Lit-uh-rer-ee Dey

lit·er·ar·y [lit-uh-rer-ee] adjective
1. pertaining to or of the nature of books and writings, especially those classed as literature: literary history.
2. pertaining to authorship: literary style.

day [dey] noun
1. the interval of light between two successive nights; the time between sunrise and sunset.

I had a literary day today, which was wonderful.

First, I visited the Charles Dickens Museum, on account of it being his bicentenary this year. Tucked away in Doughty Lane, this is a lovely place to visit. It's a small museum, run by an enthusiastic group of Dickensians and quite grabs the imagination.

Second, I went to Dr Johnson's House, a rare survivor of 18th architecture in the centre of London. And, more importantly the home of Dr Samuel Johnson for 75 years. His cat, Hodge, also lived there for part of that time.

If I could meet anyone from history, Dr Johnson would be on my shortlist, very near the top, if not in pole position. He was witty, forthright and a prolific writer, best known for writing the first comprehensive English Dictionary published in two volumes in 1755.

Clockwise from top left; Dr Johnson's House at 17 Gough Square, first floor reception rooms with moving partitions to make 2 separate rooms (eat your heart out Habitat and Ikea), the attic where the dictionary was produced, an entry in Dr Johnson's "Dictionary of the English Language" showing his rather low opinion of Scotland (no-one's perfect). This was the highlight of the trip :)

Finally I popped in to the Foundling Museum, which I was a bit disappointed with. I thought there would be more about the foundlings and the routine of the hospital. Or perhaps I was just tired!