Horniman

London’s skyline from the Horniman Museum

On Friday, I posted a picture of a mobile bench. Today, I have another treat for you: a mobile garden!

Of course, if you want to be pedantic, it isn’t really a mobile garden. Rather it is a movable frame for displaying pot plants. We came across it at the place we visited yesterday afternoon.

But first we went to meet our friends who were going to take us there. This picture is a clue to where they live. They live in Catford, quite a good place for a Tiger’s friends to live, don’t you think?

Catford is a famous and populous district of southeast London (Lewisham) and a very interesting place. We didn’t have time to explore it on this occasion but perhaps we will another time.

The plan was to visit this wonderful place, the Horniman Museum. There is so much to see here, that you can practically walk your feet off going around all the exhibits, some of which are permanent and others temporary exhibitions. Fortunately, there is a pleasant little cafe where you can rest and enjoy refreshing beverages and snacks at reasonable princes. (No, I’m not on commission!) Entry to the Museum itself is free, by the way.

The Museum stands in large and beautifully gardened grounds with splendid views (see head picture) and this wonderful summer house, reminiscent of Crystal Palace or Kew Gardens, and currently housing an exhibition of artists and their works.

The exhibits comprise objects (e.g. ethnic masks, costumes and accessories from various parts of the world), videos (e.g. there is a short course on paper art!), sound (e.g. in the section on traditional musical instruments you hear them being played) and – for me the best – living animals.

We found animals in four places: in the aquarium, in a transparent bee hive, in a menagerie and, last but not least, wild animals running and flying about in the grounds.

Here are samples of each of these with a couple of other interesting items that we noticed on the way round.

These frogs are no larger than the top joint of your little finger	Bees at work in the transparent bee hive	One of the beautiful goats in the menagerie

Bin-raiding squirrel	Building roofed with growing grass	Sculpture of a reclining figure

I might add, as a point of information, that visitors are permitted to take photos throughout the Museum and grounds on the sole condition that they do not use flash in the aquarium. Flash can damage the eyes of creatures evolved to live in dimly lit conditions.

All in all, the Horniman Museum is a fascinating, educational and entertaining place to visit, especially on a sunny day when you can take full advantage of the grounds which are beautiful and comprise different habits with the plants that live in them.

Tags: Catford, Forest Hill, Horniman Museum