Jane's Advent Calendar – 9th December

Green door, what's that secret you're keeping?
9 Roupell Street, London SE1

A stone's throw from Waterloo Station are some lovely old streets.

The area is constantly under threat from developers and the houses in this evocative location fetch exhorbitant unrealistic prices.

See this video by David Gilna of people walking to work there.

Oh, and cos you are probably sing that song... click here for Mr Stevens.

Cards cards cards

I am really pleased that greeting cards featuring my photos of places of interest in north London have been selling well.
A selection is shown here:

Greeting cards 135mm square supplied with envelopes in cello bags. 

Buy them for £2.50 each from The Only Place For Pictures in Upper Street, Islington (opposite the Union Chapel), Arts and Vintage (opposite Highgate tube station) and Oxfam Bookshops in Highgate and Crouch End.

Snowflakes 135mm square. All others A6/postcard size.

Or buy direct from me, either by contacting me, or finding me at one of my stalls where I will also have my other cards showing my images created from clay pipes; Pete and Joe, London Landmarks, Christmas trees and snowflakes.
Buy four get one free – get five for £10 for any cards when purchasing in person.
Many are also available on Etsy (free p&p).

Jane's Advent Calendar – 8th December

Lower Sloane Square, London SW1

See more numbers from this terrace here

Jane's Advent Calendar – 7th December

The Seven Stars public house, 243 Goldhawk Road, London W12

The name Seven Stars may be a reference to the seven stars of Ursa Major (The Great Bear) commonly known as The Plough / Charles Wain (UK) or The Big Dipper / The Wagon (USA). But why?

It's claimed that a pub of the same name in Carey Street behind the Law Courts in WC2 could be the oldest pub in London.

A mystery tour in Holborn – Incredible Midtown: The Game‏ – until Friday Dec 11th

I just found this is a fun way to explore what I still prefer to call the Holborn area.

Bloomsbury details

Until this Friday 11th Dec...
Put your detective skills to the test and unravel a series of fiendish clues and perplexing puzzles and immerse yourself in three centuries of London history on the mystery tour Incredible Midtown: The Game‏ devised by live-action experience maestros Secret Studio.  
Teams of friends and strangers will form groups of ten and collaborate to uncover the drama and fascinating past of this ever-intriguing area during a puzzle-based adventure game. Actors bring real and fictional fully-interactive characters to life (or death!). Expects ghosts, pubs, rock stars, and lots of fascinating historical facts.
Takes approx 90 minutes. The Game Tickets are £12 per person. Book here.

I have written about the rebranding of Bloomsbury as Midtown before here and here.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 6th December

Dingley Road, London EC1
Ten fags for sixpence!!
This sign must have been very vibrant 70 years ago.
At the bottom right the signwriter has left his mark: "HARRIS the Sign King"! 

Black Cat Cigarettes were made nearby at The Carerras factory on Mornington Crescent where Craven 'A' cigarettes were also manufactured. These too featured the company's iconic black cat logo.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 5th December

Great St James Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1

Fanlights (glass windows split into sections forming a open fan design, hence the name) were installed in the 18th century to let more light into gloomy hallways. Bloomsbury is awash with many fine examples.
Others, like the one here, were created as protruding boxes which captured and reflected even more light into the house. I cannnot find the proper name for this style – any information welcome

Follow the Angel Trail at the National Gallery

Clockwise from top left: Lambeth, The Mall (x2), Highgate, Shaftesbury Ave, Sloane Square

This December, the National Gallery is celebrating the festive season by taking a closer look at the angels within their collection with a series of talks, films and special events, both within the gallery and online.
Each week they will be releasing a new video on their YouTube channel inspired by different depictions of angels in art from the collection sharing their favourites on Twitter and Facebook. See the first video here.
Today, Friday 4th December, you can take part in the #AngelTrail and join the hunt. There will also be music and a pop-up bar. See here for more.
On Friday 11th the trail goes nationwide and will include other galleries and museum across UK and Ireland.
Nice.

Oddities at The Tower of London

This continues from my posts about the animals at the Royal Menagerie and horses and armour in The White Tower.
There are lots of other interesting things in and around the complex. I really liked the life-size metal sculptures of soldiers/guards protecting the high walls and the lovely relevant detailing on the metal posts that hold the ropes and chains.

One of my favourite artefacts on display is a gorgeous little 13th Century portable altarpiece intricately carved from ivory. It's a hinged triptych only about 15cm wide when open and shows scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.

I spent quite a lot of time looking at the carved graffiti in the outer towers. Much of it is very beautifully carved; lovely letterforms and detailed religious and astrological references. Read this post by The Gentle Author for some great pics and information. 

And now for some oddities:

A grille protective around nothing (I think there used to be an old downpipe here).
A very strange man-beastwho is depicted with his spine facing forward – he looks comical and uncomfortable.
Heart shaped shit on the window.
Tudor fire extinguishers.

I like the way layers of history and renovation can still be seen as in the underside of a spiral staircase.
Something is missing on the pavement.
Stairs to nowhere
A 20th Century box downpipe

Pavement patterns.
By Tradition Henry V1 died here (May 21st 1471)
The contemporary glass and metal memorial thing for the execution site is bloody awful(!). It's an appalling bit of design on many levels and the cushion on the top (which I assume is a ref to catching one of the three severed heads that were lopped off there) fills with rain, leaves and all sorts of muck.
A Tudor safe. 

Jane's Advent Calendar – 4th December

A milestone marker on Haverstock Hill shows it's 4 miles to London

Measurements to/from London have generally been taken from Trafalgar Square. However, calculations have shown that today the actual centre is a bench on Victoria Embankment near Kings College.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 3rd December

The Three Greyhounds public house, Old Compton Street, W1

The name of this pub is a reference to the hunting dogs that were used to chase hares in this area of London when it was a royal hunting ground.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 2nd December

The Two Chairman mid-18th public house, 30 Dartmouth Street SW1

The sedan chair originated in the 17th Century. Wealthy people paid "chairmen to carry them over the muddy streets.
It is suggested that “Cheerio” derives from people calling “Chair Ho” to attract the attention of chairmen.

The Foundling Museum

The Foundling Museum sits tucked away on the north side of leafy Brunswick Square Gardens in Bloomsbury.
Hidden within you will find many time-absorbing items of interest. As well as artefacts illustrating the moving stories of orphaned and abandoned children, you'll see artworks by Hogarth, Gainsborough and Reynolds, and a huge collection of manuscripts, recordings and books relating to Handel, including his will and the manuscript of The Messiah.

And, as shown above, in the reception area there is a small gift shop. Take time to check out the truly unique jewellery made from clay pipes (plug! plug!*).
There is also a very good cafe there.

*see other outlets here

Jane's Advent Calendar – 1st December

No.1 Buckingham Palace Road

Kensington Palace – what a revelation

Why oh why had I never been in here before. What a lovely surprise.
It's always the way, isn't it? you live in a city and take it for granted saying that next week you'll go and see what these bloody tourists are all looking at, and the day never comes.
Well, I finally went inside and it's bloody marvellous.
Kensington palace is sort of split into three historical periods. And, by chance we viewed it in, what we now believe in hindsight to be, the right order...
Actually this is a bit silly me posting about this and showing you pictures because I think the reason I loved it there so much is because I had no preconceptions whatsoever.
Oh well... sorry... here goes...

First we admired some of Queen Elizabeth II's frocks. She was tiny!!
The simple elegance of these dresses compared to the ones particularly worn by Diana Princess of Wales on display in another room was quite a shock. The 80s has a lot to answer for fashionwise; padded shoulders, puffball skirts, off the shoulder asymmetric concoctions, dropped waistlines, electric blue, gaudy green, hideous fabrics etc. 

Next to the Queens apartments. Simple and functional and homely.
Then... crash bang wallop!!! into the Kings Apartments – trompe l'oeil agogo!!!
Shown here is the famed staircase (the Queen's one has plain wooden panelling on the walls).  

Almost every room had a splendiferous ceiling and faux columns on the walls.
I caught Malcolm sitting on the throne.  

I was impressed that the information was given not on the standard boards but could be found subtly placed on relevant items within each room such as on fire screens, or on the excellent clothing recreated by the palace's design department sewn using a waterproof paper that beautifully imitates soft material.
Also, there was interactive lighting, sounds and music which occurred intermittently. In one room some dancers could be heard tapping the floorboards as their 'shadows' appeared on the wall. Delightful.

And lots of paintings, some large and fruity and others pocket-sixed and exquisite.
We played tried out some old dice and card games.  

Getting dressed back then wasn't a quick lick and a promise and sling on a onesie to pop out for a pint of milk. Those enormous dresses were as wide as a double bed and took hours to put on and take off, requiring helpers in order to be tied into the things. The second pic shows the uncomfortable under-structure that must have caused all sorts of wear and tear to the hips. What a painful palaver.
The third and fourth pic were taken in the Kings Gallery which is the only one of his rooms that bears any resemblance to the Queen's equivalent (see above left) – though, note the ceiling. 

We spotted a beautifully carved bust of a black slave. Wrong. Totally wrong. But how can you not admire the workmanship using different stones for different elements?
Time was running out and the palace staff (all absolutely lovely by the way and obviously happy to be working there) were ushering us out of the building closing doors behind us. So we whizzed through the Victorian wing vowing to come back soon so I only managed to snap a couple of pics of the The Great Exhibition Hall before exiting through the gift shop.
In the gardens outside I was a bit upset by the message being sent out by the topiary.
How jolly rude!

The Worshipful Company of Skinners – a tour of the livery hall

Another London Historians gathering.
It was sold as a tour but about half of it was spent sitting on chairs in the main hall listening to what can only be termed a lecture, most of which I could have found out on their website. This hall was fasciniating with its sloping floor (historic subsidence) but I was disappointed that there wasn't much time for snooping about and seeing the rest of the rooms in detail. Shame.
Here are some pics

A walk along Kings Road (part 3) – A convoluted statue and Wright's Dairy

This continues on from here

Has anyone ever really taken a good look at that bizarre bit of street sculpture outside French Connection on the corner of Markham Square in Kings Road? I looked for an info plaque when I was there but couldn't find anything. 

This is what I see: A woman sitting back on one foot with one knee raised, with some kind of fish-shaped thing on her lap and a strange inverted L-shaped instrument over her right shoulder. Hmmm... let's think... is she playing a cello or some kind of musical instrument? 

I am stumped.  

I tried for 40 minutes to find some information about it, searching online using words such as sculpture, street art, public, French Connection, Kings Road, bronze, woman, kneeling, Markham Square, etc., and I have come up with nothing. If I knew the artist it might help. Other people are also intrigued.
UPDATE: I asked for ideas and thanks to some feedback in the comments section below I now know it to be 'Bronze man and Eagle' by Richard Bently Claughton, commissioned by Barclays Bank and unveiled in April 1966.

Diagonally opposite is the old Wright's Dairy building with its magnificent terracotta cow's head on the angled third floor corner. Archive pics* show that the Wrights were "cow keepers and dairy farmers" and "Acknowledged to be the Finest Dairy in the District". Nothing like a bit of self promo eh; they may well have been the only dairy in the area!

Old Church Street, Google Streetview, 20th July 2015.
Note also the painted tiles with rural depictions

But I think these pics show their extensive premises further west, in what is now Old Church Street where a subsequent owner used to keep 50 cows. The same cow's head can be seen on the front of the building (see pic right) and there is another one on the front of another building that faces the end of the alley where the red car is parked.
So, back to the building at the Sloane Street end of Kings Road shown in the pics above... having just spent the a further fruitless 25 minutes on this second research mission, I am again stumped. Without access to archive business listings for the street, and/or until someone tells me otherwise, I am going to make an educated guess and say that it was a shop selling the milk and dairy products that were produced at Wright's farm a mile way to the west in [Old] Church Street.
What do you think?
All feedback welcome.

*Credt archive pics: Exciting Postcards 

The Artizans monograms of 431–487 Harrow Road

I am often bemused and confused as to why the owners of shops within a once beautiful terrace have felt the need to paint their half of the dividing columns. After all the shops would all look more distinct if the dividers were the same thus creating a frame. It just beggars belief why some beautiful patterned and glazed tiles or moulded stonework has been covered over – why can't they just leave them as is?!!!
A couple of months ago I was on one of Jen's walking tours and as we passed a long terrace in Harrow Road I noticed that most of the dividers had been painted through the middle of the initials of a company who either originally built it or traded from within.

It's either AL&CD Company Limited or A&LCD. Note the use of LIM where we now use LTD.

On the northern end of the terrace and in a couple of places high up along the front of the terrace a wonderful monogram using the same letters can be seen.

However I cannot identify the L within these entwined letters. So perhaps it's just "A&CD Co Lim"? In which case what's the significance of the L in the rectangles – a strange ampersandy thing I have never seen before perchance?
As regards researching who this company was I have tried a bit of google-woogle and come up with nothing except a South African Kitchenware company (AL&CD) who don't seem to have ever been in London.
Can anyone help?

Update
Aha!... it's not a C; it's G – turns out it's the Artizans, Labourers & General Dwellings company (interesting that artizans is US spelling but labourers is not)
See the comments for some info/links from Martin

The Royal Menagerie animals at The Tower of London

Did you know they used to keep animals at The Tower of London?
As you queue to pay at the kiosks you will notice animal stickers on the glass.
Then as you go toward the entrance gate there are three lions made from chicken wire by Kendra Haste. There are more or her animals inside, all cleverly located.

Over the centuries, lions, an elephant, a polar bear and apes have been kept at the zoo.
An exhibition about the animals at the Royal Menagerie includes an image of Pompey the lion who looks like a pussy cat, and a clay pipe-smoking Dog-Faced Baboon.

More animals... On the lower floor of the White Tower there is a room containing cannons. In there I spotted a few crazy lions.  

Inside the White Tower at The Tower of London

Ooh I love it inside the White Tower with all the gleaming armour.
The workmanship and detailing on this protective bodywear is exquisite.
But it's not just the metalwork that's interesting... next time you are there be sure to take time to look at the wooden horses that for over a century have been used to display the armour – each carved wooden animal is totally unique with its own personality and reminiscent of Victorian merry-go-rounds.

(note Treasures From the Thames)

There are carved wooden faces of some of the monarchs:

Henry V11, Janes I and William (the bastard) Conqueror.
Elizabeth I can be found on the floor below in a different cabinet.

If armour and armoury is your thing, then a fantastic display can also be found at The Wallace Collection (admission free)

Friern Manor Limited, Dairy Farm Buildings, Crouch Hill

This wonderfully decorated group of buildings in Stroud Green was once one of Friern Manor's farms and dates from approx 1890 (the date in the pic above refers to the company, not the building).
A cobbled courtyard at the rear was accessed through a large gate in Hanley Road. The corner of the building once housed an ornate shop where farm produce and bread was sold. Traces of the old shop fittings can be seen inside today. A faded sign adverting Hovis can still be seen.
The seven large sgraffito panels are so unusual as there are not many other examples of this illustrative technique in London. The YMCA in in Carter Lane is the only other one that springs to mind.

'Country Delivery', 'Old Style Delivery' and, what used to read 'Present Day Deliverer' until someone amended it

Some close ups of the illustrations

In the 1990s the whole complex was cleverly converted into a pub and restaurant with the courtyard being covered over and turned into the main bar area and the smaller rooms and outbuildings becoming rooms for drinking or dining.

Don't forget that the clocks go back tonight

An extra hour!!!
Use it wisely.

Here are some London clocks. How many do you recognise?

The Amazing World of M. C. Escher at Dulwich Picture Gallery

Most of us had an Escher on our wall when we were in our teens. But we moved on to what we thought were better things.
But now is the time to revisit the work of this mostly underrated yet hugely accomplished 20th Century artist at this exhibition which shows his work in chronological order.
Known for his tessellated animals and birds and impossible buildings, Escher was also mischievous, as can be seen by the clever tricks and meanings in almost every work.
Runs until 17th January.

It's not all black and white... there are colour pieces too!

The drawings for the long piece are even more fascinating than the finished item

Seeing Escher's hexagons in perspective reminded me of a piece I struggled with when doing A-Level art. The title we were given to work with was "The Terrace" and I had an idea for a sunbathing scene with bathers on Giants Causeway-esque rocks. Try as I might I couldn't get the formula/geometry exactly right. Had I studied Escher back then it might have helped.
Bottom right shows a preliminary sketch of the final painting.  

Bloomsbury Festival, 22–25 October 2015

A creative explosion of performance, arts, music and heritage events held in the streets, parks, museums, galleries, laboratories and public and private buildings of one of London’s most vibrant cultural quarters. 
Read all about it here.
On Friday 23 October, Store Street will be taken over by artists and pyrotechnic gurus pa-BOOM for a spectacular launch evening*. I notice that the image on the page that talks about this particular event looks to be by the same artists who filled the garden in front of Tate Modern as part of the Thames Festival back 2009 (when it used to be good):

Pics: Jane Amelia Parker 2009

*It seems odd to me that the launch evening is happening on what appears top be the second day, but what do I know...?!  

Accentuate the positive – three more nice things along the No.19 bus route

Big and beautiful x3:

 Clocked at Highbury

 Inspired in Upper Street

 Feeling perky in Shaftesbury Avenue

Three nice things – a series by Jane's London