There a few things I'm not very good with. I wouldn't call them out and out phobias, but they come close.
Lots of people + enclosed, no daylight place = borderline freakout scenario.
So the hat exhibition in the V&A wasn't ideal for me on a sweltering summer afternoon.
People were patiently queuing to gaze at display cases. I was looking over shoulders and bobbing about.
There were historical hats, glamorous hats, hats made out of strange material, presentations on the history of hats... pretty much all you could imagine there was to see or hear about hats.
But I was in and out in 15 minutes. Too many people. Too hot.
For me the V&A had far more exciting curios anyway. The jewellery displays, with more diamonds and precious stones than you can imagine ever existing, were gorgeous. Jewel-encrusted swords, samples of arts and crafts movement creations were alongside diamonds from every century and gold from ancient Greece to tiaras from the art noveau movement.
And there was The Great Bed of Ware - everyone should see that, it truly was enormous.
A thoroughly well spent, if exhausting afternoon.
