Cambridge, Smiths Ltd, Gainsborough Museum in Sudbury

This was a weekend away visiting my friend James in Bury St Edmunds, hence the odd assortment of places in the title. First thing was to meet him in Cambridge after work, and so I had a little time to wander about before meeting up. 

The ostensible reason for my visit was to see Smiths Ltd, a Smiths tribute act, with James and his family, in Bury St Edmunds. We just made it in time. Having seen another tribute act, the Smyths, it was interesting to compare the two. The Smyths' "Morrissey" is far better, but Smiths Ltd's Johnny Marr is better than the Smyths version....

Although better than the act was meeting his kids for the first time. Although I have generally kept in touch with James since he left London, I had never seen his children and so was quite a thing to find them as a 15 and 12 year old. But really nice to meet them at such advanced ages. Teens are so much more interesting that little ones!

Next day James and I headed to Sudbury to visit the Gainsborough Museum, an old building (well obviously - it is Gainsborough's old house!) with a large new extension to give it some proper exhibition space. As exhibition space it is great. But I have to say as a piece of architecture, if not quite a carbuncle, it is at least a slightly unsightly scar on the face (or maybe more accurately the derriere) of a fine old house.

The special exhibition was what we went to look at first, mostly early 20th century Flemish paintings. And it was truly excellent. Whole set of paintings I had never seen by artists I hadn't heard of.

This particularly nice painting I saw again subsequently in the National Gallery's Post Impressionists exhibition

The permanent Gainsborough collection was also worth the visit.

And the courtyard garden is picturesque, although no doubt more attractive on a warm summer's day.

James caught slightly off guard on the elegant spiral staircase!