Cracking Easter Open

To all of you scratching your heads over what to do during the Easter break, London-bound readers need look no further than the northern edge of Lincoln’s Inn Fields, to the delectable, newly furbished Sir John Soane’s Museum. During the eighteenth century, Soane (1753-1837) was the most successful of neo-classical architects. Having made his fortune, he became one of those delightful collectors of objets: paintings and drawings (check out Canaletto, Hogarth, Watteau, Turner and more), Roman sculptures and medieval carvings, furniture and, in the midst of all, an Egyptian sarcophagus. Visiting the JS Museum is like stepping into the mind of an eccentric, all grace and elegance above stairs, with the wonderful, strange and downright weird in the basement: check out a madly-grinning monk among the medieval carvings, the stuff as nightmares are made on. The Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. It is normally closed Monday and Tuesday, but does open on Bank holidays. Bookings are obligatory for groups of eight or more. Individuals do not need to book; just walk in and entry is FREE. However, queues do build up in the afternoon - you will soon find out why – so early arrival is recommended. Their shop is stocked with quality goods, and toilets are in the basement. No cafe is available but the Museum is just a walk away from High Holborn, a site of pubs and eateries too numerous to mention. And if the day turns out fine, you can always enjoy an after-stroll in the glorious, grass and floral-walk Square – what’s not to love? Whoever you are, whatever you do, a cracking great Easter to you.

Wonderful, Wriggly Worm Moon

At one level, I rail and groan against having been born in the month that is defined by worms. The moon in March is called the worm moon because it is the time of year when earthworms, grubs and beetle larvae (eeeuch!) all wake up from their winter sleep. Worms rise to the occasion and bring nutrients and new life to the soil, thus awakening the land after the long and cold season. When I looked more deeply into the lore surrounding the wriggly little things, I discovered quite a romance. The word “Worm” is actually the Old English for dragon and the Anglo-Saxon god, Wotan, slew the worm or dragon and cut it into nine pieces. From these pieces the fabled nine herbs grew, for which the Lacnunga or The Lay of the Nine Herbs, was written. In other lores, the worm stands for cosmic energy, because it emerges when the sap, together with creative awareness, intuition and other cosmic energies, are rising. After all, the worm is related to the serpent – so the ancients believed – which has ever been a symbol of wisdom and eternity. So there, a wealth of comfort for us all. But if you other March bunnies really can’t stand it, this month’s moon is also known as the Crow Moon, Chaste Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, Sugar Moon, or Lenten Moon. Take your pick.