South Bank Afternoon

I've had a lovely afternoon wandering round the newly opened South Bank complex, the rain kept off and the sun even emerged a few times. I took lots of photos (that's a warning).

I had a nice long lunch and gossip with Wee Don Kerr, catching up on news and doings in Wagamamas and then wandered along to the National Theatre to see the insect circus museum and sit outside in the sun for coffee . The Insect Circus museum was wierd but fantastic at the same time, with little clockwork exhibits of snails pulling circus wagons and beetles running round the big top ring. Most strange and extraordinary and bursting with colour.

Wee Don scarpered and I went into the National Theatre bookshop for a browse. The National Theatre itself was like a mausoleum, cold and empty - I think I've only ever seen it buzzing before a performance before, it's a very different place in daylight. I got a small copy of Shakespeare's 'Sonnets' and the soundtrack to Matthew Bourne's 'Play Without Words' a totally groovy and moody '60s jazz score by Terry Davies.

I inspected the refurbished Royal Festival Hall and noticed an installation filling up the entire rear area of the ground floor, a maze made from soapboxes with handwritten notes all over with comments and messages from previous visitors. I noticed the saddest thing ever on leaving - an empty ice-cream stand pushed out of the way against a wall. Can anything be sadder than that?

Time for a wander along the south bank, people watching and thinking what a great city London can be. The big wheel dominating the riverscape, Parliament at one end and St Paul's visible in the distance, the cables of Hungerford Bridge, the living statues and the merry-go-round and hoardes of people enjoying the afternoon sun.

Then I noticed Antony Gormley, here, there and everywhere, casts of his naked body on the pavement and on top of buildings all round the place, so thought I'd go to see the 'Blind Light' exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. Now, I know I'm supposed to say it's all about spaces and distortion and all that stuff, but I think I'll just say it's wierd. Some of it wonderful, but still wierd.

I went inside the Blind Light whitebox for probably less than a minute, just a few steps and then stood and looked round. I know the whitebox was full of people but I couldn't see anyone - I couldn't see anything except white. Being slightly scared of slipping in the humidity, I exited sharply. Most odd. I liked the Space Station but I loved the Matrices and Expansions, masses of metal wires twisted and soldered with his body-shape inside. I also wondered at Drawn, with eight Antony's in the corners of a square room, most odd walking through that space. I didn't see the point in the Allotment but I loved Antony-spotting from the balconies, seeing his casts on roofs all over the place on the skyline. Naturally I took photos - I even took a few photos in the Hayward (without flash) until I was told very politely that photos weren't allowed (oops, sorry!). It's a great exhibition so if you get the chance to go you shouldn't miss it.

I then departed through the gallery shop for the mandatory postcards and wended my way back to Waterloo and onwards to home. A bit weary but pleased to be out and about for the first time in ages, just wandering round whichever way the breeze blew. I've been out a few times but those have been targeted adventures - there and back - with no wandering. I've *missed* wandering. I will do more in future. And thank you to Wee Don for the earlier entertainment!

So, here are some photos of my afternoon on the South Bank: