home in succession. It had become a much better day. Hallelujah.
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