Chihuly at Kew Gardens

During the Summer of 2001, I took my children then aged 10 and 6 to an exhibition at the V & A in London. My mum also came along for the day. I’m not sure if we decided to go along and let the boys choose which rooms they wanted to go in or whether we had gone along with a plan from the start.

I mention this visit because it was the first time that I had encountered two things – digital cameras and an artist named Dale Chihuly. I booked the children onto a class at the museum where they were ‘given’ (I remember handing over my bank card as collateral) a Canon digital camera for a few hours. They were to take pictures of the Chihuly glass exhibition and then return to the studio for the pictures to be printed and used in artwork for them to take home. This was all rather exciting and I still remember the pictures that were taken in the courtyard of the very large pieces. One which I think was called Reeds looked very much like a barcode when photographed in black and white. The chandelier that you see in the lobby today pre-dates the exhibition by a few years although from reports that I have read it was enlarged after the 2001 exhibition.

Last summer my partner and I went on a west coast America road trip and finished in Seattle, Washington for a few days. This is where the Chihuly gardens are and despite them being very close to our hotel it was something that we did not get around to doing in the 3 days that we had there. We now move to Spring 2019 and I hear there is to be a Chihuly exhibition at Kew Gardens which will run until almost the end of October. Plans were made to visit at some point over the summer. Last Sunday morning I realised it was almost October and I still hadn’t made a visit! I had already decided that I was going to buy a Kew annual membership and that is what I did.

The only problem now was the weather. The forecast had said rain for the next ten days or so and it was looking highly unlikely that I would get there before the middle of the month. Early Tuesday morning it wasn’t actually raining and looked like it would be dry until 11am least. A short ride on the 65 bus and at last I saw the glass sculptures in situ. They were worth the wait.

Kew Gardens are the perfect place to display these wonderful pieces and the imaginative way they are dotted around outside as well as inside is beautiful. The rain didn’t hold off for me on Tuesday morning and within fifteen minutes of me getting there, the heavens opened. I still managed to see a majority of them though and couldn’t wait to get back again. Today the forecast again said the rain would hold off and I persuaded my partner that it would be a good day for us both to visit. This was partly the case and thankfully we had decided to explore the pagoda after heavy rain started and luckily missed the hailstones that followed. I took a lot of pictures.

After a gap of a few years when I solely relied on my iPhone, I am now on my fourth digital camera since my first in 2003 and rarely go out without it. I enjoyed taking photos of Chihuly’s work myself this time and hope to get back again before the exhibition closes. I also look forward to taking pictures when these leave Kew and the seasons change over the coming year it is a glorious place and it made me smile.

Chingford: From fields and forest to Royals and the railway - a guided walk by Joanna Moncrieff

A few weeks ago, I went for a guided walk around Chingford, nothing unusual there – I have lived there for over 50 years – but what was unusual was to discover some places and paths I knew nothing about.

Joanna Moncrieff, a Westminster and also Clerkenwell and Islington Guide might be a bit out of her turf here, but Chingford really IS her turf as like myself she has lived here for a great number of years. Chingford is in Waltham Forest, a London Borough and not in Essex as some people still believe although it does at times feel like you are in the country.

We meet at Chingford Station wearing several layers of clothing, this was mid-October and none of us really believed the forecast – sunshine and 20 degree temperatures!

After hearing about the history of Chingford from its beginnings as a hamlet we crossed the road, getting our first glimpse of Epping Forest in all its glory and taking a longer look at Chingford Station. This is now an Overground station but was built in the 1870s. Joanna told us the part it played in the history of Epping Forest and its Royal connections (no spoilers here). She also showed us a tithe map from 1838 which detailed all the fields, paths, and roads that made up Chingford. This would become significant later in the walk and was referred to often.

We then left the main shopping street, Station Road and headed into the suburb proper looking at the different types of speculative building that happened after the railway came to town.  Large villas with lots of whimsical detail were the norm, sadly most of these are now converted into flats.

Back on Station Road, we looked at the impressive church and one or two of the local pubs, hearing tales of famous people who have made Chingford their home. I do mean famous, not infamous although we have had a few of those as well.

As an added extra to the walk on the Saturday I went along we were able to spend some time at Pimp Hall Dovecote where there was an Apple Day celebration. The recently refurbished 17th-century dovecote is beautiful and with the blue sky and warmth, we spent time looking at the stalls and eating a cream tea. By now most of us were down to t-shirts and sat down for a few minutes to enjoy the setting and the warm sunshine.

We left the Apple Day celebrations and made our way across a woodland path and over some open space to see one of the ancient Manors of Chingford.

Up until this point, I knew all the places that Jo spoke of but not always their history and relevance, but now we took uncharted territory for me, in Chingford, somewhere I know like the back of my hand. The tithe map reappeared, and Jo showed us a network of paths which we were able to follow through the modern day streets. These took us past an important sporting space I was unaware of and also led us back into the forest.

The walk finished in Epping Forest at one of Chingford’s most famous buildings, The Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge. It is an impressive building but unfortunately on the day that we visited it was covered in scaffolding. The walk was over and all that was left was a 10-minute walk back to the station.

This is a lovely walk and is well worth booking and it has its next outing on the 17^th November, tickets can be booked here. 

Leigh Stanford

East London of Foot guide

A Friday ramble Farringdon to Holland Park

It is hard to believe that yesterday was such a gorgeous spring day as I look out of the window and snow is falling. I had decided yesterday morning that I would walk some or all of the way back to Ealing after I finished work around 2pm. The map app said it was 9 miles which I thought was a bit ambitious but I thought Cowcross Street to Holland Park seemed a better option coming in at just under 5 miles.

A few minutes from the start in Clerkenwell I visited the beautiful St. Peter's Italian Church and saw a clock on the side of a building that I hadn't seen before.

St Peter's Italian Church

                                                

I realised at this point that my walk would take a bit longer than I'd planned as I was seeing so many interesting things along the way. After Clerkenwell Road came Theobalds Road where the Holborn Library and Local Studies and Archive are situated and then on to New Oxford Street.

Holborn Library

Kingsway tram tunnel

I decided not to follow the route the app was showing as I really do not like walking down Oxford Street. The crowds can be avoided though by walking along the streets to the back of the shops where it feels as if you are in a different place.

This entranceway intrigued me as it had the most beautiful green tiling. It was Rathbone Square a newish (2015) public space which if you look at the linked web page should be bustling with people on a lovely Friday afternoon. The reality was slightly different as aside from the security guard and a few people walking through the garden was empty and the promised shops, restaurants and bars are sadly not there.

I glimpsed the Sanderson Hotel, formerly Sanderson House on Berner Street and remembered seeing some pictures of beautiful John Piper stained glass on a stairwell. I've not been in the Sanderson before but managed to find the glass behind a curtain in the lobby. It is absolutely gorgeous although I would have preferred seeing it in 1960 when it was on more prominent display in the wallpaper showroom.

                                   

The architectural history of Britain is depicted in 15 Portland stone sculptures on the side of Henrietta House in Henrietta Place. Designed by Christopher Haddon in 1990 the offices are now occupied by CBRE.

A gorgeous but rather sad sight was the Welbeck Street car park which is likely to be demolished to make way for a 10-storey hotel. There has been an online petition and alternative plans submitted to adapt the car park to use as a hotel but sadly it looks like this brutalist gem will be lost.

A bit further along the back roads of Oxford Street is Edwards Mews where there is a discreet rear entrance to Selfridges and also their car park. In the foyer was a sculpture called Carmen Miranda by Joana Vasconcelos. Something to think about before you throw out any pots and pans!

Just along the way in Edwards Mews there were some more Selfridges buildings which looked like they had been built in the 1960s. The tiling was lovely and I am pretty sure that I remember the logo that you can see on the wall from their carrier bags.

After Marble Arch I began walking along Bayswater Road which was the busiest and noisiest stretch of road that I walked along - I looked at a few things on the side roads as well. There were some blocks of flats that caught my eye, a convent, a synagogue, a sculpture or two as well as some delightful houses.

On the final leg from Notting Hill Gate to Holland Park I saw a ghost sign and a crest and Ruth Rendell's house in Holland Park. Three hours and almost 8 miles of walking later I arrived at Holland Park station. It was a lovely walk no doubt helped by the mild weather we had but it does make you realise how small London really is. From Farringdon in the east to Holland Park in the west could be walked in just over an hour and a half if I'd stuck to the route but with sightseeing it obviously took a little longer. Next time I'll finish in Ealing.