LONDON OPEN HOUSE

Last year we focused on the Whitehall area: this year we decided to try the City.

And like other people on your right were intrigued by...what?








No, no not this ...they where as sober as we were.


Nor were we phased by this aggressive looking bloke. It was the view from the 11th floor of the

















Lloyds building.


We didn't go up these stairs to get there but some poor s*ds have to.















In fact Magog - the aggressive one - was at the Guildhall which is the local council's (i.e. the Corporation of London) HQ and where in the past luminaries such as Archbishop Cranmer and Lady Jane Grey were sentenced to death. It is now also used for dinners with royalty etc which are a big part of City activity. It also has an art gallery, the ruins of London's small Roman amphitheatre and this lovely set of stained glass windows. Some of the eclectic group of characters depicted still live in history (Chaucer, Milton, Guttenberg, Dick Whittingdon etc) and several others ...don't.


We skipped the very long queue for the Bank of England and ended up at the Vintners Livery Company. Lovely building, friendly and informed people on hand to chat to, and an insight in to a little known area of ancient privilege. They have responsibility for swan upping (marking of young swans) on the Thames through Royal Charter, which was granted them by Charles I. This was a reward for them supporting him financially when he was skint and fighting Cromwell and for feeding his troops on the swans they looked after on the Thames. Bet you did not know that.

Oh to be a Sculptor

(Click on image for a bigger version; click again to return)
We took in a dispaly of 66 sculptures at RHS Wisley last week that were being exhibited by a Society of professional sculptors. They were made from bronze, ceramics,wood, wires, etc and followed a limited number of themes viz. nude women, a few clothed blokes, animals/insects and abstracts. All one had common theme - they were very highly priced.

I thought that quite a few would not fair well from the weather because of dust, frost, leaves etc causing them to crack, rust, look scruffy etc.


One or two were unrepeatable because of the materials used but many came in a set of 50 or so, and some were the 3rd or whatever set of 25/50/ etc. When they are priced at over £1k each you might think that succesful sculptors drive round in Rolls Royces. Mind you I do not know what the cost of the materials is and transporting a large bronze must be a challenge.


So climb aboard and enjoy like this chap and see some of the better ones.































This one below was our joint favourite.

WIRED WEYBRIDGE

These are about nine of the eighteen masts visible from the spot where this pictures was taken from.

MOODY WATERS

Walking along the canal at Send recently on a sunny weekend we happened on this colourful barge. You know the sort of thing , barges owned by grey beards with a liking for thick grey jerseys, and the 'Missus' covering her boredom in the kitchen - er, the galley - by serving up a constant supply of tea and nibbles.

It was part of a Rally, which is an event where the grey beards have a jolly good time meeting to discuss lock gates, mooring rights, boats they have owned etc. and other riveting subjects.


A weekend or so later the weather's mood darkened when we walked down the Thames Path at Walton. This brooding sky turned out to be an empty threat and a greater risk was of being bowled over by an agressive cyclist. These are the ones with a compulsory helmet who ride cross country bikes with no mudguards. They also have no idea that walkers cannot hear them approaching from behind and never think to say "excuse me" as they hurtle past.

One of these chaps squeezed silently past me on river side at about 20 mph and narrowly missed me. Had he been an inch closer he would have ended up in the river and I probably would have been testing the less used part of my vocabulary. On he sped without a sign that he had a near miss. If only ....