Ocean Liners: Speed and Style

>>  Wednesday, March 21, 2018


HWMBO and I like trains, planes, boats and trams (We aren't too bothered about automobiles much to be honest unless it's a wander around a car museum)

I heard an interview on Radio 4 about the V&As  exhibition Ocean Liners: Speed and Style (Discover the romantic and remarkable age of ocean travel) and it sounded interesting so we caught a train to London to go and have a look.  It's interesting really that once in London you are constantly shown posters about what is on and interesting stuff that is happening.  Outside of the M25 it is harder to get a handle on what things are on that will catch our interest.

Anyhoo - Ocean Liners:  It had a lot of pieces from the opulent end of Ocean Liner travel.

 Model ships  (of course)
 But mostly grand pieces from the best of the best.
 First class art pieces and chairs.
 Cinema lights
 Flags, pools, bell boys and a promenade.

It actually all flowed really well for me, not over loaded with reading, large pieces to look at and admire, smaller art work, china and menus.
A deskchair from the Titanic, taken out of the water after it sank.

It felt very strange looking at pieces that you knew had slide down the deck and perhaps had been desperately clung too.

The story of the Normandie was interesting I didn't know about, lovely ship which caught fire and sunk because the water from putting out the fire finally capsized it.  Dreadful mess of events.
 There were more interesting pieces
 And a lengthy discussion to be had about how this folding washing stand worked.





















The rather beautiful tiara saved from the Lusitania.  Lady Allen, her 2 maids and the tiara survived the shipped being torpedoed, her 2 daughters that were also on the ship did not.
Private dining rooms and original suits (that should have been a black tie not a saville row fashion statement!)



 And the largest part of the Titanic found  floating in the water.

All in it was a really well laid out and interesting exhibition.   Well worth the journey for.

(It's on until the 17th June 2018)









We found time for a bit of opulent dining ourselves (even if it was with 100s of other tourists) and I was sad not to be able to have a general wander around the V&A.  There is always something different on.

But we had to head to the Australian embassy to be subjected to their usual  security style of egotistical, power monkeys that like to make life as emotionally uncomfortable as possible for anyone that has the misfortune to deal with them...if you've been through Australian customs you'll understand...so that was fun.

And drained by that we left a wet, cold London to its blattering rain and headed home.

A good day out on balance!

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