10 London Musea focused chiefly on individuals

1. Sigmund Freud (Freud Museum)
2. John Wesley (Wesley's Chapel and House)
3. Thomas Carlyle (Carlyle's House)
4. Charles Dickens (Charles Dickens Museum)
5. Samuel Johnson (Dr Johnson's House)
6. Georg Handel (and Jimi Hendrix) (Handel and Hendrix in London)
7. John Keats (Keats House)
8. William Hogarth (Hogarth's House)
9. Benjamin Franklin (Franklin's House)
10. Florence Nightingale (Florence Nightingale Museum)

12 London Museums about people

1. Alexander Fleming Laboratory, Paddington

2. Benjamin Franklin House, Westminster

3. Carlyle's House, Chelsea

4. Charles Dickens Museum, Holborn*

5. Dr Johnson's House, City*

6. Florence Nightingale Musem, Lambeth

7. Freud Museum. Hampstead*

8. Handel House, Mayfair*

9. Hogarth's House, Chiswick*

10. Keats House, Hamsptead*

11. Michael Faraday Museum, Mayfair

12. Wesley's Chapel, City Road*

 

We could also have Baden-Powell House, South Ken and further out Down House, Downe (Darwin) and Red House, Bexley Heath (Wm Morris). Sherlock Holmes (Baker Street) is a fictional character.

*Those I've been to.

Inception

I like thought provoking films and last night we sat down and watched the Leonardo DiCaprio film Inception, which certainly comes into that category. The film examines the whole realm of the dream world and reality as opposed to non-reality. For the first 10 minutes or so you haven't got a clue what is going on but slowly the story unfolds and things are explained and most of it becomes clear although it cleverly leaves you hanging at the end. With good acting, very impressive sets and effects it is a fascinating film. The basic premises and some of the conclusions are complete poppycock, of course, but once you accept these, it makes for a very interesting set up. Throughout the film uses the word "subconscious" which is really a Freudian word and best avoided. We have an unconscious, there are things in our minds that we are not entirely aware. However, the idea that there is a world beneath our conscious world that somehow has a life of its own is incorrect. Ah well, good fun.

London Holiday

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have been spending a few unexpected days in London. It's a nice place to holiday in. Apart from catching up with things and that sort of thing we have been out a little. On Tuesday, as mentioned, we went to see Wall-e.

On Wednesday some headed off to Camden Market. I went to see Burgh House and the Freud Museum in Hampstead. All very interesting. Burgh House houses the local free museum. Freud lived the last year of his life at 2o Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, where you can see the actual couch on which his victims lay. I remember reading about Freud in a book called Seven men who rule the world from the grave. The others were Darwin, Marx, Wellhausen, Kierkegaard, John Dewey and J M Keynes.

Yesterday four of us went by bus down to Battersea Park. We hired cycles of various sorts and some good fun. Sadly, I bust my camera though. That's a blow. Dylan spent the day with friends following his interim GCSE results plus completed GCSEs in Welsh (A*) and French (B). Well done Dylan! I should have mentioned before that Rhodri and Sibyl both did well at 'A' level and will be going to my alma mata Aberystwyth University, God willing, in 2009. More news on them to follow.

Thursday evening I watched a film with Eleri. "Because I said so" was not my cup of tea (it's a mother daughter film which is part of the reason). The cinematography was great, the cast okay, the plot poor, the dialogue average.

Today we ended up being in for most of the time but then later I took the three youngest to Finchley Lido Leisure Centre for a swim. That cost a small fortune tempered only by some vouchers Kelloggs are doing at present.