Antiques & Museums & Victoria And Albert And Me!

Victoria And Albert And Me! Hate Mondays? Try aalready? No time to waste, drink up and get
Monday at the V&A. Mondays will never be thegoing!The Arts and Crafts Exhibition was beautifully
same again.I got the opportunity to spend a couplestaged showing examples from around the world of
of days in London with a friend the other week so Ifurniture, metalwork, fabric, glass, and so much more
jumped at the chance and, fingers crossed, I mightfrom the period around the 1900's. Fascinating to see
get to visit the Arts and Crafts Exhibition at thepieces from America and Japan alongside European
Victoria and Albert Museum.I have a small antiquesofferings. My favourite was the simple oak furniture
shop on the edge of the Lake District so can feel aby Voysey, you must choose your own personal
bit cut off from the metropolis and all the vastobjects - what a wonderful dilemma! Not too
wealth of museums in the capital. Magazine articlescrowded on a Monday so I could get near enough to
and internet access are OK up to a point, but nothingthe cabinets for a good view of the Art Nouveau
beats actually standing in front of a magnificentjewellery - exquisite.My appetite was wetted for
painting or being allowed to touch artifacts that aremore gold and diamonds so onward and up the
tens of thousands of years old.Monday morning,marble staircase to the splendour of the necklaces,
luckily the weather was dry, so wearing my mosttiaras and costumes on display from the period of
comfortable pair of shoes - an absolute must forgrand stately living.Time's flying by and I keep getting
tramping around London - down to the nearest tubedistracted by passing things that are just so exciting
station and the start of the adventure! Funny how ifthat I must stop and look. The skilled craftsmanship
you did it every day of the week the novelty wouldin the making of each individual item is what
wear off, but being an 'underground novice', I' m stillfascinates and thrills me. The hands of a Georgian
intrigued by the sounds, the smells and especially theclock, the intricate fretwork of a metal grille, the
people. Where are they all going and why don't theyworkmanship of the everyday key -
ever smile, let alone speak! Never mind, when inbreathtaking!Then, by chance, I wonder into a room
Rome etc, etc, I can always get a friendly smile fromfull of musical instruments. Names I've never heard of
the concert hall quality buskers when I drop them aand can't remember, but again what does it matter.
few coins.Mustn't get too involved with 'peopleWhat really matters is that at a date in the past,
watching' that I forget to watch out for Southsomebody sat for weeks, maybe months or even
Kensington, jump off the tube and no need to evenyears to fashion a lute, a spinet, a harpsichord and it's
leave the underground as there's a side entrance tothere for me to marvel at. Consider the attention to
the V & A.Wow!!! The building is breathtaking, thethe detail given to the back of a guitar that when
scale is awesome. How many people have visitedplayed wont even be seen!Words are inadequate to
since it was opened and just stood and beendescribe the treasures on display at the V & A.
transported by its sheer beauty? It takes a little timeSufficient to say that every staircase, every ceiling
to drag your eyes away from the decoration of theand column of the building itself deserves
structure let alone think about the items onappreciation. The contents of each cabinet are
display.Where to start, so many wonderful displaysbreathtaking and beautifully displayed with informative
so take so deep breath, maybe even sit over a cupnotes.I could carry on as I did on that Monday when
of coffee and make a plan. Certain rooms I didn'tI returned with aching feet and a bursting soul, but
want to miss and top of the list came the Arts andtake a day off and find time to visit a museum.
Crafts Exhibition closely followed by jewellery, thenThey're all around the country and deserve our
glassware and ceramics. Don't forget that one of mysupport.Joy Pearson runs an antique shop on the
customers had mentioned the full size copy of 'David'beautiful Yorkshire Dales/Lake District border. Lots of
and the metal ware, the miniatures and the Victorianantiques, collectables and witty friendly banter.
pictures must not be missed. What time was it