Of Queens and Princesses

Sunday we went for a long walk. The weather was changeable and crappy, but it was still pleasant. We started at the Wellington Monument at Hyde Park, a massive statue of Achilles, dedicated to the Duke of Wellington and his brave comrades. I'd actually never noticed it before, but don't know how......

We were heading over to the underrated Serpentine Gallery and so walked along the Serpentine to get there. Every year (well, at least for the past 6 or so?), the gallery commissions a temporary structure for their summer exhibition. This year’s is by Rem Koolhaus and Cecil Balmond, and look like a giant egg floating over the trees. It’s pretty impressive.

On the way we passed the Diana Memorial Fountain. We’d never seen that million dollar white elephant and were afraid we’d fall and break a hip if we ventured too close, but we did stop to have a look. There was a guy in a wheelchair there and for a short period I thought his family were going to lower him into Diana’s healing waters to cure him, a la Lourdes, but they just walked (and wheeled) away. Looks like I picked the wrong day to witness a miracle.

The fountain itself is a bit weird, not really a fountain, more of a race I'd say, but what do I know about waterways?

Part of the walk to the gallery was along the Diana Memorial Walk. Of course, you all know that Diana was Patron of the Serpentine Gallery, and so it’s only natural that the gallery has some memorial paving out the front and the ubiquitous memorial benches. (Paul said ‘She did alright for someone with not even one CSE’. ) We were pretty Diana’d out by the time we reached the actual gallery. I expect they’ll be renaming the gay cruising ground in Hyde park the Diana Memorial Cruising Ground soon, ‘cause we all know how much she like a bit of how’s your father.

The current exhibition at the Serpentine is by Thomas Demand, who builds scenes from paper and cardboard, and then photographs them. I liked it. Paul said ‘I could do that’.

Someone (not me!) decided they wanted a G+T (so why did I get a pint of beer?), and I wanted to go to the Royal Academy, so off we trotted to Soho. The long way around though, through Mayfair – always good for celeb stalking (maybe this time we’ll see Madonna!). We had the obligatory stop at Berkeley Square, so Paul could check out the Cadbury office. Then it was on to the Royal Academy, whose courtyard at the moment is dominated by a colossal statue of a pregnant woman. Except it’s by Damien Hirst, so one side is a cadaver. Nice.

I added some of the photos, but you can see more here.