myosotis
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Not a fan gathering...just a suggestion for something to see...
'The Enchanted Palace' at Kensington Palace, in Kensington Gardens, London
I went to see this today, and wanted to recommend it to anyone who would like to see something 'a bit different'. What has this got to do with MJ, you might ask? Well, absolutely nothing directly, except for the very tenuous link that Princess Diana used to have an apartment in the building.
However, from the moment I passed the entrance desk, I thought...this is something Michael might have loved. Imagine Michael taking you by the hand, and leading you through the rest of the mansion in Ghosts...or at least that's how it felt to me. Its a little like a cross between a Jan Pienkowski picture and a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. None of it was designed with MJ in mind ( I'm sure), but there are little reminders everywhere. There are lots of points of resonance. There are 'rooms of lost childhood' and a 'gallery of dancing shadows'. At first sight, after the first room, some of the rooms seem a little empty, but you really have to look and listen. There is a lectern in many of the rooms, with a multilingual storybook on them, one story per room. If you read these, (and the free guide..very important) and absorb the atmosphere, look at everything (especially the ceilings later on) it is a very atmospheric 'journey'. I felt almost tearful at the end ( bearing in mind who I was thinking of),and thought it was just me, but looking through the guestbook comments at the end, many of them said something like 'hauntingly beautiful and sad'.
It was getting busy as I left at 1.00 pm, so I would recommend a weekday or 'early' Saturday morning visit, to get the quietest atmosphere. I walked up from the Peter Pan statue, and as the trees are turning, it is a beautiful walk too. (and if you are interested in modern artists, there are 4 Anish Kapoor sculptures being installed this weekend, visible between 'Peter Pan' and the Palace.)
I saw a few children as I went through the palace rooms, but I think a lot of it was lost on them,and they seemed a bit bored. I also heard a couple of adults saying its not what they expected... they wanted to see the palace rooms and antiques ' as lived in'...which this is not. I spent nearly 2 hours going through very slowly, but it could be done in an hour or so, I think, depending on queues. It's not cheap..about £12.50 for 1 adult and about £ 11.00 even for 'concessions', and about £6 for children. Its either very much 'your thing' or very much 'not', I think. I understand that the room settings may change over time, as the 'installation (not sure what else to call it) will be open until sometime in 2012.
Three things: there are very few seats, so you need to keep on your feet. There is a staircase to start and finish. And there is a pair of ( I found) rather irritating 'Detectors', who walk from room to room accosting people at random. I was thoroughly immersed in my own thoughts and avoided them..at least you can hear them coming. NB If you go in a big group, or at a busy time, there will be long queues to read the storybooks., and much ot the atmosphere may be lost. Hints: You may want to write a note along the way, so borrow a pencil (with the guide booklet). There is also a photo opportunity you might want to take.
I am not connected to this 'installation' in any way, not by work or by family connection or in any other way, so I am not trying to 'sell' it...just thought I'd clarify that!
Its open from 10.00 am til 6.00 pm at the moment, then 10.00 til 5.00pm from 1 Nov to the 28th Feb. (And it is actually an exhibition about Royal princesses!)
This gives a little flavour..If I had watched other Youtube videos beforehand, I don't think I would have gone...this one indicates some of the atmosphere best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYljU-6VkVI
PS The guidebook at £4.99 is about the palace and its history, not about the exhibition...there didn't seem to be an illustrated booklet abut the 'Enchanted Palace', sadly, just a couple of postcards in the gift shop.
'The Enchanted Palace' at Kensington Palace, in Kensington Gardens, London
I went to see this today, and wanted to recommend it to anyone who would like to see something 'a bit different'. What has this got to do with MJ, you might ask? Well, absolutely nothing directly, except for the very tenuous link that Princess Diana used to have an apartment in the building.
However, from the moment I passed the entrance desk, I thought...this is something Michael might have loved. Imagine Michael taking you by the hand, and leading you through the rest of the mansion in Ghosts...or at least that's how it felt to me. Its a little like a cross between a Jan Pienkowski picture and a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. None of it was designed with MJ in mind ( I'm sure), but there are little reminders everywhere. There are lots of points of resonance. There are 'rooms of lost childhood' and a 'gallery of dancing shadows'. At first sight, after the first room, some of the rooms seem a little empty, but you really have to look and listen. There is a lectern in many of the rooms, with a multilingual storybook on them, one story per room. If you read these, (and the free guide..very important) and absorb the atmosphere, look at everything (especially the ceilings later on) it is a very atmospheric 'journey'. I felt almost tearful at the end ( bearing in mind who I was thinking of),and thought it was just me, but looking through the guestbook comments at the end, many of them said something like 'hauntingly beautiful and sad'.
It was getting busy as I left at 1.00 pm, so I would recommend a weekday or 'early' Saturday morning visit, to get the quietest atmosphere. I walked up from the Peter Pan statue, and as the trees are turning, it is a beautiful walk too. (and if you are interested in modern artists, there are 4 Anish Kapoor sculptures being installed this weekend, visible between 'Peter Pan' and the Palace.)
I saw a few children as I went through the palace rooms, but I think a lot of it was lost on them,and they seemed a bit bored. I also heard a couple of adults saying its not what they expected... they wanted to see the palace rooms and antiques ' as lived in'...which this is not. I spent nearly 2 hours going through very slowly, but it could be done in an hour or so, I think, depending on queues. It's not cheap..about £12.50 for 1 adult and about £ 11.00 even for 'concessions', and about £6 for children. Its either very much 'your thing' or very much 'not', I think. I understand that the room settings may change over time, as the 'installation (not sure what else to call it) will be open until sometime in 2012.
Three things: there are very few seats, so you need to keep on your feet. There is a staircase to start and finish. And there is a pair of ( I found) rather irritating 'Detectors', who walk from room to room accosting people at random. I was thoroughly immersed in my own thoughts and avoided them..at least you can hear them coming. NB If you go in a big group, or at a busy time, there will be long queues to read the storybooks., and much ot the atmosphere may be lost. Hints: You may want to write a note along the way, so borrow a pencil (with the guide booklet). There is also a photo opportunity you might want to take.
I am not connected to this 'installation' in any way, not by work or by family connection or in any other way, so I am not trying to 'sell' it...just thought I'd clarify that!
Its open from 10.00 am til 6.00 pm at the moment, then 10.00 til 5.00pm from 1 Nov to the 28th Feb. (And it is actually an exhibition about Royal princesses!)
This gives a little flavour..If I had watched other Youtube videos beforehand, I don't think I would have gone...this one indicates some of the atmosphere best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYljU-6VkVI
PS The guidebook at £4.99 is about the palace and its history, not about the exhibition...there didn't seem to be an illustrated booklet abut the 'Enchanted Palace', sadly, just a couple of postcards in the gift shop.
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