I have lived in London for most of my life, I have worked in Greenwich and I go there often, but I have never before today been to to the Royal Naval College. I have always assumed the hoards or Italian students where visiting the Cutty Sark, The Observatory or my personal favourite, the Maritime Museum.
I was dumb struck when I walked into the The Painted Hall in the Naval College, it is the most amazing example of nautical trompe l'oeil I have ever seen, even the flutes on the columns were expertly faked. Nelson's body (which was pickled in a cask of brandy) lay in state here two months after his death at Trafalgar.
Outside the painted hall in the grounds of the College a modern form of fakery was taking place with the filming of The Pirates of The Caribbean 4. Huge scaffold backed facades extended from the original buildings, smoke and wind machines were buzzing, huge blue screens were being erected to enable the latest CGI trickery and the London Fire Brigade hosed the ground to simulate muddy streets for the horse and carts and Tricorned extras.
The Colleges Chapel is also well worth a visit but I was most impressed by their amazing harvest festival display. My mum and son were convinced one of the red peppers wasn't real, I do hope they were right as it would carry on the theme of the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment