Isabella Blow exhibition

I have very good intentions when it comes to seeing and doing cultural things. I mean to go to the theatre and to exhibitions and I love going when I do, but a lack of organization combined with how crazily fast time seems to fly means that I often miss things or attempt to book when tickets are long gone. My first maternity leave was spent lunching with friends, a lot. I was terrified of feeling lonely and so filled up my days with seeing people. It was great, it meant that I still felt like a sociable being even though most (every) night we’d be sitting on the sofa completely immersed in one box set or another until I keeled over and fell asleep some time between 9 and 9.30. Luckily I have the good fortune to have friends who are more organized and proactive. One of whom suggested meeting with babies at the Isabella Blow exhibition at Somerset house. Yes please, I said, seeing an opportunity to actually do something cultural and not miss the boat. We arrived and brilliantly both babies were sleeping giving us, we thought, an opportunity to browse the exhibition undisturbed. However it turns out that buggies are not allowed in the exhibition at all. Lots of narrow walkways and stairs meant that it was just not buggy friendly. What to do? Should we wake them, only to lug them around while they most likely grumbled. Or, my friend suggested, should we take it in turns to go round it while the other one looked after the sleeping infants. It was a brilliant idea, as it meant we got half an hour of alone time to wander around at our leisure admiring the most fantastical of outfits, the most extraordinary of hats and shoes. I hadn’t done something like that for a while and I felt rejuvenated by it. It was an inspiring (some of the most magnificent vintage pieces) and beautiful exhibition and my only regret is that I walked out to be confronted by an awake and crying, snotty, teething, utterly disorientated baby. It is definitely the best way to see an exhibition with a baby in tow.