Sitting on top of the world

The Mississippi Blues Commission unveiled the second Pines-area marker on its Blues Trail yesterday in West Point, MS after the Jimmie Rodgers marker down in Meridian. The plaque is located next to the Howlin' Wolf statue by the Growth Alliance in downtown.



Here Blues Society Program Director Richard Ramsey talks with WCBI before the event.



Governor Barbour came and made a gracious speech about the importance of Mississippi Blues as history but also as a present day tourism and economic development driver. The one slightly false note was when he told West Point's Democratic Mayor Scott Ross that Wolf AKA Chester Arthur Burnette was named after a Republican President. True, but I wonder if Lincoln or Arthur would even recognize today's Grand Old Party?



Pines-area bluesman Willie King spoke about the influence of Wolf on his own playing. That's Jackson-area blues legend Jesse Robinson with the dramatic mustache just behind King.




Wolf's daughter Barbra Marks was in attendance as well.



Finally the plaque was unveiled.

Manic monday

Had final meal out, lunch, at one of my favorite London restaurants, Konaki on Coptic Street (a block from the British Museum), a Greek place. Did alvgolemona soup, lamb souvlaki, a Greek Rotunda red wine and a plate of olives and peppers. Then, as I previously mentioned, we took a walking tour of the Inns of Court finished in Middle Temple whose Hall was the site of the first public performance of Twelfth Night. We also walked around New Temple Church, famous from the Da Vinci Code (whose willingness to pay to film there has allowed restoration, so Dan Brown is worth something after all!). Hit The Bourne Ultimatum that night at the Odeon Tottenham Court Road and then home tomorrow. Later I finished off our Sainsbury's linguine, preparing it with a red sauce and another nice bottle of Montepulciano. Tuesday at 7 AM we caught a cab for Victoria to begin the trip home. Now it's Porky Pig time for this London trip blog.

Over the weekend

Stratford Saturday

Headed to Marylebone Station (the one from A Hard Day's Night, even if it was supposed to be Paddington Station). We walked into town from the station and wandered by the Shakespeare Birthplace along with all the other tourists.



After picking up our tickets, we visited Shakespeare's burial site, Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon and then stopped into the Dirty Duck for a pint of the formerly home town Flower's along with a cheese and crackers picnic.





Then we moved along 100 yards to the Courtyard Theatre for a good performance of 1 Henry IV, which features a surprising casting against type of David Warner as Falstaff.



Sunday

In the morning took the previously discussed Famous Square Mile Walk. Rode the Central Line back to Holborn and then Victoria to Covent Garden. Tried yet again to do Tapas, but another place was closed as was Konaki--which we'll visit tomorrow, so we ended up at the Pizza Express on Coptic Street. We split a Soho pizza, a bottle of Monteforte mineral water, and a bottle of the Moncaro Montepulciano d' Abruzzo. Then we tubed it to Hampstead for the Lorenz Hart revue From the Hart, featuring such classics as "Have You Met Miss Jones?", "My Funny Valentine", "Blue Moon", and "Lady is a Tramp". Caught the last fifteen minutes of the Liverpool-Chelsea Anfield fixture next door at the Duke of Hamilton pub. Chelsea got an undeserved tie due to an official's poor decision. C'est la vie or perhaps, more appropriately for Rafa, "Que Sera Sera."