smallhobbit: (Default)
smallhobbit ([personal profile] smallhobbit) wrote2020-01-18 09:06 pm

New Activities - Month Nine

Firstly, I want to say how excited I am that [community profile] story_works is holding Take A Leap: A year long challenge of trying out new things.  I'm looking forward to taking part!

This month's challenge is Try Out Anything New and I'm using a couple of things here to complete that challenge.

The last couple of days I've been in London (play reviews will be coming!) but I also wanted to do some other things.  Yesterday I went to the Science Museum to go to two of their special exhibitions: Top Secret: From Cyphers to Cyber Security and The Art of Innovation: From Enlightenment to Dark Matter.  Top Secret was a bit disappointing - I found the bits about WWI interesting, and also reading about Bletchley Park and seeing an Enigma machine was worth doing, but could have done without being told how wonderful GCHQ were; I moved through the second part quite quickly.  The Art of Innovation had some interesting sections, but these were the ones in the earlier timeframe.  I find the Science Museum a bit too confident that we now know everything, and failing to learn from earlier centuries that this isn't always true.

However, I did have a very nice lunch in the museum café, and I've not eaten there before.

Then this morning I went on a backstage tour of the Barbican Theatre.  I'd been trying to find a suitable activity for Anything New, and when I read about these tours I booked a place.  It was very interesting - I do like seeing backstage.  I haven't been to the Barbican Theatre for over four years - they are the London base for the RSC, but we go to Stratford to see them.  I'd definitely recommend the tour.

And then, on my way back to the tube station, I found a small café to have my lunch, which also counts for Anything New!

stonepicnicking_okapi: okapi (Default)

[personal profile] stonepicnicking_okapi 2020-01-18 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I think the story_works challenge was made for you, and you managed to work so many new things into one day. I am glad you had a good trip to London.
margaret_r: (Default)

[personal profile] margaret_r 2020-01-19 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
The science museum sounds interesting, I've been to a few in different cities and always find them fascinating. It's wonderful how much 'new' you find to do, makes life more exciting:)
scfrankles: knight on horseback with lance lowered (Default)

[personal profile] scfrankles 2020-01-19 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
The Take a Leap challenge does sound interesting - I look forward to hearing about everything else you get up to ^___^

The backstage tour of the Barbican Theatre did sound particularly intriguing.

rusty_armour: (wearit)

[personal profile] rusty_armour 2020-01-19 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I admire the way in which you have embraced the Try Out Anything New challenge. It's good that you were able to get something out of both of those Science Museum exhibits, even if Top Secret was a bit disappointing. The backstage tour of the Barbican Theatre sounds like a lot of fun. I hope you find some more interesting activities to do and places to explore during the Anything New challenge. :-)
debriswoman: (Default)

[personal profile] debriswoman 2020-01-20 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like you were happily occupied:-)
mafief: (Default)

[personal profile] mafief 2020-01-22 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Enigma machine! That’s so cool. Cyphers could have been fascinating. It’s a bummer that it wasn’t. :(

Finding a new place to eat totally counts as something new. It’s its own leap of faith.
moth2fic: (Default)

[personal profile] moth2fic 2020-01-25 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I like the Science Museum, but I tend to get irritated with a lot of museum assumptions nowadays (grumpy old woman here). I actually prefer the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry though it's nowhere near as big or comprehensive.