Lerning iz funn.

[davywavy]

The thing about London is that it is chock full of things to do but when you live here, you just don't bother doing them. When I was little my mum would bring me here for a day trip and I'd manage to cram the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and Madame Tussauds into a single trip before falling asleep, tried and happy, on the train home. Nowadays I live 20 minutes from the Palace of Westminster but I've still never been round the mother of Parliaments because, well, it'll still be there tomorrow*.
Anyway, I this occasionally strikes me and I think "Cripes, I must do something!" and head out to see what's on offer in the sprawling metropolis.

So it was that I recently went off to the Emperor Hadrian exhibition at the British Museum. I didn't know much about Hadrian, except that he was a Roman Emperor with a bit of thing for walls so I was prepared to be educated, and educated I was.
The first thing I learned that Hadrian looked uncannily like unfunny TV comedian Rory Mcgrath. See for yourself:
McGrath:

Hadrian:

Now, Hadrian spent a lot of time in Britain and it's not unreasonable that he might have put it about a bit whilst he was here so is it inconceivable that McGrath is some sort of genetic throwback? Certainly makes the casting decisions in Chelmsford 123 questionable to say the least.

The other thing I learned was the staff at the British Museum must have taken great glee in writing euphamistic captions which skirted over Hadrian's sexuality. For example: "Hadrian was married for twenty years but he and his wife had no children. He preferred to spend his time in the company of a group of teenage boys learning about Greek culture". Or alternatively "Hadrian liked surrounding himself with sculptures of nude depictions of the Gods; this was seen as reflecting his interest in all things Greek. Hem Hem.".
So there you go.

It just goes to show that learning can be fun, right?


^{*The other reason I've never been round the Houses of Parliament is because if I ran into any MP's there's a reasonable chance such an encounter would end with me being arrested for ABH, which nobody wants.}

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

If you get arrested in teh Palace of Westminster, at least let it be for murder.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

I know - a few broken noses and a trail of blood and teeth seems hardly worth it.

[riksowden.livejournal.com]

The other reason I've never been round the Houses of Parliament is because if I ran into any MP's there's a reasonable chance such an encounter would end with me being arrested for ABH, which nobody wants.

I think you're wrong there... ~grin~

BTW, do you still have those Deadlands books o'mine?

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

'appen I do.

[riksowden.livejournal.com]

Then i'd best not wish you smacked about by the bobbies at the Houses of Parliament then ;) Any chance you're coming up this way any time soon? Could do with them back...

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I know about the not looking at the things in the city you live in. In those six years I lived in Nuremberg, I never went to the castle or the Germanic National Museum...

In one of the audio loops at the Roman Baths in Bath is a nice anecdote on Hadrian:
A visiting "barbarian chief" asked Hadrian why he bathed once a day. Hadrian replied: "Because I'm too busy to bathe twice."

[vampyrefate.livejournal.com]

I went to visit parliament, and I think you should too. If only because I think it won't be long before they won't let anyone visit there for 'security'.

[(Anonymous)]

Publius Aelius Hadrianus was in fact one of the numerous entertainingly homosexualist Emperors, his boyfriend Antinous was so perved out that he topped himself by jumping into the Nile (Hadrian did make Antinous a God, so that's alright then).For full on fruit loopery though, check out Elagabalus.

D