Visiting the Saatchi gallery

Another absolutely freezing day! We grabbed a bus down to Chelsea (very lovely, and very posh area) to see the inaugural exhibition at the new premises of the Saatchi Gallery.

Formerly at County Hall (where we now live, though we never saw it here), the gallery moved to the big and breezy Duke of York's HQ, near Sloane Square, in October 08. We thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition of new Chinese art, The Revolution Continues: New Art From China, with its odd, yet engrossing displays...

Cityscapes made out of animal hides:

A lifelike, life-size replica of the artist face-down and flat-out on the floor, with his tongue sticking to the floorboards:

 

Classical statues avec wooden pitchforks:

A big chrome blog:

Some scribblings, including Anna's name:

Not pictured: a giant poo made out of melted toy soldiers, half of a giant head made out of some kind of grit, a giant man lying on a giant bed, a number of people suspended from the roof, a eerily realistic 'fallen angel' with giant chicken wings, and room full of thirteen realistic life-size figures of elderly world leaders colliding with each other in moving electric wheelchairs...

Where we live...

Westminster in the mist

New Year's Eve 2008-2009

Had a few friends over (Selina, Anthony and Nigel) to celebrate New Year's, as there were fireworks planned at the London Eye. The night was freezing, so it was great to be able to enjoy ourselves inside while the crowds froze outside. 

Anthony delighted (or disturbed) us with French delicacies such as foie gras and (as below) smoked goose flesh. Not great for us vegetarians, but Anthony seemed pleased with himself!

I contended myself with the finest Buckfast Abbey fortified tonic wine (with ice and mixers) while taking photos of the people outside. The whole street was packed like nothing I've ever seen before!

We wanted to go outside at midnight, but we couldn't even leave the building (people were pressed against the glass like zombies). Instead we managed to find a balcony where we could enjoy the show (though with a slightly restricted view).

These fireworks were seen in the news all around the world! (Well, New Zealand anyway.)

Beard

Time to bid farewell to my lovely Winter Beard, which I must admit was having a chubby-ing effect by the end.

Devon - Leftovers

Coastal drive via Slapstone Sands

Otter Park

Totnes

Frankenscone

Animals seen while in Devon:

• rabbits
• red robin
• [yellow sparrow]
• pheasant

Devon - Day 4 - Dartmoor

Buckfast Abbey:

Dartmoor National Park:

It's very cold up there!

Buckland-in-the-moor:

Princetown high-security prison:

The prisoners have a shop where they sell garden gnomes etc:

Devon - Day 3 - Lyme Regis

Vehicle ferry at Dartmouth

Torquay

Lyme Regis

Fossil-hunting at Chalmers

Devon - Day 2 - Xmas

Devon - Day 1 - Dartmouth

Dartmouth Castle - there is another castle on the other side of the river mouth, and a heavy chain can be drawn between them to prevent entry by sea:

Dartmouth:

A little place we went to for lunch. I skipped the scary food and had an ice cream sundae...

"This bookshop was opened in 1951 by Christopher Robin Milne. He died in 1996. We carry a wide range of Winnie the Pooh books and gifts."

Devon - The Cottage

Spent the Xmas holidays in a cottage in the Devon countryside with our friends, Wes and Mon. It was a lovely secluded location near the south coast - a short walk to Blackpool Sands and Stoke Fleming, or a brief drive to Dartmouth.

The cottage was formerly owned by Christopher Robin (A. A. Milne's son, featured as a character in Winnie the Pooh), and had a large wooded backyard that is kept as a natural reserve. It was wonderfully quiet, pitch black at night, and a great place to recharge one's batteries away from the hubbub of the big smoke...

View of the cottage from outside.

A fine collection of thatched houses near the beach.

The surrounding countryside, as seen from the crest of the valley in which we lay.

Lots of good countryside walks about, yielding this view of cows seen against the sea. A familiar sight for kiwis, though the vegetation is more scratchy and scraggly by comparison.

The famous 'winter beard' in full bloom!