london1967 | Sep. 12th, 2008

After the trip to the "Emerald City" on Wednesday, yesterday it was time for a reality check.

We went to Wellcome Collection to see “Skeletons: London's buried bones”, an exhibition of 26 skeletons dug up around London and covering 2,000 years of history from the Romans to the Victorians (they were on loan from the Museum of London’s collection of over 17,000 skeletons!)

They were all placed in just one room, laid in individual glass cases.

The labels showed the provenience and explained what could be inferred from studying the bones: diseases and accidents those people suffered from, occupation, etc.

On the walls there were pictures of what those cemeteries look like now. They have all been built over: council flats, viaduct, restaurant, etc. One – an unconsecrated graveyard for the burial of ‘single women’ – is round the corner from XXL, the bear club!

It was a rather chilling experience and a sombre reminder of our own mortality, I must say.

When we left, I thought “Carpe Diem!” and took Adrian to the Champagne Bar at St. Pancras International.

We had cocktails, and admired the glass roof and the ironwork.