RANDOM IMAGES AND THOUGHTS FROM LONDON PART 2: I want my mummie

The British Museum has never been a place I have felt the need to go and look for, but given that we were staying directly opposite it this visit, it seemed like destiny that we had to have a butchers.

It was another scorching hot day and we only lasted an hour or so before we had to get some fresh air, so we did not see it all but we did get to see a few things of interest.

We seem to be on a bit of a Marx theme this trip, because apparently he wrote the Communist Manifesto in the reading room here.

Although the outside of the reading room has had a bit of a make over in recent years

The mummies were actually far better preserved than I had imagined, x-rays have shown that the bodies are pretty much still in tact.

Some things are a bit newer than the mummies, like modern art from Africa.

I find the history of the actual museum just as interesting as some of the artefacts, like the story behind the Cairo Museum wanting the Parthenon marbles back.

Not far from the museum, is Bookmarks, the best socialist bookshop in the country. I had to nip in. I went in looking for the new Mark Thomas book, ‘As Used On The Famous Nelson Mandela: Underground Stories from the Arms and Torture Trade’ and was disappointed that they did not have it in. I left with a copy of ‘Babylon and Beyond’ by Derek Wall. The Mark Thomas book was picked up in a book chain store around the corner (you had your chance Bookmarks!)

Further down Charring Cross Road we nipped into the Photographers Gallery, two exhibitions were on, one was a set of stills from the 1966 film ‘Blow Up’ and the other was a selection from the 300,000 strong collection of photographs from the London Fire Brigade Archive.

After few cold beverages in the pub, it was back to civilisation. There have been times in my life when I have quite fancied living in London because it has so much to offer, but I think you would get bored of it if you lived there and you would see more of the downside (cost of living, lack of community spirit, street crime etc). All in all, I am now happy to just visit a few times a year.