Back to Galleries and Museums in London IWM and The British National Gallery

So today it was back to museums and galleries where I am much more at home. I took Layne to the Imperial War Museum and surprisingly she loved it. It's interesting to see how  other countries portray their role in the conflicts of the 20th century. Britain is not on her own in letting patrons think they won both wars single handedly. Australia does the same at home.The French are much more gracious, as I remember it.

What I found fascinating was what the Brit's left out. There was not a thing about the fall of Singapore or Changi POWs, nor the complete stuff ups of Lord Kitchener in the death of Beaker Morant etc, Churchill with Gallipoli or Haig throwing 1000s daily to the slaughter, on the western front in WW1. They are considered national heros and that is that. Makes you wonder what we are not told about the Aussies.

Anyway there is a fantastic section on the British home front where you follow a specific family of 12s story through the Blitz.etc. Sitting in the Anderson shelter under attack was pretty impressive.

There is also a good section on the Cold War and some great artifacts from the latest Iraqi war, Including a tiled wall of Sadam the Iraqi people wanted removed. It felt almost funny photographing it as its all too soon.

There is also a fantastic holocaust section, but Layne couldn't stand it, so we had to leave. We got to see Jewish life before the holocaust and the survivors' reflections after and both were riveting. The way the Nazis turned the Germans against the Jew's so quickly and completely is so scary and many lessons can be taken and applied now in relation to Islam. But I fear nothing has been learned really.

On the way to the IWM, we stumbled upon William Bligh of mutiny

of the Bounty and Governor of NSW fames humble terrace house in Lambeth. He is a hero of mums, so I took a picture for her.

After the IWM, we jumped off the tube at Piccadilly Circus, purely because it's on the Monopoly board and I wanted to check it out. There we stumbled upon a Japanese restaurant serving Ramin and it was the best meal we've had in London so far.

From there we walked back to Covent Garden along Pall Mall and I managed to convince Layne to go into the National Gallery. She was happy to find Van Gogh's Sunflowers which she had studied and painted a knock off of at school. It is a stunning building and the Brit's maintain their masters very well. Some are so clean and bright they almost look fake.

After some street theatre and a rock band in Trafalgar Square it was home via 3 professional dance stores in the West End, which I promised L we would look at.

 We are cutting a cracking pace and loving every minute.