I’ve been out swimming in the serpentine lido this morning with my sister. We have just started training for Swim Serpentine 2017 – I have signed myself up for a two mile swim. I can, and do on a regular basis, swim a mile and that’s alright. However in signing up for two I suspect I may have been feeling a bit overly optimistic. Never mind. The lido has been open for over 100 years, and takes a minimal approach to changing facilities. The water is a bit green and full of geese, so not particularly glamorous in a peculiarly British way. But this morning the water was cool and clear and delicious. Just what I needed.

I’ve recently become aware of lots of talk about minimalism, and have seen lots of art which is very simple, clean, and lovely looking. But it’s not my thing. I think my interests stray into something that is much more eclectic, eccentric, wild, not particularly controlled and well, British. As I was thinking about this I walking back through the London Royal Parks I stumbled across a few odd Victorian looking fountains.

Isn’t she gorgeous?

Check out this guy – I’m not quite sure what he is doing to that fish.

And finally check out these from right in front of Buckingham palace.

So grumpy!

Just chilling….

I think these compare pretty well with my favourite strange Victorian fountain seen a few weeks ago in Worthing. Again I have some queries about those fish…

As I was walking out and about today it made me think a bit about the different ways in which we can feed our creativity (and curiosity). Sometimes it involves sitting for hours, feeling the textures and curves and shapes of different materials, while other times it involves stumbling across odd, eccentric victorian curiosities like these fountains.

 

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