Catch up

 Many apologies for not visiting or commenting on posts these last few weeks. This last month has been hectic as I visited youngest grandchild in Leeds on his first birthday then home for one night. Next day flew to Iceland for 5 days then home for one night. Drove to Butlins holiday camp on south coast to meet up with my daughter and her two children for 5 days. Back home for 2 days. Grandson in Leeds unwell drove up there for 5 nights to help cover childcare etc. Back home on Sunday. Monday childcare as the other two grandchildren didn't start back at school until yesterday. I led a guided walk around Mayfair for the u3a yesterday. Today have to catch up on washing, ironing etc as I go to Wales for 4 days tomorrow to meet up with some walking friends. Life should be back to normal sometime next week!

Wellington Arch

 I have been away for a couple of weeks and meant to post this before I left. 

This is Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. 

This is a Triumphal Arch which now stands on a large traffic island. You can go inside the Arch where there is an exhibition about its history, and you can also stand above the Arch which gives you a great view down Constitution Hill.

The Household Cavalry go through the Arch each day on their way to changing the guard at Buckingham Palace. Looking out of the windows in the Arch I saw the Guards going under the Arch. Then I raced up the stairs to watch them from the balcony as they rode their horses down to the Palace.

The following week I happened to be there again as the Guards came through the Arch.

Walter Sickert

 Walter Sickert (1860-1942) was a German born British artist moving to England with his family at the age of eight. He was recognised as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, helping to shape modern British art. He was a founding member of the New English Art Club and the leader of the Camden Town Group. I recently visited an exhibition of his work at the Tate Britain and here are just a few of his works.

 

 

  

 

Despite his association with the Camden Town Group of artists who took their subjects from the streets of the London district, Sickert rarely depicted the streets of London itself.  'Easter'  depicts Dawson Brothers, a linen-drapers shop on City Road close to Old Street tube station. The shop was in business from the 1840s until the late 20th C. Sickert has painted the almost disserted street at night illuminated by a window display of  Easter bonnets.

 

The Camden  Town Murder was the name given to a real event: the murder of Emily Dimmock in Camden in 1907. The murder attracted huge press attention. Sickert took advantage of the interest and controversy raised by giving some of his paintings titles that allude to the murder. He also reworked them and gave them alternative titles. This allowed the viewer to imagine different narratives and relationships between the figures in their different configurations rather than any kind of illustration of Dimmock's murder. The series has long intrigued audiences because of the ambiguity between title and subject matter. For Sickert, these works furthered his exploration of narrative painting. However, some people are critical of the potential for violence they see within the scenes.

Information from the Guide to the exhibition: Tate Britain

St Mark's Venice

The facade of St Jacques, Dieppe

I did enjoy the exhibition. This is just a small example of the works on display. I was surprised by his range of subject matter from landscapes, portraits, music halls and entertainers to his fascination with narrative painting and reinventing the 'conversation piece'. 

Clearing the floral tributes.

 I happened to be walking through Green Park again today. The last time I was here I was looking at the thousands of floral tributes laid out in memory of the Queen. 

Today I saw an army of volunteers removing all the letters, photos and other non plant materials and then putting the flowers into mounds.

The flowers were being collected by a carriage pulled by two shire horses and taken to Kensington Palace gardens where they will be turned into compost which will be used in the Royal Parks.

There was an overwhelming lavender fragrance in the air. I wonder if that was the Queen's favourite perfume.

The Lost Explorer

The other week I was in Berkeley Square in London when this was being created on the front of a building. The building is the club Annabel's. An exclusive private club for the rich and famous.

All this to advertise a drink. Well, I think it's a drink - The Lost Explorer

Sharing with Through my Lens

A dog's life

 As I walked over Westminster Bridge today a large crowd had gathered to watch a couple of firemen. Curious to see what was going on I made my way to the front to see that a dog had got its head stuck in the bridge parapet.

The firemen seemed to have everything under control and I left them to get on with it.

The Queue

 Being British we love to queue but I just couldn't handle queuing for over 20 hours. Don't know what I'm talking about? Well this is the queue to pay your final respects to the Queen as she lies in state in Westminster Hall before the funeral on Monday. The queue is about 5 miles long and snakes its way along the South bank of the River Thames. It is incredibly well organised with everyone receiving a numbered wrist band so they can go off to the toilet or to get a drink and not lose their place. There are portaloos along the route as well and first aid stations etc. When the queue gets too long they stop people joining it for a few hours. 

What has amazed me the most is not that people have travelled from all over the UK to be here but many, many people have flown in from round the world to pay their respects. David Beckham joined the queue at 2am yesterday and didn't  use his celebrity status to try and jump the queue. I think it took him 12 or 14 hours to achieve his goal. The queue has grown since then and so was closed for a few hours again this morning. In years to come I might regret not experiencing the queue!

Instead I went to visit the floral tributes which are now being put into Green Park and Hyde Park as there were just too many outside Buckingham Palace.

The thousands of flowers were laid in rows and what I did notice as I walked amongst them was the beautiful fragrance drifting through the air.

It was quite a sight with so many flowers. There were huge bouquets, single blooms and hand picked garden flowers. When they have passed their best they will be collected by the Park's gardeners and used for compost.

There were poems, drawings, photographs and heartfelt messages with the flowers.  These will be collected but I'm not sure what will happen to them. The public have been asked not to leave anymore Paddington Bears and marmalade sandwiches amongst the flowers! Check out the video of the Queen and Paddington Bear on YouTube.

A final view of the Mall before going home. It wasn't that busy today except for all the TV crews from around the world getting ready for the Queen's  final journey  down the Mall on Monday. After the funeral service at Westminster Abbey she will be brought back down the Mall before being taken to St George's  Chapel, Windsor Castle for a private family service and her final resting place next to Prince Philip. I only saw one lady and her tent by the side of the Mall saving her place. With almost 60 hours before that final journey you have to  admire her determination in getting the best spot.