Marble Arch Mound Piglet

I had some time to kill before the rehearsal, and there was this strange-looking mound by Marble Arch where usually there are provocative sculptures, so I thought I'd climb up and see the view. It's not much of a view, and turns out that the Marble Arch Mound is also maybe a bit of a disaster, at least according to the Guardian, the BBC online and Forbes magazine.

On the other hand, Matthew Green, Westminster Council's cabinet member for planning, business and licensing said, "it's a fantastic celebration of arts and culture, which are central to the City of Westminster's unique role at the heart of London."

All I know is that climbing up and down the c. 130 steps (very bouncy scaffolding - thought it might break at any minute) was good for my heart. The view from the top, though, was rubbish. The new building at the start of Edgware Road is taller than the mound. Green treetops of Kensington Gardens with the Knightsbridge Barracks barely visible in the distance over the leaves, a bit of a view of the beginning of Park Lane, and then off in the distance you could see about half of the Shard and a quarter of the London Eye. Could barely see Marble Arch itself, or Oxford St, or some Xmas lights, or the point. A mound is not a hill. It's just not high enough for any interesting views.

And finally, there was the lightshow. Two kind young docents opened the curtains for me to stumble into a dark room with geometric patterns in various boxes. Piglet enjoyed it very much. When I finally found the exit curtains, I needed to lie down. And then it was time for the rehearsal.