Thursday, August 21, 2008

A Grand Day Out

I took myself to London yesterday. A twelve hour round trip to the theatre, ostensibly to watch a play, but also to take my mind off today's G.C.S.E results.

The play I went to see was called "Her Naked Skin" at The National Theatre. Set during the time of the Suffrage Movement, it was a thought provoking and challenging play, at times bittersweet, at times very difficult to watch. There was, for instance, a prison scene which dealt with forced feeding which wasn't easy viewing, and yet there was such tenderness from the prison warder in the aftermath, just a small gesture yet it conveyed so much. There wasn't necessarily a happy ending either, but it was a play I took a lot from. And Lesley Manville was excellent.

I was able to take advantage of a £10 Travelex ticket too.

When I go the the National Theatre, I like to take the Bakerloo Line to Embankment and walk over the Hungerfod Bridge to the South Bank. This enables me to sit and knit a while in the Victoria Embankment Gardens, a wonderful oasis of calm in SUCH a busy place. I was lucky when I sat there, I was in a warm sunny spot, and I thought I really must take time just to sit like this more often.


Don't the gardens look lovely?



And what a lovely view to knit to :-)


It was quite murky however by the time I came to walk over the bridge.


But brighter again on the South Bank.




The view back to Embankment



The National Theatre is always a very busy place, with street theatre for the public


And a few views from a different perspective, the terrace of the Olivier Theatre bar












And the G.C.S.E results are here! 4 B's, 4 C's and a D. The B's are in English, R.E., Geography and Music, and should enable DS2 to take the A levels he wants to. I am so relieved as he did remarkably little work.




4 comments:

Auntie Noo said...

The weather was so changeable yesterday wasn't it I think you were lucky to catch some sun - hope you didn't get caught in the evening downpour!

Linz Knits Now said...

Sounds like you had a great time! I agree,lovely gardens to knit in and chill.


Congratulations to Francis!!

Anonymous said...

I can remember how worried you were about the revision and obviously the results....I can feel your relief from here :) Our children have no idea what it does to us. Well done and I'm glad the trip helped you to put them to the back of your mind (I know you didn't forget hehe)

Ambermoggie, a fragrant soul said...

glad there were good results and what a great day out you had:)