Pillar Boxes

I have started to tidy up the many pictures that I have taken digitally over the last 10 years and one of the first folders to be set up is titled Post Office. This includes telephone boxes, documents from trips to the archive and many, many bright red (also green and blue) pillar boxes! These fabulous items of street furniture have stood on many street corners, High Streets and country lanes for over 100 years some 150 years!

Here are a few from last year and there are a few cheats  - ones taken at the British Postal Museum Archive Store, Debden. I've also been on the trail of the elusive Edward VIII post boxes around the London area and have included a few here. Despite the many letters that are sent electronically now it is always lovely to receive something 'in the post', unless it's a bill that is!

A Walthamstow Sunday

On an incredibly warm and bright October Sunday I decided to visit the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow to see a new exhibition and also walk to Walthamstow Village to look at the road set up for the Mini Holland trial.

Rossetti's Obsession: Images of Jane Morris runs until 4th January 2015 and is a beautifully curated exhibition of photographs, pastels and drawings of the wife of William Morris, This year marks the Centenary of her death and this exhibition is a travelling one in partnership with Bradford Museums and Galleries.  I really enjoyed this and will go back to some associated events as well. Opening times are Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm and it is free entry.

A walk along Hoe Street and into St. Marys Road took me into Walthamstow Village to see the Mini Holland trial in action. As usual on a bright day Orford Road was busy with people and a few bikes. As I'm not a resident of an affected road I'll reserve judgement on it.

A short walk around the corner is the Vestry House Museum home of the archives of Waltham Forest and a place I visit regularly for exhibitions. I hadn't though known about their latest one Raids, Rations and Riots: Waltham Forest and the Great War which started last week and runs until Sunday 1st of March 2015. It is a thought provoking and informative exhibition which has displays about the Chingford Royal Naval Air Station which was situated under what is now the William Girling Reservoir as well as about the Walthamstow AEC factory that made the B Type bus from 1910. There are also many display items which tell the human cost that the Great War had on what is now Waltham Forest. This exhibition is also free and I would recommend a visit to both on the same day. This museum is also open from Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm

After a Big Build Up.....

Well after the big build up and the change of Blog title I have made approximately zero posts.  Not a good start but I have been busy nonetheless.

I've been on a guided walk, a guided tour and some rambles.  I did have the idea of making this post about the various guides that I have come to know in the last year mainly through Twitter and the many walks I have enjoyed with them.  That will be my next one and this is just a snapshot of a few busy weeks.

I went to the first day of Bailey's Stardust at The National Portrait Gallery beautiful exhibition of over 200 of David Bailey's photographs.  Normally £14.50 to enter it is only £7.25 with Art Fund.... here is my only purchase from the matching merchandise, a lovely snap of Jean Shrimpton

On a particularly rainy day .......

I went with with Miss B AKA Tina Baxter, Regents Canal, Arnold Circus and The Geffrye Museum.

On the beautiful bright Sunday a trip to Greenwich with a friend, managed to get into The Chapel as well as The Painted Hall.  We also went for another look at the fabulous new gallery at the National Maritime Museum featuring the life and death of Admiral Nelson.....Nelson Navy Nation. As we left there was the most beautiful Sunset!

 

 

On a bright Thursday morning in on February 13th, 14 London Historians Members were treated to a guided tour of The Royal Courts of Justice by Colin Davey.  We spent an hour and a half being told about the history of this amazing building and seeing some of the displays. It was also good to hear about it's various roles in our Legal Framework.  A brilliant morning and I just wish I had been able to stay for lunch in Middle Temple!  The Royal Courts are open to the public but you do need to go through airport style security.  Photography is not allowed and therefore here is a shot of St. Paul's from the bus on the way and a picture of the Royal Courts taken from the stunning Lloyds Bank opposite....

The following day saw my first visit to the brilliant Wallace Collection, so many works of art to feast your eyes on and elaborate clocks in every room.  It is situated in a square behind Selfridges and is free to enter.

That afternoon I went to the new exhibition at RIBA, The Men Who Built the Modern World.  Another free exhibition and well worth visiting. The building itself is great as well as the well stocked shop.

We were treated to yet another bright and sunny Sunday a week or so ago and another first visit, this time to the newly restored Kenwood, Hampstead.  All I can say about this house and the surrounding common land is that it is gem and I shall return. I will take a picnic next time as although the food in the Brewhouse was tasty it was very busy and a bit chaotic.  Kenwood is maintained by English Heritage but allows free entry to everyone.

 

 

Last Saturday I joined Sean Patterson's Charles Booth Walk  in Clerkenwell.  A very familiar area but with the added narrative of the Charles Booth Poverty Map it took on a very different light.  Great fun as we, the walkers joined in with some of the excerpts from different publications.  Sean also does Booth walks around Whitechapel and Deptford which I am definitely going to attend.

 



And finally, last Sunday I stayed local and drove the few miles along the North Circular to the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow.  The Gallery won The Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2013 and as part of that gained the first outing in the United Kingdom of Jeremy Deller's English Magic exhibition.  The exhibition will move on to Bristol and then Margate during the year. The Gallery is free as is the exhibition although donations are welcome.

That was quite a busy few weeks using up holiday and taking advantage of sunny Sundays.   There is a lot to do out there and a large amount of it is FREE!