Library, Love and Laughter

This afternoon my dad and I finally paid a visit to the British Library after years of saying we must go. I was surprised to discover a huge monstrosity of a building that looked like the one design forgot!

A 1970s building with shiny floors and modern escalators and security was far from the picture I had in my mind of a beautiful Victorian building with dusty bookshelves and a lady at the counter with spectacles on the end of her nose.

We explored the 'Hidden Treasures of the British Library' which is an exhibition of rare and first edition books and manuscripts ranging from works by Leonardo Da Vinci to Jane Austen and letters by Sir Thomas More and Sir Water Rayleigh.

I was thrilled to discover a a scan of the original handwritten 'Alice's Adventures Underground' manuscript by the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson which later became Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Dodgson's pen name). I was even more excited to discover the book in the shop of the manuscript and promptly parted with some cash.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the book being published and as an Alice in Wonderland fan my collection of different editions of the book and various collectible trinkets is growing!

After the library we met up with my mum and brother for a lovely dinner and a show to celebrate mum's birthday. My brother and I took a step back in time to our childhood with the familiar characters of The Railway Children, one of our favourite films growing up.

It was a wonderfully entertaining show and we all had great big smiles on our faces as a steam train appeared in the centre of the stage: two platforms with the audience sat either side. The theatre is a temporary fixture at the end of the track at King's Cross Railway Station and is an immersive experience where you feel part of the performance.

I thoroughly enjoyed stepping back into two of my favourite childhood stories today and can't wait to escape into Alice's Adventures Underground perhaps sat under a tree in the sunshine.