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Quite a few good Polish cultural events are taking place in London this autumn. I’ll have more details nearer the date (mid-September).
Now however, if you’re in London or visiting the city and need somewhere nice and quiet – with a bit of traditional Polish art thrown in – why not hop on the train to Forest Hill and visit the fabulous Horniman Museum and Gardens?
It’s a stunning place, where you can sit in the park with a book, admire some fantastic panoramic views of the capital, gaze at some not-too-exotic animals kept in what they call a mini-zoo or spend a lovely afternoon in the quirky Horniman Museum.
It specialises in anthropology and natural history and has a rather impressive collection of musical instruments. And for another month and a half you can also see an exhibition on Polish wycinanki – paper cuts.
What are they? Let me quote the Museum’s website:
Wycinanki was traditionally used by Polish peasants to decorate their cottages and they often depicted scenes from daily life, such as weddings or holidays.This beautiful art form is still popular and widely practised in two regions of Poland, Kurpie and Lowicz.
This is some seriously complex stuff, and if you’re into that kind of thing, I guess a trip to south London might be a good idea.
If that’s not your thing though, Horniman Gardens are still well worth the trip. If only to try and spot as many London landmarks as possible from the top of the hill…
More on the exhibition here.
Image © dalbera via Flickr, used under Creative Commons licence
