Au Revoir London, Hiya Again Oxford: First Day in the City of Dreaming Spires

 Au Revoir London,  Hiya Again Oxford: First Day in the City of Dreaming Spires 

London-Oxford

Sunday, May 22, 2022

    At last the day dawned when we'd be leaving London to return to Oxford to spend a few days roaming through Oxfordshire and re-visiting a part of the Cotswolds that Llew and I had both loved following a wonderful time with Chriselle about twenty years ago. But first, we'd need to get cracking at our pad at Paddington, eat breakfast (bits and bobs of all our leftovers in the fridge), clean house and get going. With a small strolley each and the gifts we had bought for our hosts Susan and Tony, we set off at 8.30 am to begin our journey to Oxford.

Off to Oxford:

    We took the 36 bus from Praed Street to Victoria and hopped into the Oxford Tube on Buckingham Palace Road. We were on the 9.15 coach and hoped to be in Oxford by 10.30--it being a Sunday, the coach flew rapidly through Oxford and we were at the Westfield Shopping Mall at Brent Cross in less than half an hour. We expected to reach very much on schedule, but alas, with a combination of a road accident and road works, we were held up for over 40 minutes on the highway and arrived at the High Street in Oxford only at 11.00 am. We alighted at St. Aldgates and hopped into an X3 local bus for three stops to get to our hotel for two nights--Lake Street Studios that I had booked two weeks ago! And then, guess what? Whom should we meet on the bus but our friend Susan! She heard my voice talking to the driver and inquiring about our stop (3 stops away) and our tickets when she came from the back of the bus, said "Rochelle?" and next thing you know, we were hugging and kissing right there in the bus and I was introducing her to Llew whom she was meeting for the first time!

Settling Into our Oxford Studio:

Susan got off one stop before us (we'd be meeting her at her place for supper at 5.00 pm). Llew and I alighted from the bus, found Lake Street just a few meters away, walked down it to our Studios and met Jan, our hostess, who led us into our lovely room for the next two nights. It is indeed a studio with a living area, bed/sleeping area (there is an ultra-comfortable double bed), a kitchenette that is fully equipped with microwave oven, fridge and all necessary china and silverware. We also have our own little private garden outside that has David Austin pink roses tumbling down a brick wall. What a pretty entry into Oxford!

Taking the Thames Path from Grandpont to Oxford:

After stashing our stuff in our studio which is in the Grandpont part of Oxford, and on taking Jan's advice to reach into Oxford Town Center by the picturesque route, we walked out of our studio at about 12.30 pm and took the little gate to the Oxford Tow Path across the street. We found the gate leading to the Thames and followed the Tow Path towards the City Center. It was a perfectly gorgeous day--blue skies, fluffy white clouds, benign sunshine on our backs, comfortable temperature--we could not have asked for better. The river and its banks were busy with rowers, sailors, hikers, joggers, dog-walkers. Across the river, we spied Magdalen Tower and the route via the Meadows of Christ Church College that leads to the River bank. Believe me when I say that the setting was just idyllic and the perfect entry into Oxford.

Lunch at Westgate Shopping Mall:

    By the time we were done with our hour-long walk, we were in the City Center and feeling distinctly peckish.  We decided it was time to go out in search of lunch and after a quick nip into John Lewis where I finally found the OPI nail polish I was seeking, we arrived at a place called Street Food Social that offered a choice of cuisines--we opted for Benito's Mexican and ordered slow-roasted pork burritos with rice, black beans, sour cream, lettuce, tomato and a Southwestern sauce. This was served with chips, salsa and a drink (Fanta) and it made a  very substantial meal for Llew and me. 

Off to Gloucester Green Bus Station:

    Replete with our Mexican repast, we went out in search of the Gloucester Green Bus Station to find out about purchasing a Stage Coach smart card for travel in the Cotswolds. After a series of inquiries, we were informed that we ought to speak to the driver of the S3 bus tomorrow. He would sell us a smart card that we could then load with a top-up for a week's worth of unlimited travel. We could then pay the additional rider amount to get from one town or village to the next. This would eliminate the need for Llew to drive in the Cotswolds (something that he was rather reluctant to do, in the first place) and it would be far more economical than renting a car, paying for gas, and navigating our way through a tangle of country roads. Hopefully, this alternative will serve us well.  We shall see....we are flexible and have no real plan for the next three days. With trains and buses at our service, we think we might be able to swing it. I resolved to pick up a map of the Cotswolds from the Tourist Information Office on Broad Street. 

Off to the Ashmolean Museum:      

    I dropped Llew off to the entrance of the Ashmolean and put a leaflet containing the 12 highlights of the Museum that I suggested he begin seeing. I nipped off to the Tourist Information Office on Broad Street only to find that it has fallen victim to the pandemic and closed down! An institution in itself, I have used this office for at least 35 years and I simply cannot believe it is no more! The abundance of promotional brochures I have picked up from here, over the years, is staggering. 

    With no choice, I nipped into the Oxfam store next door hoping to pick up the DVD set that I had passed on at my last visit with Amy, two weeks ago--only to find that it had sold out! However, the costume jewelery I had liked was still there and I did go ahead and purchase it. Then, I hurried off to meet Llew back at the Ashmolean. Needless to say, I began taking the Highlights Tour myself and we met at the two paintings that are the most prominent ones in the museum: The Hunt (which demonstrates Paolo di Uccelo's use of the 'vanishing point' in art and Forest Fire by Piero di Cosimo. However,  what really caught my eye and grabbed it on this visit was Anthony van Dyke's portrayal of The Deposition of Christ which is not only deeply moving but also horror-evoking.

We went again through the various highlights together and I even took in the glory of the porcelain gallery--for indeed the Ashmolean has a whole entire gallery devoted exclusively to painted porcelain (my passion!). Of course, I could have spent two whole hours in this gallery, but time was of the essence. We moved on and left the museum (after using the facilities) to arrive at Tesco where we bought decaff coffee and milk for ourselves for tomorrow. 

We then took the bus from St. Aldgates back to our Lake Street Studios where we were left with only enough time to get ourselves dressed and ready for the next item on our agenda--our appointment with Susan and Tony at their place at 5.00 pm.

A Walk and Dinner with Susan and Tony at their Home:

    Susan and Tony are passionate gardeners and have maintained an allotment plot for ages. They suggested we arrive at their place at 5.00 pm so that they could walk with us to their plot to see it. Accordingly, Llew and I walked through lovely Hinksey Park that was full of people, dogs and squealing children as they used the lake, the adjoining swimming pool or simply sat on the green lawns and picnicked. As I said, on a day that cried for being outdoors, folks took full advantage of the benevolence of the weather and basked in it. 

    Five minutes later, we were at our hosts' front doors, were met and greeted and welcomed. Our gifts (from India and Harrod's) changed hands and we settled down briefly. A few minutes later, we began our walk to the allotment (just a few minutes away) where Susan opened the lock and let us it. 

    It is lovely to be in a flourishing allotment and most people look after their's with a passion. During Covid, it provided a way to live outdoors and socialize even if briefly. We were introduced to their friend Katrina and then spent the next half hour walking through a variety of plantings: herbs, flowers, veg. Susan and Tony had a beautiful corner plot that is backed by a climbing rose that is simply stunning as its flowers cascade down from way up high to the ground. We picked some radishes from their plot and decided to take them home to munch on with salt (the French way) with our drinks. Indeed, an allotment provides the biggest rewards of any that one can get directly from the earth and the concept that began with the Victory Garden of war-times in England has escalated into a daily pass time for a number of people. 

    About a half hour later, we were back at Susan and Tony's where we were handed drinks and nibbles (a red wine for Llew, a G & T for me) and pistachios and chips--out on the patio in full sunshine with views past a meadow filled with golden buttercups that melts down to the river. It was truly picturesque and we enjoyed the companionable moments with our kind and hospitable friends who take so much trouble always to entertain us at their home. Indeed, I have always felt that the true test of friendship is people who open their home to you, cook and serve you food they have prepared themselves and, regardless of the time and trouble it will entail, continue to have intimate dinner parties for a few select friends. Kim and Mark did it for us on the Isle of Wight, Elise did that for us yesterday, Susan and Tony did it for us today and Michael and Cynthia had me over at their place for lunch last week and will be hosting us for dinner next week. We are truly blessed in our friends.   

    Drinks done, we moved into the dining area for our meal. Tony, of course, is master of the kitchen and is very ably assisted by Susan. He always serves us the most incredible feasts and this evening was no exception: he presented a stunning creation by Yottam Ottolengthi (whose books I own in Connecticut)--a pie of sorts with a stuffing comprising of a cinnamon pilaf studded with raisins and pine nuts and lemon juice set in a mould lined with sauted slices of aubergine! It was wonderful! To accompany this one-dish meal was a lovely green salad with a piquant dressed (also made by Tony). Susan came into her own at dessert time when she offered us Nigella Lawson's brownies with vanilla ice-cream--delish was not the word! How grand was our meal and how dear are our friends? 

The discussion around the table was equally stimulating--we talked about contemporary friends, our coping over the pandemic, Llew and my future plans with regards to closing shop in the US and starting afresh in Bombay--a prospect we look upon as an exciting adventure with all sorts of possibilities ahead. We made plans to meet tomorrow for breakfast at their place followed by a day that the two of us will spend re-exploring the Cotswolds. Then, we will meet again for dinner at Quod, a fancy Continental restaurant on The High, where we will celebrate Llew's birthday! It promises to be a lovely day tomorrow and we are looking forward to it with gusto.

    Until tomorrow...cheerio!            

Another Tryst with Turner at the Tate, A Visit to London's East End and Dinner with a Former Student's Family

Another Tryst with Turner at the Tate, A Visit to London's East End and Dinner with a Former Student's Family

London

Saturday, May 21, 2022

    Today we were a bit more sensible about waking up and got cracking quickly. Showers and breakfast done (Muesli with honey yogurt, bagels with passion fruit curd and decaff coffee), we set out for the day. Our first stop was the Tate Britain at Millbank--which is a rather difficult part of the city of London to reach as the nearest Tube stop is a good ten minute's walk away. From there, I thought I would take Llew into the East End of London where I had once rented a home. I wanted to show him the Victorian house I had rented for six months on one of my scholarship stints.We were aware that we needed to get back home and save some part of the afternoon to pack up our things as our friend Bande would be returning to London while we were still in Oxford and we did want to get our own stuff organized. Tomorrow, we will be leaving for a week's stay in Oxford and the Cotswolds, so it made sense to return home in good time. Later in the evening, we had a dinner date at the home of one of my former NYU students in Kensington.  

Off to the Tate Britain:

    We left home at 10.00 am and took the Tube from Paddington to Westminster. At Westminster, the full force of London's tourist energy hit us. The city is heaving. Crowds thronged Westminster Pier and Bridge as everyone tried to take pictures of the newly-scruffed up Big Ben Tower. It does wear its new finery proudly. The gilt is gleaming, the stone is breathing again. I knew we'd have to walk along the Embankment from Westminster Bridge towards Vauxhall to get to the Tate Britain and, luckily, we had a lovely day. The sky was blue, the temperature was just perfect for a leisurely jaunt and the city wore its most welcoming hat. We could not have started for a better morning and I have to tell you that my heart sang--to be in my favorite city in the world with my favorite company in the world--for what more could a gal ask?

    Along the way, we passed by the Embankment Gardens where I pointed out to Llew the reproduction sculpture of Auguste Rodin's The Burgers of Calais. We have, of course, seen the original in the Rodin Museum in Paris and there is a similar reproduction in the Met Museum in New York. So, it was like saying hello to an old friend. 

Mudlarking! Londoners' New Pass-Time:

    As we walked along the Embankment, I also pointed out to Llew the sight of Londoners indulging in their newest passion--Mudlarking! If you have never heard of it (or of the word), I believe it is a new coinage. The hobby refers to the passion some people have developed for scouring the banks of the river Thames at low tide to try to retrieve antiquities from the past. Some of them use metal detectors, but the majority use only their eyes. Over the centuries, the Thames was used as a garbage dump by Londoners of several generations. Much of the garbage remains buried in the mud of the rivers. As the tides turn, the waters are churned up and, if you are lucky, you will come upon all manner of debris that, over the centuries, have acquired importance as artifacts from the past and, in some cases, have also acquired value. I follow a few of the mudlarkers on Twitter and know that the more persistent have found dozens of pipes (mainly bowls but, in some cases, intact ones with foot long stems in bone or ivory), badges, seals, coins, buttons, beads, glass bottle stoppers, whole bottles, shards of ceramic ware...you get the idea. In fact, these mudlarkers are now looking out for suitable containers to showcase their finds--mainly accountants' cabinets with multiple shallow drawers. The rule says that if you find something more than a hundred years old, you are required to report it to the Museum of London. If they are interested in using it to expand their collection, they will compensate you for it. If you find any item in gold, you are required to report it too. Anything else is up for grabs. So popular has this hobby become that you are now required to pay for and acquire a mudlarking license to scour the Thames' banks. So now you know as much as I do about mudlarking!

    On we walked to Lambeth Bridge where we stopped so that I could point out Lambeth Palace to Llew. This set of medieval buildings are ( and have been historically, through the centuries), the London headquarters of the Anglican Church of England. There is a Bishop of Lambeth, a Black female called Rose, for whom I was invited to pray by Dean Robert Willis of Canterbury Cathedral when I listened each day to his Morning Prayer Service online.  I have also been privileged, together with my friend Shahnaz and her daughter Azra, to get a private tour, a few years ago, of Lambeth Palace (as is it known) organized by my friend Bishop Michael Colclough as, in normal circumstances, Lambeth is not open to the public. I remember what a fantastic tour it is and how thrilling we found it. We took a few pictures and moved on.

    About ten minutes later (roughly 25 minutes' walk from Westminster), we arrived at the Tate Britain--a stunning Neo-Classical building that is a solid New York block in size. We walked around the side of the building, past a whole bed of fragrant, soft pink David Austin roses, before we found the entrance. There is no charge to view the permanent collection but you do need a ticket to see the 'specials'. Right now, there is one going on that features the work of Walter Sickert. We were, however, headed to the Clore Galleries to see the Turners. 

Viewing the Turners at the Clore Gallery at the Tate Britain:

    The Turner Bequest is the largest ever that a museum has received. It was Turner's dream to make his work available to the general public, not just to the moneyed who could afford to buy it. Hence, by the terms of his will, his entire oeuvre was bequeathed to the Tate Britain--and this runs into thousands of items if one includes every drawing and sketch he made.  The Museum actually had to build an extra wing (the Clore Galleries) to house the collection as it is massive. The good thing is that, because they have such a large number of Turner's works (he was a most prolific artist), they keep changing the oil canvases on display--hence, you will see different Turners every time you visit the Tate (and I have gone there on every trip to London). 

    This time round, we came so that Llew could see Turner's works as we had been to his home yesterday. We were lucky to find a range of his work on display today--from the very early Realistic canvases that depicted scenes from Greek mythology or from the Bible to the last works he completed, by which point his style had become distinctly Impressionistic. There was a whole gallery devoted to Turner's incomplete works--works he had intended to exhibit at the annual summer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art at Piccadilly after he was voted in as a Fellow. We saw the vast impact of the sea on Turner's mind and art--eg. the swirling waters of the ocean at Margate in Kent where he made frequent visits, lived in a cheap boarding house and become romantically involved with the widowed owner, Mrs. Booth (all of this is brilliantly depicted in the film Mr. Turner with Timothy Spall in the lead role). There was also a room devoted to an understanding of Turner's use of color and light and his insistence on depicting movement in art. Yes, it was all quite wonderful indeed and Llew and I kept thinking of the special 'Turner as Maritime Artist' exhibition entitled 'Turner and the Sea' that we had seen in Mystic, Connecticut, with our friends Laureen, Bonnie and Art, a few years ago. To have learned so much about the life of Turner, about his gigantic success at such a young age, about his skills as a technician and colorist--all of this was such a revelation for me on tis trip.         

    Another thing that struck me as we viewed the exhibition was the uncanny and unwitting artistic connections that Llew and I have been making on this trip. We started off, quite by chance, a week ago, visiting Sir John Soane's House and Museum at Lincoln Inn Fields as he is one of my favorite London architects and I did want to introduce Llew to his intriguing and most unusual home. Well, as it turned out, Turner was a very close friend of Soane. It was Soane who advised and helped Turner design his home, Sandycombe House, in Twickenham (which we visited yesterday). And then, when we arrived at the Tate Britain, we saw a large canvas on the wall that Turner created specifically for Soane's House-Museum. Clearly, this was never placed in the house--because, had it been, it would still be in the house. The connections for me were striking.

    Finishing up with the Turner Collection, we paused to look at a gallery containing about six paintings by the American artist, Mark Rothko. Rothko had been a long-time admirer of Turner. When he received a commission to paint about eight canvases for a local New York hotel, he painted depictions of anxiety, tragedy, gloom, and despair using just two colors--magenta and black. These did not seem to sit well with his clients and Rothko pulled out of his contract with them. He, instead, bequeathed his eight canvasses to the Tate and made the request that they would be placed right besides the works of his hero, Turner, in the Turner Collection as Rothko could not think of a better place to have his work displayed.     

    I did not want to leave the Tate without seeing the collection of Pre-Raphaelite Art as, for some reason, they too have become very much of a theme through this trip. I asked one of the guards to guide me to the relevant gallery and then spent the next several minutes feasting my eyes on their works--Millais' famous canvas of Ophelia is here (it often features as a cover in modern editions of Shakespeare's Hamlet), Tissot's depiction of a Ball on a 19th century cruise ship, a bunch of paintings by Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (both of whom used Jane Burden Morris as their model), Willaim Holman Hunt's many depictions of daily life as well as mythological scenes--yes, there are many charming examples of their style and obsessions in this gallery. 

Off to Visit my Previous Digs at Stepney Green:

    After using the facilities, it was time to move on, however, and we did. This time, we walked to the back of the Museum to take the 88 bus to Westminster. We crossed a crowded Parliament Square and disappeared down the Underground stairwell to take the District line to Stepney Greene where I hoped to show Llew my previous digs. We could get the Tube as far as Tower Hill, but we had to take substitute buses beyond this point to go beyond Stepney Green Station. Once we arrived at the station, we hopped off and made a left on to Globe Road where we walked down several blocks to get to my former home. The place is currently clearly rented out as we saw a postman deliver mail and someone appear in the living room to pick it up. I had not enjoyed living in this home--it was antiquated yes, but simply too outdated for my liking and much too dull. The neighborhood had been most unappealing and I could not wait to get away. I had then rented a place in Ealing which was infinitely better and which I truly loved. But I was keen to show Llew the place and give him an understanding of why I got out of my tenancy contract.

    That errand accomplished, we walked to the other end of Globe Road and stood for a bus not far from the London Buddhist Center.  This bus took us as far as Liverpool Street Station from where we jumped into the Tube to ride to Paddington. It was about 4.00 pm when we returned home to eat a fairly late lunch as we really did need to finish off all the food in our fridge before we leave our Paddington pad for the next stint of our stay in Oxfordshire. So, finish our chicken, leek and ham pie and our vegetable samosas we did. Everything was absolutely delicious and I was glad. 

 Packing Up for the Next Stint of our Travels:

    We spent the next two hours then sorting through our stuff--all the stuff that Llew had brought me from the US--plus all the stuff I have bought from here to take back to India...yes, its enough to fill two suitcases and I am thrilled. However, Llew is very worried that I have already exceeded my weight allowance, although I am not. We shall see...the bulk of my shopping has been done and I am ready now to launch into the next phase of our travel--in the beautiful Cotswolds. 

 Dinner at the Home of my Former Student:

           After two steady hours of getting our stuff redistributed and re-organized, we were ready to get dressed to leave for our dinner engagement. My former student Elise who has settled down in London had invited us for dinner to her home in Kensington at 7.30 pm. We got dressed and took the Tube to High Street Kensington from where we found our way past the warren of little lanes to their lovely home. I have visited Elise before in this new home to which she moved about six years ago, while Llew had visited them with me when they lived in a flat, prior to this house, right opposite Hyde Park. I was really keen to see them again as we have become close family friends with Elise's lawyer husband James and their children Thomas and Elektra. I had last seen them for a pub lunch at The Builder's Arms when the children were still seated on laps. To see them today would be to find grown-up versions of their baby selves and I could not wait. 

    This time round, as the day was so glorious and there is daylight right up to 9.00 pm, we sat outside in their little garden behind their home in the midst of lovely little yew tree hedges that formed a kind of Elizabethan knot garden. James was already at the grill when we went down into the garden after Elektra opened the door and let us in. Of course, we all had an uproarious reunion as I was just delighted to see them all again. Yes, the children had grown but they had only grown more delightful. Both of them were talkative and friendly and not the least bit shy of strangers. Well, needless to say, we had a really terrific time with them.

    James was grilling steaks and after he switched the grill off, he came to join us at the table where Elise had opened a bottle of champagne and poured me a glass. Salami, cheese and chips were the nibbles served as they opened the bottle of Chateau Saint Emillion red wine that we had taken over for them. I had also taken Elise a necklace from India and a box of chocolates for the children. As we enjoyed drinks, the children had their dinner. With champagne and red wine warming us up, we were thoroughly in the mood for an entertaining evening. The children then went off to watch a movie and we, grown-ups, were left alone to get on with dinner. I helped Elise bring the rest of the food down from the kitchen into the garden: the excellent foccaccia she baked, an heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese, olives and fresh basil leaves in a balsamic vinaigrette, and a green salad--all these, of course, were served with our steaks (medium-rare for us). Everything was delicious and our chatter was companionable and non-stop. For dessert, Elise served strawberries with her own homemade vanilla ice-cream! Lights dimmed, of course, in the garden, as we kept chatting and finally it was 10.00 pm, when we got up to leave after what had been another fabulous evening with friends.

    All that was left was to say goodbye and thanks to our generous, warm and lovely hosts and to their gorgeous children and to walk to the Tube station at High Street Kensington from where we took the Circle Line to Paddington. Back home, we spent about a half hour getting ready for bed and slept in the knowledge that we would leave tomorrow for Oxford.

    Until tomorrow...cheerio!           

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Today was All About Turner (and Richmond-on-Thames)

 Today was All About Turner (and Richmond-on-Thames)

Richmond-on-Thames, London

Friday, May 20, 2022

    We had JMW Turner--that's Joseph Mallord William Turner--on our minds today as we scoured locations familiar to him and dear to my heart. I took Llew for the first time to Richmond-on-Thames, one of my favorite parts of London. I like to think of it as the Greenwich (Connecticut) of London as it is a posh and highly affluent suburb that lies just beyond the confines of Greater London and within the country of Surrey--just like wealthy Greenwich lies just beyond the confines of New York State and in the State of Connecticut in the US. Kissing Richmond are the equally wealthy neighborhoods of Isleworth, Twickenham and St. Margaret's. All these lovely little hamlets sit on the curves of the Thames and can boast quiet homes that entwine themselves around tree-lined canopied lanes surrounded by sprawling, emerald parkland. Every opportunity I get, I go to Richmond, as I have done for years when my friend Stephanie lived here and we would go off every weekend in her spiffy Lexus after I had taken the Tube from Central London to meet her at Richmond Station.  Indeed, those were the days...

Long Journey to Richmond:

    Today, Llew and I awoke at 7.30am, ate breakfast (M& S Muesli with honey yogurt and milk, bagel rounds with the passion fruit curd I had bought at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight and some decaff coffee)--very good, very delicious and a great way to fuel up for another extensive day of exploration on our own two feet. But, of course, as Richmond lies at the end of a Tube line, it is expensive to get there on the Tube. The bus is a far more sensible option and for just 1.65 pounds each, we were there from Paddington. We took Bus No. 27 from Sussex Gardens to Hammersmith Bus Station where we changed to the 190 as I always used to do. This enabled us to go through the leafy suburbs of Chiswick and Barnes before we arrived at Richmond. It was raining steadily and we hoped we'd not have another soaker of a day. As it turned out, we need not have worried. By the time we reached Richmond, on another lovely ride through Mortlake, past the homes of Hogarth and Lord Burlington at Chiswick House, we were high and dry.  Yes, it took us two hours to get there, but we loved the rides through parts of London we would not otherwise have explored, we had a chance to chat non-stop and we managed to stay out of the rain. Besides, our first goal was a visit to Turner's House on the Thames and it did not open until 12 noon anyway--so we had heaps of time to kill.

    As soon as we got off the bus on The Quadrant (Richmond High Street, as it were), we spied an M&S. Llew thought it best to do his shopping when the opportunity presented itself--so in we went. Shopping accomplished, we headed straight to the cafe. The weather and the long ride made it the perfect time for a hot chocolate and a sultana scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Yummmmmm! It was the perfect pick-me-up before we headed off to get some more shopping done. No, not at M&S (I was not in the market for clothes, shoes, perfume or make up), but for all sorts of odds and ends that Llew could not even believe I needed to buy in London--good quality Cellotape, good quality packing tape, self-adhesive hanging hooks, good quality glue! I found all these at next-door Robert Dyas and so that's where I parted with more cash.  

Off to Turner's House:

    This bit of shopping done and with a fueling snack in our tummies, it seemed the right time to catch the 110 bus that took us over Richmond Embankment and Bridge and into the lovely hamlet of St. Margaret where I am always attracted to the vintage jewelry available in the upscale shops there.  But as this would detract from our mission, onwards we went to the bus-stop. The house is very clearly marked and the helpful driver told us where to get off--on Sandycombe Road. Off we got and just a few steps down a very quiet, winding lane, we were at the white picket gate to Turner's extremely modest, brick-fronted home. 

Exploring Turner's House and Garden:

    Turner is the UK's most beloved painter and when the country was asked, a few years ago, to name their favorite painting, his "The Fighting Temeraire" (in the National Gallery) just narrowly won out (over Constable's "The Haywain"--also in the National). The winning painting presents an image of an old battleship, the Temeraire, whose war-time glory days were behind it and who was being retired down the Thames. It was being pulled by tug boats to its final resting place when thousands of people thronged both banks of the Thames to clap and cheer it towards its well-deserved rest. Turner had witnessed this happy-sad spectacle and had painted the scene to represent the end of an era. Seeing the painting in the National and knowing the story behind it, one is jerked to tears and I always marvel at the swirl of water in the river and the churning of the skies above that Turner achieved in soft amazing colors. 

    So, you see, the Thames always had special place in Turner's heart. He came from a humble, working class background and the crudity that would follow him all his life was very evident to see in the movie Mr Turner in which Timothy Spall brilliantly played the painter. He did have a small home in Central London but once he became successful as an artist and had gained some measure of fame and fortune, had begun hob-nobbing with equally successful contemporaries such as the architect Sir John Soane, he thought of purchasing a country retreat into which he could escape each weekend to paint. The suburb of St. Margaret near Twickenham came to mind as he looked for a property in the midst of what was then just productive, agricultural land leading down to the river banks. He bought the plot and began designing a home. So, to enter the house he subsequently named Sandycombe House (after the lane on which it stood) is to become acquainted with Turner as Architect! Who knew? No doubt, he had the advice and assistance of his friend Sir John Soane, but the vision was largely his. He completed the home in 1813 when he moved in and he lived there steadily off and on for a several years while still retaining his London home.

A Guided Tour of Turner's House:

     Turner's House, as a spot of tourist interest, is a very recent phenomenon. It was a privately owned residence until the year 2001 when a Professor Harold Livermore who lived in it, decided to bequeath it to the Turner Trust. They converted it into a house that would be preserved for posterity as it is the only property still standing that Turner actually occupied in his lifetime. He did also spent a lot of time in Margate in Kent (but that home has long been demolished). The Trust has done a lovely job in attempting to reproduce for the visitor the sense of what it might have been like in Turner's time. It conducts guided tours at 1, 2 and 3 pm and we had a very sweet guide who took us through the rooms. Other than Llew and myself, there was only one other single visitor, a young Oriental woman from America, who was on the tour. 

    The house is very small indeed, but it is functional. From what I gathered, Turner had a troubled personal life and the only person who ever lived in this home with him was his father. There is a small reception room on the ground floor where we purchased tickets for 7 pounds each and which functioned as Turner's living room. There is a fireplace here and a set of four engravings by him. Next door, is a second small room that would have offered sweeping views down to the Thames across abundant fields. Today, there are other suburban homes that occupy prior farmland. There is also a lovely dining room that still sports a plaster sculpture of an original work by John Chantry that would have actually graced the wall above the mantlepiece in Turner's time (sculpted, of course, in marble).

    Downstairs, down a winding flight of spiral stairs, is the kitchen with another fireplace and a large dresser that holds a collection of china in the Blue Willow English pattern that was very popular in Turner's day.  

    Upstairs, we made our way to the second floor bedrooms--Turner's is well-furnished with a four-poster bed with lovely hangings and the adjoining bedroom, a really tiny one, would have been occupied by guests (mainly his father). The wall paper in all of the rooms are reproductions, based on the real designs of Turner's Time. In fact, the guide pointed out that the wallpaper in Turner's bedroom was exactly the same color and design as the one in Jane Austen's home in Chawton in Hampshire (that I have also visited). The tour does not take long but the guide does try to fill up time with anecdotes about his life. What merges is the profile of a very hardworking artist who carried his sketchbooks in his pocket everywhere he went, sketched incessantly and then returned home to work and produce his masterpieces. As everyone knows, Turner was especially interested in the effect of light and was impacted by modern technology in which engineering had resulted in speed. His canvasses are filled with the sense of Nature at odds with man-made inventions that bring movement to his work. Swirling clouds, churning seas, restless oceans, gathering storms--portrayed against the seascapes of boats and birds or landscapes of recognizable architectural monuments (St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Bridge)--these are the stuff of which Turner's magnificent paintings are made. After his death, his entire oeuvre was bequeathed to the nation and they remain today at the Tate Britain at Millbank in London. There, in the specially created Clore series of Galleries, the visitor can partake unreservedly of the grandeur of Turner's work and, in turn, be puzzled, worried and charmed by it. A perfect sequel to a visit to this house would be a visit to the Tate and, I resolved right there that I would take Llew there tomorrow (if indeed we do not have the time today).     

Getting Down to Marble Hill House:

    Since the lane at the other end of the house leads directly to the parkland that fronts Marble Hill House, I took Llew there so that he could at least see this other stately home that I had visited a few years ago. There is an account in this blog of my visit there--so do please go to:

https://rochellesroost.blogspot.com/2016/08/marble-hill-house-on-edge-world-music.html

 should you want to know more about Marble Hill. In fact, every year, and on each trip to London, I include a visit to one of the seven houses on the Thames that are lovingly looked after by various private trusts and opened up for the public's perusal. Among these are Osterley House (at Isleworth which I had visited with my friend Thomas), Marble Hill House (which I had visited alone before), Strawberry Hill House (which I had visited with my friend Shahnaz), Syon House (which I had visited with my friend Janie) and Ham House (at Richmond, which I had visited alone before). All that is now left is a visit to the Orleans House Art Gallery (which is not open yet and which I shall keep for another time).

    Llew and I posed for pictures on the front lawns of beautiful Marble Hill House before we retraced our steps back to the 110 bus stop going in the direction of Richmond. However, we did jump off at St. Margaret's village and began browsing in the thrift shops there and I was delighted to find a brand-new Radley leather bag that I bought immediately and a couple of beautiful necklaces. So you see, it does work to spend time (if one can afford it) in these shops in the wealthy neighborhoods. 

    We then walked out to Richmond, came to the High Street (Quadrant) and found lunch at Five Guys where we bought the most delicious veg burgers we have ever eaten. As Llew is now looking for a mainly veg diet, I am joining him in this endeavor. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and were ready to begin our climb up Richmond Hill towards Richmond Park from where you get stunning views of a curve of the Thames at Richmond--a scene that Turner painted repeatedly.

Climb up and Exploration of Richmond Hill and Richmond Park:

    The climb up Richmond Hill is gentle and delightful. Initially, you pass by a bunch of lovely florist and antique shops and then the residential buildings are seen. These are beautiful 19th century buildings in red brick and white granite with wrought-iron balconies that sit alongside lovely, mature plane, maple and oak trees that are proudly wearing their new season's foliage. I enjoy walking under these trees, embraced by the warmth of Nature, before I actually get to my destination.

    When we did reach the top of the hill and arrived at the lookout point that offers lovely vistas over the entire area--not just the Thames which curves most appealing at this point but also out past the entire area all the way to Windsor Castle, Heathrow airport and Hampton Court Palace. Turner, as I have said, often set up his easel here and represented the Thames at this point, quite often in his work. All this lay ahead of us with sweeping terrace gardens stretching all the way down to the river banks. We also learned, at  this point, that the area was named Richmond because an earlier visitor to America had returned to this area to find that it reminded him of the beauty of the town of Richmond in the State of Virginia outside of Washington DC and so decided to name the settlement after the one in Virginia.

    And behind us, what did we have? Why, Mick Jagger's house, of course. He too loved this area and the gorgeous view that was afforded him directly from his living room window. As Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones grew up in Richmond, it was not surprising that he decided to buy this home when it came on the market. Today, his ex-wife Jerry Hall lives in the home and must be aware about visitors like us who constantly stop to take in the view of the house.

    Leaving this area behind us, we walked forward towards Richmond Park which lies just a five minute walk away. This sprawling park land used to be the hunting ground of King Henry VIII. It was here that he used to trail and hunt deer, shoot woodcock and other game birds. However, it was "Mad" King George III who converted it into a public park--which is why the gates of Richmond Park carry his insignia. We walked in the park for a few minutes, caught sight, in the distance, of some of the herds of deer for which the park is famed, and decided to make our way downhill and return to London.

Back to London on the Bus:         

    So, once again, we retraced our steps home. I would have liked to get directly to the Tate to see the Turner collection there, but Llew was tired (as was I) and I needed to find out whether the Tate had late Friday opening. That would have made it ideal to see on the same day; but, unfortunately, it did close at 6.00 pm and we would never make it back on time.

    So off we went on the 190 bus again to Hammersmith Bus Station from where I made my way to Superdrug to look for my OPI nail polish--alas, no luck! We re-connected on to the No. 27 bus which we rode to Edgeware Road from where we got off at M&S to pick up ready meals for our dinner at home. We picked up a Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie and a pack of vegetable samosas. 

    When we did get back home and tried to heat our meal, which was not supposed to go into the microwave but into a regular oven, we messed up with the appliance and tripped up the system. But, just a little while later, after we finally found the fuse box (hidden in the smaller washroom), we managed to switch it on again. This time round, we heated our food in the microwave and ended up having a really nice meal while watching episodes of The Staircase with Colin Firth and Toni Collette. 

    It was after 11.00 pm that we went to bed after another really superb day spent mainly outside London.  

    Until tomorrow...cheerio!

 

    

A Relaxed Day Devoted to Retail Therapy: Shopping in London

A Relaxed Day Devoted to Retail Therapy: Shopping in London

London

Thursday, May 19, 2022

    Given the hectic nature of our itinerary, it was good to find a pocket in our time here in the UK that is relatively free.  So, it only made sense for us to spend the day doing all the shopping we had hoped to accomplish before leaving the country. Not surprisingly, if you know me, I had made a list of all the things I intended to buy from the UK and buy them I did. Besides, although I have carried, from India, small (light) gifts for our friends and hosts, we had intended to buy bigger and better gifts for them from London. At least three of our friends have left their entire homes to us for our use while they are traveling away from home ourselves. To these folks, we tried to wrack our brains to find out what might work best for them. 

    So, since we had no early train to catch (after three consecutive days of doing just that), we took our time waking up--or, more correctly, Llew did.  A big part of his idea of a vacation is waking up later than usual, while for me, there is no difference. I wake up early no matter where in the world I might be--so, of course, I was up by 6.00 am and I spent a good part of the quiet time in the flat blogging. When my eyes were closing again, I went back to sleep. And so, it was not until 9.30 am that we finally decided to get up and get going.

    Breakfast today was honey nut flakes with honey yogurt and milk and decaff coffee. It was delicious, but it was certainly not filling enough for me and I expected to feel hungry within three hours. By the time we finished with our showers and got dressed to leave, it was 11.20 am--certainly far later than we had ever left for the morning up until this point.

Making a Start at Marks and Spencer at Edgeware Road and Marble Arch:

    As a large branch of Marks and Spencer was at Edgeware Road, it was a good place to start our search for underwear for us and gifts to take home to friends and family members back in the US and India. However, when we found that the first thing we wanted to buy--Llew's underwear--was not available in his size, off we went, on the bus to Marble Arch where, I knew, that there was a large branch of M&S on Oxford Street.

    The lovely red and blue souvenir shortbread biscuit tins that have been designed and created for the Platinum Jubilee were certainly the best fits to buy, we thought. We also picked up tons of the cookies I have loved through the years--fruity flapjacks, pistachio and almond, milk chocolate and salted caramel, Belgian chocolate and hazelnut, dark chocolate gingers. We also bought bars of Battenburg Cake which both of us really like very much. I also picked up rolls of baking parchment paper and plastic zip-lock bags. 

    It was almost 2.00 pm by that time, and as I had expected, I was peckish and ready for lunch, It made sense to pick up ready meals as we were in the place that makes the best of them. So, next thing I knew we had an Indian meal for Llew (Butter Chicken with pullao, mixed vegetable and onion bhaji) while I went for a delicious Fish Pie with salmon, cod and prawns.  With all these items being really heavy, we thought it made sense for us to go back home and drop them all off, have lunch and then set off again.

Taking a 'Lunch and Nap' Break:

    And so, fifteen minutes later, we were back in our flat and ready to enjoy our lunch. Into the microwave they went and, just a little later, we were enjoying our lunch very much. They took me back to the years I lived in London when these meals became so convenient and so economical that I actually stopped cooking altogether and relied on them and on soups, sandwiches and salads.

    Lunch done, it was understandable that we would want to have a nap--after all, it was going to be a relaxed day. Both of us fell asleep almost immediately and awoke at half past four to get ourselves ready for the second stint of shopping.

Off to Knightsbridge:

    This second foray into the shops took us to Knightsbridge--and if it is Knightsbridge, it can only be Harrod's, of course. We decided to find the incredibly classy wooden chests of assorted teas that we have given as gifts through the years to a number of people (after buying it ourselves and finding out how much we liked it). However, to our great disappointment, this item had sold out and no one was sure when they would be replaced. The sales lady told us that they had been waiting for a whole month for replacement stock. We had no choice but to purchase the tin of assorted teas and when we spied the matching tins of assorted biscuits (and since one of our hosts is a huge fan of British biscuits), we decided that it would make a really good present for both sets of friends. With our buys placed in Harrods' lovely new paper carrier bags, we left the store. (They have done away with the plastic bags--so hang on to the ones you have as they might well become collectors' items).

    Next stop, Boots where I needed to buy my stock of skincare products for the next year (because who knows when I might next return to London). Two jars each of No. 7 Day Cream and Night Cream, Skin serum and eye cream and we were almost 200 pounds lighter in our pocketbooks despite the fact that the items were 3 for the price of 2. From Boots, I also bought my Dove body wash. Like all the faithful fans out there who are outraged that Silk Glow has been discontinued and been replaced by Nourishing Glow, I too am disappointed to find that I cannot buy the item that I have been using for the past fourteen years. I bought a small pack with the idea of trying it out to find out how it actually is. If it is not too different, I shall go ahead and buy my annual supply. I was also disappointed to find that the OPI shade of red nail polish that I have loved for years (Red Hot Rio) has also been discontinued! I find that it is available online, but not in any of the shops or department stores any more. This is the case with so many of the products I have intended to buy: nail polish, body wash, marmalade...it is just unbelievable that so many of the things I have used and loved, over the years, have disappeared.

Back on the Bus Home:

    We walked back to Knightsbridge, caught the bus back home and, at Edgeware Road, discovered that there is a a huge Waitrose right by our bus-stop. So, of course, I went in there to buy my stock of soups, many manufactured by Ainsley Herriot, which, to my good luck, were on sale. I bought a bunch of them and laden with all these buys, almost all of the things I intended to buy were bought (if, of course, they were available).

    Back in our flat, I sat down with drinks and a few nibbles based on the cheese and crackers we had bought from Marks. We also sat down to watch The Staircase starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette. During commercials, I reheated the second portions of our ready meals and we ended up finishing up Episode 1 while eating. Dessert was tiramisu which I also picked up from Waitrose. 

    Just before we retired for the night, we did a load of laundry as we both needed to replenish our stock of clean clothes. It was really late by the time we went to bed after what had been another productive but far more relaxed day.

    Until tomorrow...cheerio!                 

Second Day in Liverpool: Beatles Tour, Walker Art Gallery, Drinks at The Cavern Club

 Second Day in Liverpool: Beatles Tour, Walker Art Gallery, Drinks at The Cavern Club

Liverpool

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

    Our second full day in Liverpool was just as fruitful as our first--and just as much fun! On the agenda were two items: The Beatles Tour and an exploration of the Walker Art Gallery. When we found ourselves with time to throw in a visit for drinks at the one and only Cavern Club on Matthew Street where The Beatles had their start (not included on the tour), it was a delightful and unforeseen bonus!

Getting Set for a Day of Sight-seeing:

    We awoke at our leisure today as there was, fortunately, no early train to catch. After a shower in our hotel room (the Ibis on the Albert Dock waterfront), we munched our chicken sandwiches (purchased clairvoyantly at Tesco's last night), brewed a cup of decaff coffee in our room, checked out of our hotel, stashed our bags in the storage room, and left to greet the day. Glorious sunshine flooded Liverpool this morning and we knew we had a great day in store.

The Beatles Tour:

    Right across the street from our hotel was the starting point for the Hop On, Hop Off bus that would take us on the Beatles Tour. We had tickets for the 10.30 am tour and when we arrived there at a little before 10.00am, we were amazed to find that 50% of the seats on the upper deck were taken already. The bus was full of baby boomers, everyone being 60 plus years of age. I guess although we all know that The Beatles are timeless and now have the third generation of fans, it is folks our age who are brimming with nostalgia when it comes to associating our whole lives with The Beatles. Most of the visitors were from the USA and Canada with a few from the UK. By the time the bus left at 10.30 am, the upper deck was full and there were even a few people downstairs. 

    The Beatles Tour does go quite rapidly through the city--it is not really a City Tour, but it does run past Matthew Street on which the famous Cavern Club is located: the one that gave The Beatles their start in the UK. However, it main purpose is to take visitors way out of the city and into the suburbs because that is actually where the Fab Four lived in their childhood and youth and the point of this tour was to see those homes and the places that feature in their songs because they featured in their life stories too. Throughout the tour, our guide Tony kept up a running commentary. As these Northerners have a strong Scouser accent, I have to say that I could not quite understand much of what he said. Also, they talk really fast as they try to cram so much into a single sentence before the bus moves away. This makes it particularly difficult for me to follow (although Llew fares much better than I do with accents). 

    The bus made two scheduled stops--one at Penny Lane where we could all actually get out and take pictures by the street sign posts and one at Strawberry Fields. The original sign post on Penny Lane, which used to be signed by every Beatles Fan when they arrived in Liverpool and which is signed by Paul McCartney too, is preserved under perspex as there is every reason to believe it will be stolen. Every aspect of Beatles' memorabilia has been stolen and there is scarcely anything original to be found. We took a picture of the original sign too--in a poor state of repair, I have to say, but still priceless.

    The bus sailed slowly down Penny Lane (with the song Penny Lane playing on the PA system to really evoke a sense of nostalgia in us all) and arrived at the traffic circle that has been immortalized in music. The Barber Shop at the corner still stands and evokes the lyrics with which the song begins:

Penny Lane, there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know
And all the people that come and go

Stop and say, "Hello" ...

Also at the corner of the circle, the bank still stands...another reference to it is available in the song:

On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
And little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a Mac in the pouring rain

Very strange

    In the circle today, around which the bus curves, is a bistro that calls itself The Sergeant Pepper Bistro (a reference, of course, to the album in which the Penny Lane single was released). In fact, this circle was where Lennon and McCartney used to stand and wait for their school bus as kids--in doing so, they used to see all these strange, down-home characters whose memory they incorporated into their song. It was in this traffic circle that they would see the nurse selling poppies as a fund-raiser from a tray in the days leading up to Remembrance Day (November 11):

Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play

She is anyway

    The only character from the song who is no longer in evidence at the Penny Lane traffic circle today is the fireman. If there was a fire station at this point, it has long since disappeared:

Penny Lane, there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean

It's a clean machine

      There is a further reference in the song to all three characters in these lines:

Penny Lane, the barber shaves another customer
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim
And then, the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain
Very strange

    Indeed, as we were told snippets of the lives of these singers and the people who populated their childhood, we kept listening to the song: 

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit and meanwhile back....

   I was tickled to see a public bus whose destination had Penny lane written on it! We were fortunate indeed to have blue skies as our bus sailed under the suburban skies of Liverpool that brought us to our next scheduled stop on the bus--Strawberry Fields. This site, of course, has been immortalized in the Beatles' song, "Strawberry Fields Forever", the lyrics of which run, as follows:

Let me take you down
'Cause I'm going to strawberry fields
Nothing is real
And nothing to get hung about
Strawberry fields forever

    Tony, our guide explained that Strawberry Fields was the venue of a girl's orphanage that used to be run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool. John was always fascinated by the place which he could see from his bedroom window, just a block away. Although he had no personal associations with the place, it reminded him of his own sad childhood, separated from his own Mum and Dad and raised by an Aunt (Mimi). Every year, in the summer, there was a large fair that John used to enjoy going to with his Aunt--it was held in the nearby Caldershot Park which we also passed.

    Today, there is only the red-pink painted wrought-iron gates that proclaim the site of the Strawberry Fields orphanage. It is, in fact, a restaurant, today as the wild vegetation has been cleared up to create it. When I visited the place, a few years ago, there was nothing on the property. Today, Beatles' fans visit the site to pose by the gates--and that was what we did.

    After this stop, we were brought to the home of John Lennon on Menlove Avenue in the suburb of Woolton. After John died, his widow, the Japanese singer Yoko Ono bought the property and promptly donated it to the National Trust which also acquired Paul McCartney's home at Forthlin Street, not too far away. This gave Tony, our guide, the chance to talk to us in detail about the childhood of these two singers. Apparently, Lennon had a sad childhood. His mother Linda was left on her own with John and her two other children while her husband went out to sea. This caused her to take up with a boyfriend. When her husband returned, he called to take John out to Blackpool for the day and it was only because Linda's sister, Mimi, John's aunt, suspected something odd that she went to the port to find that John's father had purchased two one-way tickets to New Zealand with the aim of whisking his son away there. It was only Mimi's efforts that prevented this from happening. 

    Now, I have to say, that I do not know anything about the veracity of this story and I know, from experience, that one needs to take a lot of what these tour guides say with a bagful of salt! So I offer this story with reservations. However, what the guide also told us was that Lennon grew up very comfortably with his Aunt Mimi (who adopted him, in a sense, as his mother would not be able to give him a good life) and bought him his first guitar with the warning that although he could learn to play it and make music, he was unlikely to make a living out of it! John always looked upon her as his mother and bought her a home, as a gratitude gift, as soon as he could afford it.

    Anyway, today, the National Trust maintains both homes and has decorated them in a 1950's style to evoke the era in which the two premier Beatles grew up. To enter the house, you need to book another (very expensive tour)--it was almost 30 pounds each for the tour that runs twice a day. Unless you are a real die-hard Beatles' fan, I doubt you would actually receive your money's worth. That said, both tours for the next day were full and Llew and I could not get tickets.

    The bus then sallied forth towards Forthlin Street where Paul McCartney grew up. On a previous visit, my bus had actually stopped right outside the house and I was able to take pictures at the door. However, on this trip, our bus stopped at the end of the lane and the guide merely pointed out the house. It was too far away and made no sense to me. Tony said that the neighbors have begun to object to tour buses running by and ruining their privacy. 

    So that was it really. That was the Beatles tour. On the long way back, Tony entertained us with more Beatles stories and finished off with inviting us to sing the last bits of  "Hey Jude" as we waved our hands all over. So what did I think of the tour? It was fun and, if you do not have a car in Liverpool, it is the only way you can see the homes of the Beatles. Brief references were made to the homes of the other two, Ringo Staar and George Harrison--they also grew up in the Liverpool suburbs, but their homes are not sites of musical pilgrimage today. There were also references to Brian Epstein who made The Beatles what they became. 

    We were returned to Albert Dock on the last stop of our tour and Llew and I decided immediately to hop on to the City Tour (on the next bus) and get off at Museum Quarter as they next item on our agenda was the Walker Art Gallery. I knew that this gallery had a wide selection of works by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood whose work I truly admire--and I was very keen to spend a lot of time there. So, that was what we did.

At the Walker Art Gallery--but first a detour to St. George Hall:

    I also knew that St. George Hall, which is right opposite the Walker Gallery, is worth visiting. On a previous visit to Liverpool, I had been privileged to see the inside of it. It is quite spectacular indeed, the floor and walls covered with 19th century tiles made in the Minton Ceramics factory in nearby Stoke-on-Trent. Hence, I suggested to Llew that we try to go there. 

    By this point, I was really hungry and badly needed some refreshment,. it was, after all, about 1.00 pm. When we skirted the stunning Neo-Classical exterior of St. George's Hall to try to find the door leading to it, we discovered that only the ground floor was open, the staggeringly gorgeous Main Hall was not--it was, in fact, being refurbished and, therefore, closed to everyone but workmen. However, we did find a lovely cafe called the HomeBaked Cafe in the basement nearby and it was the perfect place to get a coffee and a hot chocolate (for me) and some wonderful bacon and cheese rolls that did the trick. Fueled with our snack, we could devote unstinting time to the art gallery--and that was what we did.

    The Walker Art Gallery stands in another lovely Neo-Classical building. It has a small permanent collection which is open to the public for free.  Sadly, the Tudor section with its Renaissance paintings was closed to the public as the Gallery has a special exhibition on 'The Tudors' opening in a few days. What we could see, however, was absolutely wonderful as the Pre-Raphaelite section, the Victorian section and then the Modern section was certainly worth seeing.

    We lingered for a very long time over these galleries and took in the wonders of the Pre-Raphaelites of which a wide number are represented. I saw worked by Arthur Hughes, William Holman Hunt, Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rosetti--the founders of the movement. Later, they were joined by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones  (alumni of Exeter College, Oxford). These painters focussed on narrative paintings that told a story, either from mythology or the Bible. I took many pictures, of course. In the Victorian section, I was especially struck by the work of Lord Leighton whose home I have visited in London. He has huge canvases that dominate the space and take the viewer directly into his world of beautiful damsels and Greek myths. 

    I was also happy to find the work of L.S. Lowry, the Northern British painter of industrial life, who made human stick figures a distinctive part of his work. I have only previously found his work in pictures--with one or two of them in the Tate in London.  And so, it was with pleasure that I looked at his work and recognized the reason for his popularity. There is nothing puzzling or intellectual about Lowry's work--he is indeed a realistic artist in a childish vein. Other Modern works that I found really interesting were by Duncan Grant (of whose work I saw a lot at Charleston Farmhouse--this painting was of the farm), Roger Fry (another member of the Bloomsbury School) and the husband-wife team of Stanhope Alexander Forbes and his wife, Elizabeth (to which I was also introduced for the first time), They do beautifully appealing work that evokes a lost generation. I was thoroughly charmed by it.

Off to Relax at The Cavern Club:

    With our visit to the Walker Art Gallery done, we used our map to walk about twenty minutes to our next port of call--The Cavern Club. We had about two hours to kill before we needed to board our 7.00 pm train back to London. What better way to spend them than to listen to the music of The Beatles in the very place where they became known to the world? 

    On the way, at St. John's Square, a busy shopping area, I stopped inside a really large Boots to buy my stock of nail polish. And indeed stock up I did. Rimmel is a favorite as I love its brush--not to mention its lovely shades. 

    Back on the streets, we found Matthew Street and went down it to find The Cavern Club in a Hidden bend of the lane. When we discovered that there was a cover charge of just 5 pounds to get inside, stay as long as we wanted with drinks, dancing and live music, that's where we decided to go. 

    We had the best time for the next hour or so as we toured the lovely club--justifiably called a cavern as you had to go down several flights of stairs to get to the basement. The place is filled with musical memorabilia of various kinds--from signed photographs to signed guitars and any number of souvenirs that visitors can buy for a really great way to remember their times in this sentimental space dripping with nostalgia.  The average age of the clientele was 65 and everyone was sipping, swaying, rocking. A singer was in attendance and he kept the crowd grooving mightily with his rendition of superb songs from the 60s--not just Beatles' numbers but the Merseybeat in general. It was all quite thrilling indeed and Llew and I had the best time with our own drinks--a Cabernet for Llew and a swift half of Guinness for me.                      

    By the time we walked out, we had just enough time to find our hotel (using the map), to pick up our bags and find a bus from the nearby bus station that took us back to the Lime Street Station. '

 Early Dinner at Wetherspoon's:

    It was at Lime Street Station that we discovered we had more than an hour to kill before boarding out train. And so off we went in search of a sit-down dinner. Wetherspoon's had a pub at the station itself--a gigantic place with a warren of rooms and when we found a Manager's Special for 4.99 pounds, we jumped on it. It turned out to be a double cheese burger with chips and onion rings--so as you can well imagine, we put half of it into carry-away bags as I felt pretty sure we'd be hungry when we reached London.

    So, we truly enjoyed our burgers which were a far cry better than the one I'd had with Roz at the Wetherspoon's in London, about a week ago. These were juicy and meaty and flavorful, the chips were really filling and the onion rings crispy and delicious. We washed these down with more red wine and Guinness.

    And then it was time to board our train that left bang on time, speeded through the lush green countryside of the Wirral and brought us to Euston station exactly at 9.00 pm. The 205 bus then brought us directly outside our building in Paddington. Our friend Bande had left for his holiday and we had his flat entirely to ourselves for the next several days. It will make the perfect base from which to explore the rest of the city. I had a long catch-up call on the phone with my friend Bina whom I hope to see before I leave. 

    At just past 11.00 pm--now really hungry, as I had expected, Llew and I finished our lovely burgers that we heated in the microwave as Llew watched the last of the Football match in which the German team won. It was with much satisfaction that we pulled the curtain down on another lovely day in the UK.  

    Until tomorrow...cheerio.  

      

   

   

 

First Day in Liverpool: Exploring Albert Dock, Historical Museums and taking the City Explorer Bus Route

First Day in Liverpool: Exploring Albert Dock, Historical Museums and taking the City Explorer Bus Route

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

    We were very excited to arrive in Liverpool today. As it was Llew's first time in the city, it was even more exciting. As for me, this visit was my fourth: I had come here, years ago, to give a paper at a conference at John Moores University. The second time, I had brought my NYU students as Leader of the Dean's Circle on an overnight field-trip through Liverpool. The third time occurred when I was teaching in London and I had brought students to see the city. Clearly, I could play tour guide quite efficiently. 

Train Journey to Liverpool and Arrival at Our Hotel:

    We had another early start today as our train from Euston Station in London left for Liverpool at 7.30 am. We did the exact same thing we had done yesterday: we picked up breakfast pastries (croissants) from Sainsbury, together with yogurt and decaff coffee from Delice de France. Armed with these goodies, we boarded our high-speed train to Liverpool that departed bang on schedule. I could not believe that we would be reaching Liverpool in just over two hours.

    Once at Liverpool Lime Street Staton, we looked for the Tourist Information kiosk and actually found it. The man gave us maps and directed us to our hotel. He told us to take the Tube from just downstairs to St. James' Street and there our hotel would be. So indeed, that was what we did. In no time at all, we were at St. James' Street, but our hotel, the Ibis, turned out to be a good fifteen walk away as it was at the very end of Wapping Dock. Still, in a day or two, we realized that it was, in fact, very conveniently located for  the Hop On, Hop Off bus that we used for all our sightseeing.

Exploring Albert Dock:

    So as soon as we checked into our hotel, we stashed our bags in the storage area as check-in was only at 3.00 pm--and off we went. We crossed the street to get to Albert Dock and since this is a big attraction in the city, we started our exploration right there.    

    Albert Dock, named, of course, after Prince Albert, was a thriving port throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and remained busy and productive right up to the mid-20th century. The rise of air traffic and trade put paid to the vast amount of trade that was carried through this port through the Mersey River which  runs alongside the city. The history of this port is also inevitably linked with colonialism and slavery and indeed, Liverpool was the largest port for the entry of slaves from Africa to Britain and then out from Britain to North and South America (mainly Brazil). Indeed, Brazil was the last country to abolish slavery in 1889. 

    Albert Dock can boast the largest number of Grade I listed buildings in the world and they are in a uniform terracotta color and sport columned arcades right through them. We walked through them to take in the variety of restaurant and souvenir shops in this area before we came upon the Tate Museum Liverpool and decided to see it. The Tate has a permanent collection of Modern Art and we were happy to see examples of the work of Matisse, Picasso, Brancussi, Mondrian, Lichtenstein and El Anatsui among the main works. After a quick look around, we moved on.

    This time, out on the waterfront, we came upon the Merseyside Maritime Museum. This place has a wonderful Slavery Museum which gives sad facts and horrifying figures about the amount of slave trade that was carried out here. As Llew said, it was difficult to read all the facts and not be horrified by the abuse of human rights that was rampant in those terrible times. We went through all exhibits associated with the Middle Passage and another room that talked about the legacy of slavery with reference to the current situation regarding the position of Black people in Western society and the results of the Black Lives Matter Movement. With a great deal of remnant objects reminding us of those times, it really does take a very stern constitution to be able to view these exhibits without being emotionally affected by them.

    The lower floor took us down to an exhibition on the Titanic, the most famous passenger liner in the world. Although the Titanic did not sail through Liverpool, the White Star Company that owned the liner had its headquarters in Liverpool as it evident in the building that stands right on the water--known colloquially and jocularly as the "streaky bacon" building because it is designed in stripes of red and white. Of course, this exhibition too is a real tear-jerker and there is scarcely a dry eye in the room as people go through the exhibits that outline the manner in which it reached its end and sank in two pieces once it hit an iceberg. As someone who has taught a course (to the NYU Dean's Circle) on the Titanic, I was fully conversant with the facts...but it was still difficult to stay emotionally detached on re-discovering the facts. 

    One floor below was another exhibition on the sinking of the Lusitania during World War II when the British ship was torpedoed by the Germans killing several American crewmen on board. Llew and I had to hurry through this floor as we had a lot to do and were feeling hungry too.

Lunch at Albert Dock from a Greek Food Truck:

    Seeking sustenance in one of the few food trucks at Albert Dock, we found a meal at So Greek Full--a truck that sold Greek food. We settled for a Vegan Chicken Souvlaki that came with chips, salad and an overfilled pita. It was really good that we had decided to share one with an Orangina to drink as one each would have been impossible to finish. We used restrooms in the museum before we left to return to the explorer bus stops to find out about buying tickets for the sightseeing tours.

On the City Explorer Bus Route:

    Once at the spot where the Red Hop On, Hop Off bus began its route, we bought tickets for the Combination tours--the City Sight-seeing tour and the Beatles Tour. (14 pounds for the combination ticket). These tickets were valid for two days. We decided, therefore, to do the City sightseeing immediately and keep the longer Beatles tour for tomorrow. And so that was what we did. We made one complete loop around the city and became introduced to its maritime, cultural and sports history. In fact, Liverpool had just beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup Finals and the city was agog with the results. We toured the Three Graces (three 19th century buildings on the waterfront), saw the sculpture of the Beatles that looks out on the Mersey and was installed in 2015, entered the city center to see the Cavern Quarter which is where all the clubs are located including the famous Cavern Club where The Beatles got their start. We then reached the Museum Quarter where all the sturdy Neo-Classical buildings are located: the George Building, the World Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Lime Street Train Station (at which we had entered from London).  These gave us an idea of the glory of this city as a prosperous merchant marine power. Next, we arrived at a part of the city that is known for its two grand Cathedrals--the Metropolitan Christ the King Catholic Cathedral built by a Protestant and the Anglican Cathedral built by a Catholic (Sir Giles Gilbert Scott).  Back at the terminus, we decided to stay on the bus until it made another loop. This time, we would get off at Hope Street, we decided, so that we could cover the two Cathedrals.

Visiting Liverpool's Two Cathedrals:

    The bus put us down on the corner of Hope Street, the only street in the world that can boast two cathedrals, one at each end. We walked first to the Catholic Cathedral as it was closer to us and climbed up the stairs to the very modern church that resembles a crown. It is a tall, concrete structure that is enlivened by the use of stained glass--over 250,000 pieces were used in the making of the coronet at the very top. We made a prayerful visit inside and found that the altar was covering by scaffolding--apparently some repair work is in progress. Our visit was not long as we discovered that the crypt that was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (yes, the designer of New Delhi) could not be visited until tomorrow and that there was an entry fee of 5 pounds to get down to what is basically a museum and a treasury of sorts.

    We moved on then to the other end of Hope Street to visit the Anglican Cathedral. In doing so, we passed by the Philharmonic Dining Rooms and the Philharmonic Pub (where I have been before) which are the only Grade I listed washrooms in the world. Hence, women are actually allowed into the Men's toilets. We decided to finish visiting the Cathedral and then return here for a drink.

    Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral is far more impressive and imposing than its Catholic counterpart. For one thing, it is simply towering. It is the third-largest Cathedral in the world, is built in Gothic style, has the largest organ in the world and the loudest bells. We made our way to the altar while feeling deeply humbled by the height of the nave. Though austere in its decor, the altar is brass burnished and quite striking indeed. After a few moments spent in silent prayer, we walked towards the altar in order to admire the interior features of this ecclesiastical space when we realized that choral evensong would soon be beginning. Hence, we returned to our seats in the pew and listened to the awesome choir that sounded really glorious as their voices reached the roof. Indeed, it was a wonderfully spiritual experience and we were glad we took the time and trouble to seek out these spaces.

A Drink and Some Footrest at the Philharmonic Pub:

    A short walk back as we retraced our steps to Hope Street took us to the Philharmonic Pub where I had a glass of bubbly--the perfect pick-me-up at the end of a long and very tiring day. Llew opted for a glass of red wine and as we were both starving by this time, we decided to get some pub grub--a serving of onion rings and a serving of garlic bread with cheese. When our drinks and eats were brought to the table, we made friends with two guys sitting alongside us and soon we were deeply in chatter with them.

    The Philharmonic Pub is just gorgeous. It is ornately decorated in the over-the-top manner of its Victorian day when excess was the name of the game. Beautifully etched windows, lots of stained glass, Tiffany-style lamps with colored glass shades, elaborately designed fireplaces and mantlepieces, squooshy leather sofas, added to the ambience of a very comfortable place in which to relax at the end of the day. We listened to some lovely oldies on the radio and then, a whole hour or more later, decided to get going.

Sandwich Dinner at our Hotel:

    We had to find our way back to the hotel, however, so we were grateful for our map.  Using, it, we walked for another 25 minutes until we arrived at the waterfront and spied our hotel, not far away. But as we were passing a Tesco and had no intentions of getting out, once we reached our room,  we picked up sandwiches and soft drinks and returned to our hotel.

    Once indoors, we lost no time getting ourselves comfortable. With the TV on and some laughs to be had with Hyacinth Bucket of Keeping Up Appearances fame, we thought it was time to eat and get ourselves ready for bed after what had been another exhausting, but very fulfilling, day.

    Until tomorrow...cheerio.