Cathy's Art Diary

Delightful new stained glass window at Westminster Abbey designed by David Hockney. This was unveiled a few months ago but this was the first time I’d seen it when a friend very kindly took me up to the new galleries. I’d not noticed it as we came in but he pointed it out to me from the gallery and its bright colours and modern design are very striking. It’s lovely to see such a new piece in this gothic setting and to see it shed coloured light over the rather nasty, busy visitors entrance. Reviews Times Guardian Telegraph

Fabulous new museum space at Westminster Abbey built in the triforium high up above the abbey floor.   I’d been so excited about this development since I first read about it and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the space, actually built in about 1250 during the reign of Henry III and the views it gave over the inside of the abbey and of the roofs and across Parliament Square and the Houses of Parliament. A new tower had been built to give access to the space with, thank goodness, a lift. I loved the touch that stripes of the different stones used to build the abbey were inserted up the inside of the tower. The objects in the space were just as stunning! Divided into four themed areas it covers the Abbey and national memory, the building of the Abbey, worship and daily life and the Abbey and the monarchy. You just kept falling over amazing unique things. I loved the corbel heads with wonderful crisp carving as they’ve never been exposed to the elements. These must be...