Women, Queen and Spitalfields

I celebrated International Women’s Day on Tuesday with Amy in true feminist fashion. We participated in Women for Women International’s “Join WoMEen on the Bridge” campaign where women (and gents) gathered on bridges all around the world to celebrate females. We started at Borough Market, crossed the Millennium Bridge, walked past Victoria Embankment Gardens, crossed the Thames again on the Hungerford Bridge and ended the walk at the Royal Festival Hall. The march was led by Annie Lennox, which was pretty cool and she spoke for a little at the end. It always feels wonderful to be surrounded by women who want to celebrate our gender, but also acknowledge the needed global improvements for basic gender equality. Check out this video for a summary of the walk in London and around the world: http://womenforwomen.org.uk/, then click the button that says, “Join me on the bridge 2011.” You can actually see Amy in the crowd at the one minute and eleven second mark. Unfortunately, I am blocked by a banner!

Annie Lennox

Wednesday evening I went to the musical, We Will Rock You. It is based on the music of Queen. The show was incredibly energetic with a live band, clapping and audience participation. The play is set in a future world where individuality is banned along with musical instruments. This rebel group must save humanity from mass brainwashing – interesting futuristic plot. The show ended with Bohemian Rhapsody, which is hard not to love.

Today I went to the Spitalfields Market with my friend Brian. We wandered among the street vendors, feasted on crepes and perused the boutiques. I made two happy purchases for the day. The first being an antique looking pocket watch necklace for £4. I love it. The second is an oil black and white painting on canvas of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament with their reflections in the River Thames. I love this perhaps more than the necklace. Between my savory goat cheese crepe, the purchases, occasional rays of sunshine and good company, it was lovely day.  

My painting from Spitalfields Market