William Blake Mosaic

As you walk east along Royal Street you will pass below the main railway line from Waterloo. Along the walls of this tunnel are mosaic, based on designs and poetry of William Blake.

William Blake lived all but three years of his life in London, ten of which were lived in North Lambeth. 

The house where he lived, on Hercules Road, no longer stands, but a Blue Plaque marks the spot.

William Blake was largely unrecognised throughout his life, but became a highly regarded figure for his poetry in the years following his death.

He was also a prolific painter, with his 'Prophetic Works' being his best known and most controversial.

Hanwell Zoo

Keilyn ready to explore Hanwell Zoo.

Hanwell Zoo is typical of the many smaller zoos dotted in and around London, with the usual animals to see. Rabbits, ducks, chickens, donkeys and goats are a staple of this sort of zoo. 

However, at Hanwell Zoo there are exotic birds, some of which I have never seen anywhere else, red-crowned crane, black cheeked lovebirds, red fody, glossy starlings, white faced whistling ducks and more.

Then there are the mammals, like Meerkats, capybara, porcupine, armadillo, alpaca and more.

In the nocturnal enclosure you may, if you have the patience, spot the gray slender loris, loping through the branches.

The same could be said for the Margay, a cat that likes to sleep more than it likes to walk around.

With a fair-sized playground, with sandpits, water features, slides and climbing apparatus, there is something for children of all ages to enjoy, when they tire of the animals.

Highgate Cemetery

Thursday August 15, 2024.

Highgate Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in London, if not the world, and was a place that I have wanted to visit for years.

So, with Emma, Erin and Keilyn in tow, we headed to the cemetery, arriving at around 11:45, checked in at reception and awaited the start of our tour at noon.

Exactly on time Nigel arrived and introduced himself to our group, explaining that the tour takes between 75 and and 90 minutes. Then we set off up the steps to the West Cemetery. 

At the top of steps we stopped and Nigel introduced us to James Selby. James Selby had taken a wager, in 1888, that he couldn't take his coach and horses to Brighton and back, within eight hours. It was a journey of over four hours, one way. James Selby completed the round trip in seven hours and fifty minutes.

We then moved further up Colonnade Path where we were introduced to more of the cemetery's guests and the giant mausoleum of Otway, with its glass skylights and iron railings in the shape of upturned cannon, with spiked cannonballs.

Close to this was the grave of Alexander Litvinenko and then the wellkept family plot of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou. aka George Michael.

A fox appeared from between some gravestones, took a quick glance at the group and then disappeared into the undergrowth.

We then continued up Main Drive and visited the grave of Elizabeth Jackson, who was the first person to be buried in the cemetery.

Before we knew it we were approaching Egyptian Avenue, with its obelisks. The avenue, which is now roofless, was lined with vaults. 

Each of these vaults are home to not just the dead, but orb weaver spiders, of which there are thousands. These spiders are usually only found in caves and it is thought they may have been living in the cemetery for over 150 years.

Exiting Egyptian Avenue brought us out into the Circle of Lebanon, with its massive family vaults. 

Nigel stopped by various ones of interest, telling us stories and some of the things that had been filmed here, normally without permission. For instance, the Aird family Mausoleum was used in the film 'The Abominable Dr Phibes.

We then saw the tomb of George Wombwell, before Nigel unlocked the gate of the Terrace Catacombs and we delved into the cool darkness. 

We saw some of the lead-lined coffins, some in a poor state, while others were still behind the original glass. 

Towards the eastern end we could see the damage done to some of the coffins, when people, believing that vampires were in the catacombs, broke in to destroy the bodies.

We were told about the Beer Mausoleum before we went off to see the grave of Thomas Sayers, who holds the the record for the biggest funeral in the history of the cemetery.

We then travelled down Morgan Road and on to Sayers Road, before heading down Faraday Path to the grave of Michael Faraday.

We then continued along the path until we found ourselves back at the courtyard.

West Cemetery Gallery

Kenwood House

Wednesday August 14, 2024.

We arrived at Kenwood House at about 11:20 and made our way into the Entrance Hall.

Here we were met by some English Heritage tour guides, who explained a little about the house, before pointing us in the right direction from where to start our tour.

We began by ascending the Deal Stairs to the upper floor, where we discovered fragile valuables, like cameos, belt and boot buckles, jewellery, and other miniature collectables.

We then made our way to Lady Mansfield's bedchamber, Miss Murray's bedchamber and Lord Mansfield's bedchamber, before entering the Upper Hall. 

All of these rooms are currently home to 'Strike a Pose: Stephen Farthing and the Swagger Portrait' exhibition.

Walking with family: Day 2 - Archway to Highgate Cemetery... and beyond

Thursday August 15, 2024.

It was an early start... but not by design.

Just after 06:00 Erin, who was already awake, along with Keilyn, said that she could hear running water. So, up I got to check the bathroom, without turning on the light so as not to wake Emma. I checked the sink tap... nothing. Bath tap... nothing. Shower head... nothing, but I could hear water dripping. As I moved my hand along the bath I felt a drop of water hit my head. Sure enough water was dripping through the light fitting. Damn. I was going to have to wake Emma.

With us all awake and the girls getting dresses, Emma and I went down to reception and notified the Duty Manager. He travelled up in the lift, with us, and headed to the sixth floor to check the room above. A few minutes later he arrived at our room to inspect the leak. There was nothing untoward in the room above, so the leak must be coming from another room. He immediately put our worries behind us by assuring us that we were in no danger, but still offered us another room for our trouble. We declined this as we would be checking out after breakfast. The only thing we were upset about was not enjoying the bed for long enough. Premier Inn beds are the most comfortable that we have ever slept in.

I would just like to say that all of the staff were excellent and dealt with the issue professionally. We have stayed at many Premier Inns, not just in London but across the country, and this is the first time we have ever had an issue. This will not put us off using them again.

So, we headed down for an early breakfast and enjoyed everything that was on offer. Suitably full we headed to our room, collected our things and checked out. We informed the man at reception that we were checking out, so that if they needed to check the ceiling, the room was free.

On leaving the hotel we made our way down Junction Road, checking out the Charity Shops, before stopping at Starbucks, which is in an old pub, for some caffeine.

Suitably caffeined up we crossed Junction Road to Navigator Square and began our walk.

Heading up Archway Road I took lots of photos of the derelict Archway Campus, which began its life as The Holborn and Finsbury Union Workhouse Infirmary, which was built between 1877-79. It is a wonderful building that needs to be protected.

Keilyn spotted a mural and I took her photo with it, before I wandered off ahead to take a photo of Highgate Archway. 

This iron viaduct, built in 1900, although impressive, is not a patch on the original Roman-style viaduct, designed by John Nash in 1813.

We then turned down Waterlow Road, which brought us on to Highgate Hill. A little further on and the impressive St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church towered over the surrounding buildings.

It was here that we entered Waterlow Park, where, once the facilities were used, we sat in the shade, while Erin and Keilyn took to the playground.

Suitably rested we continued the short distance to Swain's Lane and Highgate Cemetery.

Our tour began at 12:00 with our guide, Nigel, explaining, in brief, the history of the cemetery, before our group headed up the Colonnade Path and into the heart of the West Cemetery. The tour lasted a full 90 minutes and we saw and learned a lot. We visited the graves of Thomas Sayers, Elizabeth Jackson, George Michael, Michael Faraday, Alexander Litvinenko and so many more, learning interesting facts about each one.

To see more photographs from the West Cemetery click the link below.

West Cemetery Gallery

Walking with family: Day 1 - Archway to Kenwood House... and beyond

Wednesday August 14, 2024.

As we had some time away from work and the girls were away from school for the holidays, we decided to spend some time visiting some sites in London.

We booked a taxi and headed to Watford Junction, where we caught an Avanti West Coast to Euston and, from there, a Northern line train to Archway.

After topping up on a few snacks fro the day we caught a 210 bus to Compton Avenue, where we alighted and walked the short distance to Kenwood House.

Kenwood House is a former stately home, which was originally built circa 1616. It was remodelled by the architect Robert Adam in the 18th century and was home to the Earls of Mansfield until the 20th century.

Besides being a stately home, Kenwood House is home to historic paintings by the likes of John Crome, Anthony van Dyck, Claude de Jongh, JMW Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, Rembrandt and many more.

During our visit there was an exhibition by Stephen Farthing entitled 'Strike a Pose: Stephen Farthing and the Swagger Portrait'. These are portraits of Lord Howe, reimagined by Stephen Farthing, and were pretty spectacular.

You can see more photos from Kenwood House by clicking the link below.

Gallery

After visiting the house we sat in the grounds and ate our lunch, before we took a stroll through the grounds, eventually finding ourselves heading south through Hampstead Heath. 

The weather was perfect for a wander through the Heath, with many people jogging, walking dogs, having a picnic or, like this, just taking in the surroundings.

'Girl with a Dolphin' by David Wynne

On the north bank of the River Thames, just east of Tower Bridge, there is a wonderful fountain of a girl swimming with a dolphin.

It is a stunning sculpture that has stood on this spot since 1973 and is passed by millions of visitors, each year. Because of its location, beside Tower Bridge, it offers some great photo opportunities.

This bronze sculpture is the work of David Wynne, who, throughout his career, focussed much of his work on animals. His most famous piece is 'Guy the Gorilla' in Crystal Palace Park.

David Wynne studied zoology at Cambridge University, but this just led him to become a sculptor.

In order to get this statue correct, David swam with a dolphin for hours, feeling that this more practical approach would make the sculpture more realistic.

His approach worked, as this bronze sculpture seems to have caught a moment in time. The young girl, with her hair trailing behind her, is swimming down, while the dolphin rises to meet her,

Because this is a bronze sculpture, David Wynne had to use double cantilevers to ensure that the weight of the bronze could be held, thereby ensuring 'Girl with a dolphin' would continue to swim, for years to come.

'Girl with a dolphin' has a twin. On Cheyne way, Chelsea, there is a similar statue named 'Boy with a dolphin'. It depicts a boy, modelled on David's son, Roly, holding on to the dolphin's fin as they swim through the water. 

This sculpture was unveiled in 1974..

Tragically, Roly took his own life in 1999, so his father dedicated the statue to Roly.

David Wynne died in 2014.

Fire Engine House, Rotherhithe

This front wall is all that remains of the Old Rotherhithe Village Fire Engine House, which was built in 1821. It forms a pair with the nearby Watch House, both of which are on Saint Marychurch Street, and back on to a lovely green oasis, called St Mary's Churchyard Gardens.

This engine house once housed firemen and a single hand-operated wheeled fire engine. It must have been a small appliance as the entrance takes up a third of the wall, while two small windows take up the rest.

A fire appliance was kept here until the 1870s.

Although only a facade, now, I am still glad that it remains in situ, as part of the wall surrounding St Mary's Churchyard Gardens.

Remembering the London Monarchs of 1991

My London Monarchs jersey.

Back in the late 1980s to early 1990s, Channel 4 showed a lot of sport, that the other channels (BBC and ITV) didn't show. This included Sumo (Chiyonofuji was one of the greatest exponents of the sport), Baseball and American Football. I would sit and watch the Sumo and American Football, with my mum, and soon I was hooked. My neighbour and friend, Colin, also started watching the baseball and American Football. 

Later, we both had our own baseball mitts, bat and ball and would often be outside seeing who could make the best catch, best pitch and longest hit.

We then discovered that the National Football League (NFL) was going to start a World League of American Football (WLAF), and that London would have its own team. This was great news to us, so we followed the story with interest.

Sure enough, in 1991, the World League launched with 10 teams; London Monarchs, Barcelona Dragons, Frankfurt Galaxy, New Jersey Knights, Orlando Thunder, Montreal Machine, Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, Birmingham Fire, San Antonio Riders and the Sacramento Surge.

The London Monarchs would use the iconic Wembley Stadium as their home venue, while using the International University, Bushey, for their training. We were over the moon. We could easily cycle to Bushey to watch them train and Wembley was just a few stops along the Metropolitan line.

The London Monarchs were to play their home matches at the iconic Wembley Stadium, which would also be the venue for the first World Bowl at the end of the season. We then discovered that the London Monarchs would be using the International University, Bushey, as a training ground and that some of the players would occasionally pop into the Red Lion, Bushey, for the odd drink. 

The International University and the Red Lion pub were close enough for us to walk or cycle to, while Wembley Stadium was just a few stops along the Metropolitan line.

We caught the odd glimpse of Stan 'The Man' Gelbaugh (quarterback) and Jeff Alexander (running back), along with others as they trained, by peering through the fence of the International University. We also saw the London Monarchs cheerleaders, known as the Crown Jewels, practising their moves. Every time we visited the Red Lion, we missed the players, but the walls were slowly being covered by signed photographs of the players. (I shall have to go and see if any of the photographs are still up.)

MillenniuM Maze

Looking over Maze 2000, from the viewpoint.

In the south of Brent Lodge Park is a maze that is made from 2000 Yews, set out over a large area. The hedges are between 4-5 feet tall, allowing adults to peer over, but not enough to give a true sense of direction.

Passing through the open gate, Keilyn and I noticed an observation deck, with an access ramp, that allowed us to look out over the maze, thereby planning our route to the centre.

Looking at the maze from the observation deck.

With a plan in mind, Keilyn and I headed into the maze, turning left then right, following our feet. But we kept hitting a multitude of dead ends, which forced us to retrace our steps and attempt a different path. 

Some thorny bushes were growing out of the hedges, while nettles had taken over one of the myriad dead ends, while the rest of the paths and hedges were clear.

Keilyn at the central observation deck.

It wasn't long, though, before we reached the centre and clambered up the steps of the central observation deck, from where we could plan our escape.