Valentine's 2012

So we made a real day of it this Valentine's. The fact the kids are in Cardiff with their auntie and uncle helps. We headed by tube first to Kings Cross and then a bit of a walk past various hospitals and similar places and the London Welsh Club to Doughty Street and the Dickens Museum. From there we walked on to Cambridge Circus and the Palace Theatre. We went via the old Baptist Union building with its statue of Bunyan and Sicilian Avenue and managed to take in one or two bookshops en route including the Dover Bookshop on the edge of Covent Garden where I bought a little book of Puritan sermons. After collecting our tickets and having a meal we went into to see the current production of Singin' in the Rain. Eleri loves musicals and in a stroke of sheer genius I booked us in at the end of last year as a Christmas present.

I must confess to almost complete ignorance of the musical beforehand, except for Gene Kelly's famous title performance. I did recognise Make 'em laugh and Good morning too and the plot was fairly familiar (the change from the silent films to the talkies). Anyway it was all done brilliantly, especially the flooding of the stage for the key number which they wisely did twice - at the end of both halves. I don't really get musicals but this was enjoyable entertainment of a very high quality indeed. Details here. We came home by bus - enough walking for one day.

The Dickens Museum

As part of our Valentine's Day celebrations yesterday Eleri and I went to the Dickens Museum in Doughty Street near King's Cross and Russell Square. I have been wanting to visit for many years and the fact we are in this anniversary year and the museum will be closed from April-December helped push me in the right direction. There is nothing particularly remarkable about the house as such, where Dickens early married life began, and the thousands of artefacts are not quite what you want to see, I guess, but along with the audiovisual provided in the basement it was worthwhile and a reminder of how phenomenally gifted and influential he was. The audiovisual interestingly pointed out that without his unhappy time in the blacking factory and the early death of his sister-in-law Dickens might have been quite a different writer toi the one he became. It is almost a cliche,of clourse, but apart from anything else, adversity does seem to produce better art. You cna find some biogrpahical videos here. 

Anti-St Valentines

There is a lot of misunderstanding regarding the gospel. Some things some of us hardly realise are causing problems. I was reminded recently of an example.

Back in February this year activists of the Hindu Makkal Katchi, a regional party in Tamil Nadu, protested against the celebration of the Valentine's Day and warned locals to refrain from all celebrations in Coimbatore. The party's activists were apparently seen demonstrating by raising slogans and tearing Valentine's Day cards. "We are protesting against the cultural exploitation because of Valentine's Day, which is being celebrated by lovers, who have engaged themselves in uncultured manner in public places in the name of Valentine's Day," Prabhu, a protestor, said. "We strongly condemn this act and today, we are stating this protest by destroying these greeting cards," he added.

It was also officially banned in Iran this year and is regulalry opposed by religious police in Saudi Arabia.

Ar Ddydd Sant Ffolant

We keep this one too!