Simon very kindly asked me to accompany him to the opening of his solo exhibition in London in gallery combined with bookshop in Bermondsey: Woolfson and Tay. It is a business run by two very engaged in social issues ladies who regularly invite equally engaged authors and not so easy subjects into their gallery space. Not to mention the enviable book selection (I had to leave some of my pocket money there, and the blow was softened a little with a friendly discount) and delicious coffee smooth as silk courtesy of Frances.
Simon's exhibition subject was not a jolly one either: pictures show people affected by epidemy of AIDS in Ukraine and social workers sacrificing their lives to help the evergrowing army of vistims.
We were slightly worried how many guest will come to the opening presentation (Simon gave an extremely engaged introduction combined with a presentation of his other Ukraine and Russia based social photography projects - I knew the stories of people featured in the project before but I was still very moved by his descriptions of their lives full of hardship and his straightforward, very colorfull but very sad at the same time images) but we were pleasantly surprised by the response - all the seats were taken and among these who ventured past the London Bridge were some familiar faces (Hello Damian! Hello Lila!) as well.
The gallery is based in one of the nicest parts of London - Bermondsey, full of quirky boutiques (the dog collars one for example or an exciting shoe shop with United Nude shoes), nice restaurants and cafes with interesting murals (the featured jolly one is by Hannah Warren - have a look at her portfolio here) and The Design Museum is not very far. It would be lovely to have a little pied-a-terre there for future London trips but it has to stay in our dream sphere for now (lovely little flats were still costing a bob or two...): 
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