It has been a week of gloomy weather with rain and hints of sunshine. On a cloudy day I took a walk up to the Wellcome Collection, a museum with rotating exhibits focusing on health, medicine and the human experience. I always enjoy approaching the museum from Kings Cross, along Euston Road because that particular stretch of the Road has various interesting places along the way, including Euston Train Station Friends House, owned and managed by the Quiet Company, a subsidiary of the Quakers of Britain. It contains a lovely Quaker Bookshop and a small cafe, as well as a Quaker Meeting Room. There are also a Birkbeck University Campus that happened to sponsoring a graduation ceremony on that day. It is always great fun to see the gowned graduates with their loved ones. I’ll say more about another favorite spot, St. Pancras New Church later.

Wellcome

The Wellcome Collection is running an exhibit on the search and need for fresh water. The earliest example of a water war is found in the Epic of Gilgamesh (2100-2000 BCE). It is captured in this clay tablet (below).

The exhibition included interesting ways water was stored in different cultures.

Another interesting item is this depiction of “The Lifegiving Spring” from the 1700s. It represents an Eastern Orthodox belief that the Virgin Mary in 450 AD directed a soldier searching for water for a blind man to a spring.

I also enjoyed the display of diving rods used traditionally to find water in the ground.

There is also an interesting permanent collection that I have previously written about and a nice cafe with friendly staff.

Welcome

On my way back from the Wellcome Collection, I stopped in at St. Pancras New Church which I have also discussed in an earlier post. This is a wonderfully welcoming place and an important part of its community. Here are the three stained glass windows above the altar.

After sitting enjoying the peace of the church, I came upon a young man who happened to be a verger at the church. We had an interesting conversation about the Anglican Church and its differences and similarities with the Episcopal Church in America and with Roman Catholicism. He also told me about various upcoming events at the church and invited me to attend. St. Pancras New Church really is a welcoming place.

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