h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A toddler’s Guide to… the Victoria and Albert.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

To be honest, Mama doesn’t really take me to the V&A, which is a design museum with basically the same remit as the British Museum. The difference is, whereas the Stuff in the British Museum is significant, the Stuff in the V&A is pretty. Plus, there are more dresses.

Anyway, Mama is scarred by memories of taking my Wonderful Big Brother there. This is because if you think I am a grabby little menace, you haven’t met him. Unlike him, I often look round at Mama to check if it is ok to smear my sticky little hands over something. I do it anyway, of course, but at least Mama gets a bit of warning. Plus, generally, I am slower. Boy is he quick.

The problem with the V&A is that many of their display cases start at adult waist height, which is no good to me, and they also have a habit of putting things like large 3000 year old sculptures in the shape of a dragon just asking to be stroked on the floor at toddler height. You are not supposed to stroke them. Mama knows this because when my Wonderful Big Brother did, back when he was my age, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, two museum personnel wince dramatically. This recalled Mama to sanity; she’d been spending so little time in big people space that up until then she had reasoned that nobody would put a sculpture on the floor of they didn’t expect a bit of small person handling. My Wonderful Big Brother was whisked away and after he then tried to play hide and seek amongst the rather flimsy plinths holding busts and small figurines (also too high up for a little’un to really appreciate, so… you make your own fun), Mama left the building rarely to return. Especially when a head by Rodin actually wobbled on its stand. Time stood still for Mama that day, I can tell you.

Actually, this is not entirely true. We often go to the there, except I am rarely aware of this because Mama sneaks in when I am asleep. She sneaks in and goes to the coffee shop. The coffee, Mama thinks, is vastly over-priced and so are their scones, but on the other hand you can choose between drinking it in the courtyard surrounded by the rather splendid buildings of the V&A or drinking it in the large rooms where the walls are beautiful old patterned tiles.

Art, or even design, doesn’t really stand a chance.

This brought back such a vivid memory of taking my children to an art gallery where there was an installation of something to do with forests, ie some tree trunks arranged in such a way that in a child's eye it was an indoor climbing frame, but without being fastened in any way whatsoever. Your hairy moment with the Rodin head made me fully relive that moment of panic as in my mind's eye I could see and hear the whole thing come crashing down.

reddit
Definitely like the way you're doing this. Great idea.

[Amy P]

I absolutely love getting a cup of tea at the V&A! The William Morris room a is magnificent place to eat and drink.

The last exhibition I saw there was British Design 1948 - 2012, which was fabulous! It detailed all the social and economic changes as well as design ones in the years between the two London Olympics. And at one point, in the 70s section, I spotted an iconic poster that in fact I have too. I was amazed and went to take a quick photo of it on my phone. Immediately a guard appeared and told me off. So it's not just sticky fingered toddlers who need to be watched! (I then snuck round, hid behind a Vivenne Westwood dress and took the photo anyway. Ssssh!)

There's a story behind why I have the poster, I'll have to find a way to fit it into my journal.

Looking forward to the poster story, coely.

Glad it's not just me, lanza.

Glad you like it BMT!

If I make it that far with NaJoPoMo then I will probably make the poster story fit the letter R, which will be the 19th November. It will fit well with the point I'll have reached in Desiderata quotes too.