She Was The Only Queen We Ever Knew

September 8th, 2022, started like any other morning for me in London. I had planned to visit a couple of churches and take some pictures and possibly take care of a legal errand in the afternoon. I got to the two churches and returned to my flat to change because the tube had been very warm. I had the TV on and was watching the news when Huw Edwards, one of the BBC’s most distinguished news readers and reporters, completed an update on the Queen’s health and his face gave the news before the words came out of his mouth. “Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth had died at Balmoral Castle”. For the first time in 70 years the words, “the King and the Queen Consort” were spoken with regard to Britain’s reigning sovereign and spouse. Operation London Bridge, the long discussed and oft revised plan for this eventuality had begun.

Like the majority of people in the UK and the Commonwealth, this American blogger assumed that Her Late Majesty, as the reports began referring to her, would have lived to at least 100, and probably outlive her mother who died just months short of her 102nd birthday. But it was not to be. Many of us had been shocked to see how frail the Queen had looked a few days before her death when she had received the outgoing and incoming British Prime Ministers at Balmoral. But both had commented about how sharp and engaged she was, so everyone just assumed that all was better than it was.

And so, a stunned United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, the Crown Dependencies, the sovereign states where she remained Head of State, and many of the Commonwealth nations that continue to hold her in high esteem, began to mourn the loss of this remarkable woman who on her twenty first birthday made a speech that included these words: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” While the empire is long gone, the Queen did devote her life to the service of the citizens of the UK and of the countries of the former empire.

Almost immediately, the floral tributes began to arrive at Balmoral, Windsor Palace, just outside London, and at Buckingham Palace. The first bouquets arrived at Balmoral before the Queen’s younger children and grandchildren did. Only King Charles and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal were with the Queen when she died. By the second day after the Queen’s death, the decision was made to move the flowers from Buckingham Palace at the end of each day to Green Park, a huge park adjacent to Buckingham Palace and St. James’ Palace. The sheer number of bouquets, Paddington bears, notes, cards, children’s drawings, flags from organizations she was a patron for, were staggering, yet touching and beautiful.

Over the days following the Queen’s death, two parallel processes were happening, the installation, for lack of a better word, of the new sovereign and the official mourning process and funeral of the Queen.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. While Prince Charles immediately ascended to the title of King and ceased being Prince of Wales, upon his mother’s death, there are numerous legal steps that had to be taken to formalize his role as head of state of the United Kingdom. Most governmental power resides in the UK Parliament and in the devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for certain local matters. But the sovereign serves as the symbol of the State and as the leader who is above politics can give advice to the Prime Minister and can, as the Queen did for 70 years, and as her father, King George VI did during World War II. In the United Kingdom, the sovereign, is also Governor General of the Church of England and has the title of Protector of the Faith. But not in Scotland. History going back to the time of the union of England and Scotland in 1707. The Scottish Presbyterian Church is independent. Therefore, days after his mother’s death, at another political process unique to the United Kingdom, the Accession Council, the King signed a document guaranteeing the continued freedom of the Scottish church. His formal coronation will not take place for months.

The UK, with a new Prime Minister, faces a very dangerous winter because of potential heating fuel shortage. Because King Charles is an ardent environmentalist and, at 74 years old, he has been at his mother’s side for many years. He knows many of the energy executives and the international leaders who the political leaders with have to work with to resolve the problems they face. He could provide valuable advice to his new Prime Minister. This can be the strength of a constitutional monarchy, the stability that the sovereign provides.

I have British friends who would like to see the UK become a republic, but few of them can tell me how they would like to see it happen. I do not find that hard to understand because I believe it would be a process akin to the United States trying to fix our legislative system or our electoral system. Each system is intertwined with the historical fabric of our way of life and our governmental structure. I have American friends too, who think it is all a bit archaic and a waste of time and money. I like to remind my American friends that it was only some thirty years ago that an American politician whose party had not been able to gain a majority in the Congress created a false “gridlock” to gain the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, in an attempt to turn the US into a parliamentary democracy. Instead, he managed to destroy a successful system of bipartisan cooperation that had helped make America a successful economic power that had gone to the moon and made progress on intractable social problems. Look at where that “contract ‘on’ America” has left us today.

The formal mourning and funeral process that took place must have been extremely difficult for all the Royal Family, but especially for the King and Queen Consort. King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Queen Consort travelled, not only back to London, but then made trips to the Welsh, Northern Irish, and Scottish capitals to show each constituent country of the United Kingdom his respect and to thank them for their support and love for the Queen. In addition, the King, with his consort by his side, was carrying the procedural duties I mentioned above. I will assume that most readers saw the incredible stories of the lines that thousands of people queued in to walk past the Queen’s coffin, first in Edinburgh, then in London, where the lines were many miles long and lasted over 21 hours in some cases. The rich and famous, like former Prime Minister Theresa May and football star Davide Beckham queued alongside ordinary citizens. The scenes in Westminster Hall where the Queen’s children and later her grandchildren stood vigil around her coffin touched every heart. Of course, the religious ceremonies and the processions were profoundly moving. The armed forces of Great Britain pledged an oath to serve the Queen, as we in the American Civil Service and Armed Forces pledge an oath to uphold our Constitution and laws. I know how deeply such an oath becomes a part of one’s soul and I understand the emotion and care that soldiers, young and old took in being part of this process.

Let me close this segment by saying that Queen Elizabeth should be looked at for the way she carried out her responsibilities as head of state and head of the Commonwealth. She lived her life guided by her faith. I admired her. Rest in Peace.

A WEEK OF MUSIC, ART, ‘FOOTIE,’ AND AM UNEXPECTED TAKE ON FAIRYLAND

Another afternoon of music at Saint Pancras Church

What a week it’s been. It included me down with “the Autumn Ick” virus that is going around, but still some fun times had.

Wigmore Hall Does It Again

Wigmore Hall opened its doors to Opus 13, a string quarter from Oslo, played an hour of sublime music that left the audience begging for more.

They played Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C Major. This was Mozart’s “Dissonance Quartet”. It features the energy and playfulness of Mozart’s music with themes passed from instrument to instrument. There was mystery and joy in the music. This was followed by Grieg’s String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor. It is built around Grieg’s song, “Spillemaend” (Minstrel) which, itself, was based on a poem by Ibsen. It goes from lyrical to rhythmic dance music, to an energetic final movement. This was, perhaps, the best of the season for me.

Observe the Photography

The Observatory Cafe and Photography Coffee Shop on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury, London has been one of my local favorites for years. In addition to great coffee and food, they display interesting photographs from local artists. They are currently showing the work of Frankie McCallister whose work focuses on landscape and urban landscape. Here are some examples of her work.

I found her work to have a peaceful feel to it. If you’re in London stop by the Observatory and have a look!

Not Exactly the Fairland I was Expecting

OK, so I should have looked more closely at the information on this new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. I was expecting Tinkerbell and all the mythical creatures from fairy tales and literature. What I found, instead, was an in-your-face exploration of gay liberation and culture in London. Here is some of what I saw.

I was impressed by the way the curators put historical perspectives and outrageous and provocative phots together in a way that helped educate and celebrate. If your an ally or an open-minded person, you, along with the LGBTQ community, might find this interesting.

Fulham Wins!

On a day that saw the weather change continuously, my Fulham ‘All Whites,’ took on Hull City at Craven Cottage and prevailed 1-0. Oh, what a glorious day!

There is something incredible about watching a live football match. Craven Cottage is the perfect venue. The food, the fans, the action! It was an outstanding day!

On to the next week!

More Classical Music, Art from the South Seas, the Intricacies of Italian Woodcuts

Above is the week’s bouquet at Wigmore Hall. Below, artists Armand Djikoloum (oboe) and Jams Coleman (piano)

These two artists provided an hour of incredible music, including, Clara Schuman’s 3 Romances Opus 22, Pavel Haas’s Suite for Oboe and Piano (Opus 17), Ernest Chausson’s Le Colibri (the Hummingbird) Opus 2 No.7, Maria Dranishnikova’s Poem for Oboe and Piano, Lili Boulanger’s Nocturne from 2 Pieces, and Johan Wenzel Kalliwoda’s Morceau de Salon (salon piece) Opus 228. This was an extensive program of short pieces that were rich, lush and beautifully performed.

Rising Voices Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia, and the Pacific

When I visited Australia, I was struck by the quality and composition of works, mainly by Aboriginal artists. This exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum reminded me of the art I experienced there.

What a feeling of joy and wonder I experience in seeing the world through the eyes of artists and craftspeople from around the world.an American, this reminds me of how rich my own country’s culture is because of generations of immigration from all over the world. How lucky we are be a species that creates and appreciates art.

Italian Renaissance Woodcuts

While much of the focus on the British Museum has been on The Bayeux Tapestry, the museum also has so much more to see. I find prints made from woodcuts fascinating. The woodcuts are so intricate and the prints so nuanced.

Extra Pictures

Tapestry in the Lobby of the British Library

Lost Venues, What’s Up Docklands, Good Old Protest Music.

Lost Music Venues and a Look at a Different Time in London

I had been interested in seeing the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum’s exhibit on “lost music venues,” mostly because London manages to preserve its ancient history yet constantly renew itself. This exhibit delivered, below are photos representing, not only, lost venues, but an era and the causes that came with the music.

We of the “Classic Rock” generation tend to believe (with good reason) that our era of music included multiple genres of music and artists. The above photos show that this era that followed was still full of multiple musical experience and the excitement that went with them.

There were also the causes and the fashions of the era. These too were on display at the exhibition.

Docklands, Where the Museum of London Went to Await Regeneration

For many years, the Museum of the City of London sat along the ancient City Wall, near the Barbican Center. As I mentioned above, London is constantly changing and regenerating. When the London’s historic Smithfield General Market became available, the museum chose to close down and relocate there. But, in the intervening years, they opened an annex of sorts in the Docklands section of East London, another area that has gone through extensive changes and regeneration since its days an important part of London’s shipping and commercial past. The London Museum Docklands

The early years as a port are told in the beginning of the tour. The photos above speak to that period. Perhaps the most difficult gallery dealt with the UK’s participation in the African and Caribbean slave trade. Sadly, my pictures from this portion of the exhibit are not clear enough to show. I strongly suggest you check this website, instead: London, Sugar & Slavery: 1600 – present | London Museum.

Another interesting part of the museum dealt with World War II and

Finally, the museum discusses the controversy associated with the regeneration of Docklands, which meant dislocation of longtime residences and the end of its role as a port.

Part of a crane once used for lifting freight now stands as a monument to the past. I have no idea about the duck.

Good Old Protest Music at a Historic Church

The beautiful church, St. Martins in the Field is celebrating its 300th anniversary. A series of concerts are being held in the venerable church.

In the lobby of the church’s crypt, now a restaurant, gallery, and gift shop, were this replica model on the left, and an original door handle, on the right.

I was invited by my dear friends Stuart and Kerry to join them for a concert by the group Windborne for a concert of protest music through the ages.

The music included songs in English, Italian, and French. There were pieces by well-known folk musicians like Phil Ochs. Others like Joe Jencks, and Lillie Steele. The songs were uplifting, joyful and some, downright funny. This was an old-time folk concert, the kind I remember from the 1960s when folk singers sang in school gyms and local libraries as well as in folk festivals. The acoustics in the church were fantastic. It was a great night. Check Windborne’s website to hear some of their music: WINDBORNE SINGERS- Old Songs, Bold Harmony, A Profound Vocal Experience.

Some Cool Shots from the V&A

I always take extra photos at the V&A.

I asked one of the museum staff if the first item, hanging high on a wall, was a gargoyle or a grotesque (I was quite proud of myself). He found the plaque and was able to assure me that it was, in fact, a corbel! The second and third images are from 1125 -1150 from Chichester Cathedral depicting the story of Lazarus.

A Week of Return Visits

Two Returns to Fulham

My week started with another exciting Train and Bus trip to Fulham.

The first part of my Fulham excursion was a return visit to the Sands End Art and Community Center where my SUNY Oneonta classmate and friend Madeline Guyen Morrow was displaying some of her paintings and serving as one of monitors. We have been meeting up for several years to chat about our lives, the latest going on at our Alma Mater, and for me to view her lovely paintings and wish I would have bought one when they were selling for less.

The second event was the Fulham-Man United match at Craven Cottage, historic home ground of Fulham Football Club. It was a perfect day for an English Premier League Match, sunny and not too warm. Our “All Whites” (for the color of their home uniforms) in very good form, but we only managed a 1-1 tie when Man U. scored at the last possible moment. Still our fans cheered loudly and stayed with “the boys” until the end.

A Return Visit to Saint Albans Cathedral

It’s just a short THAMESLINK ride from London to the city of Saint Albans, home of this historic cathedral.

St. Albans has been a place of worship for at least 1300 years. St. Alban was England’s first saint. The story is that during Roman rule Alban switched cloaks with a priest to let the priest escape during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. Alban and the priest were later martyred. A piece of cloth, believed to be part of the cloak is behind a piece of glass in the shrine to Saint Alban, which was destroyed during the reformation and later reconstructed from the rubble. The first abbey built on the site was from the time of the Mercians. Much of it was replaced and rebuilt after the Norman conquest. Further destruction of the shrines, statues, and early painted friezes happened during the Reformation period. The abbey was destroyed during the dissolutions of Henry VIII, and additional destruction happened to the buildings. Today’s cathedral is a testament to faith and the efforts of restoration that are ongoing. Below are some pictures of the exterior and of the lovely stained glass window.

Next, I want to highlight examples of blending the old and the new in the continued renovation and upkeep of this oldest place of Christian worship in England.

The new are the seven statues of martyrs, including Saint Alban, his friend Saint Anphibalus, and martyrs from the Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Russian Orthodox Christian traditions, adding to the ethos that all are welcome at St. Albans.

The old are the medieval wall paintings along the pillars in the oldest part of the church. These, starting with Saint Christopher, would have been the very first thing that pilgrims saw upon entering the church. Faded and defaced, in some cases, they are being brought back to life slowly and painstakingly. Currently, they are lit in a way that restores them fully for visitors to see. Here are some examples.

Faith is a both personal and communal. The experience at Saint Albans allows both exist side by side in both unity and community. It is a wonderful experience.

A Return to the Esoterik Collection for a New Exhibition.

The Esoterik Collection has, once again, gathered the works of Italian artists working in the photographic me Wanda and Marion built a body of works, primarily early in the 20th century, exploring the changing roles and the many faces of modern Italian women. These works show great technical skill, while also portraying the beauty and style associated with Italy.

The photos above are representative of Avant Garde Photography in the 20th century. I found myself wondering about how these photos were received at the time. I find the intensity of Wanda’s stare in the lower middle photo to be engaging on multiple levels.

Modern Women and the Female Body

We see the sisters, here, boldly moving into the era of women taking their place in a rapidly changing world. The women who were athletes of the era especially foreshadow the greater feminist movement of the latter half of the 20th century.

And finally, a Return to a favorite theme, late blooming flowers in Russell Square

It was a tough summer for the plants, grass and trees in Russell Square Park. The coming of late summer rains and early autumn cooler temperatures have brought life back into bloom.