Three things to see in London in April 2024

 

Three things to see in London in April 2024

The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure. National Portrait Gallery. Ends 19 May 2024.

Curated by Ekow Eshun, who curated the fabulos The Black Fantastic exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in 2023. I so look forward to this one.

Photo linked from NPG. © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Unravel. Ends 26 May 2024. The Barbican.

Really looking forward to this textile show. 

Photo linked from the Barbican.

Entangled Pasts, 1768-Now. Ends 28 April 2024. Royal Academy.

I saw this two weeks ago and it still resonates.  One of the most amazing shows the Royal Academy has ever put on. 

Photo linked from the RA.

The End.

Mysterious Royston cave art

Royston Cave.  St George or St Michael. 

.I visited the weird and somewhat grisly underground cave in Royston (40 minutes drive or so from Cambridge) with my friend Ellie.

It's a dank and mysterious place.

Tunnel down into Royston cave.

It's not a natural cave.  It was made by people sometime in the past.  Yes, it's that vague.  Locals rediscovered the cave by accident in the 18th century.  By that stage, nobody knew when it had been made or by whom or what it was for.

 Mysterious artists carved crude Christian figures into the stone.

Royston cave.  St George or St Michael, holding sword.

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Royston cave.  St Catharine.

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Royston cave.  Saint Christopher.

Royston cave.  Crucifixion.

Royston cave.  Sheela na gig and horse.

Here's another Sheela na gig I saw years ago in Wales (isn't she just faboulous?):

Sheela na gig, Kilpeck church, Herefordshire.
Source:  Wikimedia.

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Royston cave.  Sheela na gig.

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Read all about the Royston cave here.

I think this is one of the weirdest places to visit in the Cambridge area.  If you like a mystery, if you like subterranean caverns, if you'd like something adventurous to do with children, or if you've run out of sights to see in Royston:  this is the destination for you.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely day.

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