Tag: history

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.

An Autumn Week-London at it’s Best

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Had it not been such a beautiful fay in Tavistock Park, I might have been.

Early Autumn is a great time in London. The weather is still warm. The crush of summer visitors has ended, and students have returned to school in the UK. Still, it is vacation/holiday time for Italians and Spanish and the fairly constant flow of the French via the Eurostar continues. University students from the UK and the world populate my Bloomsbury neighborhood. My daily travels on foot, Tube and bus are filled with bits of overheard conversation in the languages of the world. Long late afternoon chats with friends bring afternoons to a happy close.

The Wigmore Hall Concert Series Begins

Each year, I look forward to the return of the Wigmore Hall concerts on Sunday mornings and Monday afternoon. The matching bouquets on each side of the stage always set a mood of peace for the concerts. In the Spring, I choose the ones I will attend and by September, I am completely surprised by each concert that I attend. The first one was a wonderful trio of musicians called “Trio Zadig.”

Their selections included works by Lili Boulanger, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn. They also gave, an encore from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.”

A Return Visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum

My first visit to the V&A in South Kensington had been a brief one and there were several exhibits I wanted to see. The one at the top of my list was closed for the day, but trying to find the room where it was held turned into one of my typical “it’s got to be here challenges that left me questioning my sanity until a kind docent explained the unanticipated closure. I’ll return to see that exhibit later.

Along the Way at the V&A

As I sought out the exhibits I had come to see, as always at the V&A, I came across some interesting things.

The lions came from Denmark where I will be next month. I was quite surprised to see them. Aren’t the stained glass windows lovely. They preceded a gallery of religious objects I’ll discuss shortly. Finally, two shots of the Cast Galleries, which are my favorites.

As I mentioned, I stumbled on a gallery of religious objects.

They went from the sublime to the downright strange. The first photo were some stunning examples of items described as “Modern Judaica in Britain. The Second was a depiction of a Christian cross made from Coca Cola cans. The question was whether it could be considered a religious object. To be clear, there were many other beautiful Christian and other religions.

Lasting Impressions-Women Print Makers 1900-Now

Finally found one of the exhibitions I was looking for.

Mary Ann Sloan “Artist Working at Her Pree

What an interesting selection of prints made by women from the pre-suffrage era through recent times.

Views of Glasgow

If you have never visited Glasgow, put it on your list. It is a vibrant, interesting city with museums, architecture, universities and centuries of Glaswegian culture. These few examples from the exhibition were not what I expected but did put me in mind of the city and makes me eager to return.

Saint Pancras Crypt

Saint Pancras New Church is a Greek Revival style building. It can be seen throughout the venerable building. No better example can be observed than the statuary above the entrance to the Crypt.

The statues, when they arrived on site were found to be too large to fit into the space. So, a bit was trimmed from their middles, making some believe that these ladies looked a bit qqcdowdy. They are impressive.

The accessible part of the crypt at Saint Pancras is empty. It is used for art installations. Deeper inside are the remains from long ago that are left undisturbed.

ANOTHER SOJOURN BEGINS

A month has passed since I arrived in London. This blog will cover the highlights of a most unusual August, the dryest and one of the hottest on record.

The trees, flowers and grass in Russell Square Garden had never looked so stressed as they did on August 1st.

But the kids found a way to stay cool in the fountain there.

Marilyn Monroe-The National Portrait Gallery

The exhibition of photographs and portraits of the late, great American superstar were grouped by photographer. She died on August 4th, 1962, at 36 years old. I became increasingly sad as I continued through the exhibition which reminded me of all she accomplished and how very difficult life was for her in an era where her voice was often muted by those who sought to use her beauty and “sex appeal,” mear years before a feminist revolution began which might have changed and saved her life. Here are some of the images.

They will only care when you’re gone. Marilyn

The Donmar Warehouse Presents “The Guilty”

Russell Tovey starred in this atmospheric production about a police officer temporarily assigned to an emergency call room. Americans would call it a ‘911 Center.’ His performance was breath taking. I recommend this production.

The Latest from the Esoterick Collection of Modern Italian Art

One of my favorite small galleries is just two Tube stops away from my temporary home in Bloomsbury. The exhibition of the work of Emilio Isgro was titled “Erasing to Create.” Quite literally he blacked out words in documents, maps, letters, and globes to force us to consider the layers of reality and hidden messages we encounter but never consider. This was a challenging exhibition, but one that reminded me of how important it is for me to be open to different possibilities.

I had to pass on visiting the permanent exhibit because parts of the building were not air conditioned and this visit was on one of the days that felt like the temperature inside was about 400 degrees F. However, I did get these photos of the funky new patio and garden furniture.

Fulham F.C. “Home Opener at Craven Cottage

Fulham, with a new manager and many new players opened their home season with a game kicking off at 8:00 PM, the first evening match I had attended. This was against local rival Chelsea whose home ground is also in the same part of West London, so this was a “London Derby” in local parlance. The “All Whites” made a valiant showing but ended on the wrong side of a 3-2 final score. The long walk back to Putney Bridge Station through a very dark Bishop’s Park was ‘interesting. Fans used the lights from their phones to guide the way along the paths.

Jeeves Takes Charge at the Charing Cross Theatre

I am a big fan of P.G. Woodhouse and his famous duo Bertie Wooster and his butler, Jeeves. Many will recall the series that starredHugh Laurie and Steven Fry. This production was a bit different in that one actor , Sam Harrison played both Wooster and Jeeves and all the other characters (male and female) by altering his voice and posture. He was amazing and the show was side splittingly funny.

James NcNeill Whistler at the Tate Britain

TheTate Britain gathered together an impressive collection of the American born painter’s works, including the famous portrait of his mother that is usually at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. His paintings explored darkness and light and he used muted colors in interesting ways.

Since I had made the trip to the Tate, I also stopped in to visit the wonderful collection of Henry Moore sculptures. Below are a few examples.

An End to August and the Heat Wave

As August came to an end, so did the heat wave that had hold of the UK for most of the Summer. On the one of the first cooler days, I revisited two favorite places in the local environs, Saint Pancras New Church and the plaza of the British Library where the first rain and cooler temperatures perked up some flowers and a blue sky shone over this lovely part of London.

This ends my August update more regular updates to come. Thanks for your patiences.