Looking a Gift Horse in the mouth

Across Leicester Square to what was once  The Swiss Centre

On Sunday we had a meet-up and meal in the heart of London, meeting in Leicester Square, as with so much of the capital it feels like you turn your back for 5 minutes and the area has changed (again)- there still remain street entertainers around the area that was once dominated by cinemas but retail redevelopment has removed some of their natural pitches.

As we arrived in good time we took the opportunity to go and look at the recent new incumbent statue on the 'Fourth Plinth' of Trafalgar Square - replacing the Blue Cock (which provided me with much hilarity when decried by  Philip Booth on the BBC Front Row Arts debate).

National Gallery in Trafalgar Square

The new Statue is by the Political Artist Hans Haacke and is of a Skeletal Horse entitled 'Gift Horse' it is said to draw inspiration from George Stubbs engravings - to make sure it's up to date there's a FTSE ticker  readout on the sculpture .

I wonder how aware Boris was of Hans's politics when he unveiled the statue, must say I was a little surprised that our London Mayor was busy on the campaign trail for the Tories in North East of England this week,

It is (for me) something  an insult that he wishes to give the impression  the Mayoral role is a part time post that's principally about giving him a platform for his greater political ambitions - but then I suppose he too is a 'Political artist'.

A 'Gift Horse - probably not though

The bright weather had brought out large numbers of visitors and the usual (and unusual) were amongst the 'Street' entertainers).

Chinatown was still festooned with lanterns and we had what was for me  a surprisingly  enjoyable meal at Cote Brasserie in Soho

Chinatown colour