This is the interior of London's newest venue. King's Place opened today with the first of a week of concerts, and the Bletherses were there. There is something great about using a superb building on its very first day - everything works, the freshly-made sandwiches are indeed made before your eyes, the toilets are pristine, men glide round collecting empty cups or sweeping minute traces of grime from the gleaming floor.
We had lunch there, we wandered outside to look at the canal basin with its barges (photos to follow), we saw an exhibition of sculptures with annoying titles but pleasing proportions (a little large, the one I liked best, for the hall the The Blethers) - and then we went to two concerts in the largest of the concert halls. Ian Burnside and friends gave us a variety of songs from Purcell to Schubert to Britten to Edward Rushton [this is suddenly impossible, as I have been joined at the keyboard by Ginny the cat, purring loudly and walking all over the mouse, appropriately enough] in an acoustic to die for, in a hall full of a fascinating collection of people. Mr B is, of course, more qualified to comment than I, but it was great.
Between the two concerts, we had an espresso in the lobby and were seized upon for an interview to camera about our experience at the venue. When I said we'd come all the way from Argyll specially for these concerts, I was made to repeat it at another angle to the camera - so we'll need to watch out for this somewhere. We had a lovely time, really, and successfuly negotiated the tubes, stations and trains back to Tosh Towers in time for me to hijack a Tosh Mac for this blogpost.
Actually, one of the best moments happens every time we pass the barriers into the stations - I just love flipping my newly-acquired Oyster card at the sensor and sailing through the magically opened gate without breaking stride. Just like a real Londoner.
NB: Owing to the difference between the Tosh camera and my own I am unable to upload my really good pics of today's event, so you'll have to make do with a rather blurry phone shot.
Dear Mrs B.,
ReplyDeleteWhile I am with you all the way in regard to apostrophes, their use, abuse and misuse, I see that the developer of the particular construction in King's Cross insists on calling his concert venue "Kings Place" (sic & sick!).
This concession - nay, capitulation - to illiterate designers is to be regretted, but could probably be justified by common practice, by the flexibility of English syntax, and by pointing to that which we accept quite cheerfully in place names: St Andrews, St Albans, Princes Street spring to mind.
Let him have his cacography, if only for providing what seems to be a splendid venue. O tempora! O more's!
I was encouraged by our post to check out Wikipedia here
ReplyDeleteI confess I gave it not a moment's thought while writing the post - which just goes to show, as the general gender might remark.
You know we'll be here for you in your orthographic crisis! Beware of geeks bearing strange computers!
ReplyDeleteIt's chilly but dry here.