Contemporary Art in St Paul’s Cathedral and some personal experiences

From last spring, I forgot to post.

Contemporary cross by Gerry Judah  who was born in Calcutta and moved to London when he was ten.

The imagery suggests cities falling apart, catastrophes.

St. Paul also had a lot of statues to colonial leaders with accomplishments like “reduction of French West Indies” meaning taking them over I think.

Statue to a young captain who died at sea in the battle in Burma

A large area behind the altar dedicated to Americans who died in World War II

These strange plaques and signs about the Indian Army and all the places they fought for the British.

Personal Experiences

Teens from Botswana on a field trip to London

I am holding a large Ukrainian cupcake given me by these two women, Julia and Natalia,  whom we met walking along the Thames.

They are coming to the end of their supported situation in  UK and wondering what they will do next. Both have families here, children, parents, not their husbands.

We also toured the Globe Theater, for which Shakespeare wrote his

plays.

It was rebuilt in the late 20th century funded by Sam Wanamaker.

It has perfect acoustics, no artificial lighting, the audience is visible to the actors which scares the actors ( not the audience)

The people standing in the middle drank beer and urinated creating a stench, so the people in the boxes rubbed oranges on themselves and then threw them at the people below.

The lobby of the Globe “We are such stuff As dreams are made on” The Tempest