tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39146704439243377922024-03-17T08:04:45.323+00:00OPEN YOUR MIND Words and images exploring: Albania * India * South Africa * The Balkans * England * and much more... YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-27421651644707692092021-11-27T11:52:00.006+00:002021-11-27T11:53:18.373+00:00A POTTERY AND A PRISON<br /><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>HAMPSTEAD
IN NORTH London is full of interesting nooks and crannies. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU5ZJzEgGscoqPfotRN9UhL12UlF1pxyJ0skHU50ZOjjfVPoEJOzdqBR6Dy6VMqTpYAVWa403vXDZTb10mog4pyUU11ewV9DYY_SXhTfnOUyAI4GfHBCz7FaPhcj7OniSThlJTBZPbzc/s1200/P+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU5ZJzEgGscoqPfotRN9UhL12UlF1pxyJ0skHU50ZOjjfVPoEJOzdqBR6Dy6VMqTpYAVWa403vXDZTb10mog4pyUU11ewV9DYY_SXhTfnOUyAI4GfHBCz7FaPhcj7OniSThlJTBZPbzc/w307-h409/P+1.JPG" width="307" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>At
the west end of Well Walk in Hampstead, near the lower end of Flask Walk, there
is a corner building with a Georgian shop front. It is now a small theatre but was
once the Well Walk Pottery, which occupied this place for many years. The
pottery was started by the potter Christopher Magarshack in 1959. According to
Bohm and Norrie, writing in their “Hampstead: London Hill Town”, published in
1980, Elsie, the widow of the Russian Jewish translator and writer David
Magarshack (1899-1977), lived there. She bought this corner building, which had
formerly been Sidney Spall’s grocery shop in 1957, for Christopher to use as
his pottery. His father, David, left his birthplace Riga, then in Russia in
1918 and later lived above the shop. Elsie died in 1999, aged 100. In addition
to selling pottery there, the pottery also held classes for ceramicists, some
of whom now have good reputations. David’s daughter Stella, a fine artist, was
the Head Art Teacher at King Alfred’s, a ‘progressive’ school situated between
Hampstead and Golders Green. In 2016, aged 87, she was brutally attacked in the
street close to her home. Now, the premises is to be home to a theatrical
enterprise, The Wells Theatre. Its present owners have decorated one of its
windows has been decorated with a pictorial history of the premises.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r6K-3qBYPDrzOdoQZu9QoJSJIa8b6A74sNTdioPHPAZ1BCb1oX6bcPNfzlievMskqVAFRYb4FOZYyUjVm967S5nfom-RzuQgLOnwjmS91uqpOytm2O3J52gsYFxTHTcsGCurUfH6NPA/s1200/P+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r6K-3qBYPDrzOdoQZu9QoJSJIa8b6A74sNTdioPHPAZ1BCb1oX6bcPNfzlievMskqVAFRYb4FOZYyUjVm967S5nfom-RzuQgLOnwjmS91uqpOytm2O3J52gsYFxTHTcsGCurUfH6NPA/w315-h420/P+3.JPG" width="315" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Before
returning uphill along Flask Walk towards the pub, you will pass a pair of
doors covered in metal studs arranged neatly in geometric patterns. According
to an article in the January 2018 issue of “Heath and Hampstead Society
Newsletter”, this pair of studded doors:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“…is
supposed to have come from Newgate Prison,”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
prison closed in 1902.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsc2xbiva_Vhs3kdmebzGcHiQ9MnQSI6ZS4lArCP2IRMe_7NG6reFIGl3wXLsp-adDB_GHnVB4M7O69feK028MNSvZE5xsMpzSAX_s2HvgsbkucsUwrOI8x9cnKeuh6XuR-0HpM76k3E/s1400/P+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsc2xbiva_Vhs3kdmebzGcHiQ9MnQSI6ZS4lArCP2IRMe_7NG6reFIGl3wXLsp-adDB_GHnVB4M7O69feK028MNSvZE5xsMpzSAX_s2HvgsbkucsUwrOI8x9cnKeuh6XuR-0HpM76k3E/w396-h297/P+2.JPG" width="396" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Hampstead, London NW3, UK51.5556461 -0.176174923.245412263821152 -35.3324249 79.865879936178843 34.9800751tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-4749533035190936892021-11-25T17:37:00.010+00:002021-11-25T17:53:31.857+00:00THEY LIVED IN NORTH LONDON BEFORE FOUNDING NEW NATIONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXydhnCQmSbfk6LeT_eVAktxjXFcaByUnNg7OHkWnglCQ5nJi3Ld9uDjidd5p2kMA-kZhLjssREAHbfkoo2rcS4fLmKinr-ilbIVTcs49z-gniqI3aIVanxV5B6sjE2hOIfSYHbNHp78/s991/MAS+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="991" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXydhnCQmSbfk6LeT_eVAktxjXFcaByUnNg7OHkWnglCQ5nJi3Ld9uDjidd5p2kMA-kZhLjssREAHbfkoo2rcS4fLmKinr-ilbIVTcs49z-gniqI3aIVanxV5B6sjE2hOIfSYHbNHp78/w395-h301/MAS+5.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>PLATTS
LANE WINDS its way between London’s Finchley Road and West Heath Road in
Hampstead. It follows the route of a track between Hampstead Heath and West End
(now West Hampstead). This track was already in existence by the mid-18<sup>th</sup>
century. According to a historian of Hampstead, Christopher Wade, the
thoroughfare was first called Duval’s Lane to commemorate a 17<sup>th</sup>
century French highwayman. Louis (alias Lodewick alias Claude) Duval (alias
Brown) who was, according to another historian, Thomas Barratt, famed for being
gallant towards his victims, many of whom he robbed on Hampstead Heath. Barratt
related:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“<i>It
used to be told that, after stopping a coach and robbing the passengers at the
point of the pistol on the top of the Hill, he would, having bound the
gentlemen of the party, invite the ladies to a minuet on the greensward in the
moonlight.</i>” <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Duval
was hung at Tyburn soon after 1669.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Over
time this track’s name became corrupted to Devil’s Lane. A pious local resident,
Thomas Pell Platt (1798-1852), probably put an end to that name after he had
built his home, Childs Hill House, nearby in about 1840.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Platt
graduated at Trinity College in Cambridge in 1820 and became a Major Fellow of
his college in 1823. While at Cambridge, he became associated with the British
and Foreign Bible Society and was its librarian for a few years. He was also an
early member of The Royal Asiatic Society (founded 1823) as well as a member of
The Society of Antiquaries of London. In 1823, he prepared a catalogue of the
Ethiopian manuscripts in a library in Paris. In addition, he did much work with
biblical manuscripts written in the Amharic and Syriac languages. Apart from
being a scholar, he was an intensely religious man. He died not in Hampstead
but in Dulwich. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Platt
lived near the lane named after him for quite a few years. The same cannot be
said for a later resident of Platts Lane, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937),
who was born in Moravia (now a part of the Czech Republic). Masaryk added the
name Garrigue to his own when he married the American born Charlotte Garrigue (1850-1923)
in 1878. A politician serving in the Young Czech Party between 1891 and 1893,
he founded the Czech Realist Party in 1900. At the outbreak of WW1, he decided
that it would best if the Czechs and Slovaks campaigned for independence from
the Austro-Hungarian empire. He went into exile in December 1914, staying in
various places before settling in London, where he became one of the first staff
members of London University’s School of Slavonic and East European Studies,
then later a professor of Slavic Research at Kings College London.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulgdLK4i1xxL8UNlHrUKxdajw-42DgCetB9wjZ6mg-DRyjnR3q5qpQNc-xM0dnk5x58dRQ7PJ6GikJyrr_6W_3EPupzOA3tNZovdK5bVzA5YLBqR8NF9unKK4LYUAOF9ayyAB6W03k90/s1000/MAS+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulgdLK4i1xxL8UNlHrUKxdajw-42DgCetB9wjZ6mg-DRyjnR3q5qpQNc-xM0dnk5x58dRQ7PJ6GikJyrr_6W_3EPupzOA3tNZovdK5bVzA5YLBqR8NF9unKK4LYUAOF9ayyAB6W03k90/w415-h277/MAS+2.JPG" width="415" /></a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfar19S7QzfMYZiNBaPs33UYm_38XWdr2vquNxe9YyS7AdFRuD-2OSrBe6ySDZZQVus390jzZpbnhXEcO93_vK5mXusgXuMusEx_RhugtFp7WrS9rxq5Sk7DWlffqIcBamzbdQH15OjY/s1200/MAS+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="937" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfar19S7QzfMYZiNBaPs33UYm_38XWdr2vquNxe9YyS7AdFRuD-2OSrBe6ySDZZQVus390jzZpbnhXEcO93_vK5mXusgXuMusEx_RhugtFp7WrS9rxq5Sk7DWlffqIcBamzbdQH15OjY/w358-h458/MAS+1.JPG" width="358" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
London, Masaryk first lived in a boarding house at number 4 Holford Road in
Hampstead (<a href="http://tg-masaryk.cz/mapa/index.jsp?id=285&misto=Pobyt-T.-G.-Masaryka-1915-1916"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">http://tg-masaryk.cz/mapa/index.jsp?id=285&misto=Pobyt-T.-G.-Masaryka-1915-1916</span></a>).
In June 1916, he moved from there to number 21 Platts Lane, which was near to
the former Westfield College where his daughter Olga was studying. The house, the
whole of which he rented, became a meeting place for the Czechoslovak
resistance movement in England. Masaryk stayed in Platts Lane until he departed
for Russia in May 1917. It is possible that he returned there briefly when he
made a visit to London in late 1918. On the 14<sup>th</sup> of September 1950,
the Czechoslovak community affixed a metal plaque to the three-storey brick
house on Platts Lane, which was built in the late 1880s. It reads:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“Here
lived and worked during 1914-1918 war TG Masaryk president liberator of
Czechoslovakia. Erected by Czechoslovak colony 14.9.1950”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Actually,
Masaryk only used the house between 1916 and 1917. The year that the plaque was
placed was a century after Masaryk’s birth year. The day chosen, the 14<sup>th</sup>
of September, was that on which he died in 1937.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Not
too far away from Masaryk’s Hampstead home, there is a place on West End Lane
that used to be called The Czechoslovak Club before it became the Czechoslovak
Restaurant and currently Bohemia House. Here you can see a portrait of Masaryk
and enjoy yourself sampling Czech beers and food. The establishment is within
the Czechoslovak National House, which was founded as a club in 1946.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
houses where Czechoslovakia’s freedom fighter lived in London still stand in Hampstead.
However, that is no longer the case for another freedom fighter and founder of
a new nation, who lived near Platts lane on West Heath Road, the wealthy barrister
and founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948). In the 1930s, Jinnah
practised law in London. One of his biographers, Hector Bolitho (1897-1975)
wrote (in 1954):<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“<i>One
day in June 1931, when Jinnah was walking in Hampstead, he paused before West
Heath House, in West Heath Road. It was a three-storied villa, built in the
confused style of the 1880s, with many rooms and gables, and a tall tower which
gave a splendid view over the surrounding country. There was a lodge, a drive,
and eight acres of garden and pasture, leading down to Childs Hill. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><i>All
are gone now, and twelve smaller, modern houses occupy the once-pretty
Victorian pleasance. Nearby lives Lady Graham Wood, from whom Jinnah bought the
house; and she remembers him, on the day when he first called, as “most
charming, a great gentleman, most courteous…<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><i>…
In September 1931 Jinnah took possession of West Heath House, and he assumed
the pattérn of life that suited him. In place of Bombay, with the angers of his
inheritance for ever pressing upon him, he was able to enjoy the precise,
ordained habits of a London house. He breakfasted punctually and, at nine
o'clock, Bradbury was at the door with the car, to drive him to his chambers in
King's Bench Walk. There he built up his new career, with less fire of words, and
calmer address, than during the early days in Bombay</i>.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>It
was at West Heath House that Jinnah entertained Liaquat Ali Khan (1895-1951),
another of Pakistan’s founding fathers and its first Prime Minister, who had
arrived from India. Bolitho wrote:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“<i>A
great part of the fortunes of Pakistan were decided оn the day, in July 1933,
when Liaquat Ali Khan crossed Hampstead Heath, to talk to his exiled leader.</i>”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Bolitho
recorded that Liaquat’s wife recalled the occasion:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“<i>Jinnah
suddenly said, ‘Well, come to dinner on Friday.’ Sо we drove to Hampstead. Іt
was a lovely evening. And his big house, with trees—apple trees, I seem to
remember. And Miss Jinnah, attending to all his comforts. I felt that nothing
could move him out of that security. After dinner, Liaquat repeated his plea,
that the Muslims wanted Jinnah and needed him</i>.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>At
the end of the evening, Jinnah said to Liaquat:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“’<i>You
go back and survey the situation; test the feelings of all parts of the
country. I trust your judgment. If you say “Come back,” I'll give up my life
here and return.’</i>”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Jinnah
returned to India in 1934, and Pakistan was created in August 1947. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKHPXzVg-ci-pH2pSESfn0qCAM7LOKQvH0-w2v-AV7wWZn88gu9pvts_J6aik6b7KC-Bhbo-am6eekbZ_KgM4FxDEWuHDKSIz0cgJV0S862-dW3fQz1AEYCnArAcPByFrgYlMuw3CGJc/s996/MAS+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="996" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKHPXzVg-ci-pH2pSESfn0qCAM7LOKQvH0-w2v-AV7wWZn88gu9pvts_J6aik6b7KC-Bhbo-am6eekbZ_KgM4FxDEWuHDKSIz0cgJV0S862-dW3fQz1AEYCnArAcPByFrgYlMuw3CGJc/w496-h288/MAS+4.jpg" width="496" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Judging
by Bolitho’s description, Jinnah’s Hampstead house could not have been very far
from the house which Masaryk rented in Platts Lane, which, like Jinnah’s garden,
is close to, or more accurately on, Childs Hill. I have found Jinnah’s house
marked on a map surveyed in the 1890s. It was located on the west side of the
northern part of West Heath Road, about 430 yards north of Masaryk’s residence
on Platts Lane.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>It
might come as much of a surprise as it was to me to learn that the founders of
two countries, each of which was founded soon after the ending of World Wars, both
lived in Hampstead for brief periods in their lives.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Hampstead, London NW3, UK51.5556461 -0.176174923.245412263821152 -35.3324249 79.865879936178843 34.9800751tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-55052274358365095722021-11-24T18:49:00.002+00:002021-11-24T18:49:36.382+00:00BLACK ABOLITIONISTS IN A WESTMINSTER CHURCH<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>WESTMINSTER
ABBEY IS costly for tourists to enter. Currently (November 2021) the entrance
ticket ranges in price from £10 for a child to £24 for a full-price adult
ticket. Without doubt, the Abbey is well worth a visit, but if you do not feel
like spending so much money, its neighbour, the St Margaret’s Church is also
full of interest but charges no entry fee. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9fO9KTBFJi_BvkjoUzLHyMkjbBRUCJd4_t4nT9fjR30kBklBF6Z9p1kSN8Pf8s0roYpLbP6Hrw2FpIBUUYgaflYmXNT-82B1STpm2XZcBlfmgHRVcDzmXWHlljCrzGFOMNypSploFNE/s1200/SM+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1004" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9fO9KTBFJi_BvkjoUzLHyMkjbBRUCJd4_t4nT9fjR30kBklBF6Z9p1kSN8Pf8s0roYpLbP6Hrw2FpIBUUYgaflYmXNT-82B1STpm2XZcBlfmgHRVcDzmXWHlljCrzGFOMNypSploFNE/w341-h407/SM+12.JPG" width="341" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Because
the present Abbey was once the church attached to a monastery, St Margaret’s
was built in the 11<sup>th</sup> and 12<sup>th</sup> centuries to provide a
place of worship for the (non-ecclesiastical) residents of Westminster. When
the residential population of the area declined, it became what it is now, the
parish church for The House of Commons. The first church on the site was built
in the Romanesque style, but when this deteriorated in the 14<sup>th</sup>
century, it was replaced by the present structure built in the Perpendicular
(gothic) style. Since then, like many old churches it has undergone various
modifications over the centuries.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkWaZ1-F6DCFiY_VhLrZTa1a4BHjPS29n0pJGuhQ3oTib-n-92kLqqPXH3QXPPpZ-8T21Ba7hRC1n2HRgMhpGL6QY5ZMevJ1aWimBgWWogIu3xCNICz5tkMSQySSzOH6ggV2zZBH7hLM/s1500/SM+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkWaZ1-F6DCFiY_VhLrZTa1a4BHjPS29n0pJGuhQ3oTib-n-92kLqqPXH3QXPPpZ-8T21Ba7hRC1n2HRgMhpGL6QY5ZMevJ1aWimBgWWogIu3xCNICz5tkMSQySSzOH6ggV2zZBH7hLM/w471-h353/SM+8.JPG" width="471" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Amongst
the many fascinating things within the church, which are described in an
excellent booklet by Tony Willoughby and James Wilkinson, several things
particularly attracted my attention. First of all, several of the windows in
the south wall of the church contain superb modern stained glass designed by
the painter John Piper (1903-1992) and created by Patrick Reyntiens (1925-2021).
The were installed in 1966 to replace Victorian windows that were destroyed
during WW2. Piper’s windows alone are a good reason to visit the church.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Hjwkx23przugLIr9Ok6cUJYU6zJ2ZF-y3vWwdmTxq0IKraUf2tztVk_86Eg6fpSNQSaZjMtEsYDidw_zv3D8Kntf8_vj6OSJonTnkvXD0s128UNxBlOFQ2KSQiJt27ShrbhKpe7zkzI/s1100/SM+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1001" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Hjwkx23przugLIr9Ok6cUJYU6zJ2ZF-y3vWwdmTxq0IKraUf2tztVk_86Eg6fpSNQSaZjMtEsYDidw_zv3D8Kntf8_vj6OSJonTnkvXD0s128UNxBlOFQ2KSQiJt27ShrbhKpe7zkzI/w347-h381/SM+2.JPG" width="347" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Another
thing that caught my eye is a pair of doors on the north side of the church.
These are covered with red leather, each one embossed in gold with a portcullis,
surmounted by a crown, the symbol of Parliament. Some of the prayer kneelers
are also decorated with this symbol.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4JFmCl5BhRvVPD9QbIioan8aELWfZX9fZqrl1L9Y6dGZ368WrptJY4Sb_f2RIORag4NPYCTGO8rF4L2JbJ0nRTeiaJvSnZgF5oL96sIYcGlbcTXc8Mh4PGhkKsUgjMvda4EgUzKg1u0/s1500/SM+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1500" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4JFmCl5BhRvVPD9QbIioan8aELWfZX9fZqrl1L9Y6dGZ368WrptJY4Sb_f2RIORag4NPYCTGO8rF4L2JbJ0nRTeiaJvSnZgF5oL96sIYcGlbcTXc8Mh4PGhkKsUgjMvda4EgUzKg1u0/w438-h321/SM+5.JPG" width="438" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Amongst
the many tombs and funerary memorials within the church, there is one to the
artist Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677). Born in Prague, he left the city when the
Emperor Ferdinand the Second ordered Bohemian nobility to convert to Roman
Catholicism or leave the country. A highly prolific and much-admired artist,
creator of many works including detailed views of London, he died a poor man in
Westminster. His monument is on the north wall.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiM6HHxqgvWNmVSSrxD7hdLdkcCG1emPzUQzT_zcqmX_WHvHGF2nYpV6lywfXnWLMr1LLD6wckXWnp0Qxn6eD5Yhezt4GFh2zrUuTawmLQUGhZpkkTS1U5fz29Mu926_OjftTQC2nlq0/s1200/SM+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1200" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiM6HHxqgvWNmVSSrxD7hdLdkcCG1emPzUQzT_zcqmX_WHvHGF2nYpV6lywfXnWLMr1LLD6wckXWnp0Qxn6eD5Yhezt4GFh2zrUuTawmLQUGhZpkkTS1U5fz29Mu926_OjftTQC2nlq0/w409-h263/SM+9.JPG" width="409" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Amongst
the many memorials on the south wall there is an oval plaque commemorating the
fact that in 1759, Olaudo Equiano (aka Gustavus Vassa) was baptised in the
church when he was a slave owned by a sea captain, Michael Henry Pascal. Equiano
(c1745-1797) was a black African slave, who gained (purchased) his freedom in 1766.
After numerous adventures, which he related in his autobiographical work “The
Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”, published in 1789 in
London, he became active in the nascent movement to abolish the slave trade. In
addition to his book, he wrote a great number of pamphlets and letters to the
press. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Whereas
I was able to spot the plaque for Equiano with no difficulty, I was unable to
see the grave of another abolitionist, also a former slave, Ignatius Sancho (c1729-1780),
who was born on a slave ship and is buried in the churchyard of St Margaret. He
married a West Indian woman, Anne Osborne, in St Margaret’s, ran a grocery shop
in Westminster, acted, composed music, and wrote against slavery using the
pseudonym “Africanus”. He was the first black Briton to vote in a parliamentary
election. He cast his vote both in 1774 and 1780.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojuNjD9XptN7EgUbnDOX4yaC_RJLCjsrWoOBMqXJpcn5kVx5r-jmr_iWlarzP8zICc0dzVCRWkZS87n0Kd4jJvY1NlQ-hu4rAEvvHPmobQGest-9szdE3h380n0X7owU4_x5-vZdR2bw/s1500/SM+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojuNjD9XptN7EgUbnDOX4yaC_RJLCjsrWoOBMqXJpcn5kVx5r-jmr_iWlarzP8zICc0dzVCRWkZS87n0Kd4jJvY1NlQ-hu4rAEvvHPmobQGest-9szdE3h380n0X7owU4_x5-vZdR2bw/w330-h440/SM+7.JPG" width="330" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
addition to these two black abolitionists, the church contains memorials to two
men who tried to alleviate the suffering of slaves in the Americas, Richard
Burn (c1744-1822) and Thomas Southerne (1660-1746). The latter was one of the
first writers in English to denounce slavery.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVkksPvPh4ZLB5MgYg_4PPZLlz0c57LR2D-okAXawc3bzG-GXMGWN0Yvi759OnmZNh-_FMR7NG36lBMZYEtw779GIlCS-YHo4Bkm7o88IAUxWYGgSvB0Hm66qx2YiKC8zqKVO7m8J0ic/s1500/SM+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVkksPvPh4ZLB5MgYg_4PPZLlz0c57LR2D-okAXawc3bzG-GXMGWN0Yvi759OnmZNh-_FMR7NG36lBMZYEtw779GIlCS-YHo4Bkm7o88IAUxWYGgSvB0Hm66qx2YiKC8zqKVO7m8J0ic/w429-h322/SM+6.JPG" width="429" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>I
hope that what I have written above will help to distract you from the idea of
visiting only Westminster Abbey and to encourage you to make plenty of time to
explore St Margaret’s. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Westminster, London SW1, UK51.4974948 -0.135658324.873431147613029 -35.2919083 78.121558452386964 35.0205917tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-19490196760690064932021-11-22T18:05:00.008+00:002021-11-22T18:06:20.113+00:00ON THE WAGON NO LONGER<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><span style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKf7z5fxzUBG4dp0RrXzNuU_L0mEKiSRPy-x5UzYWE9dzvWMPnV_NrM0qHBXUnG5Y-J8stzvDamuHSBt_AMyrheEBHLrV9H4XmHjnKKtga-2d1AIoX3hpAD474YljvxrSzubPoRmjG8s/s1800/CH+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1800" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKf7z5fxzUBG4dp0RrXzNuU_L0mEKiSRPy-x5UzYWE9dzvWMPnV_NrM0qHBXUnG5Y-J8stzvDamuHSBt_AMyrheEBHLrV9H4XmHjnKKtga-2d1AIoX3hpAD474YljvxrSzubPoRmjG8s/w419-h314/CH+1.JPG" width="419" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>IN
THE CENTRE of Warwick, there is a building with superb examples of Victorian
decorative terracotta work. High on its façade, in terracotta lettering are the
words “coffee” and “tavern” because this edifice began its life as a coffee
house back in 1880. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Designed
by a Warwick architect Frederick Holyoake Moore (1848-1924), it was constructed
for a local manufacturer and philanthropist Thomas Bellamy Dale (1808-1890). He
was mayor of Warwick three times and:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“…was
a philanthropist in every sense of the word, for his name was connected with
the principal benevolent institutions of England, of which he was a generous
supporter; as a public man he took a very active part in the sanitary
improvements of the borough of Warwick, and in the adoption of the Free Library
Act. He was a generous supporter of every useful institution in the town, and,
though exceedingly charitable, was most unostentatious in all his benefactions.”
(<a href="http://www.mirrormist.com/t_b_dale.htm"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">www.mirrormist.com/t_b_dale.htm</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIRbecBmNhpygt_hfUDXaUbs1wWAK2WyQJloXJfrxklDmCQc5nTXtgG2z7Xa7URn8pgTQ1LhKP4dC9Xft9fbKHN0EWCOUVR2kTbGH9QFLQgFg93gB2Uc4uw1-qvu21pKy1K_dKGZB_9Q/s1200/CH+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIRbecBmNhpygt_hfUDXaUbs1wWAK2WyQJloXJfrxklDmCQc5nTXtgG2z7Xa7URn8pgTQ1LhKP4dC9Xft9fbKHN0EWCOUVR2kTbGH9QFLQgFg93gB2Uc4uw1-qvu21pKy1K_dKGZB_9Q/w301-h401/CH+3.JPG" width="301" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
the 19<sup>th</sup> century, alcohol consumption was considered to be responsible
for the ill-health of poor people and detrimental to their general well-being. Dale
built his coffee tavern and hotel to offer an alternative to alcohol and pubs.
His establishment had:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“…a
bar and coffee room on the ground floor with service rooms at the rear; a
bagatelle room, smoke room and committee and club room on the first floor, and
rooms for hotel guests on the second floor.” (<a href="http://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/coffee-tavern-warwick"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/coffee-tavern-warwick</span></a>).
<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
place was designed to keep people away from alcohol, “on the wagon”.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXtT7sH9q_uOKO2BaeIBQ-UBdkBRoUPSFI4CzlzKmAKeNObD7T2PLE1qYNV7XrHYtfSBI5hwbUrhoxhi_UmA_Qjz75pxvqUXf7ajJ3tohxgrivDHgIo3fDPKC2AWR_njUBMuGQqxma9w/s1500/CH+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1500" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXtT7sH9q_uOKO2BaeIBQ-UBdkBRoUPSFI4CzlzKmAKeNObD7T2PLE1qYNV7XrHYtfSBI5hwbUrhoxhi_UmA_Qjz75pxvqUXf7ajJ3tohxgrivDHgIo3fDPKC2AWR_njUBMuGQqxma9w/w439-h251/CH+2.JPG" width="439" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Now,
all has changed. Today, the building still offers refreshments and hotel rooms,
but does something that the late Mr Dale, who encouraged people to become
teetotal, would not approve. Customers at what is now named “The Old Coffee
Tavern” can now enjoy not only coffee but also a full range of alcoholic drinks.
He might be pleased if he knew that when we visited its pleasant lounge
decorated with colourful tiled panels, we chose to sip coffee rather than drinks
containing an ingredient that did not meet with his approval. </b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Warwick, UK52.282315999999987 -1.58492724.126231071893887 -36.741177 80.438400928106091 33.571323tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-20975110518575624632021-11-22T13:48:00.004+00:002021-11-22T16:50:23.696+00:00Indecision<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2NNZKZszerRTwYtezLk-wuTaT0gmcy06G83ECVZRoTRLyxSOQ5WP15bPb9CqzGF5I_-Z1HdlROhg3An9lX66yxYTdnogzp081mt5xfXK_9FuPW5m_icqWBSMmkgJs4KTLoL1j9IBUyE/s3258/a+fence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="3258" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2NNZKZszerRTwYtezLk-wuTaT0gmcy06G83ECVZRoTRLyxSOQ5WP15bPb9CqzGF5I_-Z1HdlROhg3An9lX66yxYTdnogzp081mt5xfXK_9FuPW5m_icqWBSMmkgJs4KTLoL1j9IBUyE/w556-h165/a+fence.JPG" width="556" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;">Birds at Bushy Park near Hampton Court</span></i></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Feeling uncertain</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Cannot decide at all</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>We're sitting on the fence</b></span></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-46858406739204704602021-11-21T17:45:00.002+00:002021-11-21T17:45:34.900+00:00PILING IT ON ALONG THE CANAL<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>NEEDING
BREAKFAST ON our way from Warwick to visit Baddesley Clinton House, we chose to
stop at the Hatton Locks Café, which we had noticed on our road map. </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4Gd6Nz0GTNI3JNiPqR8s0pL-IxUZU3-4QU98MPXSxb99zP3FQdB1bdoXqzTt_-fZtigiMgs0NeYCYLWBjw-1qZNWPRv0nxYvrWoGHKNJEBU0i-8aNpaEjn44ka_K42pwInEBiKSeSBM/s1800/HL+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1350" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4Gd6Nz0GTNI3JNiPqR8s0pL-IxUZU3-4QU98MPXSxb99zP3FQdB1bdoXqzTt_-fZtigiMgs0NeYCYLWBjw-1qZNWPRv0nxYvrWoGHKNJEBU0i-8aNpaEjn44ka_K42pwInEBiKSeSBM/w321-h428/HL+2.JPG" width="321" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>What we
did not know is that the café is located next to the uppermost of a flight (or
series) of 21 canal locks. The locks are situated on a stretch of the Grand
Union Canal that was, when it opened in 1799, the Warwick and Birmingham Canal,
which was built to carry locally mined coal for use in power stations and nearby
factories (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-history/history-features-and-articles/the-history-of-hatton-locks).
It became an important transportation link between London and The Midlands.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxOCvgCkei2Zv89dDPUZ5Vi1-hrQlM3yJZzXgELpsFJVugJkdsgjc7Y9bq1vUfyIpkLrj5ME8kPZLuOIcqojxoNQTeyVi9GPJt7F9XwaZ8QuWnoDBIzhuoJqvbnjyKcjXhyphenhyphen2TEOfA0bc/s1500/HL+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1500" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxOCvgCkei2Zv89dDPUZ5Vi1-hrQlM3yJZzXgELpsFJVugJkdsgjc7Y9bq1vUfyIpkLrj5ME8kPZLuOIcqojxoNQTeyVi9GPJt7F9XwaZ8QuWnoDBIzhuoJqvbnjyKcjXhyphenhyphen2TEOfA0bc/w378-h272/HL+3.JPG" width="378" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Old timber piles now used as furniture</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 21 locks are spread along an almost 2 mile
stretch of the canal and the towpath along this section of the waterway is
popular with cyclists, walkers, and their dogs. Some of the locks are narrow.
They were built when the canal was first constructed. Other locks on the flight
are far wider. They were built in 1932 and allow two craft to use the lock
simultaneously. The newer locks were built at a time when the canal system
began to have to compete with motorised road and rail transport. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DNOigslpj40JmiDV7Wd2xxlHhyphenhyphennDi2vs5XDdj45Klv_LjT_FvlxTrGfyj8_UdaQvqrAugMDGF5XtT1PAB5cEcSKBEJu4GVn7f2cV6FEdcWR-SPg6dyxyCI-9v-Cw_JPUmYJriNA_iJA/s1500/HL+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1500" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DNOigslpj40JmiDV7Wd2xxlHhyphenhyphennDi2vs5XDdj45Klv_LjT_FvlxTrGfyj8_UdaQvqrAugMDGF5XtT1PAB5cEcSKBEJu4GVn7f2cV6FEdcWR-SPg6dyxyCI-9v-Cw_JPUmYJriNA_iJA/w382-h271/HL+11.JPG" width="382" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wE4Gh5LfDl16cGNVVhEYcpEVmKavbyqPNOtJAa7VZyYW1-SxhwBo-oCzvFqRgEE9hvUZI-7FWvDBDXJFVxtcI1qvklcXddEXZOfarH7smkB3Ic1JRfg2ReZQhNyPalKF34RyelMmvSU/s1500/HL+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wE4Gh5LfDl16cGNVVhEYcpEVmKavbyqPNOtJAa7VZyYW1-SxhwBo-oCzvFqRgEE9hvUZI-7FWvDBDXJFVxtcI1qvklcXddEXZOfarH7smkB3Ic1JRfg2ReZQhNyPalKF34RyelMmvSU/s320/HL+10.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib56RPW1oS3I4udJpMbKd4hG_AcS3m7zbsZl9EZ3c0FXKRgRexzDC-7BP5lwWbjPAahEW35WkzKbglHeuoOSoSBClXlJICL2Gl_RIV9d7moKlwQa39KWsEXFUqHna3AZNUm8yjO2KXXuY/s1200/HL+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="999" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib56RPW1oS3I4udJpMbKd4hG_AcS3m7zbsZl9EZ3c0FXKRgRexzDC-7BP5lwWbjPAahEW35WkzKbglHeuoOSoSBClXlJICL2Gl_RIV9d7moKlwQa39KWsEXFUqHna3AZNUm8yjO2KXXuY/w340-h409/HL+7.JPG" width="340" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-N3xsOhvGsAWeqhQokuILHpZaTK67hDrorDn3J_c6MM_1IvusMds5u2CnIXfrX8LY-TIWlhkFdQoi3nC0n-8N_IK73_5lD5saadG-GMnbiPc8QzDoCl_4hgdB6oG-_3gDHBsqRppAzQ/s1000/HL+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-N3xsOhvGsAWeqhQokuILHpZaTK67hDrorDn3J_c6MM_1IvusMds5u2CnIXfrX8LY-TIWlhkFdQoi3nC0n-8N_IK73_5lD5saadG-GMnbiPc8QzDoCl_4hgdB6oG-_3gDHBsqRppAzQ/w375-h281/HL+6.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
café is about 310 yards northwest of a small car park and is reached by walking
along the towpath. Near the café, there are some unusual looking tables and
benches made of old timber. Most of the timber pieces are planks with a short semi-circular
projection at one end. These wooden piles used to be driven into the floor of
the canal between parallel wooden blocks that held them straight upright
against the walls of the waterway. Their purpose was to prevent the banks of
the canal from being eroded by the water flowing past them. Nowadays, they have
been replaced by coir matting that serves the same purpose because it is
considered to be more eco-friendly that timber. The wooden piles were driven
into place by a mechanised hammer system aboard a motorised boat that plied
along the canal. One of these boats, now disused, has been preserved near the
café. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02Cq_Ec55JbuVyeNbS6PU5nX8afpn8x474FPE4qzVE1Wbuwp_qM2DHtX6LZcgsTYFdy59kIxdxcLmzQxW0UMgn5iuLBgeZYPw0BObl1g2-RX9sywjRUMfGk0RQo9n9envz9D6zgxMO3U/s1400/HL+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="988" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02Cq_Ec55JbuVyeNbS6PU5nX8afpn8x474FPE4qzVE1Wbuwp_qM2DHtX6LZcgsTYFdy59kIxdxcLmzQxW0UMgn5iuLBgeZYPw0BObl1g2-RX9sywjRUMfGk0RQo9n9envz9D6zgxMO3U/w292-h413/HL+13.JPG" width="292" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
locks on the Hatton Flight looked different from the many other canal locks we
have seen on our travels around the country. Each lock is flanked by what looks
like a pair of tall, stout candles. These things house the mechanisms that
control the flow of water into the locks and are operated by canal users
equipped with a special handle or windlass that fits onto a projection that is
linked to the gearing that operates the valve. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8vMpjG-5lQ9XcfsNPR23CDzhDkpMHaqOEa9zUC6av9HSVkiwxp7T4biQuTl_LVsKhyphenhyphenCJ4VBkW2MlsdYBE0YRsPp-EyrG3onnWswlYLsqR6A17ONsXv32jnS4ti1oIHIHRKR8wzfUjII/s1500/HL+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1204" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8vMpjG-5lQ9XcfsNPR23CDzhDkpMHaqOEa9zUC6av9HSVkiwxp7T4biQuTl_LVsKhyphenhyphenCJ4VBkW2MlsdYBE0YRsPp-EyrG3onnWswlYLsqR6A17ONsXv32jnS4ti1oIHIHRKR8wzfUjII/w302-h376/HL+5.JPG" width="302" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">The
Hatton Locks Café is a real treat, both visually and gastronomically. Both
inside and outside, it is decorated with a profusion of objects, some
folkloric, some whimsical, and others related to the life and traditions on the
canal. A team of friendly workers produce simple but excellently prepared
English breakfast items as well as very acceptable coffees. So good was our
breakfast that we made a detour to return to this place on the following
morning. Most of the clientele seemed to be locals, many of whom were on
friendly terms with the staff. Although we had only been once before on a busy
morning, the staff remembered exactly what we ate and drank on the day before. When
we are next nearby, we shall certainly visit this wonderful establishment
again. On our next visit, we will join the other walkers and stroll past all
the 21 locks. </b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR6-6IzeZh8M3BUSe2kBqEBmIWQDpI8BP78tEnXar1R11p41psUpopqoWaD07Ej8F5mv8FtPQU5W5RrWhOO2jYlhjRnaWACXwQBA-1vFQvj46KRfRjcTByUfqlBCEqhL-B5wyt9Dkjw8/s1200/HL+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR6-6IzeZh8M3BUSe2kBqEBmIWQDpI8BP78tEnXar1R11p41psUpopqoWaD07Ej8F5mv8FtPQU5W5RrWhOO2jYlhjRnaWACXwQBA-1vFQvj46KRfRjcTByUfqlBCEqhL-B5wyt9Dkjw8/w408-h306/HL+12.JPG" width="408" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jrW1GsLkqanKZycvl_xm0zvLUgBRRI1vBNVEHjE6JygpnBhAYjpoH4oIwnS1X0NFpzLLUGnf24T94-udOB9JTyoZMJTFpFIbTis7opWNYy1nZw2l2FxaIR2sAC45uQP7LaVtQecF_Mg/s1200/HL+14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jrW1GsLkqanKZycvl_xm0zvLUgBRRI1vBNVEHjE6JygpnBhAYjpoH4oIwnS1X0NFpzLLUGnf24T94-udOB9JTyoZMJTFpFIbTis7opWNYy1nZw2l2FxaIR2sAC45uQP7LaVtQecF_Mg/w294-h392/HL+14.JPG" width="294" /></a></div><br /><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Hatton, Warwick CV35 7JL, UK52.2997029 -1.644844923.989469063821154 -36.8010949 80.609936736178838 33.5114051tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-63727956013304818702021-11-20T18:59:00.002+00:002021-11-20T18:59:31.120+00:00LOOK, NO HANDS!<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"></b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHpxr1GxbrTGYc69aKvwIsidkk7hgJ-F8XNCLdMO2oezrer3sXbRtO1Sr080G8aPVch6Hsp26DOA9hL_5h3Jm7DWg0yva8O5YMrKEHUBzEU5jn_A9p5ByMfv03leFZdT05iAFmsr8nd4/s2048/a+bath+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="2048" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHpxr1GxbrTGYc69aKvwIsidkk7hgJ-F8XNCLdMO2oezrer3sXbRtO1Sr080G8aPVch6Hsp26DOA9hL_5h3Jm7DWg0yva8O5YMrKEHUBzEU5jn_A9p5ByMfv03leFZdT05iAFmsr8nd4/w503-h355/a+bath+1.jpg" width="503" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">SPENCER STREET in Royal Leamington Spa has a building with an intriguing façade. It is not so much the brick and stonework on the building that attracted my attention but a stone statue of a woman with a gold-coloured sphere on her head. She is perched above the centre of the façade of the edifice that bears the words “The Bath Assembly Hall” and the date when it was built: 1926.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GpasOtmBfRHzd5B7Fw8xBh3Nl-EOvKVqyPoTZFGsVoLwIqRs5aJv7HWW5FE8p0UXB384NPcqyyQ3z5CxTlTnHojCooOJXoBYkoVJbK13Z8NRQpizE2ejNA32b9c2d92HiKuw6FS6CpQ/s2048/a+bath+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1642" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GpasOtmBfRHzd5B7Fw8xBh3Nl-EOvKVqyPoTZFGsVoLwIqRs5aJv7HWW5FE8p0UXB384NPcqyyQ3z5CxTlTnHojCooOJXoBYkoVJbK13Z8NRQpizE2ejNA32b9c2d92HiKuw6FS6CpQ/w340-h424/a+bath+2.jpg" width="340" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;">Designed
by Horace G Bradley (1877-1961), it was originally a dance hall with shop
premises. It was typical of the type of dance hall that:</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">“…flourished
in the inter-war period of the C20 and survived through to the 1950s and early
1960s. Cultural changes have meant that the great majority have been demolished
or considerably altered when adapted for other purposes. This example, with its
boisterous classical decoration, expressed inside and out, survives in a highly
intact state. Its façade mirrors the decorative style of the interior which has
an integrated and fluid plan.” (<a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1391731">https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1391731</a>).<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">Sadly,
I did not have enough time to try to enter it. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYabcrOI8fiGjOjzfw1H8m2AjsW9SIshYVN0N0bHNxw_ZKmff-YEz9C_1IN8kCBqsbt9TH0Q7zYFIkDHsLpmfas4wbSKAeXapIdy3OFsrrOGdcdqZGNp5xu-bzU2mNa80zz9Q273mkhbQ/s2048/a+bath+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1825" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYabcrOI8fiGjOjzfw1H8m2AjsW9SIshYVN0N0bHNxw_ZKmff-YEz9C_1IN8kCBqsbt9TH0Q7zYFIkDHsLpmfas4wbSKAeXapIdy3OFsrrOGdcdqZGNp5xu-bzU2mNa80zz9Q273mkhbQ/w372-h418/a+bath+3.jpg" width="372" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Look, no hands!</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">The
statue on top of the building represents Terpsichore, one of the nine Greek Muses.
She was the patron of lyric poetry and dancing, so her image was appropriately chosen
to adorn a dance hall. Something that interested me about the statue became
obvious when I used the zoom on my camera. I noticed that although her hands
are close to the sphere on her head, they do not touch it. The gold ball seems
to be attached to her head by a single rod. The scantily dressed Muse is
depicted looking down on the street far below. Maybe, she is thinking “I can
balance the ball on my head, look, no hands.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Royal Leamington Spa, UK52.2851905 -1.520078923.974956663821153 -36.6763289 80.595424336178837 33.6361711tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-51763496230990088942021-11-19T18:18:00.006+00:002021-11-19T18:19:18.939+00:00LEAMINGTON SPA, HEYDRICH. AND TRAGEDY AT LIDICE<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: center; width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a name="_Hlk88236572"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">CLOSE TO WARWICK, there is a town
that reminded me both of Brighton on the south coast of England and Mariánské
Lázně (Marienbad) in the Czech Republic. The grandiose architecture, mostly neo-classical,
of Leamington Spa reminds me of some parts of Brighton and the area around the
town’s spa buildings, both new and old, brought faint recollections of visits I
made long ago to the Czech spa town to my mind. What I did not know when we visited
Leamington Spa was that it does have a not too distant historical relationship
with what was once known as ‘Czechoslovakia’.</b></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5y56ZsNhtOGuR4SYeg2NGZK0kf6QxYvCnfCv_BXKG7C8Ol0v1D3d708vSGGF7T5Wqq9sEe8NoF8iv7eYlgXevIBS8DSn2Eh82wv_8CtgpkP6G5KvFfYbk4eEuOIL54KeZOQXRbxWy9Ac/s1200/LS+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5y56ZsNhtOGuR4SYeg2NGZK0kf6QxYvCnfCv_BXKG7C8Ol0v1D3d708vSGGF7T5Wqq9sEe8NoF8iv7eYlgXevIBS8DSn2Eh82wv_8CtgpkP6G5KvFfYbk4eEuOIL54KeZOQXRbxWy9Ac/w295-h393/LS+3.JPG" width="295" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">The Jephson memorial</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>SS General Reinhard Heydrich (1904-1942)
was one of the main ‘architects’ of the Holocaust and in 1942 he was the acting
Governor of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the area now known as the
Czech Republic. In January 1942, he was Chairman of the Wannsee Conference at
which the terrible fate of the Jewish people was decided. On the 27<sup>th</sup>
of May 1942, Heydrich was shot at while driving through Prague. During this
attack, a hand grenade, thrown into his open top vehicle, exploded. Heydrich
was rushed to hospital but died of his wounds or sepsis resulting from them early
in the morning of the 4<sup>th</sup> of June. His senior, the Chancellor of
Germany, the dictator Adolf Hitler, was furious.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k_3McZvsPFvIirw2pogVtKxKFMCOG93-itDR_DS8xkIzr3-LsoYHJhobqQLE-QXvyM6K_AdYDihhcYMoVUf4CQlSXpTbmKiDyfzBUS0UTHuZt7o46-Lw9ET_ZD0iM80-sJ8QOYjUxGk/s1200/LS+9a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k_3McZvsPFvIirw2pogVtKxKFMCOG93-itDR_DS8xkIzr3-LsoYHJhobqQLE-QXvyM6K_AdYDihhcYMoVUf4CQlSXpTbmKiDyfzBUS0UTHuZt7o46-Lw9ET_ZD0iM80-sJ8QOYjUxGk/w299-h398/LS+9a.JPG" width="299" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">The Czechoslovak monument</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The assassination attack was
carried out by Czechoslovak men who had been trained in England and then
parachuted into Czechoslovakia. The men were volunteers, who were members of
the Free Czechoslovak Forces stationed in the Warwickshire town of Royal
Leamington Spa, where there was a training camp for them. It had been there
since 1940. Seven of the Czechoslovak men flew from England in December 1941 and
parachuted at various paces over their native land. Two of them, Jozef Gabčík (1912-1942)
and Jan Kubiš (1913-1942), carried out the attack in Prague that led to the
ending of Heydrich’s life. These two men and the others dropped over
Czechoslovakia sacrificed their lives in the struggle to free their country
from Nazi tyranny.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLk037cdz_5QgTeISQ0qkdpsiAsAwU5t6lCDLjEW6Z5dp9Taxja4x7EfcMH9HXvhj9cx0eFymUAfXSuuTYIIh7OIRcvywy0P4HQoEqoJf3PyCNjjUmkUAQScF7lIo6wFbmcYMq88jcnM/s1400/LS+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1047" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLk037cdz_5QgTeISQ0qkdpsiAsAwU5t6lCDLjEW6Z5dp9Taxja4x7EfcMH9HXvhj9cx0eFymUAfXSuuTYIIh7OIRcvywy0P4HQoEqoJf3PyCNjjUmkUAQScF7lIo6wFbmcYMq88jcnM/w323-h432/LS+7.JPG" width="323" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">The7 Czechs who were parachuted in 1941</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In November 2021, we paid a brief
visit to Leamington Spa. Amongst its attractions is the pleasant Jephson
Gardens, which are close to the spa establishments after which the town gets
its name. The Park is named after the physician and philanthropist Henry Jephson
(1798-1878), who promoted the superior healing powers of the town’s spring
water. An attractive circular neo-classical temple containing a statue of
Jephson was erected in his honour in 1849. This stands atop a small mound. Close
to it there is another monument, also circular.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqUlrB_IGW_8R9eI8g5_7UtZNYeatqxim-nItrMiIa3Ncipqhm91XEsypYU_IrU1YiQtHggjkP5_gzTCGh02cuOqhLY5IhgaWWCCJJNSQ4EL9uFIo5u0-df0C4TM7uTItn1N9qEUuFSg/s1200/LS+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqUlrB_IGW_8R9eI8g5_7UtZNYeatqxim-nItrMiIa3Ncipqhm91XEsypYU_IrU1YiQtHggjkP5_gzTCGh02cuOqhLY5IhgaWWCCJJNSQ4EL9uFIo5u0-df0C4TM7uTItn1N9qEUuFSg/w293-h390/LS+2.JPG" width="293" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Parachutes with the Czech heros' names</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The other monument was unveiled in
1968, 50 years after the formation of Czechoslovakia out of the ruins of the
failed Austro-Hungarian Empire. The memorial is in the form of a circular fountain.
A bowl is supported by a single pillar on which the heraldic emblem of
Czechoslovakia can be seen in bas-relief. Something, which at first sight
resembles a large mushroom, sprouts upwards from the centre of the bowl. Closer
examination of this reveals that it is a sculpture depicting a cluster of open
parachutes. On each parachute, there is a name of one of the group of
volunteers who parachuted into Czechoslovakia. The monument was designed by
John French. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLvLXO0CE_BywkhqOgONpGt36hn__AQb5WMeEmeliNZUDfK3UwWUrf_eYK2KCfsS8EQIxhik3vw4gmdrFh0cbMQjVTevrxK43l4RYa_Jo5AvKG741wXH2qWb1jBJI1Qoq3fXp3GE9ucM/s1200/LS+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1072" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLvLXO0CE_BywkhqOgONpGt36hn__AQb5WMeEmeliNZUDfK3UwWUrf_eYK2KCfsS8EQIxhik3vw4gmdrFh0cbMQjVTevrxK43l4RYa_Jo5AvKG741wXH2qWb1jBJI1Qoq3fXp3GE9ucM/w358-h401/LS+6.JPG" width="358" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">The Czechoslovak monument</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk88236572;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">According to a noticeboard close to
the Czechoslovak volunteers’ memorial, this small fountain also remembers the thousands
of Czechoslovak citizens, who were murdered by the Nazis in reprisal for
Heydrich’s death. After numerous arrests were made, two Czech villages suspected
of having been involved in the assassination plot, Lidice and Ležáky were
literally wiped off the face of the earth by the Nazis. Their innocent
inhabitants were mostly killed, but some were sent to concentration camps.
These poor people are remembered in Jephson Park, which is such a lovely place
that one would not think that it could possibly be even remotely associated with
the human tragedies that followed the death of a monstrous member of the Nazi
party.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk88236572;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-8k1kTJ5bWhA8hpkK7kh3FedyFgD-KvaQiGITOMwp-nn4uHVK7K4t1Xr8pMVhkFsYboj71advT5kTa6mmJW-kATpbf1TA0ijFIelf-Aby6HS3JPwb_tM7FE3D5gmfNPmonzm3ImCox0/s1500/LS+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1500" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-8k1kTJ5bWhA8hpkK7kh3FedyFgD-KvaQiGITOMwp-nn4uHVK7K4t1Xr8pMVhkFsYboj71advT5kTa6mmJW-kATpbf1TA0ijFIelf-Aby6HS3JPwb_tM7FE3D5gmfNPmonzm3ImCox0/w419-h253/LS+10.JPG" width="419" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><i style="background-color: black;">The former pump rooms at Leamington Spa</i></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Royal Leamington Spa, UK52.2851905 -1.520078923.974956663821153 -36.6763289 80.595424336178837 33.6361711tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-81047414028827420302021-11-17T18:22:00.003+00:002021-11-17T18:22:50.669+00:00BUCKINGHAM BUT NOT THE PALACE<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><font style="color: #330000; font-family: Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; text-decoration: none;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </font><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ivux-cbZsCSs1syRBL0XLDhEFALrSvy7-pY1ikwtZ92UXokHKNuX3Xgh_7ucTJ_P-9cuJHSc4O8l4RgU8M1QyoiFAaIL07gmHgcIPECgd0qGNj7ZjPc8ydXIG5hkdufRXjYGO42fKS0/s1800/BU+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="1800" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ivux-cbZsCSs1syRBL0XLDhEFALrSvy7-pY1ikwtZ92UXokHKNuX3Xgh_7ucTJ_P-9cuJHSc4O8l4RgU8M1QyoiFAaIL07gmHgcIPECgd0qGNj7ZjPc8ydXIG5hkdufRXjYGO42fKS0/s320/BU+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">A
LARGE GOLDEN SWAN with wings outstretched towers over the small town of Buckingham,
once the county town of Buckinghamshire (until the 18</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> century,
when Aylesbury took over this role) and now home to a respected private
university, with whose founding my late father was to some extent involved. The
gold-coloured copper swan surmounts a clock above the roof of an elegant late
18</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> century building on Market Square. Built in about 1783, this is
The Old Town Hall, but not the oldest that the town has known.</span></b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vcX0Bm2HS7_0kn4HF4cYyOBqkAUccKdma3pVaiUVL1YU2EgxXPt66EO9t8BovYhnKAXrQnreC-JX6jVokVHbG4KsAN-gKynqKYfhd8jjqXBn3P9Z0_7JAX1ddbLPSa7tP01V9B_M5uc/s1200/BU+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1200" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vcX0Bm2HS7_0kn4HF4cYyOBqkAUccKdma3pVaiUVL1YU2EgxXPt66EO9t8BovYhnKAXrQnreC-JX6jVokVHbG4KsAN-gKynqKYfhd8jjqXBn3P9Z0_7JAX1ddbLPSa7tP01V9B_M5uc/w393-h276/BU+5.JPG" width="393" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
Old Town Hall was built to replace an even older one constructed in 1685 at the
instigation of a local Member of Parliament, Sir Ralph Verney (1613-1696), during
whose life the Civil War occurred. Initially on the side of the
Parliamentarians, he fell out with them and fled abroad for a few years. After King
Charles II gained the Throne, Verney returned to England where he served his
people and the monarch.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6u3S1Ez_eIMgrgAvkfS-NUY0wTSGzs7_le0gECbXzlh26-LgEd-2YiXPcWShmPG3cy1V1P8jqrhPz8p_T5xmxBAxAtFXSqbYwFAC7cvPokhyphenhyphen_Q676xRc-_vBTEwI6672hICr8LAlKHU/s1200/BU+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1200" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6u3S1Ez_eIMgrgAvkfS-NUY0wTSGzs7_le0gECbXzlh26-LgEd-2YiXPcWShmPG3cy1V1P8jqrhPz8p_T5xmxBAxAtFXSqbYwFAC7cvPokhyphenhyphen_Q676xRc-_vBTEwI6672hICr8LAlKHU/w387-h255/BU+4.JPG" width="387" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
1882, the clock was added above the Old Town Hall and upon this was placed the Swan
of Buckingham, the borough’s crest. The wrought iron canopy over the main
entrance was added early in the 20<sup>th</sup> century. The façade of the Old
Town Hall faces another building, a well-known landmark and tourist attraction
in the town, The Old Gaol, built in 1748 with its façade added in 1839.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnrnfa4g7MBJ3V5VGoKv5sWq2DpGMleYi7utrbO0PylYQsXzMeAUo7sMhSK3wHhePnFWNCNbJsxHjJo226mzA3yKKQ8Sy1Tq-zc_y6LYKhQgf0iDAW887ogF3u9FM5B_I9iZ2aTrEAbE/s1400/BU+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1400" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnrnfa4g7MBJ3V5VGoKv5sWq2DpGMleYi7utrbO0PylYQsXzMeAUo7sMhSK3wHhePnFWNCNbJsxHjJo226mzA3yKKQ8Sy1Tq-zc_y6LYKhQgf0iDAW887ogF3u9FM5B_I9iZ2aTrEAbE/w386-h339/BU+3.JPG" width="386" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Old Gaol</i></span></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
Old Town Hall was used for municipal administration until the 1960s when the
local government headquarters were established elsewhere in the town. Now, the
building is home to a firm of solicitors and the large metal swan high above
their offices provides a nice perch for groups of the town’s pigeons.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA3vusWR1Ku3R_LbeOzyH4jlgORogQ_OExKXCbibhqpCFEL3LTn4LZLBvM3j2yn38DAq8IOkux4VvfCKMtrsvps85BI3uYUm1J6iqGp17Ql9CAULnBHQtOtGgdQK1R1cpvwF_p0bfbMI/s1600/BU+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA3vusWR1Ku3R_LbeOzyH4jlgORogQ_OExKXCbibhqpCFEL3LTn4LZLBvM3j2yn38DAq8IOkux4VvfCKMtrsvps85BI3uYUm1J6iqGp17Ql9CAULnBHQtOtGgdQK1R1cpvwF_p0bfbMI/w396-h384/BU+6.JPG" width="396" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Buckingham MK18, UK51.999326 -0.98764523.689092163821158 -36.143895 80.309559836178849 34.168605tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-82677737726345887212021-11-16T19:11:00.002+00:002021-11-16T19:11:39.649+00:00AUTUMN AT VIRGINIA WATER IN PHOTOGRAPHS<div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlyoZ_W9V477R5_nAzeyTykFf-TaRDKESAiy0JMHDTxLJw9fM5JjT5_yN7B2YeJSk6jB4Smn1YW7TghW5CEO1h1wD3s78_4ouZaDuCWeRy6DHJlo3i5-4J4j-t2YjE2ljAbuxDpt7_tE/s2048/VW+0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlyoZ_W9V477R5_nAzeyTykFf-TaRDKESAiy0JMHDTxLJw9fM5JjT5_yN7B2YeJSk6jB4Smn1YW7TghW5CEO1h1wD3s78_4ouZaDuCWeRy6DHJlo3i5-4J4j-t2YjE2ljAbuxDpt7_tE/w422-h316/VW+0.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>VIRGINIA
WATER LAKE is surrounded by beautifully cultivated parkland. It is located about
7 miles south of Slough and about 22 miles southwest of central London. We
visited it today, the 16<sup>th</sup> of November 2021, to enjoy the many
colours of the autumn foliage, and were not disappointed.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglew9DNln5mUBriGagu0iNZeKkh4hDAWwHfduSqS5V6bAG7oLOFmZlR0YUY01LJbux8pWkcT2cAsJF5djTOJ0Ljw5LfegxVUpXXvprsFJx-KLA-bfa8JEyItbcyzIyrmQUPW67ddJHnBY/s2048/VW+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglew9DNln5mUBriGagu0iNZeKkh4hDAWwHfduSqS5V6bAG7oLOFmZlR0YUY01LJbux8pWkcT2cAsJF5djTOJ0Ljw5LfegxVUpXXvprsFJx-KLA-bfa8JEyItbcyzIyrmQUPW67ddJHnBY/w439-h329/VW+2.jpg" width="439" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tILyUjOfJPaeivss75gl7a8LeuHzB4oYs0OCeolPPHIS7RKjzRGmKIVYPxMVoTBVMpAfYC_guxIV5Wl1G5wserrrsWQFFwshl4oY_rXRhXDibn_iqFMAyJHDQZnw3MZbl5YD_hL6hhw/s2048/VW+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1649" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tILyUjOfJPaeivss75gl7a8LeuHzB4oYs0OCeolPPHIS7RKjzRGmKIVYPxMVoTBVMpAfYC_guxIV5Wl1G5wserrrsWQFFwshl4oY_rXRhXDibn_iqFMAyJHDQZnw3MZbl5YD_hL6hhw/w310-h384/VW+1.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
1746, William Duke of Cumberland (1721-1765), who fought in the Battle of
Culloden and became the Ranger of Windsor Great Park, developed the marshy waste
where today the Virginia Water Lake and its park are located. The painter Paul
Sandby (1731-1809) and his older brother Thomas (1721-1798) designed the lake
and landscaping around it. They drained the swamp and dammed the lowest end of
it as well as diverting local streams to create a lake. The dam collapsed in
1768 and was then rebuilt using stronger materials. At the same time, a
waterfall, which we were unable to see on our visit, was created to carry the
excess water from the lake. Another feature, which we were only able to see
from afar as it was closed for maintenance works, is a set of ruins near the
waterfall. These consist of archaeological fragments brought from Greece and
North Africa. Prior to being brought to Virginia Water by order of King George
IV, they had been stored in the courtyard of the British Museum. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TbH9DffXAX1wg8pL9CMyJBN-W3pIipHuXyszTfqDuHdS2BAmK62uDsCkM7Iao2PcgCvItN7UIxiiBp0goC3S6Fxx9b-OwmcL2b5Kuoh4GHSLmdXHnTQo6EC-uKgs5JI_yhJgxsBRGI4/s2048/VW+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1649" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TbH9DffXAX1wg8pL9CMyJBN-W3pIipHuXyszTfqDuHdS2BAmK62uDsCkM7Iao2PcgCvItN7UIxiiBp0goC3S6Fxx9b-OwmcL2b5Kuoh4GHSLmdXHnTQo6EC-uKgs5JI_yhJgxsBRGI4/w351-h435/VW+3.jpg" width="351" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL1hoPZD_-cueuFArhNNAMU61KdlaHxyEv0dWXKKDsT2yfmcK7j9_AT7MKdtbujETckx3krgFghw0ZJELkQQUExBfO8JVpK5T0r33jjCKnslIHLy6zqI0JZ0IXsTWgduoRuZb2KDkFuc/s2048/VW+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL1hoPZD_-cueuFArhNNAMU61KdlaHxyEv0dWXKKDsT2yfmcK7j9_AT7MKdtbujETckx3krgFghw0ZJELkQQUExBfO8JVpK5T0r33jjCKnslIHLy6zqI0JZ0IXsTWgduoRuZb2KDkFuc/w416-h312/VW+4.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7q14zi0Q5igVAxHWyPYBHvYQtRumfQmTEN1Uz-lUseDuAUUPfIR1A2vHNFXbYs-INO3vjMuKjYu9wECcqa1HvjdjJFgx3jmBKeDRDCY7zfpjx2YgEQdBTrQpFTCiw5by2COkOvtNpcw/s2048/VW+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1836" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7q14zi0Q5igVAxHWyPYBHvYQtRumfQmTEN1Uz-lUseDuAUUPfIR1A2vHNFXbYs-INO3vjMuKjYu9wECcqa1HvjdjJFgx3jmBKeDRDCY7zfpjx2YgEQdBTrQpFTCiw5by2COkOvtNpcw/w370-h412/VW+5.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>While
we wandered around the parkland, it occurred to me that when it was laid out
back in the 18<sup>th</sup> century, its designers would have had to imagine
how the park would look when its trees and shrubs eventually matured. They
would not have been able to see the magnificent grounds as we see them today
but could only dream about what is now a reality, something that they would not
have lived long enough to see. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HK_Ym6gsfq4S1m4S2aDCS0GpywT2CdT0t4jhavwHfZFuVMfwP4G8Yee4IrqWtzLFUo61xkqILiRK3wlu7zR23rfW136n1amnaotJIAx8DRA8uS6OaFZycqYARPHh0JZAnBcM0ze0hjE/s2048/VW+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HK_Ym6gsfq4S1m4S2aDCS0GpywT2CdT0t4jhavwHfZFuVMfwP4G8Yee4IrqWtzLFUo61xkqILiRK3wlu7zR23rfW136n1amnaotJIAx8DRA8uS6OaFZycqYARPHh0JZAnBcM0ze0hjE/w411-h308/VW+10.jpg" width="411" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3D5aux84xTclIN6Ja6rZ4nNLlRRmLGOqr5j0k_kQezC57b2AyFnpJfDHckG-sndohom2sbtIUbLwvYzn6zzV7EfPfL9lHu0tcoPs81spZrg5cYw1_OGwnljonrzRG821cwpJPEA2EMc/s2048/VW+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3D5aux84xTclIN6Ja6rZ4nNLlRRmLGOqr5j0k_kQezC57b2AyFnpJfDHckG-sndohom2sbtIUbLwvYzn6zzV7EfPfL9lHu0tcoPs81spZrg5cYw1_OGwnljonrzRG821cwpJPEA2EMc/w312-h390/VW+9.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9zIXdu9QqfIcF48JqtKvpRU28AWRRWl2yGorKelDm6tOvis1nqqRupVpaYsOhvz5wkLI7LaDRiyCkKg6sotWsLs-WrRX_EYHdrDdzIcBuB9xPUBJ7rGZ-CAfn9_SlUhla8LjkRaiH6U/s2048/VW+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1834" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9zIXdu9QqfIcF48JqtKvpRU28AWRRWl2yGorKelDm6tOvis1nqqRupVpaYsOhvz5wkLI7LaDRiyCkKg6sotWsLs-WrRX_EYHdrDdzIcBuB9xPUBJ7rGZ-CAfn9_SlUhla8LjkRaiH6U/w387-h432/VW+8.jpg" width="387" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkm5nrothISW14ISvUJMa7jIbMQSKqmxrHcQNwzGAeME7hyphenhyphenU64TUYqP_Uc1WzKFyxPq3w8J2l5eLPVxwTX2UfHPohDXplkTAAw_XBKP2e8qd0k19yxjrnnP9MYEOmMcoR80lHuGrVMaY/s2048/VW+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1936" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkm5nrothISW14ISvUJMa7jIbMQSKqmxrHcQNwzGAeME7hyphenhyphenU64TUYqP_Uc1WzKFyxPq3w8J2l5eLPVxwTX2UfHPohDXplkTAAw_XBKP2e8qd0k19yxjrnnP9MYEOmMcoR80lHuGrVMaY/w371-h392/VW+7.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHjqTSM9FXi2DimuiMZqcm34fGAOeMRrSbt-48Vgr6hUgP0beTtfgZvg9Ro6vG8A9bd6oF7R6mAarq8A0NkmJF0JEp0zZomW6h8BonmU5KeC-rkkraS-UJxE_MbLWPtIUEiuA22XytUw/s2048/VW+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHjqTSM9FXi2DimuiMZqcm34fGAOeMRrSbt-48Vgr6hUgP0beTtfgZvg9Ro6vG8A9bd6oF7R6mAarq8A0NkmJF0JEp0zZomW6h8BonmU5KeC-rkkraS-UJxE_MbLWPtIUEiuA22XytUw/w288-h384/VW+6.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>After
an enjoyable walk with our friends from Richmond, who have introduced us to
many places new to us, we ate lunch in the restaurant close to the London Road
car park. The quality of the food available there is a cut above what is
available in many other parks in and around London.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N_G20xPw9H4fC5W7lYgCqdTmA8vkuaEPgD60ysMDXxGkRZO_TYaGURyXoiATCAKeGJ1qOyeSkYzIzWB_QDEctpgCcPxhGrd7K1qejgCZ-UD4w066CaXN2WLwh002Y0mkxPss04ce__0/s2048/VW+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1974" data-original-width="2048" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N_G20xPw9H4fC5W7lYgCqdTmA8vkuaEPgD60ysMDXxGkRZO_TYaGURyXoiATCAKeGJ1qOyeSkYzIzWB_QDEctpgCcPxhGrd7K1qejgCZ-UD4w066CaXN2WLwh002Y0mkxPss04ce__0/w389-h374/VW+14.jpg" width="389" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlkVpoaiRTRmX1OWG_uzcDj5XKiB30a3gbtp7sjbzo7x4_OFdVqOuBsz5555EGnjIVknzfonVeHvD3CbvfQFWydpt1eGyBxLuNA8PyQFNe1jXgsL8Xr4wAuz7-vVNhhzKqQ_UkD5lzpU/s2048/VW+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlkVpoaiRTRmX1OWG_uzcDj5XKiB30a3gbtp7sjbzo7x4_OFdVqOuBsz5555EGnjIVknzfonVeHvD3CbvfQFWydpt1eGyBxLuNA8PyQFNe1jXgsL8Xr4wAuz7-vVNhhzKqQ_UkD5lzpU/w315-h420/VW+13.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoD5lMWv4P72bY4Knk4Yl3MR8VIxnyyFwepuz-ZVC85DIOvVEYu6zHHk524I3PzyWDXgh7cMrJZPgIk-REowoF4xRrHvuhu8WabZZlhQaccdKH7b7ugQPuqQD4ZWPd45wP_LtM54Hy_4/s2048/VW+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1697" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoD5lMWv4P72bY4Knk4Yl3MR8VIxnyyFwepuz-ZVC85DIOvVEYu6zHHk524I3PzyWDXgh7cMrJZPgIk-REowoF4xRrHvuhu8WabZZlhQaccdKH7b7ugQPuqQD4ZWPd45wP_LtM54Hy_4/w340-h411/VW+12.jpg" width="340" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1OjF173t1sZdn2TucKfhkFppGGjBSGjGj7v5VoU5PPECmdnghDcJXc2rAVmRXEDhBEznc9y5h0EHlrW8CCo6tAldc4jidoaVhPD-aNJsTI-6g4Y6nd-Is7JPfd56I2GKCCAcfg1VkJg/s2048/VW+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1534" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1OjF173t1sZdn2TucKfhkFppGGjBSGjGj7v5VoU5PPECmdnghDcJXc2rAVmRXEDhBEznc9y5h0EHlrW8CCo6tAldc4jidoaVhPD-aNJsTI-6g4Y6nd-Is7JPfd56I2GKCCAcfg1VkJg/w294-h392/VW+11.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Virginia Water, UK51.4060025 -0.57860723.953285565825624 -35.734857 78.858719434174375 34.577643tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-29173682546210480752021-11-15T17:16:00.008+00:002021-11-15T17:19:40.417+00:00THE CONNECTICUT CONNECTION AND A LESSER KNOWN CATHEDRAL<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>THE
CITY OF CHELMSFORD is the county town of the English county of Essex. </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMt9VKgFdjACfhQshqK-S952IJlEA8X24QCpmz6L_aV12_jIXYDsdjxKJX0y9rsQ07VrhwFkFcEh6IKDpd6m6T2fj1IpP6Js0qpULvaHvAcYGFVBVw3kstHor0-l0JmTlSCE71i9sNWU/s1200/CH+0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1200" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMt9VKgFdjACfhQshqK-S952IJlEA8X24QCpmz6L_aV12_jIXYDsdjxKJX0y9rsQ07VrhwFkFcEh6IKDpd6m6T2fj1IpP6Js0qpULvaHvAcYGFVBVw3kstHor0-l0JmTlSCE71i9sNWU/w378-h312/CH+0.JPG" width="378" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>It is a
place that until November 2021 we felt. without any reason, was not worthy of a
visit and have tended to avoid, skirting it on its by-pass. It was only
recently that we realised that the place is home to a cathedral. Being nearby
on a recent tour in Essex and curious about its cathedral, we paid a visit to
Chelmsford and were pleasantly surprised by what we found.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRK2fxVYfm6jT9eL4nMGQ68sJejpTVj4JNH2MFBh0Qf8rqvJpYSMsvhwzvBBj4WzSQAXpkafk3LMkQewGhyphenhyphenHHTy3Do1WdAK01_rAoMAl-_OIQdQL6lL0er4_8RnIISG6yGerhlFV4C_w/s1200/CH+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRK2fxVYfm6jT9eL4nMGQ68sJejpTVj4JNH2MFBh0Qf8rqvJpYSMsvhwzvBBj4WzSQAXpkafk3LMkQewGhyphenhyphenHHTy3Do1WdAK01_rAoMAl-_OIQdQL6lL0er4_8RnIISG6yGerhlFV4C_w/w310-h413/CH+1.JPG" width="310" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
cathedral, which I will discuss later, is housed in what used to be the parish
church of St Mary. The edifice is in the centre of a pleasant grassy open space.
One of the buildings on the south side of this green bears a plaque
commemorating Thomas Hooker (1586-1647), who was the curate and ‘Town Lecturer’
(a position established by the Puritans) of Chelmsford between 1626 and 1629. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-PZQJRnauzC99GbaQ-sZjtTWJTTJkviYDXvI4K2V8Bwd_1KjwAxyfe4sLpAEOd-E2v2HJydoMi0pfCPH1oyNAYGJ0Ead8pwRDgOWjjyh_8hT2E-wVIxK7Y762IXC_Z68TxEQEEeUS2g/s1200/CH+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="999" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-PZQJRnauzC99GbaQ-sZjtTWJTTJkviYDXvI4K2V8Bwd_1KjwAxyfe4sLpAEOd-E2v2HJydoMi0pfCPH1oyNAYGJ0Ead8pwRDgOWjjyh_8hT2E-wVIxK7Y762IXC_Z68TxEQEEeUS2g/w345-h415/CH+3.JPG" width="345" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Hooker
was born in Markfield, a village in Leicestershire (</b><a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Hooker"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Hooker</span></a><b>) and studied at the University of
Cambridge (</b><a href="https://connecticuthistory.org/thomas-hooker-connecticuts-founding-father/"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">https://connecticuthistory.org/thomas-hooker-connecticuts-founding-father/</span></a><b>). At Cambridge, he underwent a
moving religious experience that made him decide to become a preacher of the
Puritan persuasion. He became a well-loved preacher, first serving the
congregation of a church in Esher (Surrey) before moving to preach at St Mary’s
in Chelmsford in 1626. A preacher in a neighbouring parish denounced Hooker to
Archbishop Laud (1573-1645), a vehement opponent of Puritanism, and was ordered
to leave his church and to denounce Puritanism, which he was unwilling to do. In
1630, Hooker was ordered to appear before The Court of High Commission. Soon, he
forfeited the bond he had paid to the court and, fearing for his life, fled to
The Netherlands.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFrqbuymwca2sDZnvkMlMddb647qYLBLjobI0900lEc1pGwMceTtAjhQPaCgeqz3Ki8HrrHTZPiWZJ2V9F5G083k2xyhUFDbcFYvarKlnCvQ0OLfPuTl5oTtu-dJr8wSXpAX3aAEbzNM/s1300/CH+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1300" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFrqbuymwca2sDZnvkMlMddb647qYLBLjobI0900lEc1pGwMceTtAjhQPaCgeqz3Ki8HrrHTZPiWZJ2V9F5G083k2xyhUFDbcFYvarKlnCvQ0OLfPuTl5oTtu-dJr8wSXpAX3aAEbzNM/w411-h278/CH+5.JPG" width="411" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
1633, Hooker immigrated to The Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he became the
pastor of a group of Puritans at New Towne (now Cambridge, Mass.). To escape
the powerful influence of another Protestant leader, John Cotton (1585-1652),
Hooker led a group of his followers, along with their cattle, goats, and pigs,
to what was to become Hartford in what is now the State of Connecticut. They
arrived there in 1636.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZGYzSAA5L6gVkmUDC5gbZlgl_cMibUTu4cK2I2glsQXcmPspZUhCR5dxWal39HBpXyJkvvq2LNt9PNjyvrFaGtsGIzYRbw4UWqtHSSvbnHpbgVnL0MQdjnW3QotahKoDZlvllqLWrDc/s1100/CH+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="825" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZGYzSAA5L6gVkmUDC5gbZlgl_cMibUTu4cK2I2glsQXcmPspZUhCR5dxWal39HBpXyJkvvq2LNt9PNjyvrFaGtsGIzYRbw4UWqtHSSvbnHpbgVnL0MQdjnW3QotahKoDZlvllqLWrDc/w285-h380/CH+6.JPG" width="285" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>When
Hooker and his followers reached the Connecticut Valley, it was still being governed
by eight magistrates appointed by the Massachusetts General Court. In 1638,
Hooker preached a sermon which argued that the people of Connecticut had the
right to choose who governed them. This sermon led to the drawing up of a
document called “The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut”, which served as the
legal basis for the Connecticut Colony until 1662, when King Charles II granted
The Connecticut Charter that established Connecticut’s legislative independence
from Massachusetts. Hooker’s importance in this process has led him to be remembered
as “the father of Connecticut.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP0x9ocu3FrluKj6eDbl6exPj7oPfkKqmhfd3ViAm-2CnAl31b6Xi_nzOGZQth1tML9sTfRr6IupCFGNQDqpdpQINHH3gRN1BznDZ09HCq79sFPaXfw0vR6oU18xeStSeMuwh8yDStPM/s1200/CH+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="926" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP0x9ocu3FrluKj6eDbl6exPj7oPfkKqmhfd3ViAm-2CnAl31b6Xi_nzOGZQth1tML9sTfRr6IupCFGNQDqpdpQINHH3gRN1BznDZ09HCq79sFPaXfw0vR6oU18xeStSeMuwh8yDStPM/w326-h423/CH+11.JPG" width="326" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In
1914, the church<a name="_Hlk86929141"> of St Mary in Chelmsford,</a> was
elevated to the status of ‘cathedral’. The reason for this is slightly complex
but is explained in a well-illustrated guidebook to the cathedral written by Tony
Tuckwell, Peter Judd, and James Davy. In the mid-19<sup>th</sup> century,
London expanded, and the size of its population grew enormously. Many
previously rustic parishes that became urbanised were absorbed from the Diocese
of Rochester into the Diocese of London. This resulted in a denudation of the
Diocese of Rochester. To compensate for this, Rochester was given parishes in
Hertfordshire and Essex. The Archbishop of Rochester lived in Danbury, Essex,
which was closer to the majority of his ‘flock’ than anywhere in Kent. In 1877,
the county of Essex was transferred into the new Diocese of St Albans in
Hertfordshire. However, by 1907, 75% of the population of this new diocese were
living in Essex. A further reorganisation led to the creation of two new
dioceses, one in Suffolk and the other in Essex. After some acrimonious
competition between the towns of Barking, Chelmsford, Colchester, Thaxted, Waltham
Forest, West Ham, and Woodford, it was decided that Chelmsford should become
the cathedral seat of the new Diocese of Essex. St Mary’s, where Hooker of
Connecticut once preached in Chelmsford, became the new cathedral. In 1954, the
cathedral’s dedication was extended to include St Mary the Virgin, St Peter,
and St Cedd, whose simple Saxon chapel can be seen near Bradwell-on-Sea. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d3XMxDiCXDJiJLkY8vSUTOJWbUECNmmz0kmMwO9KQ7bSGyQT1wBmEnz8Lq2H2gfzM-SY6s09BwSloF5Jrvn2mrTkp4ziXeXciefx_mrl6rgsc-jIU0ivrUCmt3ZATqjKp9qbUIl6nkA/s1300/CH+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="630" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d3XMxDiCXDJiJLkY8vSUTOJWbUECNmmz0kmMwO9KQ7bSGyQT1wBmEnz8Lq2H2gfzM-SY6s09BwSloF5Jrvn2mrTkp4ziXeXciefx_mrl6rgsc-jIU0ivrUCmt3ZATqjKp9qbUIl6nkA/w211-h436/CH+7.JPG" width="211" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
cathedral, of whose existence we only became aware this year, is a wonderful
place to see. Its spacious interior with beautiful painted ceilings contains
not only items that date back several centuries but also a wealth of visually
fascinating art works of religious significance created in both the 20<sup>th</sup>
and 21<sup>st</sup> centuries. To list them all would be too lengthy for this
short essay, so I will encourage you to visit the church to discover them yourself.
<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__-W82WJKoTAgYVBY95vPneOwPw65MEmXKcP2Uxwtvh_ygS9UXzomlmlKXofu7JDjaYGGZCDCghqQ1V8Cnrro9cDkiM6U8sRrp__VjTnqGcPA6gqdEPotdE6CG1DZZpzDIOc_qylv7Iw/s1200/CH+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="999" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__-W82WJKoTAgYVBY95vPneOwPw65MEmXKcP2Uxwtvh_ygS9UXzomlmlKXofu7JDjaYGGZCDCghqQ1V8Cnrro9cDkiM6U8sRrp__VjTnqGcPA6gqdEPotdE6CG1DZZpzDIOc_qylv7Iw/w305-h367/CH+2.JPG" width="305" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Having
just visited Chelmsford, its cathedral, and its tasteful riverside developments,
my irrational prejudice against entering the city and preferring to avoid it by
using its bypass has been demolished. Although Chelmsford might not <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have the charm of cathedral cities such as
Ely, Canterbury, Winchester, and Salisbury, it is worth making a detour to
explore it if you happen to be travelling through East Anglia. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGMbqCfVGWxtQDwrh8rhk-z2jQGyaFIX1QMOLhveuxg5nZ4HuIZu3NA8urQ3I0UbwfGJZbwkQVf30CgWjCmC_6fq-MsM548jMGiUiPLdoS0zderZiC7zR6jJXZwiwLvfZ3lHlHM4gPMk/s1300/CH+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1300" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGMbqCfVGWxtQDwrh8rhk-z2jQGyaFIX1QMOLhveuxg5nZ4HuIZu3NA8urQ3I0UbwfGJZbwkQVf30CgWjCmC_6fq-MsM548jMGiUiPLdoS0zderZiC7zR6jJXZwiwLvfZ3lHlHM4gPMk/w403-h302/CH+10.JPG" width="403" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>As
a last word, it is curious that although there are places named Chelmsford in
Massachusetts, Ontario, and New Brunswick, there does not appear to be one in
Connecticut; at least I cannot find one.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Chelmsford, UK51.7355868 0.468549726.069215327645466 -34.6877003 77.401958272354534 35.6247997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-31474313213078636722021-11-15T16:31:00.023+00:002021-11-15T16:43:53.003+00:00COSTLY COFFEE, GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL, AND JIMI HENDRIX<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Coffee, the blues, and baroque in London's Mayfair</i></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZCLLf3gy6rWYo3XhmOmMrBq6AfhHkO9mwrAYB9XCRaZ3iTDPbyOPxncIsVlazBGVM_64hQSEOo7o1dF8qR0Cnnbmx-df2iz78xHJPk7RMR87JSCC1aGq6LgKcejgF0tktAGPmvmIE1E/s1400/LC+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZCLLf3gy6rWYo3XhmOmMrBq6AfhHkO9mwrAYB9XCRaZ3iTDPbyOPxncIsVlazBGVM_64hQSEOo7o1dF8qR0Cnnbmx-df2iz78xHJPk7RMR87JSCC1aGq6LgKcejgF0tktAGPmvmIE1E/w421-h316/LC+7.JPG" width="421" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>THERE ARE TWO entrances to
Lancashire Court from Mayfair’s Brook Street. One of them, the closest to New
Bond Street, is a cobbled lane leading down to a courtyard occupied by the back
entrance of the Victoria’s Secret store and the outdoor tables of a restaurant
called Hush Mayfair. The tables under delightfully decorated canopies looked
enticing, and as we felt the need for some coffee, we sat down to enjoy small
macchiatos (maybe more correctly, ‘macchiati’). The coffees were enjoyable but
not exceptional. However, the bill that arrived after we had drunk our tiny
coffees was far from unexceptional. We were charged just under £13 (US $17.46,
INR 1300, or EUROS 15.25) for our two hot drinks. Just in case you are not
familiar with the London café scene, today, November 2021, two macchiatos usually
cost between £4 and £6.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCAFCcLvAjkkDPWk-SFlJwKBXISdLUdkRt_QATSvQGnL7zG8-IYCK_Zxz3_Pr0XHry-I6ZLIYdEDCuHxZFbcJTwe-yFN7QW8iCWjWa5N9tS0jM4P94A5elw7w5EaGnostm8L89evKZAY/s1200/LC+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCAFCcLvAjkkDPWk-SFlJwKBXISdLUdkRt_QATSvQGnL7zG8-IYCK_Zxz3_Pr0XHry-I6ZLIYdEDCuHxZFbcJTwe-yFN7QW8iCWjWa5N9tS0jM4P94A5elw7w5EaGnostm8L89evKZAY/w361-h271/LC+2.JPG" width="361" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Hush, Mayfair</i></span></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Lancashire Court is a network of lanes
and courtyards located behind the buildings on the southwest corner of the
intersection of New Bond Street and Brook Street. It was once a part of London,
the Conduit Mead Estate (<a href="http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2021/07/05/londons-alleys-lancashire-court-w1/"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2021/07/05/londons-alleys-lancashire-court-w1/</span></a>,
an informative web page), that followed the course of an old water conduit that
ran through the area in a north/south direction (for a map of the district, see:
<a href="http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/t/largeimage88092.html"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/t/largeimage88092.htm</span>l</a>).
From the 1730s until the 1970s, the buildings in Lancashire Court included many
workshops, warehouses, and builder’s yards. In 1987, there was a plan to
demolish the network of alleys and replace it with a new shopping complex, but
this never materialised. Now, the old businesses have been replaced by ‘chic’
establishments including the place where we enjoyed our exorbitantly priced
coffees. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysS7rRIXWGRvYYFPytXIdFazAROHbLFu0hkSdS3tYiZdKqYJJS2o1xcQ-GvQvt2RrnC8e6geCnyWrtZay1FIvCRZN2lK1qFGq_AYNwkhaTiOnmAHm-iYtFI3RgGvm_z7JFTEO_MxCOQI/s950/LC+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="950" data-original-width="814" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysS7rRIXWGRvYYFPytXIdFazAROHbLFu0hkSdS3tYiZdKqYJJS2o1xcQ-GvQvt2RrnC8e6geCnyWrtZay1FIvCRZN2lK1qFGq_AYNwkhaTiOnmAHm-iYtFI3RgGvm_z7JFTEO_MxCOQI/w319-h372/LC+3.JPG" width="319" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Returning to Brook Street, the short
section lying between the two entrances to Lancashire Court has two
neighbouring houses, numbers 23 and 25, which have importance in the history of
music in London. The composer of well-known works such as “The Messiah” and “The
Water Music”, George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), moved into what is now number
23 in the summer of 1723, and lived there until his death (<a href="https://handelhendrix.org/plan-your-visit/whats-here/handel-house/"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">https://handelhendrix.org/plan-your-visit/whats-here/handel-house/</span></a>).
In Handel’s time, Brook Street was known as ‘Lower Brook Street’. Handel’s home
included a Music Room in which as many as 40 people would be accommodated to
perform and listen to Handel’s latest creations.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_xqqcheFeWOP4wuSHf3B0k3Qm9xki1vFKMsGeTTVUzAmwH8aaLgvq9wHlIFetwera1TRTH0gentNdnc7KT1UH9yqI01XWzKJOdBBx2dh-6uf-StdNR_URaKzEboRxcXu3VAhWG_TSv0/s1400/LC+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_xqqcheFeWOP4wuSHf3B0k3Qm9xki1vFKMsGeTTVUzAmwH8aaLgvq9wHlIFetwera1TRTH0gentNdnc7KT1UH9yqI01XWzKJOdBBx2dh-6uf-StdNR_URaKzEboRxcXu3VAhWG_TSv0/w446-h334/LC+8.JPG" width="446" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">23 and 25 Brook Street</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>In 1968, 209 years after Handel
died, another musician moved into number 25, the house next door to number 23
Brook Street. Like Handel, the occupant of number 25 was a musical innovator.
His name was Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970). According to a useful website (<a href="https://handelhendrix.org/plan-your-visit/whats-here/hendrix-flat/">https://handelhendrix.org/plan-your-visit/whats-here/hendrix-flat/</a>):<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“The flat on the upper floors of 23
Brook Street was found by Jimi’s girlfriend Kathy Etchingham from an advert in
one of the London evening newspapers in June 1968 while he was in New York. He
moved in briefly in July before returning to the United States for an extensive
tour. He spent some time decorating the flat to his own taste, including
purchasing curtains and cushions from the nearby John Lewis department store,
as well as ornaments and knickknacks from Portobello Road market and elsewhere.
He told Kathy that this was ‘my first real home of my own’.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>He returned to Brook Street in
January 1969 and almost immediately launched into an exhaustive series of press
and media interviews and photo shoots in the flat. On 4 January he made his
infamous appearance on the BBC Happening for Lulu TV show, and gave his two
Royal Albert Hall concerts in February. In March he was back in New York again
and although Kathy remained at Brook Street for a while longer Jimi did not
live there again.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz14NSQpMurt099_tDGBOF4GNqemdZNs1ndO-6NDZ47ZSWUgdJ2MqjowTaTVqPOnYkZlNrZ_JTUAt-sE_KdWJR8Z7qZk5wOjYFCYbHWlLSxSt9KNAlB6jDFN8wOBAcVgit_64mdOCHi8/s1500/LC+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz14NSQpMurt099_tDGBOF4GNqemdZNs1ndO-6NDZ47ZSWUgdJ2MqjowTaTVqPOnYkZlNrZ_JTUAt-sE_KdWJR8Z7qZk5wOjYFCYbHWlLSxSt9KNAlB6jDFN8wOBAcVgit_64mdOCHi8/w406-h305/LC+6.JPG" width="406" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Handel mural in Lancashire Court</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>After Hendrix’s girlfriend left the
flat, it was used as office space. In 2000, it was taken over by the Handel
House Trust. By 2016, both Handel’s House and Hendrix’s flat became open to the
public as a museum, which I have yet to visit. Sadly, since the onset of the
covid19, the museum, now known as ‘Handel and Hendrix in London’ is only open
occasionally and will open fully in March 2023. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="854" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJDPYHg7NSuU7H0_EroU8rBrNOiXGS1VrXE58SsAmC1lK1xWHSaRjtd_IMtEp5lREdTTKFBlcyaRMR-eSkrE1nyvgzg2v8NZxKqo68Q37DrzflEcyayJZeVSpizam4ml9zvP0SlmtzR0/w400-h315/LC+9.jpg" width="400" /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Lancashire Court is marked in red</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The westernmost of the two Brook
Street entrances to Lancashire Court is lined with an attractive mural made
from ceramic tiles. Created in 2001 by Michael Czerwiǹski (with Ray Howell), it
celebrates Handel’s residence in Brook Street. Amongst the many works he
composed whilst living there, here is a very small selection of them: the opera
“Rodelinda”; “The Messiah” and “Semele”; and “Music for the Royal Fireworks”. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJq7uDiYjbKYtC4uFAaIwtFiR-F6d2s0lmBf6Z93gz_vVclcMNGJ6e7633E_tpyaVGGcOQT1GMMrn6aYGSUlogqT2q8Y3YJE0DKwdjxwtSSDTbVnKviC4l__CRURRyVS6wx_J1_7BNY8/s1200/LC+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJq7uDiYjbKYtC4uFAaIwtFiR-F6d2s0lmBf6Z93gz_vVclcMNGJ6e7633E_tpyaVGGcOQT1GMMrn6aYGSUlogqT2q8Y3YJE0DKwdjxwtSSDTbVnKviC4l__CRURRyVS6wx_J1_7BNY8/w300-h399/LC+4.JPG" width="300" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Each of the two musicians of Brook
Street did much to change the course of musical history. I wonder what each
would have thought of the other, and which of them has the most listeners
today. Whatever the answers, their names will live on in people’s minds far
longer than that of both the place where we had costly coffee and the currently
trendy Victoria Secret high-end but low-cut lingerie store. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Mayfair, London, UK51.5116269 -0.14780623.201393063821158 -35.304056 79.821860736178849 35.008444tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-14117393250423831772021-11-13T16:44:00.002+00:002021-11-13T16:44:32.407+00:00FIELD OF REMEMBRANCE: FALLEN LEAVES AMONGST THE FALLEN<br /><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXeNgB4b_XIl0bIyOH5YN2Q5wbHVPdqsypj8I4-bKZA4XYEzgfRVoGtJnkgHmGL7cMi7UAPUogSnpWhyhCTvqIX0lEMfoGuukOs2oEA_DGKM5NBekynehQREj5rQJcbN6iaXbMl4U4Bg/s1200/FM+0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1095" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXeNgB4b_XIl0bIyOH5YN2Q5wbHVPdqsypj8I4-bKZA4XYEzgfRVoGtJnkgHmGL7cMi7UAPUogSnpWhyhCTvqIX0lEMfoGuukOs2oEA_DGKM5NBekynehQREj5rQJcbN6iaXbMl4U4Bg/w364-h399/FM+0.JPG" width="364" /></a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I HAVE LIVED in London for well over 60 years, but it was only this November (2021) that I first became aware of, and experienced, something that has been happening annually on the north side of Westminster Abbey since November 1928 (<span style="font-size: x-small;">www.poppyfactory.org/about-us/history-timeline/#</span>). For eight days following the Thursday preceding Remembrance Sunday, the Sunday closest to Armistice Day, the 11</span><sup style="text-align: justify;">th</sup><span style="text-align: justify;"> of November, the day on which WW1 ended, the field bounded by Westminster Abbey and its neighbour, the church of St Margaret’s Westminster, is covered with a myriad of mostly tiny wooden memorials hammered into the grass. The memorials are mostly cross-shaped, but some are in the form of crescents, six-pointed stars, and other shapes including some that bear the Sanskrit symbol representing ‘aum’ (or ‘om’). Each of these tiny wooden items commemorates a fallen service person or other victim of war. The shapes of the wooden pieces denote the religion of the person or persons being remembered, be they Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Moslem, Jewish, or of no religion. Many of the wooden memorials have red poppies attached. Oddly, few if any of the Islamic crescents had poppies on them. The small wooden memorials are arranged in groups, according to which service or regiment or organisation the remembered people were members of, or associated with. The whole ‘event’ is organised by The British Legion Poppy Factory. This annual garden of memorials is called The Field of Remembrance.</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; color: #fcff01; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HE1UELDO0RcB3NYe0NhyVyQgWYIxXpIrnwdPzqwYttB_uhB3BpQz4ETHthjzUjJLpbGAykbtsgWIo79O25fVsnMOfE1kavv-2ZyAa7wz7OSfM0u_b8VfL4b96dC15fx9Ru0UxOcKyN4/s1300/FM+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1300" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HE1UELDO0RcB3NYe0NhyVyQgWYIxXpIrnwdPzqwYttB_uhB3BpQz4ETHthjzUjJLpbGAykbtsgWIo79O25fVsnMOfE1kavv-2ZyAa7wz7OSfM0u_b8VfL4b96dC15fx9Ru0UxOcKyN4/w349-h304/FM+1.JPG" width="349" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">Fallen leaves amongst the fallen</span></i></div><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
Poppy Factory, a charity, was founded in 1922 by Major George Howson (1886-1936)
to provide employment for veterans injured during WW1. He bought a site in
Richmond (south-west London), where he established a factory to manufacture Remembrance
poppies and other related items to be sold to raise money for The British
Legion’s Red Poppy Appeal, a charity that supports the Armed Forces community. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrqH8-dtBTvRhXYABloU6KGgoVjS-gVn1GuFQ63_r-FcEOfyRlqujIdZiUf9UjINzvBI3d8nKlmY2k9-uWpSYJPeY0UQyEtojrLVefw7sz9khVrrkszBjEeRS5OkYvL2JU0Na0mV7uuw/s1200/FM+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrqH8-dtBTvRhXYABloU6KGgoVjS-gVn1GuFQ63_r-FcEOfyRlqujIdZiUf9UjINzvBI3d8nKlmY2k9-uWpSYJPeY0UQyEtojrLVefw7sz9khVrrkszBjEeRS5OkYvL2JU0Na0mV7uuw/w401-h301/FM+3.JPG" width="401" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Apart
from the small wooden memorials, there are many badges and emblems of the
groups in which those remembered were members. Looking at these and the small
wooden memorials is both fascinating and extremely moving. The fascination lies
in the huge variety of regiments and organisations, too many to list, which
lost people during military conflicts (and terrorist incidents) since the onset
of WW1.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAO73GuB2Sm_h4CoieSRzmPeIM1P2Tb-RAvDkAmw6vXM5DdT77AoERnuU-iFm7S3_fHf8gapSN-evmu6QPods9j0he_jDAA83kLTw1zgUj_DMAbDe-zmH0t-UMTXsDnM7BtxUY5zsA1rs/s1500/FM+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAO73GuB2Sm_h4CoieSRzmPeIM1P2Tb-RAvDkAmw6vXM5DdT77AoERnuU-iFm7S3_fHf8gapSN-evmu6QPods9j0he_jDAA83kLTw1zgUj_DMAbDe-zmH0t-UMTXsDnM7BtxUY5zsA1rs/w380-h266/FM+5.JPG" width="380" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>One
group of memorials interested me because of their emblem that incorporates a
heraldic creature, which has fascinated me for several decades. The creature is
the double-headed eagle (‘DHE’), currently used as an emblem by countries
including Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, the Indian state of Karnataka, and
Russia. The DHE appears on the crests of some of the various regiments of The
Royal Dragoon Guards. The Dragoon Guard regiments were first established in the
18<sup>th</sup> century, in 1746, and consist of mounted infantry. While the
Austro-Hungarian Empire existed, it also used the DHE. In 1896, Emperor Franz
Joseph I of Austria (1830-1916) of Austria-Hungary was appointed Commander-in-Chief
of the 1<sup>st</sup> King’s Dragoon Guards, some of whose members are remembered
in the Field of Remembrance. The emperor allowed the regiment to wear his
empire’s emblem (<span style="font-size: x-small;">https://web.archive.org/web/20130303033912/http://www.qdg.org.uk/pages/Uniform-1843-Onwards-81.php</span>),
the DHE. In addition, the regiment adopted “The Radetzky March” as one of its
official march tunes; it is still used today. It was sad that in 1914, Franz
Joseph, became the ruler of one of the powers against whom Britain and its
allies were fighting. Some of those who fought in the British Royal Dragoon
Guard regiments with the DHE on their headwear were killed by allies of the
emperor in WW1, who had earlier been appointed their C-in-C. They are commemorated
the Field of Remembrance. Judging by the small wooden memorials planted in the
Royal Dragoon Guard’s section of the Field of Remembrance, members of at least
four religions fell while serving in these regiments. I wondered why the DHE
was retained even after Austria-Hungary became one of Britain’s opponents in
war.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIao2cJPH-ixLHavwdUEALpQSbGdfIi-YHK7OGAAIRKQescMCWU0xCWHX5EY-SqXYJP4zbWmLUoVM6RAvrvEsgIWnfHrxmJNjJ6YIR3j5QDT5OdtCzIhdqsJLABF43MLMFOB68ULNHII/s1500/FM+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="1500" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIao2cJPH-ixLHavwdUEALpQSbGdfIi-YHK7OGAAIRKQescMCWU0xCWHX5EY-SqXYJP4zbWmLUoVM6RAvrvEsgIWnfHrxmJNjJ6YIR3j5QDT5OdtCzIhdqsJLABF43MLMFOB68ULNHII/w407-h305/FM+6.JPG" width="407" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Double-headed eagles of the Royal Dragoon Guards</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Returning
to the Field of Remembrance as a whole, it is a poignant sight to behold. Although
war is both horrific and ugly, this annual memorial is both moving and beautiful.
The Field is laid out beneath trees lining its northern edge. Seeing the dead
leaves from these trees lying fallen amongst the thousands of tiny memorials to
victims of war seemed most apt to me.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YBUkX0_PF4X7jC-nKUv1HHLS8uCFLiwLhX2GAKlG84vlBIdeSYFHMgEirNdV9bdj-67y906hVk1ZM5LhaWv0ImXaXuaZ62sBzLYqgtUoadXY6aSO4zfQQ087yw8nFiaPATzG1zCwfDA/s1200/FM+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="948" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YBUkX0_PF4X7jC-nKUv1HHLS8uCFLiwLhX2GAKlG84vlBIdeSYFHMgEirNdV9bdj-67y906hVk1ZM5LhaWv0ImXaXuaZ62sBzLYqgtUoadXY6aSO4zfQQ087yw8nFiaPATzG1zCwfDA/w317-h401/FM+8.JPG" width="317" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i>A war memorial next to the north door of Westminster Abbey</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32pHyznxdcgw1JfzcThmJU13YuJBLyUkBGc6Sd7-TgEvUam9g2AAYaM-M1T9ugX6PMTto2BaxjeaHo7IqhebvOxBtg7DVqcf79M264cSiMD-4K7WqQDNmGBM2eh42bwGRjjbQ0CCEDdU/s1200/FM+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32pHyznxdcgw1JfzcThmJU13YuJBLyUkBGc6Sd7-TgEvUam9g2AAYaM-M1T9ugX6PMTto2BaxjeaHo7IqhebvOxBtg7DVqcf79M264cSiMD-4K7WqQDNmGBM2eh42bwGRjjbQ0CCEDdU/s320/FM+4.JPG" width="256" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i>Remembering some Jewish people who fell whlst fighting</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Lle-0scdHOKNaYqNzDlmHbMDAKSVdA-_nboMqfnSMsrWTzescjkyY0s6mHmridxUjNzRGA5o-pPO2duYcKoL2ey-_tm0wE0V-4fJPCVtlcasYfO5HtvzCCHaPQ2kGFFCh2b71u5ftHo/s1500/FM+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Lle-0scdHOKNaYqNzDlmHbMDAKSVdA-_nboMqfnSMsrWTzescjkyY0s6mHmridxUjNzRGA5o-pPO2duYcKoL2ey-_tm0wE0V-4fJPCVtlcasYfO5HtvzCCHaPQ2kGFFCh2b71u5ftHo/w307-h409/FM+9.JPG" width="307" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">St Margaret's Westminster behind The Field of Remembrance</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></p><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Westminster, London SW1, UK51.4974948 -0.135658329.380698023824266 -35.291908299999989 73.614291576175731 35.020591699999983tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-34201323596298048152021-11-12T17:52:00.005+00:002021-11-12T17:59:44.614+00:00ART DECO AND PIANOS IN MAYFAIR<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">THE
CORNER OF BROOK Street and Haunch of Venison Yard (in London’s Mayfair) is adorned
with a fine building with a white Portland stone façade. It is built in the art
deco style. The building, Greybrook House (28 Brook Street), was constructed in
1929 and designed by Sir John Burnet and Partners (</span><a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1392996" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: x-small;">https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1392996</span></a><span style="text-align: justify;">). </span></b></span><div><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">Burnet, born in Scotland, lived from 1857 to 1938.</span></b></span><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbShXwvMo4WgY_UM6XIALs5WTqX-JrOqoNvhYomLwZ2o1bf3ttcpbFa33gt_dnDrL_COTgh7lKKl8s2KepxOR5h_X3Js3FN2wCTkYSZpmBUaZEacF4cW2dU_cZj4GtsKKdg6Bho22yQQM/s1800/BR+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1095" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbShXwvMo4WgY_UM6XIALs5WTqX-JrOqoNvhYomLwZ2o1bf3ttcpbFa33gt_dnDrL_COTgh7lKKl8s2KepxOR5h_X3Js3FN2wCTkYSZpmBUaZEacF4cW2dU_cZj4GtsKKdg6Bho22yQQM/w246-h404/BR+1.JPG" width="246" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Greybrook
House was built to house the showrooms of the piano company, Bechstein, founded
in 1853 by Friedrich Wilhelm Carl Bechstein (1826-1900). In 1901, the firm
opened a concert hall, Bechstein Hall, on Wigmore Street. In 1917, the hall was
renamed the Wigmore Hall and is still used today. The hall was next to
Bechstein’s showrooms, which were closed in 1916 because of its German
connection. In 1928, Bechstein’s, which had been closed during and after WW1,
re-established itself in the UK, and commissioned the building of Greybrook
House to be used for their new showrooms. In addition to showrooms, the new
building included practice rooms and office space.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHuampXv7tAQCXWElSD-oE2e0LCQRMyU31ttU3RTnwuC8ifj0mfWXaSWjopAKPojv0hcjK8hhjBRNq_QFmxMTgWf_x6XnIDP4hzFa8N1tr4SRvps9VGyW1DWndPN9l_JBkVqCsmST0GM/s1200/BR+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHuampXv7tAQCXWElSD-oE2e0LCQRMyU31ttU3RTnwuC8ifj0mfWXaSWjopAKPojv0hcjK8hhjBRNq_QFmxMTgWf_x6XnIDP4hzFa8N1tr4SRvps9VGyW1DWndPN9l_JBkVqCsmST0GM/w355-h266/BR+2.JPG" width="355" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>I
am not sure when Bechstein left its Brook Street premises. However, I noticed
that beside the entrance to the flats there is a beautifully carved
calligraphic inscription that reads “Allied Ironfounders Ltd”. This company had
its showroom in Greybrook House in the 1950s. Judging by a photograph I have
seen on the Internet (<span style="font-size: x-small;">www.ribapix.com/allied-ironfounders-showrooms-28-brook-street-mayfair-london-the-showrooms-entrance-with-the-brick-mural-men-of-iron-designed-by-trevor-tennant_riba25422#</span>),
it must have been quite exciting visually.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2I0Tv4aUCs4k-Eg6nApV2rvRsZuysVHsZmRPaB1nxqveOSfP0JRoQrJQmVXNx5IQ0I0twOYbJEgwuRSJXUy4UCIN_gL-VEJlZHwki284xEhATLczrQxGNNSfOxyErwm32lvIey26bd0/s2048/BR+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="2048" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2I0Tv4aUCs4k-Eg6nApV2rvRsZuysVHsZmRPaB1nxqveOSfP0JRoQrJQmVXNx5IQ0I0twOYbJEgwuRSJXUy4UCIN_gL-VEJlZHwki284xEhATLczrQxGNNSfOxyErwm32lvIey26bd0/w402-h303/BR+3.JPG" width="402" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Currently,
the ground floor of Greybrook House is occupied by Joseph, an upmarket clothing
retailer. The upper floors have been converted into luxury flats by Fenton
Whelan and Vanbrugh Prime Property. This was done recently. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
lovely art deco façade of Greybrook House remains unaltered. By chance, or who
knows, maybe deliberately, Bechstein’s Brook Street showrooms were almost
opposite the house where the composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) lived
from 1723 until his death. Finally, the company that had its piano showrooms in
Greybrook House is currently constructing a new set of showrooms and a small 100
seat concert hall back in Wigmore Street where their first London premises were
located (<span style="font-size: x-small;">www.rhinegold.co.uk/international_piano/c-bechstein-returns-to-londons-wigmore-street/</span>).<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /></div></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Mayfair, London, UK51.5116269 -0.14780623.201393063821158 -35.304056 79.821860736178849 35.008444tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-18144222028969763822021-11-12T11:30:00.014+00:002021-11-12T11:35:59.882+00:00AN 'ICONIC' LONDON LANDMARK<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QK6gte9hebH6qpE7F5OOYyEC6rXSoO7t2TosIwlAk3qgfscaC8_oYTwWwIqGQoYUZNZC4Sz5MGLCp85G9VjPyBuEczAb7FXE62hVH5H4Yls-7FroPvznDNftkdCejJ2Z2iNPm8DwF5c/s2048/a+pathway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3QK6gte9hebH6qpE7F5OOYyEC6rXSoO7t2TosIwlAk3qgfscaC8_oYTwWwIqGQoYUZNZC4Sz5MGLCp85G9VjPyBuEczAb7FXE62hVH5H4Yls-7FroPvznDNftkdCejJ2Z2iNPm8DwF5c/w312-h416/a+pathway.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;">The southern tower of London's Tower Bridge seen from between modern buildings close to the River Thames is a glorious sight for both tourists and locals. The bridge was built between 1886 and 1894.</b><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"> It was designed by Horace Jones and it was engineered by James W Barry. For many visitors, it symbolises London. Contrary to a popular misconception, it was never for sale and the authorities in Lake Havasu City (Arizona) who bought the last London Bridge knew that they were <i>not</i> expecting to receive Tower Bridge</b></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Tower Bridge, Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 2UP, UK51.5054564 -0.07535649999999999323.195222563821154 -35.2316065 79.815690236178853 35.0808935tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-14970940658178209312021-11-11T17:05:00.003+00:002021-11-11T17:09:53.618+00:00THEY HAD NO CHOICE<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><span face="Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>ARMISTICE
DAY IS celebrated annually on the 11th of November, the day that fighting came
to an end in WW1. </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHleBw3l3Y6Up2elq8WaEbVQ6wtP8VKALek4Zc4nH1YEPYn9AWVp-2VVg9khe92LVto624UrHw6YDruJqk9dy6fo15mUE-KPThuFE7GLCUpJQhgTjD-8gQhC1ndHfP7TyrDh4BYichAsc/s1145/AN+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1145" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHleBw3l3Y6Up2elq8WaEbVQ6wtP8VKALek4Zc4nH1YEPYn9AWVp-2VVg9khe92LVto624UrHw6YDruJqk9dy6fo15mUE-KPThuFE7GLCUpJQhgTjD-8gQhC1ndHfP7TyrDh4BYichAsc/w457-h271/AN+3.JPG" width="457" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The day is to celebrate and:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“…remember
all those who gave their lives in service to their country since 1914.” (<a href="https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/about-remembrance/armistice-day">https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/about-remembrance/armistice-day</a>). It was not only humans who
sacrificed their lives, either willingly or less willingly, but also animals,
who had been employed in warfare. A monument on a wide traffic island in
London’s Park Lane was constructed to remember these four-legged creatures who
lost their lives prematurely during battles from which they were unlikely to
gain any benefit.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRCP_axjgCch8duZdUIR9dJwKayDz6EAJxkYQwSf0Y_h-9HxgPvAqdhtTXtxuzJFkDfkI6XBf2BvySvzdOpi5HGdjz5lf1l3MCarWUafyX85kCnsI2zumFdEwd9jUAl1loOwjXPU4tZE/s1500/AN+4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="1500" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRCP_axjgCch8duZdUIR9dJwKayDz6EAJxkYQwSf0Y_h-9HxgPvAqdhtTXtxuzJFkDfkI6XBf2BvySvzdOpi5HGdjz5lf1l3MCarWUafyX85kCnsI2zumFdEwd9jUAl1loOwjXPU4tZE/w375-h352/AN+4.JPG" width="375" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Erected
by The Animals in War Memorial Fund (<a href="http://www.animalsinwar.org.uk/">www.animalsinwar.org.uk/</a>)
and unveiled in 2004, this dramatic monument consists of a semi-circular
Portland stone wall with a gap near its centre. Two bronze horses laden with
military equipment are depicted walking towards the gap. and beyond the gap, a
bronze sculpture of a running dog can be seen. The western part of the concave
side of the wall has bas-reliefs depicting, horses, elephants, and camels. The eastern
side of the concavity bears several inscriptions including one with the words “They
had no choice”. The convex surface of the wall bears stylised silhouettes of
horses. The monument was designed by David Backhouse and was inspired by the
book “Animals in War” by Jilly Cooper. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzGR2jyOxf-FgOK3v6T34gsJQnMykQo3l687_sG2cGltzBCpvK4ZonxEEaTMnqpMD_GQezdiQMTkoSjVtSREe9dTEsFP_Qk8T5pwOGHwCpkbOIQ7MSYbdrTv006rrOYCW1AdwLKvJgVc/s1500/AN+6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1500" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzGR2jyOxf-FgOK3v6T34gsJQnMykQo3l687_sG2cGltzBCpvK4ZonxEEaTMnqpMD_GQezdiQMTkoSjVtSREe9dTEsFP_Qk8T5pwOGHwCpkbOIQ7MSYbdrTv006rrOYCW1AdwLKvJgVc/w379-h293/AN+6.JPG" width="379" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“They
had no choice” is a poignantly appropriate sentence on a memorial to creatures
who were taken into fields of battle innocent of their likely fate. Seeing this
moving monument made me think that these same four words could easily be
applied to the numerous Indian participants in WW1 and WW2 who were sent to
Europe as ‘volunteers’ innocent of their horrendous destination by their rulers
in the Princely States of India, who wished to please the British, whom they
served. Had these unfortunate servicemen known what they were about to face,
some of them might have objected. That option was not one that would ever been
open to the slaughtered animals commemorated on Park Lane.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXtg6-Y5AaczcrLFOZx6rrPNTuG51npuTSBNKp1GryX2GM-E2NBz42RF057CErHVrC6zwxtN6wsvpLeRqgT3A8ijkII-hnqHdCkFT-T_Z5EFZ1ouq2ZfWqXfruwLOC-WSP5WIEbo4UGg/s1100/AN+5.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="900" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXtg6-Y5AaczcrLFOZx6rrPNTuG51npuTSBNKp1GryX2GM-E2NBz42RF057CErHVrC6zwxtN6wsvpLeRqgT3A8ijkII-hnqHdCkFT-T_Z5EFZ1ouq2ZfWqXfruwLOC-WSP5WIEbo4UGg/w320-h391/AN+5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p><br /></o:p><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmk6iwycWeV9Qjkw9hCKLwTC6wCMUsUIi5TlqRsMRGzSWjLx0WEjAB5eUKFMPjVX0t0wmhdAYNQ-2Nn5WHlGrocJ7tZWXloiH4AZNx6i7KVZPjWgBVZjhbX9sRNM2aYva0aM-pRzinbc/s1500/AN+5a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmk6iwycWeV9Qjkw9hCKLwTC6wCMUsUIi5TlqRsMRGzSWjLx0WEjAB5eUKFMPjVX0t0wmhdAYNQ-2Nn5WHlGrocJ7tZWXloiH4AZNx6i7KVZPjWgBVZjhbX9sRNM2aYva0aM-pRzinbc/s320/AN+5a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5072178 -0.127586223.196983963821154 -35.2838362 79.817451636178845 35.0286638tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-88505087649469643112021-11-10T19:09:00.002+00:002021-11-10T19:09:43.945+00:00Oscar Wilde, a bishop, and an art gallery<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: center; width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">DOVER
STREET RUNS north from Piccadilly, not far from The Royal Academy. It is a
thoroughfare we often visit because it contains several commercial art
galleries that frequently put on interesting exhibitions. One of these is the
London gallery of Thaddeus Ropac. Not only does this international art dealer have
good exhibitions, but the house in which the works of art are displayed, 37
Dover Street, is an artwork itsef, an architectural treasure.</b><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83uM24lj5upLPfNTrTxU9MdiOjKz8oWZ7iHNI2eLyYkNimFJrzpzx8wNluWHW7qCiA868AnVkIcHGa8EUICvxrtYFP3gp-4NBlVKazt-XzxpuAnrLHUDBJvd9uXdz53NddSfLZ2TjmVc/s1000/EH+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83uM24lj5upLPfNTrTxU9MdiOjKz8oWZ7iHNI2eLyYkNimFJrzpzx8wNluWHW7qCiA868AnVkIcHGa8EUICvxrtYFP3gp-4NBlVKazt-XzxpuAnrLHUDBJvd9uXdz53NddSfLZ2TjmVc/w415-h311/EH+1.JPG" width="415" /></a></div><br /></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner (1908-1983), whose writing I enjoy
greatly, is a little dismissive of the buildings in Dover Street with one
exception. In his “London Volume 1”, which was co-authored by Bridget Cherry,
he wrote of this street:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“The
only house which needs special attention is Ely House (No. 37)”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>This
is the building that is now home to Thaddeus Ropac. Ely House was built in the 1770s
by the then Bishop of Ely, Edmund Keene (1714-1781), who was appointed to that
post in January 1771. According to The Dictionary of National Biography (1885-1900
edition), Keene:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“…
obtained in 1772 an act of parliament for alienating from the see, in
consideration of the payment of 6,500l. [i.e., £6,500] and an annuity of 200l.,
the ancient palace in Holborn, and for purchasing, at a cost of 5,800l., the
freehold of a house in Dover Street, Piccadilly, London. The present house on
that site was built by him about 1776.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Clearly,
the bishop was not short of cash; he was married to Mary (née Andrews), daughter
and sole heiress of Andrews of Edmonton, once a successful linen draper in
Cheapside. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvvNn6-zUscMeJ_6wqIIi6tNnd5mPIQfUOOTOGMocRs9Fd2FKWIF_eK1-iHyAOGVV01O8eLJfKcDBymq_5cEJcRXhbFFiH6-sc1K39UW4gzLyAbVI1xUz9l2FK5Wyh2nQwGaJaRc_S20/s1200/EH+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvvNn6-zUscMeJ_6wqIIi6tNnd5mPIQfUOOTOGMocRs9Fd2FKWIF_eK1-iHyAOGVV01O8eLJfKcDBymq_5cEJcRXhbFFiH6-sc1K39UW4gzLyAbVI1xUz9l2FK5Wyh2nQwGaJaRc_S20/w374-h281/EH+4.JPG" width="374" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
architect of Ely House was Sir Robert Taylor (1714-1788). The building remained
the London residence of the Bishops of Ely until the beginning of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century. In 1909, the interior of Ely House was greatly modified by the Arts
& Crafts architectural firm Smith and Brewer (https://ropac.net/news/245-galerie-thaddaeus-ropac-ely-house-london/),
and it became the home of The Albermarle Club. This private members’ club,
founded in 1874, was open to both men and women, and was first housed at 13 Albermarle
Street. Known for its liberal views on women’s rights, it was in 1895 the site
of an incident that led to the first trial of one of its members, the writer
Oscar Wilde (www.back2stonewall.com/2021/02/gay-lgbt-history-feb-18-oscar-wilde-accused-sodomite.html).
Because of the club’s connection with proceedings that led to Wilde’s downfall,
it moved to 37 Dover Street to distance itself from Albermarle Street where these
unfortunate events had occurred.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxlgJWZtJrCk__WqP5JRWLUa1Hr1oQuQu32m8gZiH8hgrWFhTvc3tJjxoUiOE3j86k-8l5faBBYcoUhKM-PMj-G8bDTBj1oAztiw6hzKprhORyKMf6zVGUJoxN71slmGtnLlHGpS8LA8/s1300/EH+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1300" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxlgJWZtJrCk__WqP5JRWLUa1Hr1oQuQu32m8gZiH8hgrWFhTvc3tJjxoUiOE3j86k-8l5faBBYcoUhKM-PMj-G8bDTBj1oAztiw6hzKprhORyKMf6zVGUJoxN71slmGtnLlHGpS8LA8/w422-h391/EH+10.JPG" width="422" /></a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><i>Bottle rack by Marcel Duchamp</i></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>During
WW2, Ely House became used by The American Red Cross Interstate Club. Later, it
housed a private bank. When Pevsner and Cherry published their book in 1973,
the house was being used by Oxford University Press. In Spring 2017, Thaddeus
Ropac announced that they would open their London gallery in Ely House.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfCxnOvbcOLYv8ei2_v6m-1uG7u9dTR_cIT7exJfR1PaP6MkvvSjtwBzbKa5B-TgKKEoy1KUde3g59GJUXSkFNemm7gZhze_lt6DvK-rW8hafOP7vF0-bP05L7bxWkpuuRyNGvWVuluk/s1200/EH+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1004" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfCxnOvbcOLYv8ei2_v6m-1uG7u9dTR_cIT7exJfR1PaP6MkvvSjtwBzbKa5B-TgKKEoy1KUde3g59GJUXSkFNemm7gZhze_lt6DvK-rW8hafOP7vF0-bP05L7bxWkpuuRyNGvWVuluk/w300-h358/EH+6.JPG" width="300" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
exterior of Ely House might not have changed much since it was constructed. A
medallion on the façade depicts a bishop’s mitre. The magnificent wrought iron
railings topped with several models of lions was a 19<sup>th</sup> century
addition based on the lions designed for The British Museum by the sculptor
Alfred Stevens (1817-1875). The interior of Ely House would now be
unrecognisable to Bishop Edmund Keene apart from a few decorative features that
have been preserved. Furthermore, the artworks that are so beautifully
displayed in the lovely, whitewashed rooms of the former Ely House would have
seemed totally alien to the long-since departed bishop. Rarely, if ever, do the
artworks displayed superbly in the gallery lack in visual interest and
originality. What drew us to the gallery on the 9<sup>th</sup> of November 2021
was a small, intriguing collection of creations by Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) in
one room, and several rooms containing disturbingly lifelike, but not always
life-sized, sculptures by Ron Mueck, an artist born in Australia in 1958, son
of German-born toymakers. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPdmnduNmEOPcVPtz8j2rCLxBOsukXAbxY0fNICH9BO_ia1UCE8g8bLCI_UOl9wVIw9TfRLsY6K7DOZMv9CBAI5x0pVzEhRItHB0HjBdHQGOvjbkmPEG5xuU9TZygS8L0YiZWvJvfYn8/s1600/EH+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPdmnduNmEOPcVPtz8j2rCLxBOsukXAbxY0fNICH9BO_ia1UCE8g8bLCI_UOl9wVIw9TfRLsY6K7DOZMv9CBAI5x0pVzEhRItHB0HjBdHQGOvjbkmPEG5xuU9TZygS8L0YiZWvJvfYn8/w281-h374/EH+8.JPG" width="281" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Part of a sculpture by Ron Mueck</i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Dover
Street is part of a network of Mayfair thoroughfares containing commercial art
galleries. Amongst them Thaddeus Ropac has the most beautiful premises and is
worth seeing not only for its artworks but also as a fine example of London’s
architectural heritage.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPwTLLaEB2uOGlvucYSBnyzEgOKXoQve6kKB9mUqvtXjCziAEXTI9Apxp2V2detK1YB40rmtsx_bASyNLGRhbFkw7xCOtsnEVKUWWFSThK9EolH40905nhEJLk1ZAGe_81mJSP84yD0M/s1100/EH+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPwTLLaEB2uOGlvucYSBnyzEgOKXoQve6kKB9mUqvtXjCziAEXTI9Apxp2V2detK1YB40rmtsx_bASyNLGRhbFkw7xCOtsnEVKUWWFSThK9EolH40905nhEJLk1ZAGe_81mJSP84yD0M/s320/EH+12.JPG" width="305" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p></div></div></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Mayfair, London, UK51.5116269 -0.14780626.012871101002069 -35.304056 77.010382698997944 35.008444tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-25654992443379602742021-11-10T16:20:00.003+00:002021-11-10T16:21:50.543+00:00A LOST LANDMARK AND A DETAILED MAP OF ALBANIA<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: justify; width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;">EVER
SINCE I CAN REMEMBER, I have been fascinated by maps and collected them. I
cannot say exactly why I enjoy them, but one reason is that I get satisfaction
from aesthetic aspects of cartography. Another reason is that when I look at
them, I try to imagine the reality that they represent, a form of virtual
travelling. Whatever the underlying cause(s) of my fascination with maps might
be, it is irrelevant to what follows because what I want to tell you is about a
shop that I used to love to visit. It was Stanford in London’s Long Acre, a
street not far from the old Covent Garden Market and Leicester Square.</b><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpj3mdHxHXzSyUxxcHjdzdVI9toQ6-IqOyUwQsjg1g6-vtNnu5wwwhNNuJ_Qmt3E4rH4ugj_zKMd79seZws1qOTpyFUrMQEairUB6pIocSdXkas-5zXHPw4y3YnB-dw1lbU6JoRtv0ns/s800/MAP+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="800" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpj3mdHxHXzSyUxxcHjdzdVI9toQ6-IqOyUwQsjg1g6-vtNnu5wwwhNNuJ_Qmt3E4rH4ugj_zKMd79seZws1qOTpyFUrMQEairUB6pIocSdXkas-5zXHPw4y3YnB-dw1lbU6JoRtv0ns/w384-h251/MAP+1.jpg" width="384" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Founded
by Edward Stanford (1827-1904) in the early 1850s, his business was one of the best
specialist suppliers of maps in the UK, if not the very best. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His company’s store on Long Acre opened in
1901, having moved there from Charing Cross. When I used to visit the shop to
browse the lovely maps on display in the 1960s, there were two floors open to
the public. The ground floor was the main showroom with maps of popular
destinations that appealed to the majority of customers. The basement was less
attractively arranged but far more interesting to serious travellers and map
collectors such as me. There were no maps out on display down there. One had to
ask a salesman to show you maps of areas that interested you. I believe it was
there that I bought a nautical chart of the extremely remote French island of Kerguelen
in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, a place that I had no intention of
ever visiting.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t5bFyQxH2pwURK5Q_rhceeSYWLd1uWs9AOu38L-oH5CW-h61S1SMaWtTG3aFxjUb_ZpvesRegyD5LT4rJBc0GOBW4P8PafcNIUtSQ7vteLiZxgsh6RiCeSj2zp_EMMT28SxCeNad2tw/s1000/MAP+0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t5bFyQxH2pwURK5Q_rhceeSYWLd1uWs9AOu38L-oH5CW-h61S1SMaWtTG3aFxjUb_ZpvesRegyD5LT4rJBc0GOBW4P8PafcNIUtSQ7vteLiZxgsh6RiCeSj2zp_EMMT28SxCeNad2tw/w436-h327/MAP+0.jpg" width="436" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;">In
about 1966, my interest in Albania was born. I have tried to explain why this
happened in my book “Albania on My Mind”, which I published in 2013, 101 years after
Albania gained its independence. In those days, not much was known in the UK
about this small country in the western Balkans. Maps of Albania were not
available in most shops, probably because few people visited the place, or were
even remotely interested in it. So, I took the Underground from my local
station, Golders Green, to Leicester Square. Stanford was a few yards from that
station. At Stanford, I enquired about detailed maps of Albania, and was sent
to the specialist map department in the basement.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2OO4nR6cVyZfWRys8i4hfkBLWVKosxFCNY2mvM5mRyEI4_nPk7xcIa2ZB6tt6UjpdkZLLBng9QAfouhUrUJscfCAdKGXYCBMqbGZlTRQBjb55chbh0rpY5OSP4aAgZhgFyVOWsfz5y0/s797/MAP+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="797" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2OO4nR6cVyZfWRys8i4hfkBLWVKosxFCNY2mvM5mRyEI4_nPk7xcIa2ZB6tt6UjpdkZLLBng9QAfouhUrUJscfCAdKGXYCBMqbGZlTRQBjb55chbh0rpY5OSP4aAgZhgFyVOWsfz5y0/w350-h288/MAP+6.jpg" width="350" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: black; clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><i style="background-color: black;">Twenty-three shillings (£1.15) for the set of two detailed maps of Albania </i></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: black; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
only detailed map of Albania available at Stanford was a 1:200,000 scale map with
the information that it was made:<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>“Auf
Grund der Oesterreichischer-Ungarische Kriegsaufnahmen und der im Auftrage der
Albanische Regierung Von Dr Herbert Louis gemachten aufnahmen sowie mit
Benützung italienischer und franzoesischer Karten” (i.e., ‘On the basis of the
Austrian-Hungarian war recordings and the recordings made by Dr Herbert Louis
on behalf of the Albanian government, as well as with the use of Italian and
French maps’)<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
map, which comes as two sheets, was up to date in 1925. A small map alongside
the main map shows which parts of the large map were surveyed by whom and when.
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Between 1916 and 1918, the
surveyors were the armies of Austria-Hungary, France, and Italy. Some
information collected by Baron Nopcsa between 1905 and 1909 is included in the
map, as well as data collected by Dr H Louis between 1923 and 1924. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwSyhZbHehzgt91YagwcwamcDVPw6XykfvhB8gQ4pgKZDEMBFGzef7lpSHde11GQbBSBPr2de0piLcPKncuQQYirwwuFZcnRwGQd4sCEqp9lK6EMPrXpdplqeLEi8RR6hHG7OXRi-0_k/s900/MAP+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwSyhZbHehzgt91YagwcwamcDVPw6XykfvhB8gQ4pgKZDEMBFGzef7lpSHde11GQbBSBPr2de0piLcPKncuQQYirwwuFZcnRwGQd4sCEqp9lK6EMPrXpdplqeLEi8RR6hHG7OXRi-0_k/w452-h339/MAP+2.jpg" width="452" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Baron
Nopcsa was the Hungarian aristocrat and politician Franz Nopcsa von
Felső-Szilvás (1877-1933; see: www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-forgot-rogue-aristocrat-discovered-dinosaurs-died-penniless-180959504/),
a founder of paleobiology and a specialist on Albanian studies. This one-time candidate
for the throne of Albania created the first geological map of northern Albania.
The German Dr Herbert Louis (1900-1985), whose name is prominent on the map, was
no stranger to Albania. In 1923, he accompanied the Austrian geologist Ernst
Nowack (1891-1946) during his research in the country, and in 1925, he was
awarded a doctorate for his studies concerning Albania. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAJbH7A5mGDJl2BXQuXYxoT3-0kIveBrHVWVdlIYNn8yfVt47zhNUDMnVGl1knLKf2r-zW0zM9zCUsQ-po_sHNUWTYuoSmsFbMC_UkkRzRv_N4ZCfA58bhlaPN2-0R-GDUzLiqO3Fs7I/s1000/MAP+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAJbH7A5mGDJl2BXQuXYxoT3-0kIveBrHVWVdlIYNn8yfVt47zhNUDMnVGl1knLKf2r-zW0zM9zCUsQ-po_sHNUWTYuoSmsFbMC_UkkRzRv_N4ZCfA58bhlaPN2-0R-GDUzLiqO3Fs7I/w417-h360/MAP+3.jpg" width="417" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>The
map looked beautiful, I fell in love with it, and I knew I had to obtain a copy
of it, but it was priced at 23/- (23 shillings: £1.15) for the set. That might
not sound excessive today in 2021, barely the price of a small bar of chocolate
or a cup of tea (in a scruffy café). But in about 1966, it was a huge sum of
money for me, many times more than my weekly pocket money. I left Stanford,
determined to save up for it and hoping that in the meantime the shop would not
run out of copies of it. Eventually, I was able to purchase a set of these
maps. <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-4XrEpSl2bvbjIBq7JY3ZXHPFbzksu37QMiil4xRaoJwewh4mofrtT-gS-ApZKU9sosGyNE6ZjJ5RzVq5LGNT0M0f6JDMFecJh15y0XNMCjqHZPYFghcHktDqbMKDbXnPf8bV9sehec/s900/MAP+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="423" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-4XrEpSl2bvbjIBq7JY3ZXHPFbzksu37QMiil4xRaoJwewh4mofrtT-gS-ApZKU9sosGyNE6ZjJ5RzVq5LGNT0M0f6JDMFecJh15y0XNMCjqHZPYFghcHktDqbMKDbXnPf8bV9sehec/w317-h423/MAP+4.jpg" width="317" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>Delicately
drawn, covered with contour lines, shaded representations of rocks and
mountains, a variety of colours, the map shows how few roads there were in
Albania in the 1920s. The tiny black dots, which represented buildings or small
groups of them are often shown to be connected by tracks or footpaths, but many
of them are a long way from any line of communication marked by the map makers.
Most of the names on the map are in Albanian, but a few are also in Italian (e.g.,
Durazzo [Durres], Valona [Vlora], San Giovanni di Medua [Shengjin], and Santi
Quaranta [Saranda]). Some words on the map are also in German.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtH4g4Deodf7Ide9QSub_7Lz3D0iVWj2O1CacsbLCRk_-xH0Y6AzJt4lbCFX1uxC_VzqSWFVAtIDr5TOURtbEfnv-2LbprlznuT2FBuTcSAYNtaznYhbpxwJ-Nb6CKQLReudwf1gll7Y/s1000/MAP+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="798" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtH4g4Deodf7Ide9QSub_7Lz3D0iVWj2O1CacsbLCRk_-xH0Y6AzJt4lbCFX1uxC_VzqSWFVAtIDr5TOURtbEfnv-2LbprlznuT2FBuTcSAYNtaznYhbpxwJ-Nb6CKQLReudwf1gll7Y/w322-h404/MAP+5.jpg" width="322" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b>I
treasure this set of maps I bought at Stanford so many years ago and my memory
of first being shown them in the basement of the shop. Yesterday, on the 15<sup>th</sup>
of August 2021, first day of the 75<sup>th</sup> year of India’s independence,
we walked along Long Acre, and discovered that although its name on the
building is still there, the map shop is not. I had not realised that in 2019 this
repository of records of landmarks and one of my favourite childhood haunts had
moved from Long Acre to nearby Mercer Walk near The Seven Dials.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><br /></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Albania41.153332 20.16833112.843098163821153 -14.987919000000002 69.463565836178844 55.324580999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-6756387046137979922021-11-09T17:08:00.009+00:002021-11-09T17:21:06.393+00:00GIN AND TONIC BEHIND THE PULPIT AND CHICKEN IN THE CHURCH<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">NAPOLEON
BONAPARTE DIED in captivity on the tiny island of St Helena in the south
Atlantic. While he was imprisoned on the island, Lieutenant General Sir Hudson Lowe
(1769-1844) was the Governor of St Helena. He was buried at St Mark’s Church in
North Audley Street in London’s Mayfair, where a commemorative plaque can be
found by the main entrance. St Mark’s was built in the Greek Revival Style in
1825-28, designed by John Peter Gandy (1787-1850). In 1878, the church
architect Arthur Blomfield (1829-1899) made considerable alterations to its
interior including adding a timber vaulted ceiling over the nave.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4A8SIjEoB7MBv_ZzS7Fs7mA5J0k2N8sGcPcVXRR0PB9s6BV-NA8IwLpTvb4vWbARXoqC2MYmMZTOW-KGSxwWKPnD1yPgHvTYVtewpdKqqjQg3U7wpWuvaggZU3kEyHYmS5hSCugqYCg/s1500/MM+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="1500" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4A8SIjEoB7MBv_ZzS7Fs7mA5J0k2N8sGcPcVXRR0PB9s6BV-NA8IwLpTvb4vWbARXoqC2MYmMZTOW-KGSxwWKPnD1yPgHvTYVtewpdKqqjQg3U7wpWuvaggZU3kEyHYmS5hSCugqYCg/w393-h253/MM+8.JPG" width="393" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">During
the 1950s and 1960s, the size of St Mark’s congregation diminished significantly.
In 1974, the church was made redundant, and this is how it remained until 1994,
when the church was used by The Commonwealth Christian Fellowship. It continued
to serve this group until 2008. After that, it was used as a venue for
occasional events. In about 2019 after a 5 million Pound restoration programme,
the church underwent a surprising reincarnation.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DrHyaCwoNFwr8ve7qbOMNyajWsZFIvueeE8ieVaXJ2hTopxxvW_DcqpBxoWopFrYT26owxUbgZLNt-qMRgDiPtHO5gtxT_mSZ2tNat2lAbHpB_-OmtuEYKIgC5WX7W71T6b9hYMWKbc/s1500/MM+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1307" data-original-width="1500" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DrHyaCwoNFwr8ve7qbOMNyajWsZFIvueeE8ieVaXJ2hTopxxvW_DcqpBxoWopFrYT26owxUbgZLNt-qMRgDiPtHO5gtxT_mSZ2tNat2lAbHpB_-OmtuEYKIgC5WX7W71T6b9hYMWKbc/w387-h335/MM+3.JPG" width="387" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">After
passing beneath the grand portico supported by two columns topped with ionic
capitals, one enters the church’s large vestibule. Since 2019, this has become
a marketplace selling upmarket Italian delicatessen goods. Entering the body of
the church is rather like taking part in a Fellini film. The floor of the nave is
filled with tables and chairs and people drinking and dining. The side aisles,
north and south, contain several kitchens, preparing and serving a wide variety
of foods, from Turkish to Thai. On the north side of the chancel, just behind
the neo-gothic stone pulpit, there is a gin bar, and facing it on the south
side of the chancel, there is another bar providing alcoholic refreshments. Look
upwards and you can admire the splendid timber roof supports. The wide gallery
surrounding the nave at the first-floor level is home to more food stalls, each
offering tempting looking fare at not unreasonable prices, especially by local
Mayfair standards. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj704KlLZYZBmtUut3FvmyQ6q8-FILMe7FPsA6PjopvKcHBAvfQxth3tLfXTUdeLKCcagcamiy-s2unhBMpzcrJLo96vXghFAy3nYvm8eRkdBdaeOg1LUEqIgCWWG8zaMSghApVJHu7mOQ/s1500/MM+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj704KlLZYZBmtUut3FvmyQ6q8-FILMe7FPsA6PjopvKcHBAvfQxth3tLfXTUdeLKCcagcamiy-s2unhBMpzcrJLo96vXghFAy3nYvm8eRkdBdaeOg1LUEqIgCWWG8zaMSghApVJHu7mOQ/w296-h394/MM+10.JPG" width="296" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">In
2019, the church became home to a branch of Mercato Metropolitano, whose first
venture was converting a 150,000 square foot disused railway station in Milan during
the 2015 World Expo in that Italian city. The idea of the company was:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">“The
development of the first Mercato Metropolitano was carefully planned to retain
the site’s original appearance, which nurtured the local community’s affection
for a special part of their urban history.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> (<a href="https://www.mercatometropolitano.com/mmarketplace/#the-mercato-story">https://www.mercatometropolitano.com/mmarketplace/#the-mercato-story</a>).
<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrbyoB1ZOegsVRfq5MXON4KwiQsJbeOBVlkaB2lPhg3AOZLnnMTRj7NoOaI7iBuPusAezterxhg59DaRZJGO3R-PvwG4DExc1LwtFbjIR81krv-qa3YlpXAjkoqz1kXMEWhkOJeV5Q-A/s2000/MM+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="2000" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrbyoB1ZOegsVRfq5MXON4KwiQsJbeOBVlkaB2lPhg3AOZLnnMTRj7NoOaI7iBuPusAezterxhg59DaRZJGO3R-PvwG4DExc1LwtFbjIR81krv-qa3YlpXAjkoqz1kXMEWhkOJeV5Q-A/w384-h264/MM+1.JPG" width="384" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">And
this is what has been done at the former St Mark’s in Mayfair. Many of the
church’s fittings (for example, the tiled floors, the stained glass, the monuments,
the pulpit, and the sacred paintings at the east end of the chancel) have been
preserved. Entering the church is like entering the scene of a lively gargantuan
feast. Seeing the large number of customers on a weekday lunchtime demonstrates
that Mercato Metropolitano have successfully created a great place to meet,
eat, and drink. It is highly original and exciting, both visually and
gastronomically.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jA-mGYVNsCg_Gp1ZgweCSGXdmZcBuvRHD4xUa7h0JZ0IK6bx7iw1bt_oCW5yhwRI_NBC5zhD0NXhAKGPRRriyRmiJZty9E6SMTO_P1EllAMwFGZA3Ar_Z4y4l5LzdmFkHERgHSA9OzA/s1000/MM+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="804" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jA-mGYVNsCg_Gp1ZgweCSGXdmZcBuvRHD4xUa7h0JZ0IK6bx7iw1bt_oCW5yhwRI_NBC5zhD0NXhAKGPRRriyRmiJZty9E6SMTO_P1EllAMwFGZA3Ar_Z4y4l5LzdmFkHERgHSA9OzA/w313-h390/MM+2.JPG" width="313" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">In
Chapter 21 (verses 12-13) of the Gospel according to Matthew, we learn that:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">“…<i>Jesus
went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the
temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them
that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called
the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves</i>.” <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">I
just cannot help wondering, as many of you might also be doing, what The Good
Lord would have made of what can now be seen inside the Church of St Mark’s in
Mayfair.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHyQbiUuSvcLRbyDcYmwafCNPapPnNVucswClQJM2L6MBP5FzvX3q9TeFmLlgIgOVWdP4VptXls4q4sADsbIIXss_FyNRPt9wUTHnaKhhCccQlNt2S5f8Xd49nJmdoMtNyxksjeLIb7c/s1500/MM+14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHyQbiUuSvcLRbyDcYmwafCNPapPnNVucswClQJM2L6MBP5FzvX3q9TeFmLlgIgOVWdP4VptXls4q4sADsbIIXss_FyNRPt9wUTHnaKhhCccQlNt2S5f8Xd49nJmdoMtNyxksjeLIb7c/w291-h388/MM+14.JPG" width="291" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><br /><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Mayfair, London, UK51.5116269 -0.14780621.451072978771009 -35.304055999999974 81.572180821229 35.008443999999969tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-86296170591926562232021-11-09T09:35:00.004+00:002021-11-09T09:36:49.645+00:00Explore west London FREE OF CHARGE!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: arial;"><b>A gull flies towards a row of birds, including a cormorant, resting on poles in Hyde Park's Serpentine lake.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqcVr51fZj9qUwtYo0pMXR0pqiaAUageQVmdaF-3VfmLNERwHTqAzGZ8SUT9_K0OhidJOzWWKRmcOIoAorDrmzB4Yo1vlltflWAoMF4bzrVEp27OaMzcmYTA8HIQD5e49RGHfz7K5GMM/s2048/a+gull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2048" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqcVr51fZj9qUwtYo0pMXR0pqiaAUageQVmdaF-3VfmLNERwHTqAzGZ8SUT9_K0OhidJOzWWKRmcOIoAorDrmzB4Yo1vlltflWAoMF4bzrVEp27OaMzcmYTA8HIQD5e49RGHfz7K5GMM/w432-h326/a+gull.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">You can discover more about this attractive body of water in my FREE ebook (pdf format) about exploring west London. This can be downloaded (without any hidden conditions) by clicking </span><a href="https://adamyamey.co.uk/walking-west-london/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffa400;">HERE</span></a></span></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Hyde Park, London, UK51.5072682 -0.1657303-8.2099247027285429 -140.7907303 90 140.4592697tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-73769004646400874922021-11-09T09:18:00.000+00:002021-11-09T09:18:04.216+00:00A pub in London's Hampstead<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: red;">ONCE
LONDON’S HAMPSTEAD had two pubs or taverns named ‘The Flask’. This should not
come as a great surprise as Flask used to be a common name given to pubs. One
of them, The Upper Flask, used to be located at the top (northern) end of East
Heath Road and the other, The Lower Flask’ was (and still is) on Flask Walk, a
street leading off Hampstead High Street.</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWinQ5SwVD6yarE9EIJwJYakCLUa523GghSD5dayuyRRM2ijyJabBDRb0xOiJNan4goNdSJ0tyfEjVqBwI7i0anYOskcC6KH0dlPA2ARjSVdRmmBAIh9WCdEYbndvela1dmUCsmn3AkM/s1100/FL+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1100" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWinQ5SwVD6yarE9EIJwJYakCLUa523GghSD5dayuyRRM2ijyJabBDRb0xOiJNan4goNdSJ0tyfEjVqBwI7i0anYOskcC6KH0dlPA2ARjSVdRmmBAIh9WCdEYbndvela1dmUCsmn3AkM/w357-h268/FL+1.JPG" width="357" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">The
Upper Flask used to be a remarkable establishment. Once called ‘The Upper Bowling
Green House’ because of its good bowling green, it was a meeting place favoured
by fashionable and ‘cultured’ men (mainly) and women during the 18<sup>th</sup>
century. It was a summer meeting place for The Kit Kat Club, which thrived in
the early 18<sup>th</sup> century and whose members included literary figures
and political personalities, who supported the Whig Party. The Upper Flask
figures several times in “Clarissa”, a lengthy novel by Samuel Richardson (1689-1761),
first published in 1747. The place ceased operating as a hospitality business in
the 1750s, when it became a private residence (www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol9/pp81-91).
In 1921, it was demolished to clear the site for building the Queen Mary
Maternity Hospital (https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/queenmaryhampstead.html), which has
since become the site of a luxury housing complex.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">The
Lower Flask (in Flask Walk) is also mentioned in “Clarissa”, but unflatteringly
as:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">“…
a place where second-rate persons are to be found often in a swinish
condition,” (quoted from “Old and New London”, by Edward Walford, about 1880).<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">Unlike
the lost Upper Flask, the formerly named Lower Flask is still in business, but much
has changed since Richardson published his novel. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJW-eHqGfGSytxkX5hCYd7AiOm15D7CssS9e8sDO6jO2hkNXnNihgDhwzZUGm0RSw1ufeFX2QWcyeccyLjQRSwUAG5Pkp8_whYv3XTtNJfXFldDVu-_GmG7hdM_4VcaA4dJokfUy9wJY4/s1569/FL+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="1569" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJW-eHqGfGSytxkX5hCYd7AiOm15D7CssS9e8sDO6jO2hkNXnNihgDhwzZUGm0RSw1ufeFX2QWcyeccyLjQRSwUAG5Pkp8_whYv3XTtNJfXFldDVu-_GmG7hdM_4VcaA4dJokfUy9wJY4/w369-h277/FL+5.jpg" width="369" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;">Located
at the eastern end of the pedestrianised stretch of Flask Walk, the former
Lower Flask, renamed The Flask, was rebuilt in 1874 (and extended in 1990; https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1322190).
Formerly, it had been a thatched building and was a place where mineral water
from Hampstead’s chalybeate springs was sold. It and Keith Fawkes’ second-hand
bookshop are the only things in Flask Walk, which were in existence when I used
to visit Hampstead regularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In those, now far-off,
days, I remember that there used to be another second-hand bookshop and a
butcher, both on the south side of the passageway. Before the 20<sup>th</sup>
century, there used to be a fair held for a few days in August on the
triangular open space a few yards downhill from The Flask pub. Close to The
Flask, also on Flask Walk, miscreants could be found languishing in the parish
stocks. Both the stocks and the fair are now but long distant memories recorded
only in books published many decades ago.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: black;"> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Oddly,
despite visiting Hampstead literally thousands of times during the last more
than 65 years, it was only on Halloween 2021 that I first set foot in the Flask
pub, and I am pleased that I did. The front rooms of the pub retain much of
their Victorian charm and the rear rooms are spacious. Although we only stopped
for a drink, I could see that the Sunday lunches being served to customers
around us looked delicious. We hope to return there soon.</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01;"> </span></o:p></span></p><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Hampstead, London NW3, UK51.5556461 -0.176174923.245412263821152 -35.3324249 79.865879936178843 34.9800751tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-31669053218599110622021-11-08T18:25:00.009+00:002021-11-08T18:27:47.504+00:00Free ebook: EXPLORING EXCITING WEST LONDON<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="width: 133px;"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: bolder; max-width: unset;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;">WALKING WEST LONDON</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0303; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 36px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0303; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 36px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHycPt_cZoFOqt3eqdjGjXD-Se1kE_MV32xzFnK2b63H49nEyq7VsMo_hoDR3Y0MY256sOIzLmZuw4XM9saoPlpXVGBSLV9DdEN6dkfuWUKudayMisRi_vPP3qIPxt8uQh9mUi8LP-D2c/s900/BLOG+COVER+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHycPt_cZoFOqt3eqdjGjXD-Se1kE_MV32xzFnK2b63H49nEyq7VsMo_hoDR3Y0MY256sOIzLmZuw4XM9saoPlpXVGBSLV9DdEN6dkfuWUKudayMisRi_vPP3qIPxt8uQh9mUi8LP-D2c/w285-h380/BLOG+COVER+1.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: medium;">This book is an informative companion for people who want to get to know west London (London west of Park Lane): history, curiosities, anecdotes, and much more.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: medium;">Because I would like you to discover the fascination of west London by reading and, I hope, enjoying my book, I am distributing it as an ebook (pdf) FREE OF CHARGE (with no hidden conditions). </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #fcff01; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><a href="https://adamyamey.co.uk/walking-west-london/" style="font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to reach the web page from which you can download my book</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0303; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0303; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 36px;"><br /></span></div>YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5072178 -0.127586223.196983963821154 -35.2838362 79.817451636178845 35.0286638tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-12297944561647192822021-11-08T18:04:00.005+00:002021-11-08T18:31:24.438+00:00SINGING AND SOCIALISM IN ESSEX<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>THAXTED
IS A PICTURESQUE small town in Essex, about six and a half miles northeast of
Stansted Airport. Apart from its numerous quaint old buildings, the town has
three notable landmarks: an old windmill, a 15<sup>th</sup> century guildhall,
and a large parish church, which was built between 1340 and 1510 during the
time when Thaxted was an important centre for the manufacturing cutlery. Also,
Thaxted is home to an annual music festival, whose existence derives from the
discovery of the town by a composer, Gustav Holst (1874-1934), creator of “The
Planets” and many other musical compositions, who was on a walking tour in
Essex during the winter of 1913. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk95nKITIh-fIrOlIBneG4nRcrVkGuB7BlR-VjawBFPPZvO-1h_Z0j2qZhi1_qQgyeKvvlvsq6BmfTzDoAUWNkMohqpS4l7O-3VXaEXHWS36H8DbQyzJWiMs9CxLSArimyieGK9dCUj-Q/s1100/TH+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1100" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk95nKITIh-fIrOlIBneG4nRcrVkGuB7BlR-VjawBFPPZvO-1h_Z0j2qZhi1_qQgyeKvvlvsq6BmfTzDoAUWNkMohqpS4l7O-3VXaEXHWS36H8DbQyzJWiMs9CxLSArimyieGK9dCUj-Q/w386-h261/TH+1.JPG" width="386" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Holst,
who was born in Cheltenham, was living in London by 1913 and teaching music at
St Pauls School for Girls in Hammersmith, James Allen’s Girls School in
Dulwich, and Morley College for adults in Lambeth. At the same time, he was
busy composing. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Holst
had come to study at The Royal College of Music in London in 1893. Soon after
arriving in London, he became acquainted with William Morris (1834-1896) and
attended meetings at the latter’s house in Hammersmith, where he would have
heard lectures on socialism given by George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and others.
Holst joined the Hammersmith Socialist Society (‘HSS’), which was led by Morris.
Many of the socialists he met including Shaw were vegetarians, as was the
composer Wagner, whom Holst greatly admired. As a student and a regular
attender of meetings of the HSS, he became a vegetarian and at the same time developed
a great interest in Hinduism (<a href="http://www.ivu.org/people/music/holst.html">www.ivu.org/people/music/holst.html</a>). He began studying Sanskrit at
The School of Oriental and African Studies (https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-music/articles/holst-and-india)
and several of his compositions bear Indian-sounding titles, such as “Savitri”
and another opera called “Sita”, and songs based on the Rig Veda.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>According
to Nalini Ghuman:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>“<i>In
contrast to the vague musical orientalism in vogue during the height of the
British Empire, Holst’s hymns, with their bona fide Indian texts, subjects, and
musical elements, have often seemed decidedly ‘un-Indian’ to the uninformed
ear: ‘Sound firm impressions of the East from a sane Western perspective’
declared The Musical Times; ‘They do not suggest a point further East than
Leicester-square’ (Daily Telegraph); after all, explained the Manchester
Guardian ‘many real Eastern musical ideas are frankly ugly and uninteresting’.
Their Indian musical roots have long been denied by the composer’s biographers</i>.”
(<a href="https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-music/articles/holst-and-india">https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-music/articles/holst-and-india</a>).<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>However,
Ghuman points out in her article that Holst did incorporate elements of Indian
music, including emulating Vedic chanting and a South Indian mode, the namanarayani.
You would need to be a serious musician with specialist interest in Indian
music to be aware of these features whilst listening to Holst’s Indian inspired
compositions. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Returning
to his political leanings, major biographies of Holst tend not to focus much on
his connections with socialism, but an informative article, “Gustav HoIst,
William Morris and the Socialist Movement” by Andrew Heywood (Journal of the
William Morris Society, vol 11, no. 4: 1996), shows that his involvement was
far from inconsiderable. In addition to attending meetings of the HSS, Holst
conducted its socialist choir, played the harmonium on the ‘official socialist’
cart, and was involved in the administration of the society. Heywood wrote that:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>“<i>In
the light of his clear commitment to the socialist movement through 1896 it
would seem likely that his involvement with the musical activity of the society
did not stem from a lack of political commitment; rather it was an opportunity
to serve the movement in a way which utilised his musical talents and interest</i>.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>It
was through the HSS that Gustav met his wife Isobel, who not only sang in the
socialist choir but also, according to Heywood, was politically active in the
society. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>So,
it was with a background of involvement with socialism that Holst walked into
Thaxted in late 1913 and took such a great liking to the place that he rented a
17<sup>th</sup> century cottage there (actually, in Monk Street, 1 ½ miles from
Thaxted) from its owner, the Jewish author Samuel Levy Bensusan (1872-1958). Thus
began Holst’s several year’s association with the town. It was not long before he
made the acquaintance of Thaxted’s vicar, Conrad le Despenser Roden Noel (1869-1942).
After the cottage in Monk Street burnt down, Holst and his family lived in a
house, The Manse (formerly known as ‘The Steps’), in the centre of Thaxted.
Today, this is marked by a commemorative plaque.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Noel
was not a run-of-the-mill country cleric. He was a Christian Socialist and a
member of Social Democratic Federation, a founder member of the British
Socialist Party, and for some time the Chairman of the Anti-Imperialist League,
supporting the struggle for independence both in Ireland and India. Deeply committed
to Christian socialism, social justice, and egalitarianism, Noel made sure that
what went on in his parish church promoted these ideals. Noel’s biographer, Reg
Groves, wrote that Conrad:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>“…<i>emphasised
always that there was much more to making a new society than the acquisition of
political power and the transfer of some property from the rich to the state,
from one set of rulers to another. In this as in so many things, he was at one
with the wisest of English socialists, William Morris, and much of what Morris
said in prose and poetry and in the work of his hand, Noel tried to say in the
group life he had developed at Thaxted</i>”. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Noel
and Holst shared socialist sympathies and more.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>During
Holst’s sojourn’s in Thaxted in between his heavy teaching and other musical
commitments, he attended services led by Noel. It was after one of these held at
Whitsun in 1915, that Holst, having heard the great potential of singers in the
church, approached Noel and offered to give the choir the benefit of his
professional skills as a trainer of vocalists. Noel, recognizing the splendid
opportunity, soon had Holst become his church’s ‘master of music.’<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Heywood
explains that Holst’s:<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>“…<i>first
job was to train the choir for the church. Its members were drawn from the local
population, and they achieved high standards with Holst. One member, Lily Harvey
from the local sweet factory, was sent to London for professional training because
of her exceptional vocal talents. In addition to his activities with the choir and
playing the organ, Holst organised three major music festivals in Thaxted
between 1916 and 1918</i>.” <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Lily
was not the only person sent to London for musical training. The then young
curate Jack Putterill, who was politically turbulent and played the organ,
became one of Holst’s students at Morley College. Jack, who married Noel’s
daughter, succeeded Noel as Vicar in 1942.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>The
festivals organised by Holst involved not only performers from Thaxted but also
some of his students from Morley College and St Pauls as well as other
musicians from outside the town. Each festival lasted several days, on each of
which there were many hours of music making, both rehearsed concert pieces and
much spontaneous music. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Holst not only helped make music in
Thaxted but also composed there. The plaque on the The Manse, where he lived, is
positioned on the outside of the wall of the room in which he composed. While
living at Monk Street, he composed much of what was to become the well-known piece,
“The Planets”. The “Jupiter” section of “The Planets” contains a tune or theme
that Holst named “Thaxted” (you can listen to this familiar tune here: <a href="https://youtu.be/GdTpBSg7_8E">https://youtu.be/GdTpBSg7_8E</a>). In 1921, “Thaxted” was used as
the tune for the patriotic song “I vow to Thee, My Country”, whose words were
written by the British diplomat Cecil Spring Rice (1859-1918). Holst also
composed pieces specially for Thaxted and its people. These works include a
special version of Byrd’s “Mass for Three Voices”, “Three Hymns for Thaxted”
(later known as “Three Festival Choruses”), and a setting of the Cornish carol
“Tomorrow shall be My Dancing Day” (hear it on <a href="https://youtu.be/Cz_0j__FDuc">https://youtu.be/Cz_0j__FDuc</a>). <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Although
the last festival in Thaxted with which Holst was intimately involved was in
1918, he never lost touch with music making in the town, even after he moved
from it to nearby Little Easton in 1925. Holst’s pupil Jack Putterill, an
accomplished musician who was Thaxted’s assistant curate from 1925 to 1937 and
its vicar from 1942 until 1973, helped keep the town’s musical life alive and
vibrant. In the 1950s and 1960s, concerts with great orchestras such as The
London Philharmonic and audiences in excess of 1000 were held in the parish
church. In 1974, the hundredth anniversary of Holst’s birth, the first of what
was eventually to become an annual music festival was held in Thaxted. By the
1980s, the Thaxted Festival had become a regular and respected part of the
British musical calendar (<a href="http://www.thaxtedfestival.co.uk/">www.thaxtedfestival.co.uk/</a>). <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Apart
from the Festival and the house with the plaque in Thaxted, most souvenirs of
Holst’s time in the town can be found within the cathedral-like parish church,
which, incidentally, was once a candidate for becoming Essex’s cathedral (this
honour was granted to the parish church in the centre of much larger Chelmsford).
The church in Thaxted contains a photograph of Holst with singers and musicians
at the Whitsuntide Festival held in 1916. Near this, there is some calligraphy
with the words of “Tomorrow shall be My Dancing Day”. The church’s Lincoln
organ built in 1821 by Henry Cephas Lincoln (who worked between c1810 and c1855)
was played by Gustav Holst and has been recently restored. Not far from the
organ is a cloth banner, sewn by Conrad Noel’s wife, which was used in the 1917
Whitsuntide Festival. It bears the words “The aim of music is the glory of God
and pleasant recreation”. These words were written by the composer JS Bach (1685-1750)
and were chosen for use on the banner by Holst. Near this banner, there is a
bust of Holst’s friend and collaborator, Conrad Noel. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fcff01; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Both
Holst and his student Putterill fell in love with Thaxted at first sight and
were so strongly drawn to it that the town came to occupy important places in
their hearts and minds. We first visited Thaxted in the early summer of 2020
soon after covid19 restrictions began to be relaxed sufficiently to permit
travelling out of one’s immediate neighbourhood. Like Holst and Putterill,
Thaxted made a special impression on us, so much so that we have visited it at
least twice since our first encounter with it. Next year, we hope to be able to
attend concert(s) at the Thaxted Festival inside a church that we have grown to
love.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><br />YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0Essex, UK51.574244699999987 0.485678123.264010863821142 -34.6705719 79.884478536178833 35.6419281tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-12486351449772266942018-08-28T17:52:00.001+01:002018-08-29T14:40:38.033+01:00LOOKING THROUGH STONE IN GUJARAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Baroda</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Before
setting out on our recent extended travels through Gujarat, I booked accommodation
via a well-known travel website. The hotel I chose for Ahmedabad was the aptly
named ‘Hotel Goodnight’. Its address, ‘Opp. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk523239307">Sidi Saiyed’s
Jali</a>, near Electricity House…’, intrigued me. What is a ‘Jali’, I wondered,
apart from being an anagram of ‘jail’.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: black; color: orange;">Ahmedabad</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The
word ‘jali’ (or ‘jaali’) means ‘net’ in Hindustani. As an architectural term,
it refers to stone grille window screens. These screens are carefully and
usually intricately carved in stone (usually). A flat stone is carefully perforated to
produce an often elaborate pattern of spaces surrounded by the remaining
strands of stone. In India, they are found in temples (Hindu and Jain),
mosques, and secular buildings. They are usually very attractive. These carved
stone window coverings, that simultaneously provide shade and the passage of light,
can be seen outside India. There is at least one church in Palermo (Sicily),
which contains jali work. In this case, it was created by Moorish craftsmen who
remained in Sicily after it was conquered by the Normans.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Palermo (Sicily)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Jali
work can be found not only in buildings constructed many centuries ago, but
also in more recently built structures, such as the Arts Faculty Building in
Baroda and the Vijay Vilas Palace in Kutch Mandvi.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Baroda Faculty of Arts (19th century)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>Vijay Vilas (Kutch Mandvi)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The
best places in Gujarat for seeing jali, which we visited, were Ahmedabad and
Baroda. If you don’t wish to travel so far afield, The Victoria and Albert
Museum in London has some very fine examples in its South Asian galleries.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: black;"><i>In Victoria and Albert Museum</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Returning
to Sidi Saiyed’s Jali in Ahmedabad, here is an excerpt from my new book:</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;">“</span><i><span style="color: yellow;"><b>Opposite
our hotel and across the busy Relief Road, which one should not cross without
first saying a prayer, is one of the city’s many architectural treasures. It is
the Sidi Saiyed Mosque (aka: ‘Sidi Saiyed’s Jali’), which was built in 1573
during the last year of the Gujarat Sultanate. It was constructed by Sidi Saiyed,
an Abyssinian general in the army of Sultan Shams-ud-Din Muzaffar Shah III. A
learned man with a great library, he had served with Rumi Khan, a son of
Khwajar Safar, who died at Diu. The Sidi’s grave lies in a wire mesh enclosure
near the north east corner of the mosque. His much-revered gravestone is
usually covered with beautiful coloured silk cloths.<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: yellow;"><b>This
mosque is a long rectangular open-fronted pavilion. It is entered through any
of five wide arches with pointed tops. The mosque’s domed ceiling is supported
by four rows of pillars each supporting arches, which together form an arcade.
The stonework is decorated in places with floral motifs that are not especially
Islamic. The lower part of the rear wall facing the entry arches is plain
stonework apart from a centrally placed mihrab.
The upper third of this wall has five almost hemi-circular stone arches.
The central one is solid stonework. It is flanked on either side by pairs of
exquisite, intricately perforated stone lattice screens, exceptional examples
of jali work. They allow light to filter into the mosque from the west. The screen at the south end of the mosque is
carved to represent a Tree of Life with swirling, tangled branches…</b></span></i><span style="color: orange;">”</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.6041045000000018 37.654286000000042 49.7914725 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3914670443924337792.post-47834775531156630712018-08-24T14:49:00.000+01:002018-08-24T14:49:29.239+01:00OPEN YOUR EYES TO GUJARAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>DISCOVER GUJARAT AND THE FORMER PORTUGUESE COLONIES OF DAMAN AND DIU</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="color: lime;">"</span><i><span style="color: magenta;">Gujarat, the land of Gandhi and Patel, is also the land of business</span></i><span style="color: lime;">"</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; text-align: left;"><span style="color: lime; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>[<span style="font-size: x-small;">Narendra Modi, 2017</span>]</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black; color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Almost wherever you live, you are bound to have met members of the Gujarati diaspora. Yet, Gujarat in western India, where they originated, is hardly known or visited by foreign and Indian tourists.</b></span></span></div>
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Adam Yamey’s richly illustrated book describes his travels through Gujarat and </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">two former Portuguese colonies</span><span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Daman, and Diu, with his wife. Her knowledge of Gujarati allowed the travellers to speak with locals and gain their insightful views about Gujarat’s past, present, and future.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Join Adam and his wife in their adventures through the land where Mahatma Gandhi grew up and Lord Krishna ascended to heaven. Meet the people and discover places whose beauty rivals the better-known sights of India. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This book will be of great interest to tourists. It is an insightful personal view of the region rather than a guide book.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: black; color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>GET TO KNOW GUJARAT </b></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>WITHOUT LEAVING YOUR SEAT:</b></span></i><span style="font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">BUY THE PAPERBACK </span><a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/adam-yamey/travels-through-gujarat-daman-and-diu/paperback/product-23764429.html"><span style="color: orange;">H E R E</span></a></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">DOWNLOAD ONTO YOUR KINDLE </span><span style="color: orange;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/TRAVELLING-THROUGH-GUJARAT-DAMAN-DIU-ebook/dp/B07GLWZPHD/" target="_blank">H E R E</a></span></b></span></span></div>
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YAMEYAMEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02816242731615788846noreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.6041045000000018 37.654286000000042 49.7914725 120.27147400000004