Around West London

Feeling a little better today, I dozed away the morning, got up for lunch, and scanned another dozen slides from the Streets of London series. These were all made in April 2004.

Streets of London 4.04046

This young mother, speaking on her mobile phone in Avery Row W1, to the west of New Bond Street, blended perfectly with her surroundings.

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Further west, Westbourne Terrace Road Bridge crosses the Regent’s canal in Little Venice. As the plaque indicates, this was once in the Borough of Paddington which was absorbed by Westminster in 1965.

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The Bridge House pub lies at the corner of Westbourne Terrace Road and Delamere Terrace. The pub was fortunate enough to survive World War 2 bombing, which is more than can be said for many of its neighbours.

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The Little Venice area lies within the parish of St Mary’s on Paddington Green, visible in this view of St Mary’s Square.

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The A40 flyover overlooks a bricked up end of the square, and in 2004 the now- completed apartments for sale in Paddington Walk were still being built.

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Church Yard Walk provides a route through to Edgware Road.

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Sussex Gardens W2 forms a T junction with Praed Street, which is always as congested as this.

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Marylebone’s St Christopher’s Place looks like an alfresco dining room.

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Maintenance work was being undertaken at The Churchill Hotel in Portman Square.

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Ashland Place W1 is one of the many streets that enjoys a view of The Post Office Tower.

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Saint Michael’s Street W2 houses one of London’s many Starbucks coffee houses. I wondered whether the man on the chair was waiting for coffee, or simply having a breather. So many food and drink outlets place seats outside that are very tempting to people who simply want to sit down.

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The historic Mason’s Arms pub in Upper Berkeley Street was founded in 1778 and rebuilt in 1870.

This amble round West London was probably carried out on one particular day.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s famous sausage casserole; crisp carrots, broccoli, and green beans; and mashed potato, followed by treacle tart and custard.

A Virus

I am ailing. I am sneezing, I am coughing. I ache. I shiver.

This morning, I dozed over my laptop. Back in bed this afternoon, I vainly attempted to still the words wandering at will across the pages of Rumer Godden’s  (Mr WordPress, Ms Godden may be regarded as a goddess by some, but that is not what I wrote.) ‘China Court’.

Brick path paving

At noon I walked out to admire Aaron’s work on refurbishing the Brick Path. He has nearly completed the task.

Hoverfly on clematis Natacha

After this I photographed a hoverfly on a clematis Natacha in the New Bed,

rose Gloriana

a rose Gloriana, now in bloom,

rose Just Joey

and Just Joey, now fully opened.

Owl

Finally, I imagined I saw an owl in the dead maple. Perhaps I was hallucinating.

This evening Jackie produced delicious pork chops cooked with mustard and almonds; mashed potato; and crisp carrots, green beans and cabbage. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but could only eat a small portion. Cherry crumble and custard was to follow.

Park Life Curtain Call

Today I finished scanning the Park Life prints from 20th July 1996. Here is the third and final set:

Park Life 20.7.96039Park Life 20.7.96040Park Life 20.7.96042Park Life 20.7.96043Park Life 20.7.96044Park Life 20.7.96045Park Life 20.7.96046Park Life 20.7.96048Park Life 20.7.96047Park Life 20.7.96049Park Life 20.7.96050Park Life 20.7.96051Park Life 20.7.96052Park Life 20.7.96053Park Life 20.7.96APark Life 20.7.96BPark Life 20.7.96CThis afternoon, Jackie and I enjoyed a barbecue at Cathy and Rob’s in Highcliffe. This was the first dry day in four, so we were all very fortunate. Very good quality tasty burgers and sausages were supplemented by various plentiful salads, and cakes like Helen’s famous black forest gateau.

 

Park Life Part 2

Ceramic pigeons

On the decking an unusual new pair of pigeons glistened in this morning’s drizzle,

Grasses

which bejewelled ornamental grasses alongside the Phantom Path.

Rose Just Joey

Heavier rain had spattered rose Just Joey with up-tossed soil.

Tom Jones’s parents had featured in the last of yesterday’s scans of Park Life prints from 20th July 1996. Now a teacher himself, he co-starred in the next scene:Park Life 20.7.96018Park Life 20.7.96019

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Even lollies didn’t detract from audience rapture,

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although Jessica, in the centre background, had spotted something to divert her attention,

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which she then conveyed to Jane Keeler.

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Care was on hand to administer a puffer to a young lady who had perhaps become overexcited.

Park Life 20.7.96020Park Life 20.7.96028Park Life 20.7.96029Park Life 20.7.96030Park Life 20.7.96031Park Life 20.7.96032Park Life 20.7.96033Park Life 20.7.96034Park Life 20.7.96026Park Life 20.7.96035Park Life 20.7.96036Park Life 20.7.96037Park Life 20.7.96038Barry, of New Forest Chimney Sweep and Repairs, visited on time, to sweep the chimney and check on its condition. It will come as no surprise to anyone who has read about the general maintenance of Old Post House under the previous ownership, that the sweep extracted 65 litres of soot, and pronounced a relining, although not essential, to be advisable. He would be unable to do that until the Spring. He left our sitting room spotless.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s classic chicken jalfrezi, pilau rice, and vegetable samosas, followed by mango Soleros. I drank Kumala reserve shiraz 2013. Jackie and Ian chose Kingfisher, and Becky a Grenache rose 2014.

Park Life Part 1

Wasp on blackberries

During a brief cessation in the day’s steady precipitation, I took a walk down to Roger’s gate and back. A solitary wasp fed on blackberries in the hedgerow.

Following my post on Robin Hood Theatre, Becky and I couldn’t quite remember whether NITS had performed there. ( Louisa has subsequently told me they did). We did both, however remember an open air performance staged around a bench in the grounds of Newark Castle on 20th July 1996.

I photographed the event, and, today, scanned 20 photographic prints which depict the first part of the story. Entitled ‘Park Life’, two years after Blur’s eponymous hit record, NITS put on an excellent mime enjoyed by many local people.

In presenting these images, I will leave readers to provide their own text:

Park Life 20.7.96001Park Life 20.7.96002Park Life 20.7.96003

Louisa is behind this mask.

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Josie King, in the red dress, who stands by her daughter, was the manager of the Robin Hood Theatre at that time. We bought Lindum House from her and her husband, Norman.

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Among the spectators were our friends Pat and Pete Jones, whose son Tom appears in the next scene with which I will continue tomorrow. Anyone who finds Pete familiar will have seen him in the corner of their TV screens when watching Channel Four News, or on stage interpreting Shakespeare for audiences. He was signing for deaf people.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s classic chicken jalfrezi, pilau rice, onion bhajis, and samosas. My choices of the available desserts were egg custard and cheesecake, and of beverages, Cimarosa reserva cabernet sauvignon 2013.

Hedge Cutting

rumer-goddenIt was an exchange with Cynthia Guenther Richardson, herself a talented story-writer in Tales for Life, that alerted me to the fact that I had unread novels of Rumer Godden in my bookshelves. Cynthia’s enthusiasm led me to begin reading ‘A Candle For St. Jude’, yesterday, and finish it this morning. Like Tales for Life this book keeps the reader eager to learn the denouement. The work is full of beautifully described detail and insightful characterisation. I will not reveal the plot, but can say that all senses and emotions are carefully evoked. I mentioned the setting yesterday, and will add that the writer’s intimate knowledge of a dancing school clearly comes from her own training as a dancer, and subsequent running of her own such establishment.

Mike repairing Velux window

Paul and Mike from Double Glazing Doctor replaced the hinges in five of our Everest windows and repaired the leak in the Velux kitchen window, and this afternoon our new Samsung television was installed.

Butterfly Speckled Wood

A new visitor to our garden was, I think, a Speckled Wood butterfly.

I wandered down to Roger’s gate and back, in time to witness hedge cutting in Downton Lane.Hedge cutting 1Hedge cutting 2

Hedge cutting 3

This presented some interesting traffic problems.

Early this evening Becky, Ian, and Scooby arrived for their holiday with us. We all dined at The Red Lion in Milford. My choice of meal was a meaty Mexican chilli burger, served with crisp salad and chips. Jackie couldn’t eat all her hunter’s chicken, so I enjoyed some of that as well. My drink was Ringwood’s best bitter.

Robin Hood Theatre

Jackie drove me to and from New Milton station today, in order for me to travel to Waterloo to lunch with Carol.

Station garden

The Hampshire station itself is impeccably kept, but the garden attached to the railway buildings has seen better days. It now boasts a collection of discarded supermarket trolleys, burst wooden planters, and the ubiquitous buddleia plants.

On the journey up, I enjoyed a brief spell as an interfering old git. I walked through two of the five carriages before I found a seat. I had to claim it. I came to a halt between two four seat sections. Only four of the eight held passengers. On one side a young couple sat opposite their wheeled case laid across the other two. Alongside them one seat was occupied by a walking stick; another by a backpack. I announced: ‘Well, I need one of these’. A young man politely settled his bag on his knees.

Throughout the journey people stopped, looked at the large case, and silently walked on. Soon, an announcement informed us that more customers were expected, and asked that  luggage be removed from seats. The couple did not move. After a minute or two, ‘excuse me’ said I, and asked the man if he had heard the announcement. ‘I did’, he replied. ‘And you have seen people looking at your case and moving on?’, I continued. There was no reply. In mitigation I said that I knew this was a difficult train for luggage. ‘I’ll find somewhere to put it’, he said, and carried it back down the carriage. After he had done so, another man, who had twice walked on past the case, and must have been standing in the aisle further along, collapsed into one of the now vacant seats and thanked the young man. A woman sat in the other, and also expressed gratitude.

From Waterloo I walked along The Cut to Tas restaurant.

Emma Cons Gardens

In Cornwall Road, SE1, a young woman sat on a low wall, speaking into her mobile phone, in Emma Cons Gardens signThis plot is very small, and contains no benches, but at least they have made an effort.

The Young Vi The Trial

‘High Society’ is still being performed at The Old Vic, and further along The Cut, Rory Kinnear looks down on us from The Young Vic where he is receiving acclaim for his performance in ‘The Trial’.

Cigarette ends

Smoking is not, of course, permitted in our theatres, or in any other workplace or public building. Perhaps that is why the sunken gravel-coated paving around a nearby young plane tree has been converted into an ashtray.

Even before I passed these famous theatres, I was thinking of the Robin Hood Theatre at Averham, just outside Newark in Nottinghamshire. It was the setting of Rumer Godden’s novel ‘A Candle for St Jude’, that brought it to mind. This book was my train reading. Except to say that the action takes place in a private theatre, I will write more about it when I have finished it.

UnknownRobin Hood Theatre’s website describes it as ‘a timber-built private theatre of 1913 set in the grounds of the former Rectory; outbuildings which were once stables are now used for storing scenery, properties and costumes. One such outhouse contains two small dormitories which can accommodate drama students on their occasional visits to the theatre. The auditorium is on one level, the rear half raked, seated in 15 straight rows each containing ten seats. This is a most interesting and much-loved little playhouse. The backstage arrangements are quaint, compact and different.’

It is unconfirmed that Actor Manager Sir Donald Wolfit who was born and raised in Balderton, on the other side of Newark, acted there as a schoolboy.

During our Newark years Jessica and I enjoyed several performances in this historic venue.

Lunch with Carol at Tas was a delightful occasion. We enjoyed our usual entertaining conversation, and the food and service was as good as my last visit. We had different meze starters, mine being calamari, and garlic sausages; and both chose an excellent chicken casserole to follow. My choice of wine was the house red. Baklava was our chosen dessert, followed by excellent coffee.

 

The Periodic Table

I began the day as a traffic director. There had very recently been an accident along the A337 further along the road to Lymington. I wandered out to see what was causing the tailback past our house, and the number of vehicles turning round and going back the way they had come. Very soon drivers, one after the other, were asking me questions such as ‘How can I get out of this?’. Especially those booked onto the ferry desperately needing an alternative route. I surprised myself by realising that I knew one. One woman carried a tray of home-made jam tarts on her passenger seat. They looked rather inviting.

Soon a recovery vehicle appeared with one damaged car on board, and all reverted to normal. We have always wondered why there are not more accidents on this winding road on which many people drive far too fast.

Afterwards I dug out a wide trench, and lined it with a weed suppressant membrane and sand, for the brick platform for the bench purchased yesterday. Rain set in at lunchtime so I had to stop. Later, during a brief lull, I placed the bricks. Further rain delayed trimming the edges of the membrane.Paving for benchElizabeth's rose

Elizabeth’s unidentified rose is now in bloom. It is coral pink, and has a good scent.

XWDCryptic crossword setters are a devious breed. One of the devices used for clueing is the use of abbreviations. During my Mordred decades, Chambers XWD, a Dictionary of Crossword Abbreviations, is one of the books I co-wrote with Michael Kindred.  I won’t bore readers with an explanation of how and why we adopted a two way approach, but during the the process we had recourse to a list of chemical elements, where we could check that the abbreviation for potassium is K, not P as one might think.

The Periodic Table is a list of chemical elements arranged in order of their atomic number. Major dictionaries present a supplement of these in alphabetical order according to their abbreviations Silver, being abbreviated as Ag, is therefore second on a dictionary list, even though its atomic number is 47. That exhausts my knowledge of the scientist’s Periodic Table which I wouldn’t have the first idea how to apply.

Silver is one of the chapter headings to Primo Levi’s autobiographical work, The Periodic Table which I finished reading today. The chapters are not numbered. Each one bears the title of a chemical element. In the last, Carbon, the author states that his book is neither a chemical treatise nor an autobiography, but ‘in some fashion a history’. Most are interesting autobiographical stories featuring a particular element and following a chronological sequence. A couple, in italics in my Folio Society edition, concern other individuals from long ago.

The book is well written and holds the interest of this reader who has no interest in chemistry. I was able to understand Levi’s explanations until that final chapter where he rather lost me. I was struck by the humanity the writer showed in the Vanadium chapter towards a German scientist who he had met in Auschwitz.

The Periodic Table illustration

My copy is translated by Raymond Rosenthal, introduced by Ian Thompson, and imaginatively illustrated by Mark Smith.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s succulent sausage casserole and new potatoes, followed by fruit salad, strawberries, and Swiss roll. The Cook drank Hoegaarden, and I drank Marques de Carano gran reserva 2008.

Giant Jenga

Sunset Sunset behind secret garden gate Last night at sundown I took an amble down to Roger’s field and back. On Downton Lane the light glinted behind the secret garden gate. On a glorious morning, Jackie drove me down to the cashpoint in Milford on Sea, and left me at The Beach House so I could take my usual walk home. The bright blue Solent, tuned into a yachting marina, reflected the skies above; the sun shone; still streaks of salmon clouds had risen to the surface above the horizon; a white-haired jogger plodded, solitary walkers strode energetically, while those with dogs paused periodically for a sniff along the clean gravelled footpath; butterflies fluttered; crows and gulls flew overhead; a small shrew scuttled out of the undergrowth; and thrift and other wild flowers glistened in the sunlight on the clifftop. A passing woman greeted me with ‘it’s a lovely morning’. ‘It is, said I, and I’ve left my camera battery at home’. ‘Oh, no’, she replied, reflecting my own feeling when I discovered I had left the energy supplier on charge overnight. Families leaving Shorefield teemed down to West Road. Younger joggers were out in force. Two small boys, in their eagerness to reach the sea, ran down the slope, the larger lad leaving the smaller panting in his wake. The breasts of another, sadly overweight, wobbled beneath his mesh-fronted T-shirt as he painfully waddled along. In the Country Park itself, basking holidaymakers breakfasted or read on their chalet balconies. A barking dog protected its temporary residence. On Downton Lane, speeding cyclists played chicken with cars, many open-topped, preventing them from travelling at their own preferred speed. Caterpillars on nasturtiums In a recent post, Geoff , thebikinggardener #can i eat nasturtiums wrote of his ambivalent relationship with these plants. As we watered the front garden we were presented, in the form of hairy black and yellow chomping caterpillars, with ample evidence of what he was saying. The older section of our brick path, set almost 100 years ago, has, with the passage of time, soil movement and the incursion of tree roots, become uneven, and dangerous for visitors ending the support of walking sticks; although the bricks themselves remain sound.Brick path During the morning Aaron and Lee have made excellent progress in the task of lifting and levelling them. The original, fiddly, pattern has been lost, but that is a small price to pay. Aluminium Bench Before setting off to Shelley and Ron’s home in Walkford for a barbecue lunch we drove to Everton Nurseries to buy an aluminium bench for the south west corner of the rose garden, and put it in place on bricks we have yet properly to embed. The barbecue was also attended by Helen and Bill, Neil, Donna, and Anthony. We had a splendid afternoon of convivial conversation, superb sausages, lamb and chicken satay kebabs, salads, followed later by fruit salad, strawberries, lemon cake, and cheesecake according to choice. Red and white wine, coke, cider, and beer were all on offer. A surprisingly long section of the mid-afternoon was occupied by a game of Giant Jenga. It didn’t seem possible to me that this precarious pastime could last any longer than a few minutes. A tower of long wooden blocks is built to begin with. Each player must remove one block without upsetting the structure, and place it on the top. Gradually the lower levels are depleted, but the height remains the same, until the increasingly tottering tower finally collapses. The person who made the last successful placement is the winner. Bill

After a few early extractions, Bill is seen here making another.

Neil & Anthony

Quite early on Neil appeared to go to sleep on the job,

Neil

but recovered to make a flamboyant removal later on, when wobbling was under way.

Ron

Ron, with a flourish, applied his structural engineering skills to the task,

Shelley's HandShelley 1

while Shelley undertook careful all-round investigation

Shelley 2

and slid one out from the bottom, starting another top layer.

Helen

Helen couldn’t believe her luck.

Derrick 1

Derrick 2

As the tower began to sway, I didn’t really fancy my chances,

Derrick 3

even after the withdrawal the tower was likely to topple.

Bill 2

Bill’s penultimate attempt warranted considerable contemplation,

Anthony

as did Anthony’s final one.

I always followed Bill, and each time increasingly prayed that he would upset the structure.

Bill 3Bill 4

Finally my luck was in. This was just as well, because Bill almost managed to withdraw the last block that would have been at all possible.

For the second evening running, we had no need of dinner.

A Lunch Party

At mid-day friends Caroline and Keith, Margery and Paul joined us for lunch. Jackie laid on an excellent vegetable soup with croutons, followed by onion bhajis, spring rolls and prawn toasts; a choice of meats and pies, and various splendid salads, with several different breads. A little red wine was drunk, but most of us preferred water, still, or sparkling.

The general consensus was that we should spend the afternoon in the garden before tackling the scones with jam and clotted cream, the fruit salad, and/or the strawberries and cream. Even then, no-one had room for cheese.

We enjoyed warm, sunny, weather, with a slight breeze, making it ideal for the garden tour. We wandered round in twos and threes, occasionally meeting up.

Caroline and Keith entering Brick Path

Brick Path

Here, Caroline and Keith contemplate the Brick Path. When they reach the sweet peas which will be to their right, they will enjoy their fragrance.

Bee on echinea

To their left lies the New Bed whose bees fascinated them.

Paul and Jackie at Fiveways

Jackie and Paul paused at Fiveways.

Jackie

Jackie went on to the rose garden where she delighted

Jackie, Caroline, Keith and Margery

in displaying our achievement.

Margery

Margery tried out the armchair under the arch,

Margery on Pergola Path

then led the way back through the pergola.

Fuschia Ringwood Market, petunias etc

Much of the afternoon was spent in happy conversation on the patio, surrounded by arrangements like this, of fuchsia Ringwood Market, petunias, geraniums, and succulents, with a pink hydrangea peaking out from behind.

Rose petal on Ace Reclaim Bench

A red rose petal came to rest on the Ace Reclaim bench

View from Dragon's Bed

which is visible from the Dragon’s Bed.

There was a very brief programme of highlights of the fourth Test Match. This is because it didn’t take England very long to dismiss the last three Australian batsmen, thus winning the match, and the series and retaining the Ashes. 200px-Ashes_UrnThe Ashes are a symbolic representation of the ashes of English cricket described by a Sporting Newspaper after Australia’s 1882 victory. The following year England’s Captain Ivo Bligh vowed to regain those ashes. Said to be the remains of a burnt cricket ball, they are fought over every series between the two countries, although the urn that contains them never leaves Lord’s cricket ground