Exhibition: Hieroglyphs - Unlocking Ancient Egypt

Today, back with Cultureseekers for the Hieroglyphs: Unlocking Ancient Egypt exhibition at the British Museum. Assuming it wasn't curtailed due to transport strikes - there is a warning on the museum website that galleries might have to close early!

We met - well, 15 or so of the 72 who confirmed attendance; some had flagged that they were going straight there - outside Holborn station. Where it was chilly to be standing and waiting for attendees, but never mind. Off we went to the museum in due course. And that was where the fun started, as the guards at the gate objected to 1. the fact that there was a large-ish group of us, and 2. to the fact that our guide had a large bag. In which he had a flag, which they were concerned he was going to unfurl inside and make some kind of protest! They eventually reached a compromise, whereby his bag would be confiscated, and returned to him on exit. He was seriously miffed, but really, you can see their point - there have been some terrible attacks on artworks of late, and they didn't want to be next!

After that - predictably - he was nowhere to be seen. A small group of us met inside, and after a few minutes, I led them to the exhibition. Where, naturally, we got separated. I saw some of them from time to time, but mainly made my own way around. Wow, did it make me nostalgic for Egypt, where I visited in 2000.. as I told people afterwards, it was easier to go around looking at hieroglyphs today, mind, without that searing heat! I loved the atmospheric films projected on the walls though, one depicting a temple interior, the other a Nile scene.

First up is a fascinating display, of cubes, each displaying a different hieroglyph on one side, and other forms of it (e.g. in Greek) on the others:

As usual, they have elements to keep the kids (and big kids!) interested:

Mind you, there was a danger of being hieroglyphed-out:

We learned how hieroglyphs evolved into cursive script:

Appropriately, they've moved the Rosetta stone in here for the exhibition. There's also a short film, on loop, about how the stone came to be interpreted:

We got some large exhibits:

and a variety of other documents:

I was fascinated by this extract from a Book of the Dead, which belonged to some queen who was responsible for the deaths of two policemen (which, I believe, she was trying to hide from the gods of the afterlife):

Of course, they worshipped cats. Quite rightly! And I love how the ancient Egyptian for "cat" translates as something like "miaouw"..

And when you consider some of the fragments of parchment that have been recovered, you can see how hard this work has been!

This sarcophagus is inscribed on both inside and outside, with spells to aid the dead person:

The gift shop, appropriately, exits to the Egyptian gallery, always a favourite of mine:

So, a fascinating exhibition for anyone with an interest in ancient Egypt. Runs till the 19th. Afterwards, we were supposed to meet at The Museum Tavern - I headed over early, and had their delicious Sunday roast chicken. Kept my eye out for anyone from the group - a couple came, saw there was no sign of the organiser, and left. Two of us were sat inside - when we saw another couple from the group outside, we joined them. The one who'd kept me company went home - and we were all about to do the same when lo! the organiser arrived, 40 minutes late. So, six of us ended up propping up a table at the end of the bar for one for the road - he'd apparently booked some space, but the pub had promptly ignored the booking. Never mind - it was good to get some social time with this group, for once! Still not one whose events I'll be rushing to join.

Tomorrow, I've finally booked for Best of Enemies at the Noel Coward Theatre. This play concerns a series of debates on US television between liberal writer Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley in 1968 - the interesting twist here, given the time and place we're talking about, is to cast William Buckley as black! Had my own seat review on Seatplan to guide me in picking a seat - this is one of those restricted view/legroom theatres. And despite all the theatre offers flooding my inbox, I found the cheapest tickets for this on the official website! Mind you, what with See Tickets doing the selling, I found myself with a second, unexplained, booking fee..

For the next week or so, it's all Up in the Cheap Seats (UITCS)! On Tuesday, for some reason, I hadn't seen their advertised event to see Orlando, based on the book by Virginia Woolf, and showing at the Garrick. For this, however, I found the cheapest tickets from Official London Theatre (OLT).

On Wednesday, we're off to see John Bishop at the Leicester Square Theatre. Love him, so I booked as soon as I saw this advertised - one of the few things for this month that I booked last month! Not that it seems to be selling out..

On Thursday, we're off to The Vaults Festival - specifically, The Welsh Lxdies, a bilingual show about the women of Wales. Then back to Ireland for the weekend again.

On the 30th, we're heading to Noises Off, starring Felicity Kendal, at the Phoenix. Again, cheapest tickets from OLT.

On the 31st, with a group I haven't joined in a Very Long Time - I'm back with London Dramatic Art, from whom I've got a front-row ticket for Sylvia, at The Old Vic; this is the story of Sylvia Pankhurst, and stars the excellent Beverley Knight. Completely sold out - this was my only way to get a ticket!

On the 1st, back with the Horror Book Club. This time, it's The Ballad of Black Tom, based on the Lovecraft story, The Horror at Red Hook, but told from the perspective of a black man. I just managed to get through the club's book, and read the entirety of the story it's based on, which is much shorter - and less coherent. Again, the meeting is in the Prince of Wales, Covent Garden. Question is, will the kitchen be open..?

On the 2nd, I'm on my own for My Son's a Queer (but what can you do?), a musical at the Ambassadors Theatre.

On the 3rd, my first meeting of the year with London Classical Music and Theatre Group! We're off to Wigmore Hall, to listen to the Hagen Quartet play Mozart. They're Austrian, so that's appropriate.. I just need to remember not to drink the ultra-expensive sauvignon blanc!

On the 4th, well, Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners are back to Greenwich again. Now, I have been there with him before.. not sure how "new" this one will be, but hey, it was a great day last time! Indeed, that evening might be the time to meet Ivan - and our coworker, if he's recovered, by then, from the jetlag he'll suffer from the trip to India he's currently on!

On the 5th, nothing on Meetup appeals massively at the moment - I might go for a walk along the Ken's Events route, if I feel like it! (on my own). Or Over 40 Living the Life has advertised a walk along the New River.. I'll have to see, as I have to pay to sign up (refunds given to those who then come). And I might well change my mind.. 

On the 6th, my first actual event with that group. We're off to How Not to Drown at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East - the first event of theirs for which I couldn't get a cheaper ticket! So I decided, if I couldn't beat them, I might as well join them. True story of an unaccompanied, 11-year-old asylum seeker.

On the 7th, excited to be headed to see Derren Brown in Showman, at the Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue. Cheapest tickets with OLT again.

On the 8th, off to The Lehman Trilogy, at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Based on the true story of the bank that collapsed. Got the last £39.50 ticket!

On the 9th, back with UITCS for Winner's Curse, at the Park Theatre - an interactive show about a peace negotiation. Turns out North London Friends are headed to it the same night - what, are they now copying this group, as another group did some time ago? (since closed down). And then I'm back to Ireland again.

And on the 13th, I'm headed to Allegiance, starring George Takei in a musical based on the true story of his time in an American internment camp during the Second World War. Showing at the Charing Cross Theatre.