The boys had an INSET day today. The Lanky Teenager planned to spend the day with his friends, playing badminton and maybe revising (February mocks are coming up), but Boy 2, at a loose end, said he'd like to come to us.
He came by himself for the first time, having stayed on the Tube after his mother got off. We met him at Brixton, although I'm sure he would have been perfectly capable of travelling the rest of the way on his own.
We didn't do anything in the morning; the Swan Whisperer had a meeting, and then he had some paperwork to catch up on, so it was lunchtime before we headed off, to eat at Mama Lan (link) at Boy2's request - we've eaten there before and enjoyed it. I chose chicken wings and vegetable dumplings, he had chicken noodle broth and the Swan Whisperer had chicken fried rice. All delicious, although I did give the SW one of my chicken wings and probably shouldn't have eaten the last one, either.
Then we went out. I wanted to see the Great Hall and the Hogarth Staircase at St Bartholomew's Hospital, which is on a direct 59 bus from Brixton, so we went there.
First of all you come across the church of St Bartholomew the Less, which we looked into briefly, having come through the Tudor Arch with its statue of Henry VIII (didn't manage to get a photo of the statue, which is apparently the only one of him).
It was well worth going - the staircase, portraying the Pool of Bethesda (link) and the Good Samaritan. And the Great Hall is truly spectacular - three fireplaces, which reminded me of a mediaeval hall, and it's about that size!
It is part of the North Wing of the hospital, which had three wings built round a large square (the East wing was delayed as their treasurer absconded with the funds but was eventually built),
designed by James Gibbs and built in the 18th century (I think - I am finding it a bit vague). The site has been beautifully restored, and has not been open to the general public before.
When we had finished, we went into the hospital museum, which was quite interesting, and included a short film about the life of the first founder, Rahere. Henry VIII had to refound it after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as one of the Laws of Unintended Consequences was a vast influx of sick and indigent people that had previously been cared for by the religious communities and now had nowhere to go.
After the Museum, we visited St Bartholomew the Great church (link), just outside the hospital, which is apparently London's oldest parish church. It works closely with St Bartholomew the Less, within the hospital grounds. It was rather lovely, although it honked of incense (which isn't really a bad smell, but doesn't actually enable me to worship. Still, each to their own.), with Rahere's tomb
and modern paintings and an appalling Damien Hirst statue (link) showing St Bartholomew holding his skin. I did not take a photo of it!
When we had finished, there was about half an hour before the Daughter was due to finish work, so we decided to walk over to Tavistock Place. This was through a part of London I really don't know very well, through a couple of old graveyards and past the Postal Museum. I'd shared our location with the Daughter, so she came to meet us. Then the SW and I jumped on the nearest bus, and changed at Holborn on to a 133 to Brixton - I fell asleep! - and then there was a 35 just behind, so home.
Photos on Facebook, as per usual.
