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Post by tod2 on Jul 27, 2012 5:49:54 GMT
Thank you Fumobici - Yes definitely! 11 days in one city for a particular purpose of seeing as many little ( and Large!) gardens makes for quite a long photo-essay. Thankfully I am almost finished!
Bixa - Your comments are so welcome on this l o n g photo-essay - I was in two minds whether to post it in it's entirety or break it down into different sections. I suppose here under one roof, so to speak, people who are looking for garden tips on what they can see in London will find it easy.
Patricklondon - We need lots of hints where one can walk along the Thames uninterrupted by buildings. Perhaps one side is better than the other?
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Post by tod2 on Jul 27, 2012 7:20:47 GMT
Day 9 continued.. This was the first bird hide we came across - nothing like the ones in Kruger Park! This was the view from the hide. We follow more paths through tall reeds.. This lovely scene of a mother Coot and chicks had us lingering for awhile. This path leads to a birdhide two storeys high and has an elevator! this is the view. It's called the Peacock Hide after the man who had it constructed.(not after any feathered Peacocks..!) With the hide's 360degree circular top floor we can see the main entrance and how far we have walked. More to follow as we encounter the wild fowl...
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Post by tod2 on Jul 27, 2012 11:39:27 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Jul 29, 2012 14:20:13 GMT
DAY 10, 29th May. Besides my quest for looking up the smaller gardens around London I had a few personal interests which included seeing the base of the Gerkin building. In all photographs and TV scenes, one only ever sees the top half. Today I aim to satisfy my curiosity. We firstly visit The Bank of England in Threadneedle street, and exchange our old 20's for the newer ones. That was easily done and we continued on down Cornhill towards the ever looming oval shaped Gerkin. Doing so we pass St Botoph's Without Aldgate. The church is a short walk away from Mitre Square, the site of the murder of Catherine Eddowes by Jack the Ripper, as well as offering easy access to the other four murder sites of 1888. It was often referred to as the "Church of Prostitutes" in the late Victorian period. The church is sited on an island surrounded by roadways and it was usual in these times to be suspicious of women standing on street corners. They were easy targets for the police, and to escape apprehension the prostitutes would parade around the island, now occupied by the church and Aldgate tube station The church organ has been described as the oldest church organ in the United Kingdom. Although there are older pipes and cases, this is the oldest collection of pipes in their original positions on their original wind chests. We notice this old drinking fountain. Bronze cup still attached with a chain.. Also admired along the way was the bright Coat of Arms of this school.. It's beautifully finished in design at the base as it is right on top. Not many steps away is the very modern Lloyd's of London building and a new construction right next to it. This in turn leads you straight back in time as one enters the old Leadenhall Market building. Leadenhall Market is a restored Victorian covered market that sells traditional game, poultry, fish and meat. Although there has been a forum (market place) on where Leadenhall Market stands today since the first century AD, the current wrought iron and glass building was designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones (architect of Old Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets). Doing a brisk trade with close scrutiny from the customers, are these young chaps who did not like a camera pointed their way... Here's a butcher still enjoying a loyal clientel. I wish I knew what the significance of this red pillar with a large lock in place, means? Curiosity got the better of us as we noted these large beer barrels outside the front of St.Michael's Church. We soon found the next alley lead to a pub down Ball Court. Next - the large expanse of Crystal Palace Park and gardens.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2012 14:32:13 GMT
More and more delightful. I hadn't even seen the previous installment yet with all of the beautiful waterfowl. I also love the incongruity of old covered passages like in Paris with new commerces such as "Tortilla Mexican Grill."
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Post by mich64 on Jul 29, 2012 21:02:21 GMT
I have been following this essay as well Tod, delightful! The ducks in your last post are remarkable in photos in person the crispness of their coloring and markings must have been beautiful.
The locked red post might be some type of fire hydrant or pump. We have a few in our city that are locked.
I loved the covered passage way.
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Post by mossie on Jul 30, 2012 7:04:42 GMT
The locked red pillar may be a removable bollard to enable access for the emergency services.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 30, 2012 8:33:32 GMT
That's my first thought too...we have them (not as fancy) around the pedestrian entrances to the market in Leicester, This is fascinating, I have been to many of the gardens and parks that you have featured many years ago, and it's great to see how well they've been looked after. this is a splendid report Tod...beautiful images and well documented. Great stuff!
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Post by tod2 on Jul 30, 2012 8:52:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2012 14:11:09 GMT
I like the kitschyness of those things in the Crystal Palace Park. It doesn't all have to be about fake Greek temples or Japanese bridges.
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Post by patricklondon on Aug 1, 2012 7:43:32 GMT
And the dinosaurs, at least, are the sole remaining reminders of the original great Crystal Palace itself: I would love to have seen that in its heyday.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 1, 2012 12:26:56 GMT
I agree Patrick, Crystal Palace in it's heyday must have been quite an attraction. I wish now that we had had the energy to go up to where the original buildings were. I am surprised to learn that those concrete creatures were installed at the time of the Crystal Palace itself. I suppose if they did a little restoration work on them it would be like altering an antique Kerouac you immediately made me think of the Corinthian Columns in Parc Monceau!
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Post by tod2 on Aug 1, 2012 15:02:08 GMT
DAY 11, 30th May. Our last day, apart from the time we will be hanging around tomorrow waiting for our flight in the evening. I think if we drew aside the curtains and saw grey skies we would be in shock! Yet another brilliant sunny day has appeared We pass our little shop below us - they have an especially lovely display of plants today. This is my last chance to select a small garden from my list. It's going to be Camley Street Natural Park, 12 Camley St. Open every day 10am-5pm. So, when we look up at the clock on the tower of St.Pancrass Station, we know they haven't been open too long... What a truly magnificent building this is. Crossing over Euston Road, we walk up St.Pancrass Road which runs alongside the station until the intersection of Goods Way. There is major building going on here, right opposite the one end of the park. The very modern building of the back end of St.Pancrass station is massive. The end/beginning of the Park. The entrance is further up the road. Looking up Goods Way, there is a wall is bursting with flowers growing on a creeper , I would imagine. Camley Street Natural Park is long and narrow, made up of 2 acres of woodland with paths overhung with trees, still ponds, and sheltered places. It's wild and untamed. The other boundary is the Regents Canal and a string of old warehouses. The office.. Houseboats wedge tightly up against the bank. The ponds don't look at all nice with a thick layer of green pond scum floating on top, but I guess the frogs and other water creatures just love it. You may notice in other photos, strange twisted orange-colour shapes. I met the teacher who had been teaching his pupils to make 'garden sculptures'. I suppose they may provide some perch to a bird....other than that I thought they looked as if something still had to happen, but no, that's it Is that "art" called bushcraft? I took the opportunity to ask him where the "living Willow dome" was. Described in my print-out from the internet, it describes a clearing where visitors can sit on old railway sleepers inside a living Willow Dome. He had no knowledge of it although having been there some time. The entire garden was deserted except for the teacher and two other people sitting reading books in the shade. I would say it is an ideal place to do just that! We have spent an hour or so wandering the paths, sitting under the trees watching the birds. It's been a very different garden experience to what we have been used to. Time to move to an old favourite up river......and find some scones with strawberry jam and clotted Devonshire cream!
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 1, 2012 15:13:10 GMT
This continues to be a great report Tod. I'm really enjoying it!
Incidentally the pink flowered bush in post 68 might be a Hawthorne.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 2, 2012 8:57:31 GMT
Thank you Cheery - I think you are right about Hawthorn! It's so pretty. Jumping on a tube we head off to Hampton Court Palace. I can never visit this place enough. Every time we have been something has changed in the gardens, or along the river. We don't go inside the palace as we have done that a few times before, but simply wonder around the gardens and enjoy a cream tea at the Tiltyard Tearoom. I never noticed this ticket machine for parking but my husband took a photo of it. Very convenient. Oh happy day! Roses at last.. g] I thought this a very poignant statue. My, have these beautiful chimneys looked down on some history...and yesterday they watched (Sir-to-be, I'm pretty sure!) Bradley Wiggins cycle up towards them cool as a cucumber! We took a sightseeing boat from Hampton Court Landing to Richmond Pier. I don't think these folks have wandered too far from home -they certainly looked content with the world. This being a Thursday , 31st May I imagine these rowers were preparing for the Diamond Jubilee row down to Tower Bride at the weekend. How lucky these people are to have a Sun downer table and chairs right on the water's edge! Up this part of the Thames there are many islands (in the stream..) with very nice residences. The wake of our boat disturbs these derelict and abandoned old rust buckets. Another nicely protected island. Further along there is a string of palatial homes with well maintained gardens. Not too far away we see people living on old boats, which I dare say cannot sail anywhere. We are approaching Teddington Lock. Following close on our heels is another pleasure cruiser behind us in the lock. The Thames opens up wide in front of us. We look for this 'water house' every time we have been on the river to or fro from Hampton Court and it is always here! The late afternoon sun lights up the trees on the river bank. We get off at the landing in Richmond and walk down the High street towards the Tube, admiring the shop windows all decked out for the Jubilee. Back Home! This pub, The Marquis Of Cornwallis, opposite Brunswick Shopping Centre, is teaming with young people enjoying the lovely warm evening air. Further down near our apartment The Lord John Russell pub is also doing a good trade. We often sat at a table out here having a pint. Our street is much deserted.. That was an awesome day. Packing tonight, dinner for a second time at Balfour Italian Restaurant, then tomorrow spending one last look at our neighborhood tomorrow as we visit a very unusual museum... www.balfourrestaurant.co.uk/
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2012 17:59:19 GMT
Really great watery scenes, and those chimneys are fantastic. Fanciful brick chimneys are the luxury of completely non seismic areas.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 3, 2012 9:03:08 GMT
DAY 12, 31st May. Time for one last turn around the block. Bags packed and with kind permission of the apartment supervisor we are welcome to leave our suitcases there as no-one has booked it for the next few days. That was a great relief as the only option was to drag them around with us or take the trouble of storing them at a train station, like Paddington ( we have done that before but you have to allow lots of time to retrieve them). We had a conversation with one of the local residents and he suggested we visit The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, if we were looking to stay in the area for the day. Since we have pounded the sidewalk many times between Leigh street and Marchmont street, we noticed unusual metal shapes in the paving blocks, every couple of meters. We came to learn: Known internationally for his work in public art installation, the artist John Aldus won a highly prized commission to create a permanent public work for Marchmont Street, London as part of the regeneration of Bloomsbury. The Tokens public installation was created from 20 known tokens saved by, and on display in the Foundling Museum. He 'translated' them into thought-provoking metal representations which have been embedded into the pavement along Marchmont Street. These 'Tokens' came about when the Foundling Hospital opened in 1741. It was recorded that a note should be made of any 'particular writing' or 'peculiar thing' that was left with the child, as an identifier in case the child was later claimed. Literate parents could leave notes or letters as identifiers, keeping copies for themselves, but those that could not write had to use something they could accurately describe when they came to claim their child. The types of tokens can be put into three categories: written, halved and tangible - some fitted into more than one category. This token is described as a 'Half Token'. The mother would keep her own portion and the other left with the hospital. Tangible Tokens are a large part of the museums collection, with coins and medals forming the largest part. Playing cards were frequently chosen as tokens because they combined the function of all three categories. They were a tangible object, something that could be written on and something that could be halved. Some that we found particularly interesting: The Black Hand - has been matched to a boy from West Ham admitted in 1756 and renamed Henry Penlove. The hand is encased in a protective gauntlet which continues over the wrist and shows the beginning of the forearm. This object has in fact been identified as an amulet, a 'mano fica', which is a protective symbol of ancient origin. Originally there was a black ribbon threaded through the hole and this ribbon is still with the billet in the archives. The note that came with the boy is folded and pinned to the billet page through the fold, and remains unopened. The Billet - On admission, basic information about every child was recorded on a sheet of paper known as a billet. This token was made in enamel with the name Ann Higs and said nothing more than' token enclosed' on the billet. She was never claimed so remained orphaned. This heart-shaped medal engraved "Meriah Duchesne" matches the description in the billet of a child who was baptized with this name and admitted to the hospital in 1759. The note says: 'I do hereby certify that I have administered the Holy Baptism to Meriah, daughter of Anthony Duchesne, born the eight of August 1759 in St Giles Parish and Christened the 23 of the instant by me Tho;Hervey Minister of the French Chapel of the Savoye'. St Giles in the Fields is a parish in central London, to the north of Covent Garden. It had areas of extreme poverty and in the previous century had housed Huguenot immigrants. The Chapel of the Savoy was a French Protestant church near the Strand. A piece of black ribbon and a fabric with thin red stripes have also been left in Meriah's billet. At the hospital she was renamed Matilda Craggs. This is the museum building and that's as far as you get with photographs. No photos allowed inside and they have staff watching your every move, so there is nothing I can show you inside the museum. Footnote: The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, which continues today as the children's charity Coram. The Museum has two principal collections, the Foundling Hospital Collection and the Gerald Coke Handel Collection. The Foundling Hospital Collection relates primarily to the history of the Foundling Hospital between its foundation in 1739 and its closure in 1954. The Collection includes significant paintings, sculpture, prints, manuscripts, furniture, clocks and historical documents. The Gerald Coke Handel Collection relates to the life and work of the composer George Frideric Handel. The Collection was assembled by Gerald Coke and includes manuscripts, printed books and music, ephemera, coins, medals and art works from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. The Foundling Museum also tells the story of the 25,000 children who passed through the Hospital. The Hospital’s administrators maintained a high standard of record keeping and whilst some important documentation dealing with the children's lives is on display at the Museum most is contained in the Foundling Hospital Archives housed at the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA). This collection of paper records, including personal data and Governors’ minutes now occupies eight hundred linear feet of shelving at the LMA. George Frideric Handel: The composer George Frideric Handel was a Governor and benefactor of the Foundling Hospital, and annual performances of Messiah provided vital sources of income for the Hospital. Handel offered his first benefit concert for the Hospital in 1749 to fund the completion of the Chapel, and composed the anthem Blessed are they that considereth the poor, known as the Foundling Hospital Anthem, for this occasion. The event was so successful that the Governors asked him for another concert the following year; Handel chose to perform Messiah and he gave performances every year until his death in 1759. He also paid for the first organ to be installed in the Hospital Chapel. In addition to the score and parts of Messiah bequeathed to the Hospital by Handel in his will, the Museum holds the Gerald Coke Handel Collection, an internationally important Collection of material relating to Handel and his contemporaries. The Collection of manuscripts, printed books and music, libretti, paintings and engravings, memorabilia, art works and ephemera, includes Handel’s will amongst its treasures THE END
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Post by mossie on Aug 3, 2012 11:00:26 GMT
Thanks for taking me to places in London that I never knew existed.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 3, 2012 12:26:25 GMT
Mossie, I am very glad you enjoyed reading my essay. It had been a long 8 or 9 years since we were last in London and with all the changes it was almost like being there for the first time. How one quickly forgets things. Only the Bloomsbury area was fairly familiar even though it has gone through an upgrade which we really appreciated. I will look no further for accommodation on our next visit. By that time I would have another long list of gardens to see! I've already found a book on the internet which seems just what I am looking for
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Post by tod2 on Aug 4, 2012 6:07:52 GMT
One last gasp.....I am not too sure why the re-naming of the babies and young children brought to the Foundling Hospital was done. Too me I would have thought keeping their original names would give a stronger link to their mother or parents. Imagine after years and years a woman comes to the door with the other half of a token and wants her child back. The child by this time only knows it's new name and goes home with somebody calling it by the original name....or do they have to accept the child has been re-named and that it is permanent? I also noticed that the new names aren't all that nice in some instances! Take Meriah Dushesne for example - then re-named Matilda Craggs
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Post by bjd on Aug 4, 2012 7:31:16 GMT
I had the same thought as you about Matilda Craggs, Tod. Perhaps at the time the abandoned children were also considered rather at fault so nobody bothered giving them nice names? Although, like you, I don't understand why their real names weren't kept when they were known.
And thank you for all these nice pictures of your trip to London and the gardens -- vicarious travelling at its best.
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Post by patricklondon on Aug 4, 2012 14:53:30 GMT
I'm guessing that the default assumption was mothers weren't in practice likely to reclaim their children, and that unless they did so fairly quickly, there was something deficient about the original home background - and consequently that the Hospital's job was to make sure that the children's new start in life wouldn't be jeopardised by any risk of bad influences from their original circumstances. The idea that family and mother/child bonds are to trump almost any other consideration apart from the risk of real physical harm to the child, is very recent. Likewise, realistically, the chances were that the children would best be trained for relatively ordinary jobs, so they should be given the kind of names that fitted that sort of social position: "Matilda Craggs" is a name for a reliable housemaid or draper's assistant; "Meriah Duchesne" might be thought to be risking getting ideas above her station!
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Post by htmb on Aug 4, 2012 15:30:15 GMT
I had those thoughts about the names, too, but your explanation makes a lot of sense, Patrick.
Even if a one did return, I would imagine the child might not remember the parent, much less their old name.
This report contains many gems, Tod. Thank you so much for your wonderful trip report. It must have taken you many hours total to put together, but how lucky for us!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2012 15:56:02 GMT
They probably had a book of potential names, just like for naming tropical cyclones. I can imagine 3 or 4 of the administators sitting around with a glass of whisky saying things like 'this one definitely looks like a Matilda, certainly not a Prudence.'
I would like to thank you again, tod2, for this magnificent report. Since I do a lot of reports, I know how 'easy' it is in a way -- digital cameras allow you snap away at every detail at no expense, unlike old film cameras. But it requires a special motivation to decide "I want to show people what my trip was like." In the old days, I was a major letter writer. When I was on a trip, I would write constantly to all of my friends, family and even people who only heard from me once a year. These were letters full of details, experiences, anecdotes, aromas, memories, surprises, etc. They were actually far superior to any photo report that I can ever post, because they allowed the imagination of the recipient to illustrate all of the amazing things that I had seen in the most splendid way possible (i.e. even better than my actual experience).
The world has moved on. Now there are times when I can post photos of what I have seen within 15 minutes, but that doesn't make it any better. The old method allowed me to see, digest and recreate the experience to make it often more sumptuous. Now I just show what I saw, try to write something a bit clever about it, but I'm sure that a lot of people look at the photo and think 'big deal.'
Nevertheless, this new world of photo reports is fabulous, and I really wish that more people would do such things spontaneously, considering how easy it is. Tod2, you and several others have clearly understood the whole deal about sharing our experiences and encouraging others to come and see what we have seen -- or go and see something totally different and tell us about it.
I hope that Anyport will remain a dynamic place to continue to show what we have seen for as long as possible.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 4, 2012 15:58:06 GMT
I tend to agree Patrick. Simple names, no pack drill! Kerouac, you made me smile at your 'imaginary' board meeting and the members deciding on the names You are most welcome htmb and Kerouac - it has been quite good looking back at our leisure and remembering or seeing things in the photos that did not make an impact at the time. Kerouac you have seen several of my Trip Reports over the years and a LOT of writing was done, and not so many photos. I really like the digital age too. The only problem is one tends to take 10 shots of one thing and then sit for ages trying to decide which one to 'save' ;D
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Post by lola on Aug 4, 2012 16:37:13 GMT
I'd name a girl Matilda Craggs if I wanted her to start getting used to the idea of a life of hard service with no fancy airs.
The tokens are so moving, tod. Great photo essay. Also fun to see upriver in all its funkiness.
Thank you!
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Post by lola on Aug 4, 2012 17:05:38 GMT
Also, our hotels in January will be down the street from your apartment, so I appreciate local tips.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 5, 2012 6:19:03 GMT
Lola - which hotel have you chosen? I have stayed at several in the area so would be nice to know your choice! I'm not in anyway an expert on Bloomsbury but if I can help you with anything (shopping, laundry/cleaners, eateries - I even spotted a dentist and doctor!) I would be glad to.
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Post by lola on Aug 5, 2012 12:37:44 GMT
Thanks, tod! One of them, Arran House, is a rambling place built into three townhouses on Gower St., where we stayed five years ago when we needed a budget quad room. Full English breakfast on the ground floor, garden out back, homey. At the time, all the staff was South African. Our girls were 15 and 17, and the young woman at the desk ended up taking them out for the evening. Not sure what it's like now, but we loved it then.
The other we got through Hotwire, for when it will just be my younger daughter and I: Doubletree West End, just around the corner from the British Museum. Will report back on that. WIll be handy for opera night, anyway.
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Post by tod2 on Aug 5, 2012 16:32:18 GMT
Lola, thanks for answering my question on hotel choices. I have heard of Arran House but never stayed there. I see it is in a great position for the Goodge street underground. Double Tree will be great. We loved the one in Amsterdam.
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