Sushi In Russell Square Gardens

Holiday day 5

Well.

I’ve known Alex since 2008. 

I didn’t know he fancied me until I met him two years ago, when I was newly single

Yesterday we had a lovely flirty time 

It’s a pity he lives in Poland. 

When you are in a long term relationship that has been ended unexpectedly, your self esteem takes a real bashing…

Well smashing or crushing would be the words I would personally use.

The thought that anyone else could actually fancy you never really enters your head again.

Not until it is spelt out to you

The South Bank was vibrant and buzzing again last night. 

The play was complicated but worth concentrating on. Written by Winsome Pinnock , it’s a weaved web of stories centred about the theme of slavery and black identify in Britain . From the 18th century we follow the fortunes of a Black seafaring family mixed in with the painter Turner’s famous anti slavery work The Slave Ship , as seen from Turner’s perspective and from the group of actors playing him and his contemporaries on a modern day film set. Add into the mix a contemporary  black actress, a second generation Windrush woman, and a black teacher and her pupils visiting the painting insitu and you will get the flavour of the production .

It was so refreshing picking my thoughts out with Alex after the production . 

He’s a professional film critic so post mortems come easy.

Walking back across Waterloo Bridge is a free joy at night, what with the lights of the city and the warm breeze off the Thames.

It was quite…magical.

This morning I went to the beautiful Somerset House for the massive PhotoLondon Exhibition . 

The ticket cost a few pounds more than the Banksy ticket did but you literally had two thousand more exhibits to review…an impossible task.

I concentrated my efforts on works by the vintage American photographer George Rodger and  on Robert Capa and enjoyed more contemporary works by the likes of Poulomi Basu and other documentary war photographers. 

It was like going to a huge antiques fair as it was so easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the exhibition but I didn’t want to get over faced by the amount on show so stuck to my themes 

In addition to my favourite rooms I particularly liked this work by the Norwegian photographer Simeon Johan 

Only 25,000£ of photo

And these rather moving “ portraits” by Diana Matar

I walked up from The Strand to Tobiko on Garrick Street and bought some expensive homemade sashimi takeaway before ambling through Bloomsbury to sit in the peace of Russell Square Gardens where I ate my sushi by the fountains in peace.

Russell Square Gardens 

Sunflowers in Bloomsbury’s window boxes

London is always a pleasure , the National Theatre and Somerset House and the night view from Waterloo Bridge were just icing on the cake. 

But to be found interesting and attractive by an interesting and attractive man has done me the world of good.

It really has…….

Hey ho