LONDON MUSEUM .....

A while ago ..... actually, a long while ago ..... July it was, that's how long it takes me to do a post !!! ..... we went to a photography exhibition at the London Museum called London Nights ..... 200 works by 60 photographers, ranging from the 19th century to the present day. 

You weren't allowed to take photograph but the above was one of my favourites ..... St Paul's Cathedral, floodlit for the 1946 Victory celebrations after the Second World War, putting an end to the blackout after nearly six years.

The London Museum also had another exhibition called ' Expanding City ' with Pleasure Gardens and streets of London shops .... it was like walking through a Harry Potter film set in the Victorian era !

..... and look Tom .....

..... dozens of beautiful vintage glasses !

After the exhibition, we walked through St Katherine Docks .....

..... passed The Dickens Inn and back to .....

..... The Grapes pub ..... remember ? ..... the pub we went to earlier in the year, owned by  Sir Ian McKellen.  

..... and, Christopher Biggins { English actor } was in there having dinner !!!

..... and finally, an arty photograph of The Shard, taken by me from the balcony at The Grapes  ..... maybe they would like it for the London Nights exhibition ?!!!

XXXX

All photographs taken by me apart from image 1: via london museum & image 2: via daily mail

..... AND THE REST IS RUST AND STARDUST .....

I think that you all know by now that I like a bit of rust in the garden ! My new acquisition is my rust crown and the plant of the moment is Muehlenbeckia.

Rusty old chair .....

Rusty arch and gates that we bought at Chelsea in 2012 at a very reasonable price which was a bit of a surprise !

Rusty old urn that we have had for ages .....

and a few rusty plant supports.

I did buy this bench, thinking it was distressed but painted and, when it arrived it was VERY rusty ..... I liked the look of it but, nobody wanted to sit on it and ruin their clothes so .....

..... we painted it ..... now it's stardust.

..... although it was a lovely sunny day today, the wind is blowing and Autumn is on it's way. 

image 1: via google, all other images via me

A SERIES of UNFORTUNATE EVENTS ..........

Being the kind and generous friend that I am, I said that I would water my friend's garden while she was away in Yorkshire. Opposite her house is a large old house called The Old Barn in front of which is a very large public lay by. I parked there and was the only car. 

We had the key to the garage, opened it up, left it open, lay down our phones and car keys, unlocked the back door and got on with the job in hand. I went to the bottom of the garden with the hose while Mr Home started watering the pots with a watering can. After a while, he called out to me that he thought we had a problem !!!

The draft from the garage door being open had slammed the back door shut, the bolt at the bottom of the back door had slid down and we were now locked in her back garden ..... no phones as we had left them in the garage !!!

Luckily, it was a hot day and I could see that next doors patio door was open. I climbed on a bench and, after many ' halloo's ' that got louder and louder when nobody seemed to hear, a man came out. His English was limited but, he got the gist and came and released us. He did seem to take a very long time though ..... he only had to come from next door !!! ..... and, he said it was the wrong time to water the garden ..... bloody cheek !!!

A couple of days later, the same procedure occurred ..... I took the hose down to the end of the garden while Mr Home proceeded to dead head a very large bush rose at the top of the garden. When I arrived at the rose, Mr. Home was watering the pots out the front. I started to water the rose but must have pierced the hose with the thorns on the rose and started getting wet from three sprays of water where the hose was punctured !!!

So, my act of kindness not only got us locked out but it cost us £50 for a new hose .....

AND

when we returned to the car, the b******ds who live in The Old Barn had blocked me in in the lay by. We were the only three cars in a lay by that's at least 500 metres !!!  With my wonderful driving skills, I got out ..... they obviously don't like anyone parking there !!!!

Remind me not to do anyone anymore favours !!!

XXXX

image 1: via umla, image 2: via andreas waldschuetz. image 3: via bloglovin, image 4: via Vogue.it, image 5 & 6: via kero i am, image 7: via nibs blog 

DINNER with GANDALF and GORMLEY ..........

On Tuesday, after the RAF centenary flypast, we met my sister and brother in law at .....

The Grapes in Narrow Street, Limehouse. Docklands is blessed with an abundance of historic pubs, not least amongst them is The Grapes, owned by no less a personage than Gandalf himself, Sir Ian McKellen !!!

The Grapes, originally The Bunch of Grapes, has stood on the pebbled Limehouse Reach, for nearly 500 years. From directly below The Grapes, Sir Walter Raleigh set sail.

Charles Dickens knew the area well and The Grapes appears in his novel ' Our Mutual Friend ' ..... in the back parlour there is a complete set of Dickens and he was thought to have danced on the tables of The Grapes after a few glasses !!!

There are a few references to Gandalf and, his original staff from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, stands proud amongst the gin bottles and pork scratchings !!!

Through the tiny Dickensian bar that probably hasn't changed much for hundreds of years, and up a very narrow staircase, you find the teensiest of restaurants that has about four tables, and double doors open out onto a petite balcony, overlooking The Thames and, there, standing proud, is Antony Gormley's sculpture, Another Time and, depending on the tide, the figure in the river is either stranded high above the water or part submerged in it ! 

Back into the little restaurant to eat my starter of fresh anchovies in lemon oil which were wonderful. As usual, I forgot to photograph my main course as all thoughts of photography went out of my head when the rare roast beef with a horseradish cream and caramelised onions arrived !!!

The tide was now coming in and Gormley's ' Another Time ' was beginning to get his feet wet !

In the garden of the building next door was the above sculpture ..... we weren't sure if it was a Gormley as well ..... we forgot to ask.

Making our way back to Docklands Light Railway, we passed beautiful houses.

..... the back end of St. Katherine's Dock,

and Limehouse Gallery and foundry where my niece { my sister and brother in laws daughter } who is a sculptor, gets her pieces cast.

..... and over a fabulous bridge.

We left my sister and brother in law at Bank station, walked by The Bank of England and back on the train and home !

The Grapes is a wonderful pub ..... the little dining room, candlelit and adorned with white linen and crystal glasses overlooks one of the great views of London, is unpretentious and serves great pub grub. 

We are going back !!!!   

For Maria !!!

XXXX

all photographs my own

THE BELLS ..... THE BELLS ..........

St Mary's church is just behind our house ..... the 15th century Parish church is in the centre of the conservation area and is surrounded by listed buildings but is the only grade 1 building in the area. The church is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. The present church was built between 1418 and 1448 and was probably rebuilt after it had fallen into neglect after the Black Death. It is a fine example of Gothic architecture and the beautiful, almost Dickensian location and the church's wonderful acoustics helped to make the choir { of which our son was a choir boy from the age of seven and who went on to a career in music } congregation, booming organ and brass ensemble the most atmospheric building for many an event. 

I took this video last evening ..... the peeling of the bells is a regular occurrence .... from bell practise to weddings ..... and it is lovely to hear when sitting in our garden.

XXXX