From Birmingham to Margate to Dorothy L. Sayers

It feels like awhile since I have posted and it’s been a busy time.  I’m feeling the trip winding down on some level since I have only 2 weekends left (!) before my flight home on October 2.  We have lots planned this month – plays and performances,  galleries and social time.  Always an embarrassment of riches, this town.  I’ve gone to a book arts fair at Whitechapel Gallery; a performance of the Restoration comedy, Beaux Stratagem, at the National Theatre; a spa night at the Porchester Baths; a visit to the National Portrait Gallery (a few pics below); lots of swims at the London Fields Lido; and the usual research days at various cafes and libraries around town.  I’ve been slowing down on the photo taking since the ipad, as noted, is a little inconvenient to lug around.  Hence, perhaps, more text …

A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip to Birmingham to see the Love is Enough exhibit at the Birmingham Museum and Gallery.  The exhibit, curated by noted artist Jeremy Deller, drew connections (sometimes successful, sometimes a little less so) between Andy Warhol and William Morris.  The strongest connections, to my mind, were the similarities to Warhol’s Factory framework and the William Morris company.  I loved seeing some of Warhol’s paintings again – especially the series of Chairman Mao, for some reason, they really struck me as brilliant!  And the large scale tapestries of the King Arthur story by William Morris & Co, part of the core collection of the Birmingham Gallery and unique to this showing of the touring exhibit – incredible art AND craft!

The two hour journey to Birmingham started at the Marylebone train station, several blocks west of Kings Cross/St Pancras (the other BIG stations)

Birmingham – central cathedral and central owl

Town square

Since the exhibit did not allow any photos, the rest of my Birmingham pics are mostly of the The Library of Birmingham, a new public library building that opened to much fanfare and some controversy 2 years ago.  I liked it.  Having gone through the process of a new library building at Ryerson the past several years, I have some sympathy for how difficult it is to get these things right.  Public libraries are fascinating places in transition – part cultural site, part community hang-out, part research and study facility, lots of children’s programming, and part collection, straddling the world of print and digital.  I was surprised at how much space they devoted to reference book stacks: I would have put them in storage! The way these inner circular stacks were designed was a nod to the early 20th century (and before) and were very incongruous to the otherwise postmodern building.

The Birmingham Library, on the left.  I meant to do a little more in terms of galleries in Birmingham, but as you can see from the sky, the weather deterred my plans.

A view from the 4th floor library balcony.

Another recent outing was a trip to Margate  – about a 90 minute train ride from London – with Frank, Ruth and Steven and their daughter and her boyfriend, Gabrielle and David.  The seaside town boasts past residents the likes of T.S. Eliot and J.M.W. Turner.  A new gallery, The Turner Contemporary, was our main destination as it was holding an exhibition of the audacious cultural commentator and contemporary British artist, Grayson Perry

T.S. Eliot came to Margate to convalesce following a breakdown and part of The Wasteland was written during this time. Apparently this is a spot where he would come and sit – I was hoping for some poetic inspiration!

 

We happened upon a man standing in the sun on his front steps (son behind him) holding his pet albino boa constrictor. We had a long chat and now I know more than I want to know about these strange creatures (the pet owner included). He has about 12 others inside the house, though this is the only albino!

This is a fairly common facade on some of the houses in town – a hammered slate. Quite lovely to see.

Cathy and Steven with the Turner Contemporary far away – the modern building on the right.

 

Ruth and Cathy playing with chalk by the white sea cliffs.

Also in Margate is the Shell Grotto, a strange underground cavern filled with shell art. Its origins are somewhat mysterious but is thought to have been constructed in the Victorian era. The imagery can be interpreted in either a pagan/secular way or Christian. 

Finally, a few pictures I admired from the National Portrait Gallery, near Trafalgar Square.

Brian Eno by Tom Phillips (1984-5)

A.S. Byatt by Patrick Heron (1997)

Vanessa Bell by Duncan Grant (1918)

Beatrix Potter by Delmar Banner (1938)

Humphrey Spender by John Banting (1934)

Dorothy L. Sayers by Sir William Hutchison (1949-50)

 

 

 

Wilton’s Music Hall and a bit of Whitechapel

Last week I attended an evening tour of Wilton’s Music Hall – a fascinating glimpse not only into the growing music hall culture in London but of 18th and 19th century Whitechapel in what was a gritty part of the East End.  I was so smitten that I booked a ticket to see a showing of Hamlet last Thursday night.  This Hamlet was billed as “like no other” – it was a German/Danish silent film made in 1921 and Hamlet was played by a woman. Asta Nielson, a Danish silent film star who played Hamlet, felt so strongly about playing the role, she created a production company to make it happen.  Basically, Hamlet was in drag for the entire production – her true self revealed only in death in the final scene. Awesome!  What made the evening particularly wonderful was the live music played to accompany the film.

On the way to Wilton’s Music Hall I discovered St. George’s Garden. In 1936 it was the site of a massive demonstration – as many as 200,00 people – against British fascists. The mural was completed in 1983, fittingly, after much struggle – funding, vandalism, and changing artists.

The garden is also home to St. George’s in the East Parish Church. It was completed in 1729 and designed by architect Nicholas Hawkesmoor. I took refuge in the rain in the church courtyard on my way to Thursday’s performance and a woman waiting for her church meeting to start offered to give me a ride.  A welcome act of kindness!  She also gave me a bit of background to the challenges they are facing with a dwindling congregation – due to the fact that mainly Punjabi residents live in the area.  They are currently developing plans to re-invent their role in the neighborhood.

Wilton’s Music Hall was once four houses built separately in the 1690s. Wilton built a music hall out of these properties in 1858-9. Previously there was a small concert hall built behind the bar – or ale house – also known as the Mahogany bar (um, because it was built out of mahogany).

Music hall culture, as I was told on the tour, grew out of kind of singing clubs that met in the back-rooms of ale houses. Slowly they became more structured and formal with professional singers and other variety acts developing. They became so popular that the theatres of London managed to get a law (?) passed which forbade them to put on plays.

Toward the end of the 19th century the East End became synonymous with poverty and squalid living conditions. The music hall was bought by a Methodist church in 1888 and until 1956 was a progressive and helpful force as they “campaigned against social abuses, welcomed people of all creeds and ethnicity, and gave invaluable support to the local community.”

After the Methodists left, Wilton’s Music Hall was vulnerable to the developers axe – but luckily by the early 1960s a citizens’ group saved it and precariously and diligently worked over many years to create the vibrant music hall it is today. The first performer in the newly refurbished hall was Fiona Hall reciting T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, I think in the mid-1990s. Today it is open for weddings, film sets (Sherlock 2, The Selfridges and the latest Muppets movie, to name a few), films, music concerts and plays. The Mahogany Bar is still a central fixture.  We have bought tickets to see The Sting later this month.

All in all Wilton’s Music Hall was a catalyst for some great London serendipity. As a parting shot, here is a view of the Cycling Super Highway on Cable Street taken on my way home to catch the overground.

Delightful Dublin

We got back last night from a long weekend in Dublin.  The potential for long weekends anywhere in Europe is wonderfully strange from my Canadian viewpoint.  We stayed with Cathy’s friend Foxy and her daughter Jess.  They were big-hearted hosts and their large funky 19th century home was a pleasure to live in for four adventurous nights.  Foxy’s home was within walking distance of most the city’s sites and a few minutes away from the Grand Canal one of four bodies of water – the most prominent being the River Liffey –  that traverse the city.  (I’ve decided to post on my laptop because the ipad is finicky – meaning you’ll have to click on images to get a better view.)

Our early morning flight was an experiment (mainly for Cathy) of flying from the London City Airport. Like the Island Airport in Toronto it provides a huge advantage in location – we took an overground train and got there in 45 minutes. What a refreshing change from Heathrow!  We had a window seat which Cathy generously gave over to me anticipating spectacular views of both London and Dublin. We sat down excitedly to begin our journey and took in the hilarity of “the best laid plans” moment.

Jess and Rosie – a Glen of Imaal Terrier – an Irish breed, of course. In their backyard.

After arriving about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday we were provided a lovely cup of tea at Foxy and Jess’s. To make the best of the sunny day, we drove to Glendalough, a glacial valley in County Wicklow about 40 minutes outside the city. It is known for the early Medieval monastic settlement, founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century.

A view of the tower, whose tolling bell was a signal to the monks that it was time for prayer.

Rosie, Jess and Foxy

Wind and clover

Making a wish and hugging this cross is highly recommended.

The next day Cathy and I walked the city. The Irish – as I would – take much pride in their writing/writer heritage. James Joyce, Samuel Becket and Oscar Wilde, to name a few of the superstars. Here is George Bernard Shaw’s house, a five minute walk from Foxy’s.

Georgian architecture is the most salient feature of much of old Dublin – this is a shot of a back-view, a rounded wall that I hadn’t quite seen the likes of before. I wonder what the rooms are like?

One of many Georgian era doors spotted throughout our walk.

We were lucky to stumble upon the National Gallery and view a special exhibit of contemporary Irish painter Sean Scully – marking his 70th birthday. We had a hearty bowl of lentil soup in the Gallery’s cafe – an interesting light fixture amid a gorgeous setting.

Sean Scully painting

A relatively recent memorial of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square – the locals have nicknamed this sculpture “the fag on the crag”. We went to a fabulous production of The Importance of Being Earnest on Saturday night at the Smock Alley Theatre.

A view down Aungier Street on our way toward River Liffey.

Abandoned railroad station and some back street views. There was much talk of the fall of the “Celtic Tiger”. The global financial crisis of 2008 has hit Ireland particularly hard. The good news is a sense of optimism the past year or so – employment rates are on the up-swing and we saw evidence of new building projects.

We took a long walk along the moody sea shore at sunset on Friday – a close drive from the house.

A view of the Port of Dublin – Cathy and I on tip-toes vying for who is taller.

Saturday morning I took my librarian pilgrimage to the Trinity College Library and a viewing of the Book of Kells. Unlike the Wren Library (Cambridge), that is still a functioning research space, Trinity Library’s Long Room is mainly a storage for rare and old books (200,000) and a hall that has given way for tourists. Still a beautiful sight to behold. It was completed in the 1730s; the roof was raised (the beautiful curved ceiling)  to accommodate more books in the 1850s. The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript, was published in AD800 and contains the four gospels of the New Testament. They have a rotating two pages displayed for the public at any one time. (I suppose you could say I saw the Page of Kells)

There were a number of books and artifacts on display under glass and some of them relating to Samuel Beckett on the day I was there. Becket was a Trinity College alumnus, as was Oscar Wilde.  This photo and caption reminded me of the monastic tradition that was in evidence at Glendalough – though Beckett’s asceticism was more for art than the godly pursuits of the monks. Arguably art is a godly pursuit too.

Saturday we went to the Irish Museum of Modern Art and used the opportunity to further explore the city on foot. We were happy to see an exhibit of Canadian photographer Stan Douglas. This is a shot from the window of one of the gallery spaces showing the massive courtyard. The IMMA is housed in the Royal Hospital of Kilmainham, built in the 1680s and left to languish by the 1930s. It was saved in the 1980s when IMMA took possession after an extensive renovation. It also provided a lovely setting of gardens and views of the city.

A Stan Douglas photo – a reconstruction of a scene from the late 1940s.

A final couple of shots of Georgian Dublin.  Amen!

London Collage

Having just gone, for the second time, to the Joseph Cornell exhibit at the Royal Academy of the Arts on Friday night, I’m thinking about collage. Although Cornell was perhaps best known for his ‘shadow boxes’ (otherwise known as assemblage), more than even collage, I was also pleasantly surprised to see several of his films – his passion for collecting extended to film clips as artifacts.  Cool!   Anyway, this post is inspired by Cornell, or perhaps more likely: it gives me permission to assemble a series of seemingly unrelated images over the past week or so.

Ann Frank at the British Library (BL)

Fountain at the BL

Newton in the BL piazza by Eduardo Paolozzi (1995)

A fragment of Antony Gormely’s Planets (2002) , BL piazza

Reading with a ball and chain , BL lobby. Some days are like that.

Page 1, Penelope by artist Joe Tilson (1969), lobby of the BL . Some days are like that: yes!

Shakespeare, of course. Looking over the proceedings at the BL 500 years on …

Side street off Broadway Market, early Saturday evening

Broadway Market

Broadway Market, organic vegetables

Broadway Market

Window display, Broadway Market

Broadway Market meets London Fields. This week’s billboard and … invitation?

BBQ and beer in London Fields, early Saturday evening

Window display on Shaftesbury Ave, walking to the Royal Academy from the BL on Friday night.

Inside a gaming and comic book store on Shaftesbury Ave.

Tavistock Square, on my way to the Royal Academy – a wonderful discovery.

  

Another woman honored in Tavistock Square – a pioneering woman in medicine in the late 19th century/early 20th: Louisa Brandreth Aldrich-Blake

And Mahatma Gandhi too.

Peace and love to all!

Blue Moon Over Portugal Part II

A couple of group shot photos were taken by Joao at the seafood restaurant in Sines.  When I receive the photo, I will post.  Otherwise, I never seemed to have my giant camera with me at the right times.

 

We were able to get into the Jeronimos Monastery just before closing and were permitted to view the main chapel. This monastery took 100 years to complete and was opened in 1601. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is the most prominent example of the Portuguese Late Gothic style.

 

A view of the ribbed vault ceiling and thinking of the contrast between this and the fan vault ceiling in Kings College Chapel at Cambridge (see July 24 post) . The latter was completed about 70 years earlier. Either way: Majestic! And the scale makes one feel very humble indeed.

  

Again, we got a little late to this museum but I just love the design and the blue blue Lisboa sky. This modern and contemporary art museum is in Belem, a district of Lisbon near the waterfront. The architects are Vittorio Gregotti (Italy) and Manuel Salgado (Portugal)

  

This was the must see photography exhibit . Sabastiao Salgado is Brazillian and his work is vast in subject matter (the Rwandan genocide to Ansel Adams-like landscapes). We spent a dinner discussing the curation, the nature of his practice and the strange coolness of his gaze. This is a photo of the Rockies – I had to get some Canadian content in! I saw the documentary, The Salt of the Earth , focusing on his life work in Toronto a couple of months ago.

 

On our way to Sines (Seen-ish) on the car ferry. Cathy and Joao.

 

Friends on the ferry.

 

We made a stop on our way to Sines to Nuno (Joao’s brother) and Teresa’s cottage in Santo Andre. This shot is a photo still life in their kitchen.

 

Nuno, Cathy and Joao in front of the cottage.

 

This is a castle in the centre of Sines, built in the 14th century as protection from pirates. It is now an elegant public space and even had a jazz festival here the week before we came.

 

The beach! Everyone get to the beach! The sand, sun and sea are THE imperative. Well, that and the seafood. We spent many hours both days at two different beaches. I didn’t take my camera on the first day and it was quite a different landscape: towering jagged rocks and crashing waves.

 

Bathing beauties! With Ana, an old family friend, who’s husband Miguel was also with us, and Guida, sister of Joao (whose house in Sines we all stayed and whose apartment in Lisbon was our accommodation)

 

Beach as the day was coming to an end. The big tankers (see far left) were a constant presence in the distant sea. Sines is the largest port in Portugal – replacing a major fishing industry many years ago.

Our last day in Lisbon was leisurely and we were further guided by Ana through the area of the city where the Cabral’s grew up and the stylish apartment she currently lives in -where we had lunch.  We ended the day for dinner at Luis (another Cabral brother) and Mizinia’s.  Joao drove us to the airport at 6 a.m. on Tueday.  Ciao! Wow!

 

Wall in the Ritz – a beautiful (on the inside) hotel built in the late 1950s and it possesses one of the best private art collections in the country.

 

  

Tapestries by Almada Negreiros

 

There were a number of paintings by Portuguese artist, Carlos Botelho

 
    

a street scape with the Ritz in the convex mirror

 

The street where the Cabrals grew up and the large apartment was recently sold with the death of their mother 5 years ago

 

Ana’s apartment for lunch

 

a print of a photograph that has the text – do not write on the wall

 

A fine print in her home – I cannot make out the artist in my notes

 

heading to the last supper in an older part of town near the parliament buildings

 

Mizinia cooking up a storm – curried octopus

 

Mizinia is a collector – here is a wall of salt and pepper shakers. Cathy G would appreciate!

 

A blue house to end our once in a blue moon holiday!

 

Blue Moon over Portugal, Part I

A full moon is particularly special when it is a blue moon and that is exactly what we got during our stay in Portugal.  (The next time there will be a second full moon in a month will not be until January 31, 2018.) Over the course of 6 nights we were generously hosted by the Cabral family – Cathy’s ex and good friend, Joao, has 6 siblings and I met them all!  We stayed in Guida (Joao’s sister) and Luis’s apartment in Lisbon while they were away in Sines – where we would meet them for the weekend.  Ana, another of Joao’s sisters, spent our first day with us guiding us through parks, churches, neighborhoods, landmarks and shopping (of course).  And Joao!  He was incredibly helpful and great company throughout our stay.  We had great meals, often with a large group of people, in restaurants and homes, usually with seafood (calamari was quite popular) and the best Portuguese wine I’ve ever had.  I will be crestfallen to return to the tiny selection in the LCBO.  

I’ve decided to split the Portugal shots in two posts so that it doesn’t take too long to load.  I’m also inclined to call it a day – it’s late!   I’ll post Part II in the next day or so.  xoxo 

 

Blue Moon Rising

 
 

Cathy and Ana in Jardim da Estrela

  

Typical sidewalk stone

  

One of many lovely doors encountered in the city

  

Art deco details were seen throughout central LIsbon

    

Resevoir beneath the park Principe Real

 

The next three pictures are from a lovely church we visited with Ana.  I’ll confirm the name (neither Cathy nor I could remember the details) and make further edits to the blog after I speak with Ana.    
  

 

Designed by Cassiano Branco, the theatre opened in 1937. It is now a hotel; and where the giant movie posters once graced the front, in their place a courtyard and garden.

  

Restauradores Square

  

Mid-“cheese” on the gorgeous Avenida da Liberdade

  

Also on the Avenida da Liberdade another deco marvel by the architect, Cassiano Branco – the headquarters for the Communist Party

  

A beautiful mosaic mural right up the street from our apartment. Tiles and mosaics adorn many of the streets.

  

More of the same series

  

Lisbon!

  

Lunch looking over the port

  

“You must see the Bosch!” The Triptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony is one of the coveted art works at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. Dating from 1501, it shows extreme torment in almost surrealist imagery.

  

The highlight of our visit to the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga was a special exhibit of the work of Josefa de Obidos – one of the few female European painters known to have been active in the Baroque era and a Portuguese national. The exhibit was fascinating as well as inspiring as it was basically a reclamation project highlighting the work of a woman artist, many of whom are lost to history.

  

The museum had a lush garden overlooking the city. We had a nice cold glass of beer and rested our tired feet.

  

Another view of the garden

  

Salcombe redux

To quote a meme that originated with the Scottish musician and writer Momus: “On the Web everyone will be famous to 15 people.”  I think this relates to my blog!

I received some pictures from Maura, a Salcombe companion, of our trip – in lieu of my lost iPhone shots, here are some pics of a day of hiking.  

   
    
    
   

Bits and Bobs and a trip to Cambridge

It’s been a full week.  Hanging out at the British Library; a film night  at the BFI – where I spent some hours working in the BFI Library before seeing Orson Welles’s Touch of Evil;  a panel discussion at the BL; a couple of swims at the Lido;  and a day trip to Cambridge with a visiting Toronto friend.

Panel discussion at the British Library: A Magna Carta for Women?

This was a sold out event at the British Library on Monday night that used Magna Carta as a jumping off point to discuss various issues regarding human rights and women.  The woman in pink is coordinating a BL initiative documenting oral histories of the feminist movement in Britian in the 70s and 80s.  Check it out here: Sisterhood and After

Below are a few images from a walk which started at the Royal Academy of Arts with the destination being the British Film Insitute: St. James Square, Trafalgar Square and then traversed the Thames on a pedestrian bridge south of Waterloo Bridge.

Intallation of iron clouds in the RA square

 

Some colourful images from the Fortnam and Mason store on Picadilly.   
    

Canada House , Trafalgar Square

The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square

 

Cathy and Frank at Ev, a Turkish Restaurant near Lambeth after seeing Touch of Evil

More from Ev

The trip to Cambridge … just 45 minutes from Kings Cross Station!  A highlight was seeing the Wren Library, a beautiful building with lovely reading spaces and book stacks. We tourists could walk the large hall and view a number of books and artifacts held there, under glass, including a notebook of Sir Isaac Newton’s and the first edition of his Principia Mathematica.  I was also impressed by the University Library of Cambridge – a 1930s construction that looks a lot like the power station that became the Tate Modern.  The UL has a great wooded reading room, beautiful deco flourishes and coveted hidden desks in creaky old stack spaces.  I was not able to take photos inside the libraries, though I snuck a couple in at the UL –  it is hard to be discrete with my ipad mini.

The Round Church , built 1190.

A view inside the Round Church. It is one of 4 Medieval churches still in use in Great Britain. It has a long and occasionally threatened history. “Idolatrous” images were destroyed in the 17th century. Gothic windows were added in the 16th century. By the 19th century it was rescued from disrepair and today has an active Anglican congregation.

 

A typical back street in Cambridge

St. John’s College Chapel

 

The Wren Library

 

First view of Kings College

Kings College Chapel, built over 100 years (1446-1531).

 

Kings College Chapel has the word’s largest fan vault ceiling.

University Library

Old Catalogue room

 

UL courtyard

At the British LIbrary on Thursday I took a good look at Cornelia Parker’s Magna Carta exhibit and I was quite inspired by the whole idea – that she had 200 individuals from magistrates to men in prison sew and embroider the entire Wikipedia entry for Magna Carta, on the date of its 800th anniversary.  I think it speaks to the collaborative spirit behind such 21st century constructions as Wikipedia, an unstable location for encyclopedic knowledge.  Magna Carta being an important piece of civic rights that was written down, so that it could not be denied, is a fragile and shifting document that as one of the feminist speakers on Monday night called an “aspirational document”.   Wikipedia as the poster child for Web 2.0 – for the people by the people- that at its best (perhaps) is a fitting reminder of this fragility that Parker might have been trying to convey.

 
  

More rambling

For those of you on a desktop or laptop, if you haven’t figured it out yet, click on the images for a better view.

A view from my desk at the BL

The light shines through!

Exploring bits of Chelsea. This is St. Luke’s Church – Dickens was married here.

Wondering about the Virginia Creeper around my house! This flower filled vine would be a nice alternative.

Stumbled upon Turner’s studio on a quiet residential street. Now a series of expensive flats.

This is Cheyne Walk – still in Chelsea – and serendipitously, Turner died in a house on this street. Must be a sign: I’ve got to get to the Tate Britain and see some Turner paintings soon. The street has had many notable tenants: Jagger, Olivier, George Eliot, and many more.

The Royal Hospital – designed by Christopher Wren for Charles II in the 17th century – intended for veterans and to this day it still is a residence for veteran pensioners.

Royal Hospital garden view – it is not a “hospital” but a “hospitable” place for the pensioners.

The pensioners mascot dressed in the their uniform.

Walking through St. Pancras train station on my way to dinner in Islington. I’m sure getting to know Islington!

Soulful shoes on an escalator in St. Pancras

What more can I say?

We don’t talk it, we take it.

Another Agnes Martin inspiration – wall grate.

Settling in and a cloudy day in London

Since returning from Salcombe I’ve been settling into a routine of “working”at home, cafe’s, and the British Library, as well as (or in the midst of) great walks, exploring and good social time.  I say “working” because everything in this context is so darn enjoyable.  The loss of my iphone has meant, at least for now, taking fewer pictures – my ipad mini, while mini, does not fit into my backpocket as well – I’m just getting used to the format and the process of using it.  This post is a selection of one day’s pictures, mainly from a westerly walk on the Regent’s Canal toward Islington.  The pics are mixed up a bit and I’ll make sure with my next post to edit on my laptop rather than my ipad mini.  More to come!

Students performing the “blackberry prayer” in a cafe along the canal.

  
    
  

The end of the path, for now. I’ve reached Islington.

Another shot of Cathy’s house and streetscape.

 
    
    
 
  On top of the bus on Wednesday night heading toward the British Film Institute to see some short films about London.  Below, Waterloo Bridge heading toward the southbank.  To the left is the National Theatre and to the right is the Hayward Gallery.