King Tutankhamun and I

I had been looking forward to the King Tutankhamun exhibition immensely. Ancient Egypt has held a fascination for me since my school days, therefore I was thrilled to have the opportunity to actually see for myself some of the treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The rather dull and overcast day couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm as I met my fellow intrepid travellers at Waterloo Pier. The journey via the Thames Clipper lasted about 40 minutes and it was wonderful to see an illuminated London through the windows. Eventually The O2 became visible through the darkness, but before we entered the exhibition we stopped for a drink at Inc. Brasserie. I couldn’t help but wonder at the suitability of the venue for such an historic exhibition. The bright, stark interior of The O2 seemed far too modern to house 3000-year-old antiquities.

As I entered the exhibition, I donned my headphones and allowed Omar Sharif to explain the context of the exhibits. This audio tour was invaluable as it provided the historical background of not only the Royal family but also of daily life in Ancient Egypt. This included a rather compelling yet grisly description of the mummification process. The exhibits were displayed in rather plain rooms and, despite the piped Egyptian music and atmospheric lighting, I felt that something was missing. The exhibition was in two halves: the first was very much concerned with Tutankhamun’s unpopular father Akhenaten, his beautiful wife, Nefertiti, and the scandal surrounding their adoption of a new religion. The second half was dedicated to Tutankhamun and Howard Carter, including rare newsreel footage and photographs of the excavation. However the journey between the two was via stark corridors and brightly lit stairwells. I think the sheer modernity of the venue was too much of a contrast for the antiquities, however the treasures on display were breathtaking. The sheer beauty of the mini-sarcophagus designed to hold the young king’s viscera once they had been removed from his body, with its intricate workmanship and near-perfect condition, was awe-inspiring.

After the exhibition I met up with our group at Tapa Tapa, which proved to be another adventure but of the gastronomic kind. I was overwhelmed by the sheer quality and quantity of dishes that were brought before us and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. For me, the highlights of the meal were a special oak-aged ham from Bilbao, superb large king prawns in a special ‘San Miguel’ batter and a rather delicious chocolate dessert, which were all washed down with fine wines and lively conversation.

As always, all good things had to come to an end, so at 10pm it was time to board the ferry once more and return to Waterloo Pier. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening with The SaVVy Club and was glad that I had been able to see the boy king’s treasures.        

By Sally Ormond
The SaVVy Club

 

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“Gold… everywhere the glint of gold…”

Dear friends of The SaVVy Club^®,

We’ve done it again!! Be amongst the first in London to experience Egypt’s golden age and see the treasures of the world’s most famous pharaoh, Tutankhamun.

In 1972, on a worldwide tour to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of his tomb, the treasures of Tutankhamun came, for the first time, to London and the British Museum, causing unrivalled excitement. During a 6-month stay, over 1.7 million people visited the exhibition, a record number of visitors to the Museum or any exhibition in London to this day. Tutankhamun’s spell was cast over the entire population of Britain.

Now, 35 years later, he’s back. Artefacts exhumed from the tomb of the Egyptian boy king are to be exhibited at The O2 and The SaVVy Club® Members and Guests will be able to see them in their unrivalled splendour.

For the lucky few, Tuesday 20th November will begin at 4pm:

A small group will board a boat at Waterloo pier and cruise, like Howard Carter up the Nile, to Queen Elizabeth II. There we will disembark to ward off the heat of the day and indulge in drinks at the cool, slick, good-looking, Inc. Brasserie before entering the magnificent audio-guided exhibition.

The memories are still vivid for the people who in 1972 queued around the British Museum to pay their 50p entrance charge, some of them waiting over 8 hours to get inside. Once inside the museum, the specially designed exhibition was crowded and stuffy at times, a constant movement of people making it possible to take only brief glimpses of some objects. The claustrophobia added to the atmospheric display. For once, heads of the king, and postcards of his jewellery, outnumbered Union Jack t-shirts and models of London double-deckers on the stalls outside.

This time, The O2 will stage the exhibition of a lifetime, with space and time to see and enjoy, to marvel and wonder at the craftsmanship, the opulence and the mystery of the time of the Pharaohs.And it doesn’t end there; the evening will be rounded off with a super meal at Tapa Tapa. For those still hesitant about making the commitment to join The SaVVy Club^®, here is an opportunity to enjoy a SaVVy experience at a special guest price.

Full members price is £180 (inc VAT).For this event only, guests are welcome at £195 (inc VAT).

If you are interested, please email kim@savvyclub.co.uk before Friday 16 November.

 

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