Walking with Erin and Summer: Piccadilly Circus to Covent Garden... and beyond

Saturday December 28, 2024.

Erin and Summer, who had joined us on our last family walk, wanted to go to London to see Chinatown and have dinner out. So, after agreeing we set off as normal with a train to Baker Street and, to save time, a Bakerloo line train to Piccadilly Circus, from where our walk would begin.

Although they only wanted to visit Chinatown and eat out, I said that I would take them to some other places, as Summer explained that she didn't really get to see the sites. So, the first thing I pointed out was the World Time Linear Clock, at Piccadilly Circus station.

Chinatown was busy, as it always is, as meandered our way through the throng of people queuing to dine, tourists snapping photos of the gates and those just going about their daily business. The smell of the various foods, from restaurants and bakeries, was intoxicating, making me feel hungrier than I actually was. Unfortunately, Erin and Summer had already planned where we having lunch, so I would have to wait.

After walking through Chinatown we found ourselves on Leicester Court, where we saw the statue of Wonder Woman, before heading east, crossing Charing Cross Road onto Cranbourn Street and then Garrick Street. We walked up King Street and entered Covent Garden, where we watched a street performer juggling knives on a tightrope, before heading into the Apple Market building to peruse the stalls. 

At the northern end another entertainer was performing Shakespeare while balancing on a free-standing ladder. He followed this Shakespearean effort by juggling three clubs, while still atop the free-standing ladder. He was, quite possibly, one of the most entertaining performers that I had seen in a while. Erin and Summer enjoyed his performance, too, placing a £5 note in his hat at the end of his act.

'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 with family: Baker Street to Leicester Square... and beyond

Sunday December 22, 2024.

It was a cold late morning as Emma, Keilyn, Erin and her friend Summer and I made our way to the station, ready to take in the Christmas atmosphere of London.

I did give the girls' a mission for the walk. 'The first person to find a dinosaur would be given £1'.

Our first stop, after exiting Baker Street station, was to find somewhere to eat lunch. The girls unanimously voted for KFC, which we found across the road on Baker Street.

Suitably filled we headed south along Baker Street, crossing Oxford Street, until we reached Grosvenor Square. The square was remarkably quiet so we left, via its southeast corner, and headed onto Carlos Place, where we saw The Connaught Christmas tree, our first true Christmas tree of the day.

Continuing along Carlos Place we entered Berkeley Square and Keilyn, who had been slightly ahead of us, came running back to us, demanding £1, as she had found a dinosaur. Sure enough, as we reached the corner of Berkeley Square the cast of a dinosaur stood on a plinth, staring into the heart of the Square. I reached into my pocket and handed over the prize.

After admiring the display at Annabel's Members Only Club, we headed along Bruton Street to New Bond Street, passing the Coach and Horses pub on the way.

New Bond Street was considerably busier than anywhere else that we had so far visited, due to the ornate displays of the various big names along the street. Boodles, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren, to name a few. 

The sky, though overcast, was still too light to get the full effect of the lights, but it still brought the feeling and atmosphere of Christmas to us.

Continuing on a light rain began to fall, so we headed into the Burlington Arcade, with its caped Beadles, exiting on Piccadilly, where the Fortnum & Mason building had its usual Advent Calendar display.

For a bit of a respite, Summer had never been on one of our walks, we headed into Waterstones bookshop, where we perused the books.

We then continued along Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus and onto Coventry Street, where warm drinks were purchased. Before visiting the Winter Market, which had been erected in Leicester Square, Erin, Summer and I went off to see the various statues of Harry Potter, Bugs Bunny, Batman, etc.. After making a complete circuit, of the square, we met back up with Emma and Keilyn and entered the Winter Market. A few items were purchased, at inflated prices, before we headed off to grab some more snacks and warm food.

Queen Mary's Steps

In the grounds of the Ministry of Defence, on the Victoria Embankment side, there are a set of steps with a buttress and wall.

They are not an old entrance to the basement of the building, which now stands behind, but rather a rebuilt part of a terrace, originally built by Sir Christopher Wren, and were part of Whitehall Palace.

'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.