Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square

[sabotabby]

Last day in London. Unless something goes horribly wrong (I did mention that I’m paranoid about travel logistics), I fly out at Arse O’Clock tomorrow.

I met pofflewomp and we wandered various squares, visited the adorable October Gallery, saw Jeremy Bentham’s waxy corpse, then met up with smhwpf and did more blue-plaque-themed wanders and Indian food (are you sensing a theme?). I’m currently ensconced in an AirB&B (yes. I know.) that is actually as good as it sounds and is close to the airport.

London was like hot soup today so that was good in the sense that while I adore this city, a thing that I really, really love is not having the skin melt off my skeleton. Just one sleep until I get to see my kitties and my air-conditioned home.




The October Gallery is worth visiting for the courtyard and bathrooms alone.


Maximizing my happiness includes visiting dead utilitarians.


Lenin lived here.


And the Shelleys lived here. Not at the same time, or the neighbourhood would be even more ridonkulous.


Never change, London. Unless it’s to get air conditioning.

Comments

[kore]

JEREMY BENTHAM'S HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD

....ooh, blue plaque for Mary Shelley, even if she has to share it with her jerk husband.

[sabotabby]

It’s to the point where I don’t want to read about him more because he was a megadick.

I think the actual head is elsewhere.

[moon_custafer]

yay! Jeremy Bentham’s waxy corpse!

[lapinlunaire]

You mean Shelley was a megadick or Bentham was a megadick?

[sabotabby]

Shelley. I’m sure Bentham meant well.

[bcholmes]

I was going to say exactly that.

[sara]

So the backstory on this, Sabs, is that kore and I met one afternoon while riffing on the subject of JEREMY BETHAM'S HEAD.

(sing it tto Bela Lugosi's dead, please)

[ironed_orchid]

OMG! YOU GUYS!

[kore]

In oursin's LJ while they were either asleep or AFK no less!

[sara]

I've always thought that if you don't want people rattling on in your comments you can either scroll past or ban them. Mostly I think people scroll past!

[kore]

oursin was totally sweet and gracious about it too (and amused!). HEAD.

[sabotabby]

A m a z i n g

[cloudsinvenice]

Well, that's one thing I'm never going to get out of my head, and I'm not even mad!

[rdi]

Did you finish a song along those lines? If not I may have to run with it...

[notasupervillain]

I'm not quite sure what Mary and Lenin would say to each other, if they met. My brain is trying to come up with some kind of Marat/Sade style fan fic and it's failing.

[sabotabby]

I need to either be more or less awake to write that.

[dewline]

We may have an excuse for some Doctor Who fanfic. Just pick your preferred incarnation of the Doctor and travelling companions...

[notasupervillain]

Can I have Donna + Eccelson?

[sabotabby]

I'm gonna say Seven + Ace, politically speaking. Or Twelve + Bill because they are my favourites.

[lapinlunaire]

I bet Lenin only picked that place because of the Shelleys, what a fake goth

[minoanmiss]

*bursts out laughing*

[ironed_orchid]

Ha!

[sabotabby]

Looool

[springheel_jack]

so is Jeremy's head really in there? supposedly it's on the floor of his compartment.

[sabotabby]

It’s just his skeleton; the head is elsewhere and replaced with wax.

[cloudsinvenice]

For the really curious, a couple of years back Haley Campbell visited Jeremy Bentham's actual head and interviewed the scientists who look after it; I suspect it's readily googleable. I should mention that there are big, detailed photos.

[ironed_orchid]

I'm so absurdly pleased you went to visit Benthem (I nearly asked if it was on your list of things to see).

That must have been a very cool neighbourhood, in its day.

Safe travels and happy kitty reunion.

[sabotabby]

It was of course on the list! And thanks.

[dewline]

Safe journey home!

[sabotabby]

Thanks!

[rdi]

There was a house near (one of the many places) where I lived in Edinburgh that had a similar plaque commemorating Percy and Harriet’s honeymoon.

[sabotabby]

Oooh cool!