Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: London

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – Hampstead Heath Sightline

    London – Camden (Borough of) – Hampstead Heath Sightline

    There are a number of these protected views and sightlines in London and they’re listed on Wikipedia. This is from Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath and I think it’s quite beautiful. Clicking on the image makes it larger and it’s possible to see not just the big skyscrapers, but also buildings such as St. Paul’s Cathedral which are all about six or so miles away.

    A slightly different view and this is the spot where it’s said that Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby stood on 5 November 1605 when waiting to see if the Houses of Parliament blew up. There’s no certainty about this at all, but it seems conceivable and it would have been easy to see the destruction of the buildings if the plot had been successful.

    The name of Parliament Hill isn’t from the view, it’s thought to be from when the Parliamentary troops were stationed here during the English Civil War. Incidentally, it’s also the highest point in London, standing at 98 metres in height, so that’s another mountain that I’ve climbed.

    There are numerous benches for people to sit and gaze over London city centre, along with a little map of the various things to look out for.

    The BT Tower is the most obvious in this photo, but just to the left of that is the Houses of Parliament.

  • London – Camden (Borough of) – The Stone of Free Speech

    London – Camden (Borough of) – The Stone of Free Speech

    This ‘stone of free speech’ looked quite exciting on the map, although it was perhaps just a little less riveting when I got to it. However, it’s said that this might have some considerable heritage, although all of the evidence appears to be a little woolly.

    The official Hampstead Heath web-site says that “the origins are sketchy”, which often just means someone made it up about 30 years ago and no-one can really disprove it now. It might though have been the centre for religious and political meetings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and that is quite exciting if it’s true. I can’t find any mention of it though in newspapers from the nineteenth century, so even if it did exist then, I’m not convinced that had a reputation for being the location in the park for free speech.

    The myth suggests that this stone dates from the late seventeenth century and it could have been some form of marker post for surveying perhaps. I don’t know if it was at this exact spot, but there was a suffragette meeting at the park in April 1913, but the female speakers were shouted down and then what the media called “a youth” chucked a wooden box at the speaker. After twenty minutes of this, the police decided they were stopping the meeting and so everyone went home.

    Even if it’s not true, I like the idea that large meetings took place here in the open air, so I’ve decided I buy into the whole concept.

  • Pubs Along the Victoria Line

    Pubs Along the Victoria Line

    [this was a project that got delayed due to Covid, but I’ll finish this one in 2024!]

    I feel that I’ve done enough posting about walking for a bit, so it’s time to return to my other true love of pub visiting…. This will be a bit of a holding page until I can start my visiting (and I might revisit the pubs I’ve already frequented, such is my commitment to high standards with this project).

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victoria_Line.svg

    I’m staying in London frequently over the next few months, so my little project is to find a favourite craft beer pub near every underground station in the city. To ensure that I select only the finest, I’m aiming to go to three carefully (sort of) chosen options near each station, then I can pick the pub that meets my requirements the best based on my little visit.

    I’m going to start with the Victoria Line, which has 16 stations, so, 48 pub visits (or potentially more if I find some extra interesting looking pubs in a locality). I think I might enjoy this little project trying them all out. I’ve currently still got some gaps in the planning process, all suggestions welcomely received. I’m hoping to have completed the Victoria Line stations by the middle of June if this goes to plan.

    STATIONS:

    Walthamstow Central (The Untraditional Pub, The Village Pub, Wild Card Brewery Barrel Room)

    Blackhorse Road (Wild Card Brewery Taproom, Signature Brew Brewer’s Bar, Exale Brewing Taproom)

    Tottenham Hale (Ferry Boat, Beavertown Brewery Taproom, Bluecoats)

    Seven Sisters (True Craft, Five Miles, ???)

    Finsbury Park (The Finsbury, The Naturalist, ???)

    Highbury & Islington (Brewhouse & Kitchen, The White Swan, Snooty Fox)

    King’s Cross St. Pancras (Parcel Yard, King Charles I, Skinners Arms)

    Euston (Doric Arch, Euston Tap, ???)

    Warren Street (Smugglers Tavern, Marlborough Arms, ???)

    Oxford Circus (Old Coffee House, Star & Garter, Brewdog Soho)

    Green Park (King’s Head, Red Lion, ???)

    Victoria (Willow Walk, St George’s Tavern, ???)

    Pimlico (Cask Pub & Kitchen, White Swan, Grosvenor Arms)

    Vauxhall (Mother Kelly’s, ???, ???)

    Stockwell (Phoenix, Surprise, ???)

    Brixton (Craft Beer Co, Brewdog Brixton, Brixton Brewery Taproom)

  • London – Greenwich (Borough of) – National Maritime Museum (Guillotine Blade)

    London – Greenwich (Borough of) – National Maritime Museum (Guillotine Blade)

    This exhibit, which I accept isn’t the cheeriest, is in the collections of the National Maritime Museum in London. It’s a guillotine which dates from around 1792 and it was used on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe to execute about 50 royalists.

    I have to say that I’m not sure I’d have wanted to live on Guadeloupe in the late eighteenth century. It was French until 1759, when the British took it over, but the French really liked having it. The French decided that they wanted it so much that at the Treaty of Paris in 1763, they swapped their French colonies in Canada to keep control of it, so they took over the island again. The French Revolution, which really wasn’t ideal for the wealthy in France, also spread to Guadeloupe and everyone was made free on the island, regardless of their colour. The British decided that this political power vacuum was a chance to get the island back, so they invaded in 1794 and gained control, only to see the French quickly take it back.

    The guillotine was likely taken over by Victor Hugues when he went out to try and purge the Royalists and set the country free from the British who had interfered with arrangements. Hugues arrived on the island with his guillotine on 2 June 1794 along with 1,153 Republican soldiers who were keen and eager to fight and kill people. Documentation mentions that those killed included the estate owners on the island, as well as some military officers, and the guillotine was carried around the island as further victims were sought.

    It is said by the National Maritime Museum that Captain Matthew Scott of the Royal Navy decided that it seemed an ideal souvenir, so he brought this guillotine back on HMS Rose when the British left the island. I can understand why Captain Scott took the item, as he might have thought it was something important politically, but Hugues attacked and pushed the British off the island, so it’s unclear why Scott would have this guillotine. It’s unlikely that Hugues would have willingly given it up (Paul Fregosi in his book Dreams of Empire said that he was very attached to it), as he still had work to do with it.

    And the next part of this mystery, HMS Rose sank near Jamaica on 28 June 1794, so I have some queries about this situation as well….. It’s clear that Scott hasn’t sailed home with it and come back, as there wasn’t time, so that guillotine would have been on board when the ship sank. The 200 sailors on board had to fashion bits of the ship to create rafts to paddle to safety, this wasn’t some little incident in the harbour where they had chance to reclaim everything. I’m unsure whether someone decided that the guillotine needed salvaging as some sort of priority, was Scott that keen to have it?

    So, there’s perhaps something slightly wrong about the story told by the National Maritime Museum and my theory (based on no evidence at all) is that Scott did bring this item back, but that he did so later on. Scott later became a Vice Admiral and he was still on board ships in the region in 1810, the year that the British took back Guadeloupe. So, my historical guess (like this is of relevance to anyone) is that Scott brought back the guillotine as a war trophy at this point, and not before. And I am unanimous in that to quote Mrs Slocombe….

  • London – Greenwich (Borough of) – National Maritime Museum (Nelson’s Death Coat)

    London – Greenwich (Borough of) – National Maritime Museum (Nelson’s Death Coat)

    This is “one of the most iconic items in our collections” the National Maritime Museum note, the uniform which Admiral Horatio Nelson was wearing when he died. Vice Admiral Nelson was killed on 21 October 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar, when a bullet fired from the French ship Redoutable hit his left shoulder. The damage done was fatal and Nelson was aware of this immediately and he’s quoted as saying “Hardy, I do believe they have done it at last, my backbone is shot through”. He was carried off to get medical help, stopping en route whilst he gave advice to others whilst the battle continued, dying around three hours after he was injured.

    It was suggested to Nelson that he perhaps shouldn’t wear medals on board the ship as it made him stand out to the opposing forces, who could target him. However, removing them was a slight faff as they were sewn on and such was the inaccuracy of weaponry at this time, Nelson didn’t seem to fear much. The ones on display here are those which were on the coat when he died, but they themselves were replicas.

    It’s possible to see on the coat a hole where the bullet hit Nelson on the shoulder, making this a slightly grim exhibit, albeit one of national importance. There are also blood marks on the sleeve, which aren’t particularly visible, although it’s thought that these are likely that of Nelson’s secretary, John Scott, who had died about an hour before. Scott’s body’s had been thrown into the sea but blood remained on the deck and Nelson fell onto that spot when he was hit.

    The coat was given to Lady Emma Hamilton, who was Nelson’s mistress, but she was in a slight predicament that the Government excluded her from events, and her own husband wasn’t best pleased at this entire situation. She sold the coat in 1814 to help pay off some of her debts and it was later repurchased by Prince Albert, who gave it to Greenwich Hospital.

    Copyright of the Royal Collection Trust

    One of the joys of history is that most things entwine with each other, although that’s sort of literally the case here. The bullet which killed Nelson, along with bits of his coat that got caught up with it, are exhibited at the Queen’s Guard Chamber at Windsor Castle. It was taken from Nelson’s body by William Beatty, the doctor of HMS Victory, who decided that he quite fancied having a souvenir of the whole incident. He wore this locket for the rest of his life, but when he died his family donated it (probably with some relief) to Queen Victoria.

    As an aside, Nelson didn’t want his body chucking overboard as the usual way of getting rid of dead bodies. So, it was Beatty was put Nelson’s body in a barrel of brandy to preserve it whilst the ship set sail back for England. During this period of transportation the gases from the body forced the lid of the barrel off. It’s said that the sailors guarding the barrel were rather surprised by this occurrence….

  • London – Islington (Borough of) – Edward Johnston Memorial at Farringdon Station

    London – Islington (Borough of) – Edward Johnston Memorial at Farringdon Station

    Just in case anyone thinks I’ve started travelling again, these are photos from a very quiet Farringdon underground station last month. And this is the sort of slightly niche memorial that I like, a quite glorious addition to what would otherwise be a sterile corridor area. It’s also perhaps not really apparent what it is at first, I like a bit of depth to things such as this.

    The memorial was unveiled in 2019 and was designed by Fraser Muggeridge and it honours the work of Edward Johnston (1872-1944). Johnston was commissioned by Frank Pick to design a new typeface for the London Underground and it started to appear across the network in 1916. The London Underground roundel concept wasn’t designed by Johnston, but he was responsible for its design evolution and how it appears today. The London Transport Museum has more information about the roundel and Johnston’s influence on it.

    The typeface was initially planned to just be used on London Underground posters, but it was seen to be clean and tidy, so its use was extended to nearly all signage. This memorial has been designed to look like the printing blocks that were once used, hence why it looks back to front.

    As an aside, this memorial was unveiled by Sir Peter Hendy, someone who has a long interest in the fabric and heritage of transport in London. I remember when I was at an underground station in 2013 (I’ve forgotten which) where there was an issue where everyone needed to leave. I sought help from a staff member, and by chance I managed to get assistance from Hendy who was there offering customer service help. He knew exactly what buses I needed to get and had a formidable knowledge of the network, although I suppose that’s inevitable given that his career was spent in buses and he was heading TFL. Anyway, because I like to report excellent customer service to companies, I filled in the TFL customer service feedback form and I got an template e-mail back the next day that my positive comments had been forwarded onto the staff member……

  • London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – The Bolton

    London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – The Bolton

    This visit to the Bolton in Earls Court was last year, before the pubs in London were shut down by one of the later lockdowns.

    The pub was built in the 1890s and although the Victorian interior has been largely replaced, it’s still got a comfortable and historic feel to it.

    The beer selection was better than I had anticipated it would be, especially given the challenging trading conditions at the time. The Tiny Rebel Stay Puft Imperial Eggnog Marshmallow White Porter was excellent, a richness of flavour and Beer and Brewing Magazine have an interesting take on the whole white porter/stout issue. Looking at Untappd, the score for this beer isn’t that high, although that does seem perhaps a little harsh given the innovative concept which seemed to me to have worked. The Forest Bänger by Põhjala was a reminder to myself that I will hopefully get to Estonia in 2021, a lovely flavoured beer with only the minor problem to me that the mouthfeel was a bit thin and it needed some more body. But, two very decent beers. Oh, and just for Nathan, both beers were at the appropriate temperature. And, just for Liam, the label on the pump clip looked exciting.

    In normal times, the pub has a themed Dutch bar upstairs, Proeflokaal Rembrandt. This bar has over 100 different Dutch and Belgian beers, along with having themed evenings with local Dutch cuisine. Alongside more substantial meals they of course have Bitterballen, but they also have Bierbitterballe which have a beer batter. I’m very tempted indeed….. Shame they don’t have a FEBO selection, but I’m not sure that they would consider this fine Dutch cuisine (even if I do).

    That’s a decorative ceiling in the toilets…..

    I visited at a time when customers had to order food alongside their drink, and the fish and chips was absolutely fine. The portion size looks a little small in this photo, although that’s partly to do with the size of the plate. The fish was tender, the batter was crispy and flavourful and just as importantly it wasn’t greasy. The chips were firm and appropriately cooked, so everything was as I expected. Perhaps it wasn’t exceptional, but tasty and hot is certainly good enough.

    The staff were engaging and keen to help, despite some very trying circumstances at the time (I mean the health issues, not me as a customer). There was perhaps some slight confusion as to their policy on how many drinks a customer could have with their substantial meal, but the eventual conclusion seemed to be that it was fine to have a few drinks as long a meal was ordered. The pub did get relatively busy, although that was partly because a quiz was taking place. I’m not particularly much of a fan of quizzes and I’m not sure it did much for the atmosphere, but if it brings customers in then that’s all good. There was also something of a community feel to the whole arrangement as well, despite the large size of the building which can often make things seem a little anonymous.

    I liked this pub, the Dutch vibe running throughout the concept, the selection of beers and the cleanliness of the venue all made for a comfortable visit. It’s a shame that they’ve picked up a few negative reviews recently because customers didn’t like how they were dealing with the current health restrictions. The complaints seem to be rather unfair, but at least we knew that the pub was taking the rules and regulations seriously to protect customers and staff. This is another pub that I’d go back to, and likely will when I next go to the Ibis Styles in Kensington….

  • London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Victoria and Albert Museum (Soul at Death)

    London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Victoria and Albert Museum (Soul at Death)

    Well, this is, er, frightening. And, that was actually the aim of this sculpted piece from the 1620s, designed by Giovanni Bernardino Azzolini. Individuals bought these items for devotional purposes, to remind them that prayer would ensure that they didn’t end up in hell or purgatory. This wax sculpture depicts what happens at the time of death, when the soul makes its journey into what is hopefully heaven after judgement day has taken place.

    I’m really not sure that I’d want this, I would have thought there are more inspirational pieces to encourage one to engage in a life of prayer. There’s an inscription on the back which reads ‘Mors malis vita bonis’ or ‘Death to the bad, life to the good’. This whole ‘Memento mori’, or being reminded of death, seems to have been much more common in previous centuries and I’m not sure whether it’s because families were more reminded of death or because we’ve become somewhat afraid to tackle the subject today.

  • London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Victoria and Albert Museum (13th Century Doors from Gannat)

    London – Kensington and Chelsea (Borough of) – Victoria and Albert Museum (13th Century Doors from Gannat)

    OK, I’ll admit that this doesn’t perhaps seem like fascinating blog content. It’s some old wooden doors from the thirteenth century with ironwork and they’re from Gannat, a commune in central France. The museum has some notes about just how rare these are and how they can be dated from their design and also as it was a transitional process of how chisels were used on the iron scrollwork.

    To be honest, that level of detail is a little over my head, I just like the element of history here. These doors would have been in use for hundreds of years and at one stage they were hung upside down, which is evident from the much later keyhole and lock. It’s not known which building these doors are originally from, but such decorative iron would have been expensive, so this would have been a substantial property.

    What does interest me here is just imagining how many people used these doors over the centuries. There are several church doors in Norfolk that date from the Norman period and there’s something quite magical about the thought of just how many people have passed through the doors for baptisms, marriages, funerals and the more routine sermons (of which I’m sure at least a few have been quite dull and mundane). The next stop on the church tour that Richard and I are doing is Runhall Church, where the tower door is thought to be contemporary with the building of the tower itself in the twelfth century. More on this in the next few weeks hopefully….

    The V&A likely have these doors on display as they want to show the design of the ironwork from the period, but I just liked that things such as this have survived and are visible to the general public. For anyone fascinated by old doors (I’m not sure how big that niche is….), there is just one left in the UK which is made from wood felled in Saxon times and it’s at Westminster Abbey.

  • London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Ibis Shoreditch

    London – Tower Hamlets (Borough of) – Ibis Shoreditch

    Back a few weeks to when people could actually visit London, this is the Ibis Hotel in Shoreditch which is just a short walk from London Liverpool Street. Ideally also, it’s opposite Aldgate East Underground station, so it’s an easy hotel to get to.

    This visit was at a time when people could have a drink if they were also ordering a substantial meal. But, although the hotel was offering meals, there wasn’t much of a take-up.

    Part of the hotel’s decor, trying to give that East London theme to proceedings. The whole arrangement felt modern and welcoming, with something of an Ibis Styles type approach to the design rather than Ibis.

    This is the free welcome drink, one of the better ones which I’ve been offered. It’s not the finest in the Brewdog range, but I do very much like Punk IPA, nice and citrusy…. I look forwards to other Ibis hotels offering something slightly more exciting than Budweiser.

    The bedroom, all clean and comfortable. And it was located on the top floor and away from the elevator, just where I like. There were no noise issues either, although I’m not sure that the 348-room hotel was actually that busy. The hotel also had windows that could open, as I’m one of those slightly strange customers who likes the noise of city traffic and police sirens. It also meant that the temperature in the room was easy to control, something which I do most appreciate.

    I did very much appreciate the gesture and that’s a nice handwritten card, although secretly (well, not that secretly actually) I would have preferred chocolate…..

    Anyway, the stay as all sufficiently uneventful, which is ideally how hotel stays should be if it means that no disasters took place. Staff seemed friendly, although slightly underworked through the lack of guests, and I’ll come back here again.