Pub signs - final shout

All my pub sign photos are now uploaded and identified by area.

In the final week I added the following signs and pubs

146 The Falcon, Clapham Junction
147 The Albion, Chiswick
148 The Salutation, Chiswick
149 Packhorse and Talbot, Chiswick
150 Rose and Crown, Chelsea
151 The Henry Holland, Chinatown
152 Famous 3 Kings, West Brompton
153 The Northcote, Clapham Junction
154 Victoria and Albert, Marylebone
155 The Clarence, West Kensington

The full collection of pub signs and pubs is in the web gallery

I am so pleased that I completed this collection. It is like a roadmap of where I went and in the process of collecting I learned a lot about the geography and nomenclature of London as well as heaps of interesting snippets of history. A couple of websites proved helpful in correctly identifying locations.

• The postcodes project - http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/postcodes/map.html
• Traditional and historic London pubs - http://www.pubs.com/home.cfm

Final day in London - celebrated in style!

My last day in London was also my birthday. Claire had planned a special day months in advance so it turned out! Breakfast in bed at a respectable mid morning hour set the scene. After opening cards (from Australia and from her and Alan), reading emails and taking phone calls from my other children at home in Hobart, Claire suggested that jeans would not be appropriate attire for what she had planned for the day.

Being a dutiful and obedient mother (!) I unpacked my one and only slightly dressier outfit. The weather had turned grey so we were back to warmer clothes and coats. After a short bus trip on the 74 we arrived in Knightsbridge where Claire steered me into the champagne nail bar at Harvey Nichols for us to both have manicures. Claire had prepared me for this by keeping my nails painted since I arrived in England (a rarity for me) and reassuring me that dark nail colour looks really good on slightly older women! My colour is appropriately Picadilly Circus. Just as well there is not much gardening to do at this time of the year.

After that little piece of luxury Alan joined us and we proceeded to High Tea at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone Road. The setting was just lovely - a palm filled atrium with grand piano music playing at just the right level from a mezanine balcony. We began with champagne and then tea or coffee to accompany cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches which were followed by little French pastries and English cakes. After this they brought out scones with jam and double cream! A little birthday cake with accompanying Happy Birthday on the piano finished off the occasion. Needless to say the cake was packaged up for later and none of us needed much in the way of an evening meal.

What a lovely thoughtful set of birthday treats - our route even went past a few new pubs to take my final total to 155 - such a nicer number than 153 as it would have been.

I am nearly home having completed the longest leg of the journey - 13 hours from London to Singapore. There is a brief stop here before proceeding on to Sydney which is an 8 hour flight. Movies on demand from on own personal screen certainly make a difference to these long flights.
Qantas seems to have undergone a couple of changes since the trip over in March. In particular, laptop computers no longer have to be taken out of bags when you go through security at Heathrow.

Must go - QF32 bound for Sydney is boarding.

Wrought iron obsession

I love wrought iron. There is something about the material and the designs it inspires that resonates strongly with me. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the Victoria and Albert museum has a gallery dedicated to wrought iron. Unfortunately my camera battery was flat at the time so I do not have any photos of this marvellous collection.

My fascintation with pub signs also extends to their wrought iron hangers which range from the very plain (eg The Malt House, Fulham Broadway) to highly ornate (see The Mitre, Greenwich).

I have photographed many examples during this trip both in the UK and in Europe.


A selection is provided here in a web gallery. It includes examples of shop signs, lamposts, window boxes, gates and other architectural features.

Big Ben is a beautiful sight at night

I know I know, it's such a cliche! But Big Ben really is a beautiful structure. Today turned into a gorgeous afteroon and after dinner I hopped on the 211 bus as a way of getting to Westminster to see some of the sights by floodlight.

After leaving the bus at the London Eye stop (that was also impressive at night) I walked across Westminster Bridge back towards Sloane Square. I took some photos but they are not very good.

You cannot help but admire the clocktower and clockface. I heard it strike 11:00 from quite closeby and felt the reverberation of each strike - a feeling I won't forget.

Chelsea Flower Show

I've now added the Chelsea Flower Show to my "been there, done that" list. The show gardens were inspiring and many of the trade exhibits gave me lots of new ideas to apply in my own garden.

Claire's work's garden (The Savills Garden) won a gold medal and how fitting for me that it was themed on gardening and art inspired by the Tate Modern!

Claire joined me after work and we wandered carrying the obligatory Pimms. I also enjoyed the many floral window displays around Sloane Square and in Sloane Street itself - Sloane in Bloom.

My favourite show gardens were

• The Laurent-Perrier garden (Gold and Best in Show)


• Garden in the silver moonlight (Silver)


• The Marshall's garden that kids really want (Silver)


• Jamie Drurie's Australian Garden (Gold)


• Daylesford's Organic Summer Solstice (Silver gilt)


• The Daily Telegraph Garden (Gold)


• The Reflective Garden (Silver gilt)

I was inspired by the courtyard gardens which measured about 3m x 4m

• Mist-placed - the appeal of ruins


• Princess Moon - East Wind II - plant arrangements


• 42 Catherine St - use of recycled materials

Photo gallery (to come)

Day trip to Bath

Yesterday I travelled by train to Bath to spend the day there. As the train approached I had a building sense of anticipation as the stone villages started to appear and the countryside became increasingly green and picturesque. I was not disappointed. As soon as I got out of the train and glimpsed my surroundings, I was hooked. I had that same feeling that Greenwich gave me and it echoes the special feelings evoked on my last trip by Cambridge, Oxford and Stamford. There is something about the combination of stone, cobblestones, leafy surrounds and classic architecture that resonates strongly with me.

My day in Bath was one of ongoing delight and discovery. I took in two tours on the open top bus - around the city and into the surrounding hills which was a good way to get an overview in limited time. I did not think to take my ticket from the equivalent tour in Rome to get my discount - damn!

I didn't do any of the other touristy things (eg Roman Baths, Jane Austen centre) as I preferred to spend my time walking around the city and getting a feel for it. I had a coffee break at a tiny cafe on the bridge which was special and I had dinner at Sally Lunn's teahouse (early bird special - two courses and glass of wine for 10 pounds) which was a timely reviver before heading back to London on the train.

I really hope to return there one day - I could see myself living and working there for a few months perhaps.

King Bladud's pigs
Oh the pig - it is one of 100 that are part of a current festival to do with the Bath legend of King Bladud. The King Bladud's pigs will be auctioned for charity later in the year.

Bath photos
A selection of my 200 photos are in an online album!

Pub sign update #2

With only 1 week of my holiday left, the pub sign count stands at well over 100 pub signs.

Recent additions include

125 The Marlborough Head, Baker Street
126 The Coach and Horses, Greenwich
127 Kings Arms, Victoria
129 Ye Old Watling, Bow Lane, St Paul's
130 Williamson's Tavern, Bow Lane, St Paul's
131 The Hatchet, Bow Lane, St Paul's
132 Birreria Viennese, Rome
133 The Beauchamp, South Kensington
134 The Bunch of Grapes, Knightsbridge, South Kensington

135 The Railway Tavern, Staplehurst, Kent
136 The Kings Head, Staplehurst, Kent
137 The Bell Inn, Staplehurst, Kent
138 The Lamb, Staplehurst, Kent

139 Courage Ale House, Bath
140 Rising Sun, Bath
141 The Volunteer Rifleman's Arms, Bath
142 Coeur de Lion, Bath
143 The Grapes, Bath
144 The Raven, Bath
145 Saracen's Head, Bath

The collection so far is at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/PubSigns2008

The Lion King in the West End

Last evening, after such a wonderful day in Kent, I returned to London and decided to see if there were any theatre tickets left. I walked direct from Charing Cross station to Covent Garden and there before my eyes was a side door to the Lyceum Theatre. It was meant to be! Five minutes before the curtain went up I purchased a good ticket to see The Lion King and it was fabulous. I have seen many musicals but this was something quite unique.

Sissinghurst Castle magic

Yesterday I took the train to Kent to visit Sissinghust Castle Garden - a long awaited treat. With my holiday drawing to an end, I have left the gardens as far as possible into May and must now see what I want to see regardless of the weather. Although overcast, there was no rain and no wind so it was very pleasant for wandering around a large garden. Apparently Friday is not generally busy at Sissinghurst and that was the case yesterday as well. Pictures speak louder than words though one picture cannot ever convey the spirit of a garden. As well as enjoying the magnificent vistas and individual garden rooms, there were many interesting things in the form of individual plants and flowers. Further, I was inspired by a variety of ideas that could be adapted for my own garden back at home.

See photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/sissinghurst

The trip to Kent involved a train to Staplehurst and then a transfer bus. I had an hour to spare waiting for the bus so I walked into the village of Staplehurst and found some lovely houses, gardens and a few pubs:

135 The Railway Tavern (Staplehurst, Kent)
136 The Kings Head (Staplehurst, Kent)
137 The Bell Inn (Staplehurst, Kent)
138 The Lamb (Staplehurst, Kent)

The Gherkin

On Thursday I had a real treat - taken out to lunch by two handsome young men (2 engineers aka Alan and his sister's partner James) in the top of the 'Gherkin' - one of London's relatively new architectural icons.

See 30 St Mary Axe (Wikipedia) and BBC News article for more detailed information about the building.

The only people who can enter there are exclusive club members and staff who can also take visitors. James' firm has offices in the Gherkin so he qualifies to take visitors to lunch.

It was a real treat - the views were simply breathtaking and the food was good too! The building itself is an engineering marvel and the geometry superb in its simplicity. The photo gallery gives some idea. I don't think I need to go on the London Eye after this unique experience - thanks James and Alan!

Sunshine arrives in London on the day of the 100th pub sign

Last Wednesday (23 April) was St George's day and the very first day of a decent dose of sun. According to locals there was not much of a summer last year and the joy was palpable. The crowds were out in great force around all the pubs and eating places along the Thames where we went for a drink at the Market Porter with Alan's uncle, his sister and her partner prior to dinner at a restaurant near the Borough Market.

On Saturday (26 April) the sun shone warmly again in London with the temperature reaching the early twenties. We ventured out in short sleeves and no coats but still included the brollies just in case. Claire and Alan were keen to take me to The Farm, a favourite weekend brunch spot in Fulham Broadway. This was a good plan but they had not factored in the at home game for Chelsea and Mancheste United that was also happening. The sea of blue kit gathered intensity as we got closer to our destination and it was clear that most eating places were full to overflowing. However we managed to secure a table at The Farm and discovered that they had a special modified (ie reduced) menu for the occasion. This did not matter as our preferences were there - Eggs Benedict for Claire, Eggs Royal for me and a full cooked breakfast for Alan. It was delicious and the crowd dissolved quickly as the game starting time approached. The police were out in force in the street (manpower, vehicles, dogs, mounted police) and I was astounded as Claire told me the costs involved for a season ticket and the kit which most supporters seemed to have.


Claire and I then left Alan who had other engagements with his mates, and set off on a shopping afternoon in Marylebone High Street - chosen because I found out that there is a Button Shop nearby - The Button Queen. While catching the Tube, a voice called out to Claire and it turned out to be her friend Anna from Primary School who was in London on her honeymoon! How random! They have now caught up on Facebook but catching up turned out not to be feasible as they were off to Paris the next day.

We had a lovely afternoon in and out of gorgeous shops such as The White Company and Ollie and Nic, trying on a few things, buying me some new jeans (much easier with a daughter to assist) and picking up lunch from the Natural Kitchen which we ate in the grounds of St Marylebone market. The Button Shop was shut by the time we found it (Claire was relieved) and as usual we did not get as much done as intended (and not only because of pub signs I hasten to add) - but it mattered not. It seems fitting that the Marylebone Tup in the High Street was my 100th pub sign. I did not realise at the time or we would have had a drink there. Pub signs added since the last update are:

95 Cock and Hen, Fulham Broadway
96 The Prince Albert, Battersea
97 Tattersalls Tavern, Knightsbridge
98 Paxton's Head, Knightsbridge
and from today:
99 The Pontefract Castle, Wigmore St, Marylebone
100 The Marylebone Tup, Marylebone High Street
101 Prince Regent, Marylebone High Street
102 Angel in the Fields, Marylebone High Street
103 The Conduit of Tybourne, Marylebone Lane


Claire's friend Kate joined us at home in the late afternoon - in fact she was sitting near us on our bus and none of us realised until near the end of the journey - and we three went to the movies to see "21" which was fun.


All in all, a very pleasant way to spend a day. A web album of snapshots from the day is also online.

Monet's garden

The highlight and main purpose of Claire and I spending a weekend in Paris was this "must do" for gardeners. On Sunday we travelled by train from Paris to Vernon and then by bus to Giverny to visit Monet's house and garden, fulfilling one item on my long list of "must dos". The garden peaks in summer but seeing it in mid Spring was fabulous in its own right and arguably gave a better overall view of the structure as it was uninhibited by dense foliage. You could also gain a good sense of the promise of things to come with the fat buds and emerging fresh juvenile growth on vines, roses, perennials and deciduous trees and shrubs.

The slideshow below is a selection of the large number of photos taken.

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The house presides over the garden which is in two main sections - the geometrically laid out beds and the waterlilly pond. Our visit was punctuated by a shower of rain which meant we visited the waterlilly pond twice in two quite different light settings. On a macrp and micro level there is a seemingly endless set of visually compelling images.
The garden was not as extensive as I had imagined though it is intensely planted and would take a small army to keep in order - definitely not a low maintenance affair. I took over 200 photos and had a good time playing with close up shots. Many of the photos are for ideas in my own garden, particularly colour combinations of plants. The large number of visitors were easily absorbed along the many paths.
My favourite parts of the house were the kitchen and dining rooms - particularly for the colour schemes and as photography was not allowed I bought the postcards.
[I am experimenting with using Slideshare to embed a slideshow rather than link to an external web album. They each have their pros and cons and I have not decided yet which is generally better for my purposes .]

From London to Paris in 12 hours - a Eurostar saga

Claire and I set off from from London for Paris on Friday 21 April at 8pm expecting to arrive 2 hours later on the super fast Eurostar train. It turned out to be a comedy of errors with one technical failure after another. As a result we spent the whole night stranded on a broken down train in the middle of the French countryside, mostly in the dark and with little information provided. To make matters worse, people were allowed to smoke in the bar car which filtered through the other cars affecting myself and others with respiratory health issues. On the plus side, the staff were very helpful and responsive when alerted to medical issues. It was hard to know whether to laugh or cry as the situation went from bad to worse.

By 4am, in the absence of information updates, there was growing uncertainty and when the silhouetted figures of large darkly dressed men carring guns appeared in the doorways, it was not at all clear whether they were police coming to help or armed terrorists. Fortunately most passengers remained calm though frustrated and the gun-toting men were in fact police marshalling us to get off the train and walk along the track to the replacement train that had finally arrived from Paris. We then had a very slow journey to Paris towing the beleagured train behind us, arriving a little after 9am Paris time.

Upon arrival in Paris we were given some light refreshments (sweet sticky muffins and orange juice), taxi refund vouchers and an address for claiming a refund. Having lost a night's sleep, and therefore half our weekend we did not think that was enough and will be writing a letter.

Initial news report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7356283.stm

Preliminary inquiry findings: (apparently the driver was to blame..... )https://outlook.education.tas.gov.au/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL2112787920080421

Pub signs added today

Today's explorations took me to the London Bridge area. My plans were interupted when my camera battery ran out and I decided I could not possibly continue without out so I returned home to rethink my day, ending up going out again to the Theatre to see the Sound of Music West End production. More on that later.

Nevertheless I collected a number of new pub signs today from around the London Bridge and Tower Bridge areas (both I which I traversed).

It is curious how many of the older pubs are to be found down laneways, off the main drag. There must be a reason for this.

Pubs added today with links to their signs:

• 86. The Globe (in the Borough Market area - famous as the pub above which Bridget Jones lived in the films)
• 87. The Market Porter (Borough Market area)
• 88. The Wheatsheaf (Borough Market area)
• 89. The Old King's Head (down a lane in the Borough Market area)
• 90. The George (a haunt of Shakespeare and Dickens, now National Trust)
• 91. The Southwalk Tavern
• 92. Old Thameside Inn (right beside the Golden Hinde replica)
• 93. The Barrowboy and Banker (just across the road from London Bridge on the South side). This one is a cool name but only just qualifies under my criteria as its sign is a generic one for the Fullers chain of "ale and pie houses" - see also the Blackbird at Earl's Court. Further the image is very stylised.
• 94. The Imperial (just off Leicester Square in Theatreland)
  

The updated gallery complete with additional shots of the actual pubs and information where available are at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/PubSigns2008

Shipp's Tearooms - an absolute gem

Today while I was exploring Borough Market near London Bridge, I happened upon Shipp's Tearooms. The sight of the shop immediately prompted the reaction I get when a place, object or scene resonate in complete harmony with my tastes. What first caught my eye was the collection of china teacups suspended by the handles from the ceiling just inside the window. A glance inside revealed a pretty and interesting interior - an eclectic mix of embroidered tablecloths, unmatched chairs, pink walls with large mirrors and white chandeliers as lighting. Each table had a consistent but individually unique setting - a small flower arrangement, a candle, an ornament. Orders were served on china that did not necessarily match but was co-ordinated in terms of style.

The range of cakes and teas on offer was impressive and I enjoyed a pot of Orange Peko tea and a slice of Apple and Plum tart. The total bill for that was £ 5.25 which was exceptional value and the service was excellent. I was amused by the use of a scrabble ledge and letters to indicate a reserved table! I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes something outside the square.

They have a website http://www.shippstearooms.info/

Update on pub signs

I have now collected 85 pub signs and am in the process of defining my inclusion critera. Some places put up what I would call a pseudo sign - single colour, text only and generally they look pretty characterless. If the building appeals I might include them but in my opinion they are not in keeping with the original intent of pub signs which was to have a visual way of identifying a pub for illiterate people.

The full collection so far is at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/PubSigns2008

London Marathon

Last Sunday was the London Marathon and our planned picnic in Hyde Park to be there near the finish line was hijacked by the weather. Having been somewhat drenched the day before at Portobello Market, my daughter and her partner were reluctant for a reprise. They are great fans of the Marathon and Alan is a Marathon runner himself.

My knowledge of the Marathon was very limited so I found the TV coverage combined with Alan's personal knowledge most informative. By 1 pm I decided that I would brave the weather and go and check it out.

The photo story tells all about my little adventure (WARNING: many photos not directly related to the Marathon as such but rather my way of seeing things): Photo story is at http://picasaweb.google.com/j9bowes/LondonMarathon2008

Springime unfolds in London

Last time (the only other time!) I was in the United Kingdom, Autumn was emerging. It was a delight to see the leaves start to turn and to witness the vividness of colour compared to Australia. At the time some local press reported that the colours were particularly vivid that year because of an exceptionally warm summer. I wondered whether the colours also seemed moe intense than in Australia because there was more contrast with the background light - the brightness of Australian light really struck me on my return.

This time I am here in early Spring and in the two weeks since my arrival the emerging buds have plumped out and the earliest bulbs are fading. I am saving most of my garden visits until May when Spring will be at its peak. Whilst I have always been interested in gardens, my knowledge and personal endeavours have grown significantly since I was last here. I am hoping that my photos will capture the changing season.

England by pub signs

Fourteen years on, I was quite surprised to note that my fascination with English Pub signs had not dwindled and so on my first day here I decided to collect photos of them. I love them as little works of art both in the sign itself and the wrought iron hanger.

It has proven to be a great way to explore new parts of London. Pick an area, and see where the pub signs take you! In the process I have happened upon many serendipitous discoveries of interesting shops, pieces of history and pretty scenes.

I have read that there are 3500 pubs in London alone! So far I have collected 50 including two from Scandinavia. Getting good photos of the signs is quite problematic - getting close enough necessarily means looking up on a steep angle. One needs to take account of the background (sky or building?) so that the detail can be picked out and try not to be intrusive to any local patrons.

I am assembling an album of the full collection of pubs and their signs

First week in London

I've now been here a full week and settled into a routine of sorts. When I was here in 1994 it was all about cramming as much as possible into each day. Because I have many weeks this time round, I have the luxury of a more leisurely pace, savouring each treat rather than becoming numbed and blasse from overload. It also gives me time to notice and enjoy the emerging Spring and respond to whatever I feel like doing each day. A favourite way to spend a day is to pick an area and really check it out - I love the planned and the serendipitous. The thrill of turning a corner and unexpectedly happening upon some well known landmark or building.
Claire and Alan have made me very welcome and comfortable - I am becoming familiar with all the bus routes to and from their flat, partly through a trial an error process!
The highlights so far have been

• Covent Garden


• the Boat Race


• Victoria and Albert Museum


• the Terracotta Army and


• Rediscovering my previous interest in pub signs - 32 so far and growing daily!

Last Friday I decided to go to Covent Garden and whilst a tad disappointed in the markets, the buskers were amazing and the surrounding streets exciting with all the theatres and pub signs. I kept hearing different songs from musicals in my head, prompted by street signs. Seeing the proximity of the Royal Opera House to the Covent Garden market conjured images of Eliza Doolittle and her flower basket.

Easter Sunday - less than 48 hours to go

Easter Sunday in Hobart is a gorgeous sunny Autumn day. The birds are singing. the bees are buzzing and I am having a lovely leisurely time pottering around tidying up loose ends before setting off for London on Tuesday.

I will have about 10 hours in Sydney on Tuesday which is serendipitous as I read about an exhibition at the PowerHouse Museum that I would like to see. I'll have time to do that, attend to some retail and banking matters, do a lap of the QVB and possibly catch up with Jacquie and Jock before heading out to the airport! What a way to start.

I am deriving enormous pleasure from getting through my pre-travel jobs list. Leaving as much in order as possible. All is well!

This evening will be a family meal at Anne's. Erica turning 21 last week marks the start of birthday season in the family - I have made a list of dates by which to post things while I am away so that nobody is forgotten.

I've also decided to take Emily's WOL to England and post it back to her in Perth for her 3rd birthday. I wonder what adventures WOL will have between now and 12th May?