'Charlie Chaplin Mosaic' by Southbank Mosaics

If you were to walk along Lambeth Walk you will discover four small mosaic of Charlie Chaplin, by Southbank Mosaics.

They are set into the wall of Chandler Hall, home of Southbank Mosaics, in two pairs. 

I like that the colours are muted, reflecting how most knew him from his films. I don't think that colourful depictions would have done the subject justice.

They were created by Southbank Mosaics, which is an open artisan studio and training centre, with an aim to make the concrete streets of the neighbourhood more attractive.

As a training centre they teach heritage skills, such as mosaic, and have set up over 250 installations throughout London. These include Blake's Lambeth, which saw 70 of William Blake's works turned into mosaic. These were then used to transform the tunnels, that lead out of Waterloo station, from dull, lifeless places into a welcoming free art gallery.

Walking around this area of the South Bank there are plenty of free mosaic and other public art installations to discover, so it is well worth seeking out what is on offer.

Walking alone: Elephant & Castle to Borough... and beyond

Friday August 23, 2024.

As I still had some time away from work I decided to take another walk through London. I was going to be joined by my youngest, but Keilyn and her sister Erin had both gone away for the week, so I was left to explore on my own.

A simple journey saw me catch a Metropolitan line train to Baker street where I changed to a Bakerloo line train, that whisked me off to Elephant & Castle, which is as good as a starting point as any.

At Lambeth North the carriage emptied and I found myself in an deserted carriage, which was cool.

After exiting the station I turned right, as I had no route to follow, and began walking along St George's Road towards Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, before turning right, again, on to Lambeth Road.

Approaching St George's Circus I took some photographs of the obelisk, at the centre of the roundabout, before turning my attention to the Bakerloo line London Road Underground Train Depot, situated on the corner opposite.

I continued along Borough Road and onto Borough High Street, from where I turned right onto Trinity Street. Realising that I was going to end up going around in circles, I turned left onto Globe Street, which led me to Pilgrimage Street.

I found that I was in a small residential area with not much to offer, so I turned right onto Manciple Street, before turning left onto Hankey Place. And I was glad that I did.

This small street with its houses and flats had secrets to show. Along the low walls many of what I thought were iron railings were, in fact, ARP stretchers, left over from World War II. I had heard about these but had never seen them in person, so I was thrilled.

I exited Hankey Place and turned left onto Long Lane. before heading up Tennis Street to Angel Place. Now, Angel Place is a small alley that links Tennis Street with Borough High Street, but, again, this hides a secret. 

The tall brick wall, to one side, was once the south boundary wall of Marshalsea Prison, which stood near here until it closed in 1842. Behind it is St George's Churchyard Gardens, where I sat in the shade for a few minutes, before continuing on my walk.

Suitably rested I continued along Angel Place to Borough High Street. As it was approaching noon I thought I would find a watering hole and stop for a beverage. So, I continued up Borough High Street and crossed Southwark Street and found myself outside 'The Southwark Tavern'. And in I went.

'Project Blake' by Southbank Mosaics

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.

'Ancient of Days' by William Balke

Urizen in William Blake's 'Ancient of Days'.

Sunday December 1, 2019

From Thursday November 28, 2019 (what would have been William Blake's 262nd birthday) to Sunday December 1, William Blake's 'Ancient of Days' painting, was projected onto the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.

It was a cold afternoon as I, my two girls and my mum made our way along the South Bank towards the Tate Modern, and a spot where we would be able to see this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Arriving at the Tate Modern, we headed up to the viewing platform, which offered a more unobstructed view than from the riverside, but was far colder. After taking a few photos of the skyline, in the still light afternoon, we decided to take some shelter inside the cafe area and warmed up.

Just before 16:15, as the winter sky darkened, the painting began to emerge against the backdrop of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. The colours, becoming more prominent with each passing minute. With the wind picking up we headed down to the riverside, which, despite its openness, was less cold. Go figure.

A few more photos of the dome, the painting, the various boats and bridges were taken, before we headed back towards the South Bank Centre, in search of some hot food and a drink.

From Thursday November 28, 2019 (what would have been William Blake's 262nd birthday) to Sunday December 1, William Blake's 'Ancient of Days' painting, was projected onto the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. 

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

The grave of Daniel Defoe.

I had long wished to visit Bunhill Fields Burial Ground and Gardens, as, sometimes, these are often overlooked places that many find macabre. 

However, places like this offer a wonderfully peaceful place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. 

Plus, there are always the graves of important people, mixed in with the ordinary, everyday tombstone. 

Gravestones.

Bunhill Fields contains many graves, but some of the more famous are those of Daniel Defoe and William Blake, the latter of which is just a marker stating that he is buried close by. This is set to change, as his actual burial site has now been found, and a new gravestone will be unveiled, soon.