Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art: Canonbury Square London N1

This gallery had been suggested to me and my friend Stephen offered to take me. The gallery is a short walk from Highbury Corner.  The nearest station is Highbury and Islington which is served by London Overground and London Underground/National Rail at a low level.  Refer to Highbury and Islington Post (work in progress)

The collection is located in a Georgian House built on the corner of Canonbury Road and Canonbury Lane/Square in London N1.  The gallery premises are entered through “Sunburst” gates which lead into a garden and one can enter the gallery at house, basement or lower ground floor level. 

The collection is not open on Mondays and Tuesdays and opens at 11 am.  Admission is £5 with a concession for visually impaired people and free admission for a companion. 

The gallery has frequent exhibitions and an installation of modern abstract art was being prepared so not all the rooms were open.  Stephen and I were free to explore the gallery and Stephen described many of the paintings which I could make out. 

I could detect some of the geometrical features, a still life was clearly drawn and discernible and one of the pieces of sculptures was intriguing as it had very sharp angles.    Stephen took photographs of this piece which is fairly small and is in a case. 

Rider falling of a horse

Estorick Collection, Highbury, London

20 June 2012

This shows that sculpture offers many views of the same piece and with permission to photograph without flash Stephen also took some pictures of the other art in the gallery. 

I particularly liked the works of Giacomo Balla and was photographed beside his portrait of Dr Fontana. 

 By portrait of Carlo Fontana by Giacomo Balla

Estorick Collection, Highbury, London

20 June 2012

The Gino Severini still life “Quaker Oats” is recognisable. 

 Quaker Oats - Cubist Still Life

Estorick Collection, Highbury, London

20 June 2012

Each room has a caption describing the artists and the collection development.  These boards take about 5 minutes to read out.  There is no audio so, if you are going on your own, it is probably a good idea to find out as much as possible about the artists before a first visit.  (The gallery’s website offers useful biographies of individual artists: http://www.estorickcollection.com/permanent/ )

There are several stunning pieces of Modern Italian Art from the first three decades of the 20^th Century.  The collection had been enlarged over the years and there are many paintings in abstract, cubist and contemporary portraiture.  There is also some furniture such as benches, tables and stands, which is conveniently placed and all designed for use. 

 Detail of a bench

Estorick Collection, Highbury, London

20 June 2012

I was particularly struck by the benches, which one is at liberty to sit on or touch.  They have tactile surfaces and seem to be carved from a single block of wood, with patterns of hatching and slightly raised levels which can be felt.  The staining effect also allows an appreciation of the art.  Sitting on one of the benches, I soon found myself chatting to one of the staff who shared some of her favourite pieces.  

 Exchanging opinions

Estorick Collection, Highbury, London

20 June 2012

The gallery has a café and the gift shop has a fine collection of postcards and art books. 

Postcards of pictures I liked include: 

Music (1911) by Luigi Russolo (1185-1947)

Doctor Francois Brabander (1918) by Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920)
The Hand of the Violinist (1912) by Giacomo Balla (1871-1958)
Horses and Landscape (1951) by Zoran Music (1909-2005)
Quaker Oats – Cubist Still Life (1917) by Gino Severini (1883-1966)

There is also some steel sculpture outside which moves in the wind. It was a sunny and calm day, so Stephen moved the parts of the sculpture for me in order to get an appreciation of a windy day in Islington. (unheard of - moving sculptures, that is!)

I wrote about Boetti in the recent show at Tate Modern where he introduced a new school; and having done Picasso last week at both Tate Britain and British Museum, one could make out that he was not alone in finding a new way to draw and paint. 

This is a very pleasant gallery with some very interesting pieces.  There are many fine pictures, collages and sculptures and there is much to enjoy in this showcase of Modern Italian Art which is also called futurism. 

The horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot - British Museum exhibition

*** update 25/9/2012

My second visit to this exhibition.  I was kitted out with the audio headset and managed to do the exhibition on my own with some assistance from the staff at the desk and within the exhibition itself.  This exhibition closes on 30^th September and some of the merchandise is on offer at reduced prices.  This is a good example of an exhibition where in theory a visually impaired person can do it, more or less, on their own.

The British Museum site has a short video on the exhibition (http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/the_horse/curators_introduction.aspx) and  within the education/learning section there are resources which may be of interest.    

Postcard bought:

Horses, from the series ‘Persian Expressions, Say Flower Hear Flower’, 2012

Afsoon

***end of update

14^th June 2012

This is an absolutely delightful exhibition (http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/the_horse.aspx) .  Not only is it wonderfully curated by John Curtis and Nigel Tallis, but there is also an audio guide for the visually impaired.  It gets better. 

I went with a sighted friend and knowing the way, asked at the help desk for details of both the Horse Exhibition and a gallery of Picasso etchings and prints.  Having got directions for the Horse Exhibition (upstairs on the Reading Room sector) I was pleasantly surprised when Andrea said there was a special audio guide for visually impaired people.  Andrea set up the handset and headphones and the set was the same as I had used before at the ‘Treasures of Heaven’ There are 14 full descriptions and essays on the topics from early use of asses and donkeys through to the first known painting of a recognisable horse (the tail gives it away) and on to modern day racing objects.  Exhibits include clay tablets, boxes depicting chariots drawn by donkeys, a gold chariot and horse, books, film, paintings and prints as well as life-size models. 

As we were checking the headset I heard that a 2^nd set of headphones could be attached.  This means that a visually impaired person can control the audio for a sighted person.  Much as I am grateful to friends who operate the audio, it is rather gratifying to operate the controls yourself! (Three Cheers!!)

In my younger days I would go pony trekking in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh.  I usually rode Icelandic Ponies but as the university had some Exmoor Ponies went on them as well.  Otherwise my equine skills are limited to a Welsh Pony in Wales and a Kashmiri Pony in Kashmir as well as assorted mounts on the beach.

The exhibition was put together in order to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, and tracks horses and their depiction in art, commerce and war. The introduction of three Arabian stallions into the British horse bloodline started the concept of the thoroughbred which developed into today’s racing industry.  The Queen is a well known horse lover and the exhibition has many pieces from other British Institutions. 

On entering the exhibition, on the right and against the wall, there is a rack of books in large print and Braille and including tactile diagrams.  The audio guide alerted me to them.  I tried out the tactile diagrams and they give an idea of the detail in the stylised horse, rider and chariots which are illustrated on the items on display.  As I can’t do Braille I did not take the book round with me, but I found the mix of contrast shading and tactile texture helped in getting the geometry right in my mind before I started on the first object. 

There is much about civilisations such as Assyrian, Mesopotamian, Sasanian, Byzantine and Parthian as well as better known Persian, Arabian, Ottoman, Greek and Roman periods.  Archaeological excavations from modern day Georgia, Tadjikistan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran and Turkey are also covered.  Both European and Ottoman horsebreeding records have been researched and this almost gives some respectability to bookmaking. 

From the Arab World, there are pieces from the Saudi library of King Abdul Aziz.  These include a couple of Qurans with motifs in the border of the script.  There are also items from 13^th Century Iraq (Mosul Ewer) and a horse training and cavalry manual or Furusiyya.  This sounds similar to the fencing manuals which I noted at the Wallace Collection’s ‘The Noble Art of the Sword’ exhibition which is currently on.

There is also a loan from the Royal Armouries of a horse and warrior clad in mail, which is cooler than armour plate.  Alongside this is another model depicting a horse and warrior from 19^th century Sudan using cloth stitched and quilted as a padded protection, which was also considerably lighter than mail. 

In the next room, there is a huge projection of desert rock paintings and etchings from Saudi Arabia.  The projection can zoom in on key subjects and though I could not operate the touchscreen, I could make out the zoom of the rock art while my friend read out the caption.   Nearby, is a large artwork of what looked like King Abdul Aziz (Ibn Saud) riding on his horse. It was.   

I had seen similar paintings in Riyadh when I used to live in Saudi Arabia.  The exhibition refers to the habit of hunting in the desert with a salouki and a falcon (saqr).  While in Saudi Arabia, I was lucky to have gone into the desert and tried out falconry - the bird caught nothing!  In the 1980s Saudi television showed horse racing from Riyadh’s race course.  The horses were pure Arab stock and while racing is said to be the Sport of Kings, here it was certainly the sport for princes.  (The TV also showed camel racing from Al Jenadriyah.) 

The final section of the exhibition focuses on British racing and includes prints and paintings as well as trophies and other paraphernalia associated with it.  The social side of racing is covered in beautiful horse paintings by such artists as Stubbs.  Famous horses such as Godolphin, Eclipse are shown as are familiar racing scenes. 

On leaving the exhibition area, there is a gift shop and the headsets and controls can be left at the cash desk.  I was asked by the member of staff who served me how I found the exhibition.  I more or less said that any person with a cane or guide dog should be taken to it.  I plan on going back! These notes have been made from memory and a 2^nd visit and further research will expand this post.  Go and check out the free special audio guide for visually impaired people and give your feedback.  The British Museum has shown a good way of making an exhibition accessible to a visually impaired person.   

Postcards bought include:

Model four-horse chariot (Oxus Treasure)

Fragment of Assyrian wall relief showing three chariot horses (Nimrud, c875-60 BC)
Two illustrations from a Furusiyya manuscript (copied 773 AH / 1371 AD)
Three galloping horses (c 1550)
Laetitia, Lady Lade (1793, The Royal Collection)

Before going to the British Museum, you may wish to arrange special access.  Details can be found here: http://www.britishmuseum.org/learning/access/visually_impaired_visitors.aspx 

Picasso and Modern British Art: Exhibition at Tate Britain

Update 14th July 2012

It is possible to get versions of the room notices for the Picasso exhibition in a text file which a screen reader can use.  Many galleries and exhibitions have large print and brail guides and though it is not obvious that a simple text file of the original document is available, this can help before attending an exhibition.  The room notices and picture panels can often save time and the exasperation of a sighted friend in making this information known.  Many thanks to Tate for sending me the text files, which provide much information on the artists featured in the Picasso show.

*** end of update

Tate Britain is currently running an exhibition titled Picasso and Modern British Art, showing works by Picasso along with British artists who were influenced by his style.   The British artists include Wyndham Lewis, Duncan Grant, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Graham Sutherland and David Hockney.  The exhibition is located in a lower gallery in Tate Britain.

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/picasso-modern-british-art?gclid=CKjU0aTOzrACFQ8htAod1RUNWQ

Note:  There is a special tour for the visually impaired on Monday 18th June at 11 am.  Details can be found on: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/talks-and-lectures/tate-britain-visual-description-tour-june

I visited this exhibition with a friend who has a Tate membership.  We went by London Underground to Westminster and intended to get the 87 bus to Tate Britain.  However, the police had closed Whitehall on account of a security alert, so instead we walked past the Houses of Parliament and along the Embankment to Millbank and the Tate.  In need of a coffee, we went to the member’s room and climbed the steps of the front entrance. 

In order to familiarise me with the building again, my friend took me outside through a side entrance and into the exhibition.  There is an internal staircase as well which we used later.    I used to go regularly to the Tate before I lost my sight and I have been several times with friends, though usually I don’t pay much attention to directions, unless the person I am with has no sense of direction!

As you enter the exhibition area there is an information desk, cloakroom and hat check-in as well as a member’s service desk.  We picked up the booklets and my friend ordered two multimedia guides.  The staff said helpfully that there was no audio description on the control/headset, but my sighted friend nevertheless got a pair.  Thus armed we entered the exhibition. 

The themes are chronological in terms of the British artists, so some of Picasso’s work is not juxtaposed.  The multimedia set comes into its own when the audio channel says there is a picture of… and up pops a picture on the handset.  This is useful if you have some sight, though I had the odd moment of “looking” at a hazy painting/collage and then a sharp image would pop up on the handset, rather like a sharp image on a smart phone, only with my sight condition (no central vision to speak of) I could “look” at both original and handset image and get an idea.  This worked well for Wyndham Lewis as I recognised some of his works (Edinburgh); as well as for Duncan Grant and Ben Nicholson.  However, I could not make much of Moore, Bacon and Sutherland.

The multimedia guide discussed the love lives of Picasso and his dealers, models as well as the background of the personalities.  Many artists had seen Picasso’s work and doubtless his influence operated through a type of osmosis.  One of my friends claims to detect the influence of Richter, Hockney and Boetti in my own painting and doubtless there is something in that. 

I was musing on my own in front of a Francis Bacon triptych of the crucifixion and scratching my head (the hat had been checked) when my friend set the commentary to where Bacon said in an interview that he had used the cross as an “armature on which to hang…”  I could only agree with Bacon when he thought it had not been a good idea!

Sutherland also left me underwhelmed.  I had seen his tapestry in Coventry Cathedral in 1969 not long after it had been installed.  I was also aware that Churchhill’s wife had destroyed a portrait of Winston Churchill which had been painted by Sutherland.    

However, I did admire the Hockney works, especially the stage sets and costumes.    Hockney did a portrait of Christopher Isherwood in a style which resembles one of Picasso’s works.

The Picasso originals for the Ballets Russes had a freshness for their 100 years.  All the Picasso works had a sharpness which my eye condition picks up, in much the same way as 17^th century pictures or works by Frank Stella, Gerhard Richter or Hockney himself.

Picasso favourites of mine include the Child with a Dove painted in 1901 and now in the Courtauld Gallery, London. I am sure my primary school had a copy of this as I remember hearing about Picasso when quite young.  There is a lot of space devoted to Guernica though the large reproduction was positioned too high for me to get much detail.  I had much more luck with the fine costume drawings for the Three Cornered Hat.

The book and gift shop has a selection of postcards from other galleries.  Quite often there have been stock or copyright issues in postcards and I bought a selection as well as a large card of ‘A Child with a Dove’, which a helpful assistant found for me.  The other postcards were:

The Corregidor’s Wife (1919- Musee Picasso, Paris)

The Three Dancers (1925 – Tate)

Nude Woman in a Red Armchair (1932 – Tate)

The Enamelled Saucepan (1945 – Musee Nationale d’Art Moderne Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris) all by Picasso

and one by David Hockney titled Harlequin (1980 – Collection The David Hockney Foundation).   

There are prints that can be bought and ordered for framing and the exhibition catalogue is also on sale. 

This is an exhibition which should be attempted with a sighted person, although the Tate website says there is a programme for the visually impaired.  The access and education staff are available if you are making a special visit. 

If you are in London and would like an extra helping of Picasso, then the British Museum has the Vollard Suite of more than 100 etchings, prints drawings and sketches by Picasso.  They were traded by Picasso using the dealer Anton Vollard and the Vollard Suite has been bequeathed to the British Museum.

Unfortunately, some are very faint and I could make out only around 20 of the prints.  The British Museum has juxtaposed the Picassos with ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan sculpture.  There are pieces of Hercules, Aphrodite and a Minotaur interspersed with the Picassos, which tend to dwell on some of the more exotic pleasures of the classical world.  I had a sighted friend who read out the captions.

Postcards that I bought at the end included: Bacchic Scene with Minotaur (1933), Minotaur Caressing a Sleeping Woman (1933), Blind Minotaur Led by a Little Girl in the Night (1934/35), and Rembrandt and Two Women (1934).  

The Vollard Suite is in gallery 90 on the 4^th Floor of the British Museum

More information on artists and other characters can be obtained on the internet.  A search for Bloomsbury Set should give more to the background. 

Information on some artists associated with this period can be found on:

Roland Penrose (http://www.rolandpenrose.co.uk/ )

Barbara Hepworth (http://www.barbarahepworth.org.uk/)

Wyndham Lewis A Reading of Ovid Edinburgh (http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/L/2988/artistName/Percy%20Wyndham%20Lewis/recordId/661)

Kew Gardens: David Nash Sculpture

*** update 21/11/12

The weather had not been good - but it was changeable - to have an interesting walk around Kew Gardens, so I took a camera just in case I went.  I had not planned anything and asked at the information desk if there were any tours.  I was told that the winter schedule has guided tours and there was one in about 40 minutes which would be about David Nash.  I was in luck and after a walk around the Palm House and lake area taking a few photos, I returned and met Peta Matthews, who took me round. 

Photograph of 2 trees: On the left is a pine,

The Professor cannot remember what the tree on the right is!

Can anyone identify it?  

 

The weather was turning quite bad about 1.45 and after managing a few shots of trees, we visited the bronze sculptures outside then headed for the Temperate House as a downpour was underway.  The wind had also got up so I borrowed an umbrella and had a few Mary Poppins moments with brolly and cane combo. 

 

 

 By the Throne

David Nash RA

Kew Gardens

21 November 2012

(The Throne is about 3 times the height of the Professor, is shaped like a chair and is made of pale beech)

 

I had really enjoyed my previous visit with Lorraine and catching the remaining leaves with the sculpture inside the Temperate House was a real bonus.  The David Nash sculptures started me off on a trail of discovery in this genre and my visits to the other exhibitions have been enriched by this Kew Gardens show. 

 

In my walking lists in Scotland, I mentioned that I enjoy the outdoors in bad weather as the sounds can be interesting.  We had falling leaves, rain pouring down on the roof of the Temperate House and the odd plane too!  The colours were a rich brown in some cases and I was able to match some of the sculptures I had visited before.





By the Mizunara Bowl

David Nash RA

Kew Gardens

21 November 2012

(This is made from Mizunara, a Japanese oak.  The sculpture is drying out and has been been sculpted from one piece.)

In the visitor centre I had a coffee and walnut cake and then bought the David Nash RA book on Kew titled David Nash at Kew Gardens (ISBN 978-1-84246-462-5). 

Many thanks to Peta for a really enjoyable tour and this followed on from my joining a group initially with Lorraine.  The desk, cafe and shop people were all really helpful.

By the Crack and Warp

David Nash RA

Kew Gardens

21 November 2012

(Lots of horizontal lines, made form lime wood which has dried, allowing cracks and warping.)

*** end of update


Kew Gardens is a popular spot for many visually impaired visitors. In addition to free admission there are several organised events and extra facilities for some disabled people.  However, even if you just turn up, it is possible to enjoy many of the attractions.

My local Visually Impaired group has arranged boat trips to Kew in addition to  coach trips.  Many take a packed lunch and their own vacuum flask as the food can be expensive for those on a limited budget.  Others would also rather sit out and enjoy the relative calm of Kew, apart from the aircraft noise.  Many have a particular favourite time of the year to visit depending on what is in season. 

Last summer when I went to Kew Gardens I went on the Explorer.  This resembles a train and it was very good at giving an overview of some of the unusual trees, which I can pick up on my peripheral vision.  Greens are a bit of a mystery to me (see my posts on green pigments in art) and if it is overcast the gardens can be a bit monochromatic.  Last year my visit coincided with a rehearsal for a Jools Holland gig with blue skies. 

On Saturday, 9^th June 2012,  I was heading in the direction of Richmond and as the weather had brightened decided to alight at Kew Gardens Station from the London Overground.  The platform staff approached me offering help and I was taken down the stairs and through a subway emerging on the Stratford bound platform for the return.  I was taken out of the station and given clear instructions: cross station parade of shops on right and cross zebra crossing, proceed until main road and light controlled crossing (beeps) to the main gate.  Thanks to staff at 1.40 pm at Kew Gardens Station!

Once in the gardens, I asked one of the stewards about the Explorer (it was 1.55) and they run every 30 minutes on the half hour. The steward also said there was a tour at 2pm and gave directions to the information desk.  

Kew has a significant amount of volunteers and on asking about tours I was introduced to Lorraine who was leading a tour of the David Nash sculptures in the gardens, Shirley Sherwood Gallery and the Temperate House. I mentioned to Lorraine about my vision as she had had experience with visually impairment through a friend who has tunnel vision as well as having contact with Canadian NIB.  Lorraine asked me if she could mention this to the rest of the group. I think this is a good idea as large groups soon get used to there being a visually impaired visitor among them and this also helps in inclusion.

In our group there were visitors from Italy and Japan.  Nash has exhibited in Japan where his work is popular.  The pieces are unique and sell for tens of thousands of pounds, though charcoal drawings and prints can be bought.

Nash works with fallen trees, diseased and dead trees and wood bought-in (Portuguese Cork).  Among the woods used include:  cedar, oak, lime, palm, yew, elm, birch and beech. 

Torso

© Jim Linwood

Nash established a workshop in North Wales in Blaenau Ffestiniog, which had been a slate mining and quarrying industry based town.  In combination with the Welsh mountain weather, the pieces tend to be monochromatic. Nash chars wood on the outside giving a black “patina” and has started to make bronze castings from some of his work.  His wooden work has been exposed to the elements and to fungal attack like Honey fungus (beloved of Pippa Greenwood on Gardeners Question Time).  He has also taken back some of his work and reworked it with a charring effect using a blow lamp.  I am getting ideas!  The tools which Nash uses are chain saw and axe, so these are not displays of finely crafted carpentry.

The first pair of monoliths of wood, 2 Cedars had hacked wedges made and some carving of the overall shape. This was charred and I touched it and no charcoal comes off. 

2 cedars

© Jim Linwood

We went into the Sherwood Gallery where there are examples of more intricate work, two canoes which can interlock and which one of the visitors thought resembled Viking long ships.  There is part of a palm tree which can also be touched and one of the group asked questions about touching the objects.  This is an awkward question. (Check Gerhard Richter Kugel story at Tate Modern)

Some of Nash’s drawings reminded me of Hockney designs for the Thixendale trees in winter.  In fact, I could make out quite a lot of the cuts Nash had made in some carvings in the Temperate House. Nash also uses pyramids, spheres and cubes a lot and as well as oval/egg shapes and crosses as some kind of symbology. 

The tour finished at the Wood Quarry where Nash is creating work during his period at Kew.  This will be shown in October. 

Quarry at Kew

© Jim Linwood

Lorraine then walked me back to the café.  We chatted about Kusama as she had been to that show.  I mentioned the Boetti exhibition which is much more craft based and that I had liked Boetti’s sculptures in any material.  The Italians had been pleasantly surprised that we had a Boetti show in London. 

Lorraine was a real “find” and knew instinctively how to ask visually impaired visitors how they perceive objects and how they navigate. (I am now getting quite cross when I get asked  by professionals “What percentage vision do you have?” and “How much useful vision do you have?”) Lorraine helped me in the café where I had a delicious pear and chocolate tart and a coffee. 

Black butt

© Jim Linwood



Afterwards I went to the shop and asked about postcards as I did not want to buy a book.  A very helpful staff member was familiar with Nash and took me outside where the Nash merchandise is on sale and helped me select one.  (Thanks H Matsusaka, from till receipt!)

The tour lasted 2 hours and not having a camera, yet, there are no photos of mine.  The photos I have selected have been attributed to the source.  This was a fascinating tour and many thanks to Lorraine and the people on duty about 2pm for directing me.

http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/visit-information/how-to-find-us/access-guide/index.htm

Diamond Jubilee and Transit of Venus

In the UK there was a long holiday to mark the Diamond Jubilee.  The Queen acceded in 1952 on the death of her father King George VI, as heiress presumptive. Note that Charles is the heir apparent though the law is being changed to give women equal rights. 

Had I been more mobile and sighted I would have gone to the pageant or flotilla on the River Thames.  I have gone on the river several times on my own and a trip on one of the commuter boats is a good experience.  London’s skyline has changed over the years and if you are visiting London you can recreate your own river pageant. The outlook for the weather was dire as indeed was the radio programming covering the events from the BBC.  Having no TV, I more or less paddled my own canoe (so to speak!) but nevertheless got involved in the community activities. 

Saturday 2^nd June

There was a street party in the afternoon and with the road closed it was pleasant to chat to neighbours one knew and those who one did not know.  I was chatting to a woman using a crutch who just happened to be on the waiting list for a hip replacement at the same hospital and we compared notes.   There was an impromptu band playing old Beatles numbers from the 1960s. (Abbey Road is not far away) A lot of food had been prepared and cooked on a barbecue and we were lucky with the weather.

Diamond Jubilee Street party
London, 2nd June, 2012

Sunday 3^rd June

I had been invited to the vicarage garden for afternoon tea.  It was to start at 3.30 and the weather forecast was grim.  We got to the vicarage garden at 3:30 and saying hello to the vicar, took a seat in a marquee. The heavens opened up at 3:37 and we had a noisy downpour.  As it was cold, part of the tent was heated and we all moved tables and chairs to be closer to the heaters and away from the rain.  I also happened to meet again the lady with the crutch.  It all added to the fun and knowing quite a few people enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and a variety of cakes.  We were also given a Diamond Jubilee mug. 

News from the River Thames was bad and I felt sorry for many people in such a wet day.  The British are said to be sanguine about the weather but for many the pageant was not a great experience.  Meanwhile back at the vicarage garden we had treats and a helicopter flew overhead, although they had cancelled the official flypast.The vicar had tied up some plastic corgis (the Queen’s breed of dog) and there were Union Flags (Jacks) everywhere. 

Vicar's Diamond Jubilee Garden Party 

Monday 4^th June

After bad weather it is my opportunity to walk in a garden and potter about.  I went with a friend to Burgh House in Hampstead, London NW3 (http://www.burghhouse.org.uk/)  and enjoyed a cheese scone with butter and a cafetiere of “organic & fair trade” coffee, alfresco in the garden. 



Burgh House

Hampstead, London

There was an arts & crafts fair in Burgh House and I chatted with a few of the stallholders.  One designed artwork for porcelain which was fired in Staffordshire while another designed patterns for embroidery.  I mentioned the Afghan men who had embroidered the maps of the world for Boetti and got some inspiration for putting my skyline of the London Southbank as “viewed” from a riverboat on a fine china dinner service. 

Burgh House often has functions and has many exhibitions of art and history.  It is not easy to find and it may take a few trips to remember the route.  From Hampstead High Street proceed along Flask Walk and start asking…

Leaving my friend outside an art shop, I managed to find Fenton House in Hampstead.  ( http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/fenton-house/  This is an interesting house with a large collection of harpsichords, clavichords and the odd spinet.  Last year a visitor from Australia had been practising Bach (Well Tempered Klavier) and it was a treat to hear this in the house.  Fenton House is staffed by volunteers and is a National Trust property.  On my previous visit, I chatted to a volunteer who had made her first trip to Meissen in Germany.  The house has a collection of porcelain from Meissen and elsewhere as well as a collection of pictures.

This was my second visit to Fenton House and in addition to talking about the musical instruments there was a garden party in the grounds.  The house has several gardens and is in a prime location.  From the top floor there is a view to the River Thames, though I can only make out some trees.  The house also overlooks the garden of Ridley Scott.

Fenton House has neatly clipped holly bushes and hedges and the shapes can be picked up on my peripheral vision.  There is an orchard and kitchen garden and there is a water feature which I did not find though a friend took a photo of it when we visited the house last year. 

Water feature

Fenton House

Hampstead, London 

Champagne was on offer in one of the gardens and though the hedges offer some privacy the eavesdropping from some tipsy folk was amusing.  I had an Earl Grey tea and enjoyed the sounds and smells of the garden a day after the rain. 

I worked my way to Hampstead High St and got the 268 bus to the O2 centre in Finchley Road, where I had another (clotted) cream tea with scone, butter and jam and was recognised by a couple who had attended the vicarage garden party.  Thankfully, the day had been dry – at least when I was outside. 

In the evening I joined my Twitter community in making comments about the concert from Buckingham Palace.  Some of the acts were quite dreadful and are best forgotten (Cliff, Elton, Paul… according to Twitter) I did hear Tom Jones, Grace Jones and Renee Fleming and enjoyed all three.  Tom Jones put many of the others to shame. 

Tuesday 5^th June

This was the last day of the official holiday so I went for a walk recreating the exact walk I had done on 2^nd January, when my left hip gave way. Five months had elapsed and that ghost has been laid to rest.

The Queen was on her own as the Duke of Edinburgh had a “bladder infection” The commentary of her journey to St Paul’s Cathedral had been dire on the BBC World Service and was on par with the dreadful BBC Radio5live. At least Radio4 gave a decent coverage of the occasion and Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) was in reasonable form. 

After the flypast of Spitfires and other WW2 planes over Buckingham Palace, two of the aircraft banked and flew overhead.  I could hear the noise of a propeller craft and was able to do more plane spotting. A camera was fitted to one of the planes and a Youtube clip of the view appeared in my twitter feed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIfqS3lgKKk&feature=youtu.be

Wednesday 6^th June

I was up early to look outside during the Transit of Venus.  I had seen Venus in the night sky a few weeks ago and I could have followed the event live on the Internet. (http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a010900/a010996/index.html) 

While the rest of the country was back at work, the Monarch was still on duty meeting heads of the Commonwealth.  My own jubilee started with phone calls and emails.  Later I was driven in a State Carriage of London Overground to Richmond. 

To Richmond ... in a state owned carriage (London Overground)!

6th June, 2012

The weather was variable and although planning to go to Ham House we decided to go to the theatre instead. (http://profwhitestick.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/volcano-by-noel-coward-richmond-theatre.html)

 

In the words of obladi oblada, life goes on…