Day out in London.

On Tuesday I went to London with my parents for the day, we all wrote down one thing we wanted to do and planned our day around those three things.

First we went to the British Library to see the Alice in Wonderland exhibition which celebrates the 150 year anniversary since its first publication back in 1865!

Around the exhibition space there was mirrors displaying the illustrations from John Tenniel which told the story of Alice in Wonderland. They led you into the centre of the exhibition where the history of Lewis Carroll and his legendary story were displayed in all forms of art and media. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside the main showcase so I got some pictures of the outside area and wrote down some notes whilst inside.

I have always been fascinated by the whimsical tale of Alice’s adventures even picking the story as my art GCSE concept and writing my own short stories based on the tale. Living close to Brighton I was amazed with what inspiration Lewis Carroll found when visiting the city many years ago and this exhibition taught me things I didn’t know including how Lewis Carroll chose his pseudonym (inverted his names and translated them into Latin and then back into English) 

It was so interesting to see how many editions of Alice there has been over the past 150 years and how the story has been changed in certain ways throughout different eras. From Walt Disney to Salvador Dali and Ralph Steadman each person has put their stamp on the narrative and it’s illustrations. As a bibliophile I forget how much of an impact the tale has made on literature and it reminds me how a small story can become monumental. 

After leaving the exhibition I took a peak into the pop up shop and of course I had to buy a book! There was so many editions of the book to chose from, different illustrations, different covers, different publishers it was incredible. I chose to buy a bookmark and a copy of the original manuscript which was published for British Library. It is something that it hard to purchase online and it will remind of my visit that day.

The exhibition is open until Sunday 17th April and I would urge you to go if you can and it you are a fan of the story. Admission is free and well and who doesn’t want to be transported into a fantasy world of unusual characters and magical adventures.

After the exhibition it was time for an early dinner so we headed over to Bubba Gump Shrimp’s in Piccadilly.

The restaurant is decorated as a tribute to the film Forrest Gump. My parents are really big fans of the film so it was on their list of places to go.

There is a few of these dotted around including one in New York and I believe there is one in Bali? I didn’t even realise this was in London until my parents told me.

The menu is south american style cuisine with everything from fried chicken, bourbon gravy and mash to deep fried prawns and jambalaya. I chose to have the deep fried shrimp and spicy chips with coleslaw. I also had strawberry lemonade and garlic bread on the side (piggy). I love my food and this was one of the most unhealthiest meals I’ve had in a while but it was definitely worth the calories because the prawns were delicious and I enjoyed every minute of being in this restaurant. It was such a relaxed atmosphere and it was enjoyable to look around the restaurant at all the trinkets and ornaments hanging up.

I do recommend visiting especially if you know and love the film as it is such a novelty eatery.

Downstairs from the restaurant there is a shop where you can buy t shirts, hats and even a Forrest Gump box of chocolates. I bought a glass because Jamie and I have a small collection of glasses and mugs from places we have been and things we like so I thought it would be a nice addition.

Thanks for reading!

Gee

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