Hokusai – The Great Picture Book of Everything

Self Portrait

This exhibition is currently on show at The British Museum until 30th January 2022. The drawings (103 recently acquired) were drawn between 1820-1840 were meant for an encyclopedia entitled The Great Picture Book of Everything. However, the book was never published. The pictures depict creation stories, myths, religion and Japanese subjects. Many of the drawings feature flowers, medicinal herbs, animals and birds and people wearing traditional clothing from countries such as China, Mongolia and Vietnam.

There are also cabinets where are there are open books to view and another with ‘tools of the trade’ of printing pictures from wood blocks, including a video demonstration.

Of course, Hokusai is best known for his painting Under the Wave, more commonly known as just The Wave. There were many versions of this, and a video tells the story of how so many came to be produced. There are two versions on the wall with a ‘spot the difference’ instruction.

The drawings in the exhibition are small and you need to get up close to see all the detail. If might be worth taking a magnifying glass with you! How Hokusai managed to get so much detail into such small drawings I do not know. The majority of the drawings are black and white, but as you come out of the exhibition you enter the Japan Room and there are some coloured paintings of Hokusai’s there, along with various paintings by other Japanese artists. The room has many other exhibits, such as swords, costumes, ceramics and a portable shrine.

After the exhibition, I headed down Charing Cross Road and had lunch in Foyles cafe before exploring all five floors of the book shop! I don’t know how I came out of there without buying a book.

From there, I walked to the River Thames, crossing to the other side, and walked along the embankment to Vauxhall, stopping for a cup of tea at the flat of my son and his girlfriend. It was a chance to take a few more photos of London – do I need an excuse?

Christmas is coming – Charing Cross, towards Embankment Tube station

Outside the International Maritime Organisation, Lambeth

Decoration – Former Royal Doulton Factory

Images of London

I have been to London several times over the last week or so, so I thought I’d share a few photos of places and nature. I took a couple walks, one of which was from Imperial Wharf to Wandsworth Bridge where I crossed the bridge, walked to Battersea Bridge, crossed back and wandered down Cheyne Walk before carrying on to Vauxhall. This will give you a flavour of my wanderings! Enjoy.

A busy Waterloo station the night a train had broken down and platforms 1-6 were unable to be used!

River Thames between Battersea and Wandsworth Bridge

Thomas Carlyle’s House, Chelsea (writer)

Helicopter landing at Heliport near Battersea

Imperial Wharf Gardens (river to the right)

No 16 Cheyne Walk, the former home of Gabriel Dante Rossetti (artist and keeper of Wombats!)

Home of the Chelsea Pensioners and also grounds (now cleared) for the annual Chelsea Flower Show

Kingston to Hampton Court

It has been almost a year since I last walked this stretch of the Thames and the walk appears shorter each time I do it. This time it was stroll with two stops. Having set out late morning, the first stop was early on to each lunch bought locally. Then when nearly at Hampton Court there was another stop to discard the thin jacket I was wearing. The weather was indeed warm, but not hot, perfect for walking.

At Hampton Court it was treat time – an ice cream! Over the Hampton Court bridge next to the train station there is a small park I’d never been into before. This is where I sat and had a great view across the river towards Hampton Court Palace. This side of the river is also where the River Ember feeds into the Thames – something else I did no know!

Hampton Court bridge from the small park

View across to the Palace. Seems there is some roof work going on

One last view across the Thames to Hampton Court Palace

I am planning another Thames walk, a part I have not walked before. With any luck (and of course it is down to the weather) I may attempt that next week.

Before I sign off this week I just wanted to highlight a walk I know well which came up on a guest blog post of The London Wildlife Trust. The writer Jini Reddy, author of the book Wanderland (which I have just bought) has walked what I call ‘the horse field’ near me, and The Hamptons Wetlands, as well as Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common and Cannizaro Park. Do check it out here. There are some great photos too.

Finally, last evening I watched the most spellbinding concert from the Natural History Museum. A mixture of music, poetry and art based on the words of Robert Macfarlane (writer) and Jackie Morris (artist). It was a magical and moving tribute to wildlife. I had tears in my eyes during the song where the tree talks to the woodcutter. I highly recommend this. The recording made last night is on YouTube for a short while only. Catch it while you can.

Kingston-on-Thames & Wimbledon Park

On Monday the ‘stay-at-home’ restriction was lifted. The advice is to ‘stay local’. So, with good weather here, it was time to board a bus for the first time since December. I wanted to go into Kingston have a look in Food For Thought (health food shop) and get some sort of veggie or vegan ‘roast’ for Easter day dinner. Firstly, the Thames was calling to me.

We (I was with one of my son’s) got ourselves a takeaway hot chocolate and headed towards the river and the Queen’s Promenade where we sat down to drink. We then headed back, went under the bridge and headed towards Canbury Park Gardens and onwards to what is known as The Half Mile Tree. A slow walk back into town to pick up supplies and then back on the bus home. What we noticed was how quiet the town was (non-essential shops don’t open until 12th April), and how many shops had closed down and wouldn’t be returning. In my own town similar things have happened, and right across the UK this is one of the results of lockdown, and so many people now buying goods online. Sadly, there will be more to come.

Last time I was here, this was a Christmas set up!

The Half Mile tree is said to be about 500 years old. Removed in 1951 due to its dangerous condition and replaced in 1952.

On Tuesday I met a friend at Wimbledon Park. The last time we were here it was autumn, now it is spring. The park was very busy with tennis coaching, and school kids having lessons. Lots of mums and babies and toddlers too. The cafe was open for takeaway and it was the hottest day of the year so far, getting up to around 24c. It was a lazy day in the sunshine with a chance for a good catch up.

COMING NEXT WEEK a look at Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and Westminster.

London at random (archive memories)

Over the years, I’ve taken hundreds of photos in London and been to many places. Today I’d like to share with you just a few photos randomly picked out of my photo folders. I hope you enjoy them.

The Cinema Museum is a private collection of memorabilia. It is housed in the former workhouse where Charlie Chaplin lived as a child. They offer talks and show films. There is a small shop and refreshments are offered.

One day my husband and I took the train from Liverpool Street station out to Harold Wood. This is as far as we could go using our 60+ Oyster card (this card gives us free travel on buses, trains and tubes in the London area – a perk of being over 60 years olds!) The Elizabeth Line is the new kid on the block. Formerly called CrossRail, when completed (it is years overdue and way over budget), the line will run from Reading in Berkshire through London to Shenfield in Essex, with branches to Abbey Wood and London Heathrow Airport.

This was our first experience of travelling in one of the new trains and it was quite exciting. I’d become obsessed with the line after watching several documentaries about the tunnelling, and what was found in the various soil layers (I’ve attended several exhibitions too!), and took a course on it! Bits of the line are now open, but I am still waiting for the whole line to be completed.

Harold Wood – part of the London Loop walks

The staircase, Sigmund Freud’s house, Hampstead

Osterley Park and house in Isleworth dates back to the 1570’s and is owned by The National Trust

Living Wall and Pocket Garden near Tower Hill station

Some unusual seating at the Brunel Museum, Rotherhithe

Crossrail Place Roof Gardens, Canary Wharf

The poet John Keats came to live at this house in 1818. The house was originally two dwellings and Keats lived in the smaller half with Charles Brown. Keats stayed for seventeen months before travelling to Italy where he died.

When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be

When I have fears that I may cease to be
   Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,
   Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,
   Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
   Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
   That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
   Of unreflecting love—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

(https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44488/when-i-have-fears-that-i-may-cease-to-be)

Taken at the Hive exhibition at Kew Gardens

River Thames, Kingston – Queen’s Promenade

With a cold but sunny start to last Saturday I took a brief walk along the river at Kingston. It seemed that many had the same idea! While some were queuing outside shops in the town centre the rest of us were enjoying the riverside. A much better option in my view.

On the other side of the river you can walk all the way to Hampton Court

There are always fun things to see on the river

In a previous post I mentioned Turk’s Boatyard and the connection to medieval Britain and Chatham Dockyard. Here you can see some of their very fine boats which leave from the pier further down the river.

Ravens Ait Island – a venue for weddings and other events

Nearly at the end of the path on this side of the river

Walking back this is quite a dominant view on the road

The Clattern Bridge (behind the blue one) built around 1175 over the Hogsmill River just before it meets the Thames. It is one of the olderst intact bridges in England. (The Guildhall can be seen in the background)

No Christmas market this year, just the Christimas Tree

Kingsdton Market with the old Town Hall and All Saints Church in the background

In the shopping precinct – The Bentalls indoor shopping mall is to the left

Old London Road is mix of independent shops, an antique shop and charity shops

Thames Frost Fair Cruise 2018 – NaBloPoMo – Day 27

In 2018 I became obsessed with anything to do with the Thames Frost Fairs. In the distant past the Thames often iced over. This was due to the way old London Bridge was built. The River was then much wider and shallower than today, so in winter the arches of London Bridge (which were close together) became blocked with ice and this acted like a damn slowing the Thames and helping it to freeze over.

The first recorded Frost Fair was 1607/8 and the ice was thick enough for people to walk on from Southwark to the City. Between 1607 and 1814 there were seven major Frost Fairs, with smaller ones in other years.

A Frost Fair was a time for enjoyment for all. Tents were pitched, whole Oxen were roasted, entertainters performed, there was music and dancing and you could play skittles or skate. Traders set up stalls and sold various goods as well as food and drink. And where there is money there are also pickpockets. Of course there were accidents too, when the ice thinned and people, tents and buisnesses went down in the the icy water. I have provided two links to information about the Frost Fairs here and here.

When I found out that the Museum of London was running a river cruise on the theme of the frost fairs I was quick to book tickets. It was a lovely late afternoon trip with refreshments. We had onboard guides and were given printed photos and maps and information leaflets. The guides were happy to answer any questions. I even mades notes!

The cruise began at Westminster Pier and took us Greenwich via all the London landmarks like The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and the O2. At Greenwich the boat turned around. At that point we went up on deck and braved the cold to enjoy the journey back in the dark. London looked lovely with all the lights on. I’m still obsessed with the Frost Fairs and have read novels set during those times as well as historical articles.

Fulham, London – NaBloPoMo – Day 25

Bishop’s Park was opened in 1893 by The London County Council and was given by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The gardens are Listed Grade II on the register of parks and gardens of special historic interest maintained by English Heritage.

As well as the planting and the water features the park has playgrounds for children and a skate park, a sandpit, climbing equipment and grassed areas for ball games. Yesterday the play areas were very busy.

Further along the path you are taken away from the Thames for a while as you go around the outside of Fulham Football Club. The club is in the process of building a new stand so there are workmen and lorries everywhere. I have been to this ground once a few years ago to watch Tottenham Hotspur play Fulham. I’m a Spurs fan and it was my Fulham supporter son who got tickets for me and my other son to go. The two of us sat at oppostie sides of the stadium, and too far away to wave to one another! Spurs won that day! You can find out more about Fulham Football Club here.

At present all football matches are played behind closed doors, owing to Covid 19

On the walk back from I took a couple of photos from outside Bishop’s Park. As I said yesterday, the gardens are sandwiched between Fulham Palace and the Thames Path.

Putney and Fulham by the River Thames – NaBloPoMo – Day 24

Today was the perfect day for a walk. The sun was out and it was warm. This wasn’t a long walk, just stroll along the Thames and a quick walk around the gardens at Fulham Palace. The house isn’t currently open, nor the cafe, but I have been around the house in the past.

Fulham Palace had been the residence for the Bishops of London since AD704, mainly used as a summer retreat away from the noise and dirt of London. The grounds were extensive. In the mid 13th century the original manor house was abandoned and the foundations for the new house (above) are from around that time. Over the years Bishops made alterations and built on. The last Bishop left in 1973 when the house was taken over by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In 2011 the house was taken over by a charitable trust and has continued to be restored to its former glory. It is well worth a visit. See here for more details.

The Lodge at the main entrance to Fulham Palace Gardens

The walk along the Thames was lovely and had I walked on I would have shortly been in Hammersmith. You can see Hammersmith Bridge in the distance in one of these photos. Tomorrow I will post some photos of Bishop’s Park which is sandwiched between the river and Fulham Palace.

Thames Bridges – NaBloPoMo – Day 22

The Millennium Bridge, London (St Paul’s Cathedral opposite)

Having walked quite a stretch of the Thames Path in the last few years, I’ve walked on and by a number of bridges crossing the River Thames. So today I would like to share some with you. With one week left of NaBloPoMo I wondered if anyone wanted to see anything specific about London. Maybe a museum, gallery, area of London. If I have it in my back catelogue I can share it, or it might be something for the future when travelling and visiting places becomes easier in the UK. Do leave me a comment.