Owww, me plates!

OK, I think I have destroyed my feet. I've got back in from a walk and I can hardly feel my toes. That can't be a good sign can it? Actually my shoes are a bit destroyed too, all the salt that they have absorbed over the last few weeks in the snow has started to come out and leave white marks on the suede. Bit of a bugger really.

I have noticed a weird thing about the British. Well, many, but one this weekend and that's the British habit of putting up statues of our enemies in the Capital. There's one of George Washington outside the National Gallery for example. Didn't he beat us in a war? Isn't he responsible for the British loosing the American Colonies? Isn't it a bit odd to have a statue of him in the Capital city of the nation he beat? Is there a statue of Winston Churchill in Berlin? Actually there might be but my poor knowledge of history narrows down the examples I can dredge up, but you get my point.

I had fun trying to get round this weekend as half the Tube was shut, including the Circle line and Hammersmith and City, which both run through Moorgate, the nearest station to the hotel. I do sort of know where to go in London on public transport, but as soon as a line is shut it sort of makes things difficult. It also means I have walked a hell of a lot further than I normally would have, but this seems to have made little difference to my excess Christmas flab.

I did the standard tourist thing and went to see a show on Saturday night. As you may know I am not a huge fan of musical theatre, even less so of musical theatre based on movies so the choice could be a bit limited. But since Andrew Lloyd Webbers back catalogue has finally left the stage there are a few plays available without unnecessary singing. I went to see one called The Little Dog Laughed with Tamsin Grieg which was very, very funny. The actors were doing american accents which was a bit odd to start but for once I managed to suspend my disbelief and only spent a short amount of the play trying to work out the lighting rig and set construction. It does slightly destroy the moment when the Tube trains go by but that's pretty normal in central London theatres. There seems to be an unwritten law that the longer a play/musical runs in the West End the more tragic the casting becomes. For example at the moment Hairspray has Belinda Carlisle in it. She's still a bit cool I feel. Later on next month it gets Mickey Dolenz. He is definitely not cool in any way. Metal Mickey excepted maybe. This is why shows should not have long runs. Mind you it does give work to all the old TV personalities outside the panto season I suppose.

I spent a bit of time in the British Museum as well yesterday. It's a great place, but just too huge really to get to grips with. It also seems to have stuff from every country except Britain. I thought I'd be able to get a nice, tasteful souvenir to take back to Oz, representative of my birthplace. Sadly the shop only had replicas of Egyptian gods, Mesopotamian treasures and knicked Greek marbles. Or actually not knicked according to the Trustees of the British Museum and I think they may have a point. In any case it's good to keep them just to annoy another of our European partners.

The Germans should love the British Museum however as the German guide book has the word "Führer" emblazoned on the front in 50 point text. Maybe this was not the best lexicographical choice in hindsight.