DAY OUT: Derby Derbion Centre and Derby Museum / Art Gallery

 

Since the Museum and Art Gallery didn't open until 10:30, we decided to get there early and have a quick butchers around the Derbion Centre. It seemed quite a bit nicer than we remembered from our last visit although it definitely seems like the upstairs has the 'better' shops. We popped into Beaverbrooks to get a look at the new Aquaracers and also a special edition F1. Aside from that Rose found a top on sale in Hobbs and we stocked up on Hotel Chocolat (though somewhat limited by a short date on the Caramel slabs). We were also told that HC no longer makes any large slabs except the one with 'Happy Birthday' on it. 

Why the **** not?

It was hot today, very hot. And as we walked back to the car to stash our purchases it was already getting up into the mid 20s. But at least we went and did something rather than just sitting at home moaning about how hot it was. Instead we went to a rather tedious museum and art gallery and moaned about how hot it was!

Enthused by our recent trip to Coventry Musuem and Art Gallery (which was actually quite enjoyable) this was rather disappointing in comparison. There was no modern art at all, indeed there was only one room containing art and that all seemed to be by the same artist (Joseph Wright), who is presumably a local. Some of it was pretty good, but 30 paintings by the same artist doesn't really an art gallery make and the museum was the kind of old school museum that people mean when they say 'museums are boring'. It was also quite 'preachy', with a display explaining why 'Golliwogs' are bad (m'kay) and highlighting other faux-pas in children's books like 'Rupert and the Koons'. There was a temporary display of 'Quentin Blake's' illustrations on the top floor but about half way through that we got utterly bored and decided to go home.

By now it was as hot as hell (28C!) and we were glad to be in an air conditioned car travelling home, until we got to junction 21 where there had been an accident involving three cars piling into the back of each other. We didn't know where the accident was and chose to stick in the lane to leave the motorway, but eventually gave up and moved lanes. Just before the junction we saw the crash and the fire engines and ambulance which had come down the motorway past us... but we were able to get off and go home without re-routing to Lutterworth.