Thursday, May 8, 2008

We Can’t All Be Lion Tamers


I made the error of visiting the Imperial War Museum at the tail end of a tiring day; I had looked forward to going from the moment the trip to London was planned, but, as with the Churchill Museum & Cabinet War Rooms, there was much more to see than I had imagined. The emphasis is on 20th Century conflicts, with stunning exhibits dedicated to the First & Second World Wars. One nice surprise that wasn't listed on their website was the motorcycle that T E Lawrence was killed on! It was oddly heartening to read that his death in 1935 happened exactly the way it was depicted in Lawrence of Arabia – even to the point of swerving to avoid the two bicyclists in the road. It was purchased and restored by a private collector (it sustained very little damage in the accident) and is on temporary loan to the museum.