Tuesday 8 April 2014

THE BRITISH LIBRARY CONFERENCE CENTRE.. April 7th, 2014.

Rain was beating down on the pavement as she left the house at thirty minutes past five of the clock last night.

She, having made a conscious decision to wear her pretty clothes and not just let them hang idly in cupboards, had had to rethink what she was going to wear.

So it was in trousers with boots, a polo necked sweater, her much beloved leather coat and an umbrella in her hand that she left the house and headed for Knightsbridge tube station. 

"Gordon Bennett, what filthy weather" she thought  as she entered Harrods Menswear department. But then she came face-to-face with two sets of 'Medieval' Armour which caused her to chuckle.

I wonder which bright spark decided to put those things there, for they bear no relevance to the Brioni suits which are on display, she wondered. But hey, they certainly took her mind off the rain! 

What was she doing in Harrods when she was supposed to be going to the tube station?

Shhhh.. it is an excellent and undercover short-cut to the station, into Menswear, walk along past Brioni, a sharp left turn brings you into Perfumery, a sharp right turn brings you into the main side entrance and you are a few yards away from the entrance to the station.

And going against the flow of the beginning of the rush-hour meant a seat was available on the train. 

St.Pancras station was reached in a short time, she has worked it out and knows not to take the first exit, by walking further along underground it means only a short walk in the rain, the next right turn brought her to the side entrance of the Library and a left turn took her to the Conference Hall.

It was her first time here, the place was jumping, she was glad that she had arrived early and very glad that she had remembered two vital things, her glasses and her hearing aids! Yes, plural, for she is almost completely deaf in one ear and just marginally less in the other.

What was the subject? Silver Jubilee Curatorial Talks. To celebrate over 150 grants made by the Friends of the British Library. Five talks. She will discuss the subject matter in later posts, for she has to go to an appointment.

First up, a presentation by Zoe Wilcox, Curator of Modern Literary Theatrical Manuscripts. Subject: Mervyn Peake. Artist and Writer.

Second. A presentation by Richard Chessler, Lead Curator Music. Subjects: A Monteverdi letter, My Ladye Nevells Booke and the Library and Archive of The Royal Philharmonic Society.

Third. A presentation by John Falconer, Lead Curator Visual Arts Collection Division. Subject: Felice Beato's 1858 panorama of Lucknow, India.

Fourth. A presentation by Roger Walshe, Head of Public Engagement & Learning. Subject: The evolution of Evolving English.

The fifth and final presentation by Peter Barber, Head of Cartographic & Topographic Materials. Subject: Norfolk Perspectives: John Darby's map of Smallburgh, 1582-2014.

There you are, Dear Readers, these were the subjects of last night's set of talks. Now she has to 'shake a leg'. The action of which would be very painful at the moment, more on this matter in another post. Sorry folks but there are things to do and places to go.

GeeGee Parrot.
April 8th, 2014.

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