Wednesday, Aug 2, 2023
London Lures Me Back! Haircut in Chelsea, Fabulous Fitzrovia Chapel, Lebanese Lunch in Mayfair, in Liberty of London, Viewing the Renovated National Portrait Gallery, Theater Show at the West EndIt was another stunning day in London, weather-wise, and I made the most of it (there have not been too many gorgeous days like this, I am told, during this summer).
When Steam Trains Let Off Steam:
I was awoken today to a most unusual and very stirring sight. My friend Roz’s home in Battersea in South London, has a garden that backs up to the British Rail railroad track. This means that, from time to time, one hears trains whoosh past outside the window. Usually, as soon as I wake up, I open the window (of my bedroom) and draw back the curtains—so that as I sit up in bed (usually blogging or reading), I can admire the sight of the trains rush past as well as hear the planes as they make their early morning descent into Heathrow airport as Battersea is on the Heathrow flight path. Truly, these sounds are one of the best ways to enter into the spirit of London.
So you can just imagine how thrilling it was for me to awake to a strange new sound and sight—that of an old-fashioned steam trail (literally from the mid-1800s) pass by outside our window. This train, according to Roz, takes passengers “to the seaside”--all the way to the West coast of the UK (Devon and Cornwall). I grabbed my camera and rushed to the window to take its picture, when I realized that the train was slowing down to a halt. And then, right before my eyes, with the engine caboose almost parallel to my eye level, the motormen begin pottering around.
Next thing I knew, the engine began to let off steam! Truly, I understood, for the first time, from where that expression originates! For the next ten minutes (at least), long puffs of smoke emanated from the engine’s twin chimneys and flew high up into the skies. It was like viewing a live volcano with all the sounds that go with the letting out of such energy. I shot video footage through my camera and was simply delighted at the experience. It is not every day that one wakes up to such engineering marvels or to the unexpected juxtaposition of the 19th century in the midst of the 21st. I was simply floored! And just as I was taking it all in, the train began to move away slowly and the most stirring of sights became a marvelous memory. What an exceptional way to begin my day!
Breakfast and Off for the Day:
I had a busy day planned ahead of me, so I did not waste too much time getting going. I showered, had a muesli and yogurt breakfast and left the house. My friend Roz was working from home today—so it was good I left her undisturbed.
I took the bus straight to the King’s Road in Chelsea as I had a 10.45 am appointment with Mahi, my regular London-based hair stylist. But as I was early, I first strolled back to my friend Sarah Raynor’s place (she is Roz’s sister) to see if I had left my lovely Italian silk scarf behind at her’s. It was a gift from my dear friend in Italy, Annalisa, and it always gave me happy memories of her. I was sorry to have misplaced it. To my ill luck, Sarah told me to go upstairs to my room and check it myself…but there was simply no sign of it. Giving up after feeling really deflated, I left her place and walked to the bus stop to take the bus to Chelsea.
Once in Chelsea, as I had about 45 minutes to spare, I decided to look on the Fulham Road at the charity shops there as I was still seeking two bone china mugs. I enjoyed walking in Chelsea at that early hour, right opposite the Royal Brompton Hospital when there were still only a few people on the street and corner florists were just setting up their colorful displays. I walked into Octavia and left with a pair of ear-rings and a lovely bangle. This is why I go to the thrift shops—because you can find the most unusual (usually vintage) jewelry. Next, I walked down Brompton Road back to the King’s Road and I nipped into Waitrose (I love browsing its enticing food shelves—it’s an upscale supermarket) and then, by impulse, back into the Oxfam charity shop. I was still looking for two bone china mugs to replace the ones we had broken in Bombay. I had very little hope, really, as I have been in and out of this shop at least three times before and drawn a blank. And this time, guess what I found? A beautiful pair of bone china mugs with an almost similar Chinoiserie pattern to the one I had broken…and for exactly the price I had hoped to pay for them (ie. 2 pounds each!).
Armed with this buy, I had a new spring in my step as I entered Nails and Beauty, the salon at which my hair stylist Mahi now works. She used to be further down the King’s Road, in World’s End, at Greema’s Beauty Salon. But here, almost opposite Waitrose on the King’s Rod, she is much more accessible. I had a lovely reunion with her and then left myself in her talented hands. I told her I wanted a very short haircut and that was exactly what she gave me. Bombay is warm all year round and I am no longer comfortable with hair on my neck. Hence, the new, short look. Sadly, because the new location is certainly more upscale that Mahi’s former one, I had to pay 10 pounds more for my haircut—but she also told me that she does private grooming and if I am willing to get to her home in Tooting, she would be willing to cut my hair for much less money! A good plan of action, of course…only I have no idea when I will next be in London. Perhaps next year? Who know?
Off to see the Fabulous Fitzrovia Chapel:
With my new look and new hair-do, I took the Tube from Sloane Square Station to Goodge Street to get to my next port of call as I had to be at the Fitzrovia Chapel at 12 noon for their very special guided tour. So what’s the Fitzrovia Chapel and why was I headed there?
The Fitzrovia Chapel is a tiny gem of a venue in the heart of Central London that I had read about ages ago in a book on London’s hidden gems. Over the years I have tried to get into and feast my eyes upon its spectacular wonders. But the trouble is that it is open only once a week on Wednesdays and for a limited time. The last time I was there with my friend Rosie White, it was closed (much to my disappointment). I had left it on my list of things to do in London and thought I would make another attempt this time. And was I glad I did!
So here is a bit about the architectural history of a gorgeous place of worship in London that time has forgotten. It was designed in 1891 by the renowned Victorian architect John Loughborough Pearson (who has given his name to the Square—Pearson Square in Fitzrovia—on which the chapel stands) and was completed in 1930 by his son Frank. The chapel is small and contains a narthex at the entrance, a nave, an organ loft, baptistry, altar and carved lectern, but its most striking feature is its Byzantine-like gold mosaic walls and ceiling, completed between 1897 and 1901. If you have been to Ravenna in Italy, you will be immediately reminded of the tomb of Gala Placida which is one of the most exquisite of the Byzantine mosaic shrines in that wondrous city. (Please see my blog post on Ravenna for more sumptuous detail).
At the entrance, you have marble memorial plaques that recall the contributions of various worthies attached to the Middlesex Hospital, as this chapel was built as a place of worship for those ailing in the hospital as well as their loved ones who could come to visit. In 2005, the entire Middlesex Hospital was demolished to make room for the new swanky block of buildings that occupy the site. However, since the chapel is so exquisite, every attempt was made to save it. And the end result is that the new construction has grown around it—making the chapel the centre of attraction. It is a rather plain, rounded red brick building, but when you enter, my word! You stagger at the sheer beauty of it.
I joined the hour-long guided tour that was given by a lovely lady and learned a great deal about the place. She pointed our attention to the various interior decorative features that make up this space. The interior is superbly lit by dozens of electronic candles that look absolutely realistic and are so much better that the soot-emitting, real candles that would completely destroy this space. I paused to take pictures, to take in the details of the guide’s commentary and to tell myself how lucky I was that I was able to actually see this space that I had been meaning to see for so long.
Lunch at Aline’s Lebanese Restaurant in Mayfair:
It made sense then for me to make my way to my next appointment: Lunch at 1.30 pm with my friend Bande Hassan at Aline, a Lebanese restaurant in Mayfair. As I am trying to avoid walking too much (my knees have started to protect), I took a bus to Tottenham Court Road and then another one along Oxford Street that would get me to Regent’s Street where my restaurant is located. It had started raining and it was not pleasant walking in the driving drizzle to the spot to try to find it.
But find it, I did. And at exactly 1.30 pm, I was at Aline’s. This Lebanese restaurant was recommended by my friend Barbara as she has work connections with the owner who also happens to be a family friend of my friends, the Colcloughs. Anyway, we had a nice reunion, my friend Bande and I, before we were seated in a corner spot. The place is very small and, on a wet afternoon, it was packed—and, therefore, very crowded and very noisy. We actually had to shout above the noise to get the manager to find our reservation.
As in all Lebanese restaurants, we began with hummus (recommended by the waiter) and stuffed vine leaves (which I love). I was not impressed by these (they needed more filling and more flavor). Still, the hummus was the best I can remember. I had a tonic water to drink and when the food arrived, I was happy to find that my grilled prawns and my friend’s kafta (sheekh kebab) were served with rice and a small salad. We were served bakhlava with soothing mint tea to end our meal (and I do believe this part of it was complimentary—unless they also put it on our bill—which I did not see as my friend treated me to the meal).
It was still raining when we left the restaurant but we walked on Regent’s Street and I asked my friend if he was familiar with Liberty of London, the iconic department store that is now known simply as Liberty. He said he was not. I told him he had a treat in store and I took him in to show him one of the most beautiful stores in architectural terms. It is styled like a Tudor mansion and everything about it—staircase, main lobby, terraced paneling, etc, are all evocative of the Elizabethan Age. My friend was most astonished by what he saw. He also realized really quickly that the merchandise and the clientele are very upscale, but he told me that he would keep the place in mind for any special purchases he might need to make in the future.
The Newly Renovated National Portrait Gallery:
At about 3.00 pm, with about two hours left to see the newly-renovated National Portrait Gallery (NPG) at Trafalgar Square, I took a bus from Regent’s Street to get there.
When I arrived at the NPG, I found that the biggest aspect of its renovation is the grandeur of its new entrance which now faces Shaftsbury Avenue. This, apparently, is the handiwork of the contemporary British artist Tracy Emin. Inside, everything looks exactly as it had been earlier, but for the section on the ground floor which contains the newest additions. It is irritating, however, to find that Coat Check now costs money (and not just what you wish to pay). You are asked to pay 2.50 pounds to leave a bag there! Okay, I do get that they spent millions renovating the place, but trying to recover the money from visitors (who expect the gallery to be free –including its amenities) is just daylight robbery (and I hope other galleries and museums will not follow suit in such an obnoxious way).
So, among the new additions are a really splendid portrait of King Charles III—in the same dark grey color palette that had characterized the portrait of Kate, Princess of Wales, a while ago (and which had become highly controversial). There is a dual portrait of Charles and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in which she looks like a long green stick! Also featured are portraits of Ed Sheeran, Andy Murray, Sir Lenny Henry, Anna Wintour, Michael Gambon, Grayson Perry with his family members and a photographic portrait of Kate on her 40th birthday. It was lovey to see these folks join the family, as it were. I then took the escalator up to the top floor to my favorite section—the Tudors. But the pace was so packed and the number of heads in front of me so numerous that I simply decided to skip it. I also needed to rest my legs as I have been on my feet for nearly a week and was beginning to feel the ill-effects of my manic museum-hopping.
Off to the West End to Take in The Patriots:
All the was left for me for the rest of the evening then was to take in the West End show, The Patriots starring Tom Hollander. I was treating my friends, Roz and Sarah, to the show as a way of thanking them for their hospitality and kindness to me during my stay in London. They were scheduled to meet me at 7.00 pm at the Theater (the Noel Coward Theatre) in London—at St. Martin’s Lane.
As I reached the theater much in advance of that time, I had to kill at least an hour. Ordinarily, I would have walked around, but my knees were not too happy at the prospect and I preferred to sit somewhere with a cuppa. I strolled around the area and found a Five Guys burger place—this has become my Go-To Venue when trying to kill time as it is huge and impersonal enough that you could fade into anonymity even if you are alone and do what you will. You can sit down without any order at all, you can munch on their peanuts to pass time with a drink, you can go the whole hog and buy a burger and fries and a milk shake. Needless to say, Americans flock to this place because its menu offerings make them feel fully at home and you can hear the twang of American accents all around.
I rested my legs for a good one hour as I people-watched before I made my way towards the theater at just a few minutes before 7.00 pm. My friend Roz and Sarah were already there and, after going through Security and showing our tickets, we arrived at our seats. They were not bad seats at all and I have to say that we had a good time overall.
The play is based on true events at the KGB in Russia beginning at the time of Boris Yeltzin and extending to the present—an era in which Putin is very much represented. It is about the Russian mathematician, Boris Berezovsky. It follows this billionnaire through the decline of the Soviet Union and the rise of the Russian oligarchs, each of whom attempts to feather his own nest in the midst of a cesspool of autocratic corruption. I found the first half of the play really tedious as there as simply too much talking. The protagonist Berezovsky is played by Tom Hollander, an actor whose work I have seen in the TV show, Us, with Saskia Reeves. He played the role simply brilliantly and was very ably supported by the rest of the cast. We had a soft drink (wine for my friends) during the intermission when we took a break from our seats (that allowed very little leg room). I enjoyed the second half of the play much more (by which time, I believe I got my second wind).
As Sarah was really knackered, we took the Tube to South Kensington and from there, she treated us to a cab to her place in Battersea. It had been a lovely evening in the theater and I was glad that I managed to see at least one play before leaving the city on this trip. My friends enjoyed it much more than I did but that was perhaps because they were not as tired as I was.
Dinner With Roz at Her’s:
Back home in Battersea, Roz decided to put together an improvised dinner for us—Salad with rocket, a wonderfully ripe avocado, red radish dressed lightly with oil and vinegar and topped with luxurious prawn cocktail from Marks and Spencer that she got out of a package—very delicious indeed. We watched a bit of TV (Antiques Roadshow) as we ate and it was not long before, we decided to call it a day.
It had been a very long day, but such an adventurous one!
Until tomorrow…cheerio!
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