Week forty

London continues to surprise and delight me.  Most of the time I walk around completely oblivious to my surroundings, noticing next to nothing.  Well, actually that not true.  Its not that I don't notice things I see, but more that I'm unaware of what's happening around me - there's a subtle difference.  Every day, every corner, every crevice of London seems to be a gigantic melting pot of something and something else happening before our unsuspecting eyes.

There are, of course, some really really secret things that next to no one knows about that may or may not strive to one day appear in Time Out.  But, then, there are the other things that happen in London that apparently are so popular people are queuing round the corner for and yet many, including me are still unaware of them.  The Sir John Soane's Museum was exactly that.  To put it even more precisely, the first Tuesday of every month at the Sir John Soane's Museum.

A few weeks ago I'd never heard of this museum nor did I have any idea who Sir John Soane was.  History lesson for this week Miss Sharff; Sir John Soane was a famous English architect who designed the Bank of England and opened his house in Holborn to the public as a museum.

Going to an architectural museum was not something I envisaged featuring on my list at all - its a bit standard.  However, a couple of friends told me about this amazing museum that once a month you can visit and is lit by candlelight.  That didn't sound too standard to me.  That sounded rather enchanting actually.

So, last Tuesday I took my ignorant little self to Lincoln's Inn Fields. As I neared the entrance, so too appeared a continuing line of queuing visitors, patiently waiting but not moving.  Writing a blog does have its advantageous and I was very grateful to be able to slip right in and find out what all the fuss was about.

At the entrance you have to hand over all bags - its not for security reasons but simply to create more room - only 60 people are allowed in the house at any one time and there are some very narrow passages.

Once inside I was struck immediately by the quiet.  There was a sense of fascination and beauty floating around.  There are things literally everywhere - pictures, books, statues, artefacts, furniture and relics and I wanted to ask many questions.  Luckily the warders are on hand to oblige and also shine a torch whenever necessary. I cornered a very chatty man in the drawing room to give me the lowdown.

As an architectural student, Soane won a scholarship to study in Italy where his fascination with collecting ancient Roman artefacts began.  Even his love of Pompeii came back with him in the form of the Pompeii red he painted his dining room walls, based on fragments he picked up from excavations.
       Having married a wealthy woman, he was able to collect a huge number of antiques and display them in his museum, which he built after buying the houses next door.  His aim was to inspire his architectural students and give them lessons about Roman architecture as during his student's time the British couldn't visit Italy because of the Napoleonic Wars.

After getting a bit of a picture painted about where I was, I began my journey through the labyrinth of treasures, negotiating my way through the narrow passageways. I didn't quite know where to look as there is just so much to see, but as much as you might want to rush to see everything the candlelight slows everything down. It adds a dimension that is both romantic and eerie.

Downstairs in the crypt is where the light is most effective.  As I tip-toed down the stairs, I felt like I was in a tomb and could really imagine it as some sort of burial chamber in Roman times.  Everything is stone and cold but still there was something alluring about it all.

The only thing that the candlelight doesn't highlight so well is the magnificent collection of books that are on display upstairs; thousands of them and I really wanted to get a better look at them.  However, that is for another day and you can, by appointment only, come and consult the library.

It is definitely worth coming here for the candlelight evenings - you see everything a little differently. Whether its mysterious, magical or a little bit pensive, it is certainly beautiful.  But be warned, it gets incredibly busy and you can't book.  Try and get there around 5pm but be prepared to wait.  Find out everything you need to know here.

Next week I'm going to be driving classic cars round London at night.  I'm slightly weeing my pants with excitement.