A winter's tale

So heading towards Christmas and therefore some of the things one should expect, transport meltdown as the country freezes, a bout of flu and the office party.

Started week in cultural mode by going to the excellent Canaletto exhibition at the National Gallery. http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/venice-canaletto-and-his-rivals

Essentially they did postcards on a grander scale in the 18th century. Ok it might have taken 3 years for your "card" to arrive, but it would have been a whopper. Actually a really interesting comparison was to go from this exhibition of 18th century viewpainters to Ben Johnson's modern versions in room 1 of the gallery displaying his almost completed view across London from the National Gallery roof, along with his cityscapes of Zurich and Liverpool. The modern versions have all modern techniqes applied and are painted with stencils and spray-paints. The result is painstaking accurate, clinical and flat as a pancake compared to those painted 300+ years ago. Why? Well Canaletto and his contemporaries were really skilled painters, craftsmen who had spent all their working life-times perfecting their art. And people wanted the best so the best came to the top and sold the most to the highest bidder. Modern artists need to produce cheap and don't want and aren't unable to spend the time developing such talents. So they don't bother and keep the "art" as a concept (ie the skill is thinking up the image, not painting it), because the craft is just too difficult. I am not knocking the modern way. It has its advantages. A mass produced photo can be enjoyed by millions compared to a Canaletto being shut away in the salon of a stately home. Just the adaptation to modern life. Probably best thing overall. But suffice to say Canaletto knocks the spots of modern equivalents, just because he was so good in comparison. And Bellotto, Guardi and a host ofther contemporaries.

Then unexpectedly went to see a Winter's Tale. "Unexpected" because one of my colleagues had a ticket and couldn't go at the alst minute. There was a good reason why I hadn't sought to book myself - I had seen the play in Stratford about 18 months ago, and unlike many I don't really like seeing the same Shakespeare plays over and over. And the sense of deja vu became overwhelming as I realised it was exactly the same production with the same cast as previously.

Office party on Thursday night, just as the snow started. Our party was at the the Pigalle Club in Piccadilly. Now the name gives the impression of say classy Burlesque. The menu of a classy West End restaurant. But it is all front. If I tell you that in its heyday the place was a porn cinema, you might have a better feel for it all. Its in a basement, the food which sounded wonderful was sparse and re-heated and the cabaret so cheesey that you could almost smell the whiff of gorgonzola. But of course the audience of works' xmas parties were all out to enjoy themselves no matter what, so we were probably the world's easiest audience.

Then Saturday, well the snow just came and came. We just aren't used to this in London. Was 10 below freezing last night, and in London its rare to go below zero at all. Feel rather cheated if global warming results in us getting colder as everyone else gets hotter. Anyway, the snow was beautiful. The light dusting that is our norm was replaced by a good few inches, so when it finally relented I went out with my camera and went to my local park, followed by the supermarket which was heaving with everyone else who had remained holed up all day but now ventured out to get in supplies.

And then on out to Wembley to see War of the Worlds with my prog-rock loving friend. For the uninitiated, War of the Worlds is not only a famous Victorian sc-fi novel, made into at least a couple if films, but in late 70s was adapted to a concept double-album by Jeff Wayne. Basically music linked together by a narration of Richard Burton. Well 30 years later with a more affluent following and modern effects they put the whole thing on as a show with full orchestra, lasers and as many of the original players as possible (which given the time-lapse wasn't many Justin Hayward (still in fine voice) Chris Thompson (less so) Jeff Wayme conducting and Richard Burton through the aid of a holograph (being rather dead). http://www.thewaroftheworlds.com/Landingpage.aspx

Well it was all rather well-done I guess, with light effects and a giant alien tripod coming down on stage and a film at the back. But did I really feel it such value for money, after my boots filled with snow trying to get there, then our train breaking down at Kilburn and needing to get a taxi to arrive 15 minutes late? And while the special effects were clever, not sure they would really impress a CGI generation. Lucily I doubt there were many folks there under 40. But with a quick curry and the taxi, the night out pretty much cost £100. And my feet were cold and wet throughout. And next morning I awoke with flu symptoms, which I largely attribute to my mate whio had battled out to see me on Friday night through his own sickness. He is off to Zanzibar on Boxing Day. Well, if he can get a flight of course. Otherwise it could be camping holiday at Heathrow Airport.