'The Wild Table of Love' by Gillie and Marc

At the corner of Eastbourne Terrace and Praed Street, Paddington, there is a rather large sculpture of various endangered animals, sitting and having a banquet together.

The animals, being hosted by Rabbitwoman and Dogman, are a koala, Bengal tiger, African elephant, Masai giraffe, a hippo, a lion, Northern white rhino, mountain gorilla, Grevy's zebra and a chimpanzee.

Two seats allow visitors to join the banquet, as this is an interactive sculpture where interaction is key.

'Sam' the Cat

London is full of statues of monarchs, politicians, generals, soldiers, horses, wild animals and lots more. The ones that I love discovering, though, are the smaller, lesser known ones... such as this one.

This statue depicts a cat poised to jump from a brick wall, possibly to land on an unsuspecting bird or mouse. Sam was a real cat and he was commissioned to recognise his owner, Patricia Penn. 

'Physical Energy' by G.F. Watts OM RA

'Physical Energy' in Kensington Gardens.

Walking through Kensington Gardens you will discover this huge bronze equestrian statue, entitled 'Physical Energy'. It stands overlooking the northwest side of the Serpentine and was sculpted by George Frederic Watts OM RA.

Brief History

G.F. Watts had been working on 'Physical Energy' since the early 1880s, and thought of it has a culmination of his work in the field of public sculpture. 

He was asked to cast the bronze as early as 1886, but instead continued work on and modify the gesso model. Watts used equestrian elements of the Elgin Marbles in designing the model.

In 1902 the first full-size cast of the sculpture was made at a foundry in Fulham. It was said to be Britain's largest bronze cast, at the time. Watts gave it to the British government and it was exhibited at Burlington House, in 1904.

It was originally intended to be erected at the burial place of Cecil Rhodes, in Southern Rhodesia, but, due to the costs and logistics of such an undertaking, it was instead made part of the Rhodes Memorial, near Cape Town.

In 1905 a second cast of the sculpture was made at a foundry in Thames Ditton. This second cast was more refined and took 18 months to finish. In September 1907 the 6 ton cast was unveiled at Kensington Gardens.

Two more full-size sculptures were created, each differing slightly. 

The third bronze was displayed in front of the High Court building, Lusaka, Zambia. However, after a few moves, it was finally moved to its current position, outside the National Archives, Harare, in 1981.

The fourth full-size sculpture was cast in 2017, using a new mould from the original model. It was commissioned by the Watts Gallery to mark the 200th anniversary of Watts's birth. It was displayed in the courtyard of the Royal Academy, before being permanently installed at Watts Gallery Artists’ Village.

Smaller bronzes were aloso cast throughout the years and sold. Some can be seen in various art galleries, around the country. 

'Athena' by Nasser Azam

I spotted this large bronze statue, in the centre of a roundabout, outside London City Airport and was immediately struck by its size. Unfortunately, as it was a cloudy day, I couldn't get a photo with the sun lighting up the silver coating that covers this giant bronze statue.

Standing at 12 metres (39 feet), it has to be one of the tallest bronze statues that I have ever seen. In fact, it is the tallest bronze statue in the United Kingdom.

Newham Council's Strategic Development Committee were the ones who commissioned the statue, stating:

“London Athena will face east towards the airport and its approach road with her head looking up at the sky and her arms outstretched about her as if greeting or waving to aircraft in and out of the airport.”

Nasser Azam, who designed 'The Dance' on the South Bank, was commissioned to design the figure and it was unveiled in 2012. 

Athena is the Greek Goddess of war, handicraft and practical reason.

London City Airport objected to the statue, who had requested to use the roundabout for signage and advertising related to the airport. They lost their objection, which I am glad about as this statue is definitely an improvement for the area.

Nasser Azam, who was originally from Newham, had the bronze cast at his foundry, Zahra Modern Art Foundries, which he had purchased in 2010. This foundry, originally called the Morris Singer Art Foundry, was the one that cast the Trafalgar Square Lions.

Because of the finish, applied to the statue, many people forget that it is made of bronze.

A small disc states:

"Athena

by

Nasser Azam

bronze

2012

with the support of

Elan Corporation, plc"

Battle of Britain Monument

"Scramble!"

Walking along the Victoria Embankment, near Whitehall, you will discover the Battle of Britain Monument, which stretches along the pavement.

This granite and bronze monument was built so that visitors can interact with it. This impressive monument has scenes from different aspects of the Battle of Britain. From Airmen 'scrambling' to women working in munitions factories to the ground crews who kept the aeroplanes serviced... and more.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

I can happily look at this monument for hours, and still find something that I have never noticed before.

'National Windrush Monument' by Basil Watson

The National Windrush Monument.

Anyone travelling through Waterloo station, since late June of this year, will almost definitely have seen the 3.5 metre (11.5 feet) tall bronze National Windrush Monument. 

The Monument depicts a family (father, mother, daughter) dressed in their 'Sunday Best', while standing atop seven suitcases, which contain all of their worldly belongings from their Caribbean home. 

The monument is dedicated to all those who emigrated from the Caribbean to Britain between the arrival of the ship HMT Empire Windrush on 22 June 1948 and the Immigration Act 1971.

Trafalgar Square: Nelson's Column

Nelson's Column.

Whenever you visit Trafalgar Square it is impossible to miss Nelson's Column, on its pedestal, surrounded by four bronze lions. However, getting a good view of Lord Nelson, at the top of the column, is not so easy.

Nelson's Column.

It is strange, now, to think that when the square was being designed it was to be named for King George IV, in celebration of his ascension to the throne. When this was changed and it was decided to name it after Lord Horatio Nelson the plans still did not include a column, nor fountains.

Erin and Keilyn sitting with one of the bronze lions.

'Dockers' by Les Johnson

Holland, Ringwood and Tibbs.

Sunday November 1, 2015.

It was a particularly foggy Sunday November morning, in the Unfinished City, as I strolled around the old Royal Docks. Still, this helped to take some dramatic and atmospheric shots, as the area was pretty much deserted. 

This image of The Dockers, with the cranes disappearing into the fog, became one of my favourite shots of the morning.

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