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Published: December 6th 2006
I've been sadly neglecting this blog for a while now: a combination of being extremely busy and having no internet signal at home. But never fret! This past week I suddenly picked up signal, and immediately set about uploading as many photographs as I could before it disappeared: this entry is the result of my industry.
The last few months have seen the British summer come and go, winter start and then kind of tail off (still waiting for that one to reverse itself) several birthday celebrations, me finding work, trips to the theatre and cinema, walks in the park, galleries, food, parties, free tickets, roommates, palaces and great times all woven into the tapestry of London experience - backed up by a tangle of digital photographs in sad need of setting in order and displaying to the world. Somewhere amongst this the impossible happened and I fell in love with London.
Really I think the best thing to do is just make you a list...
My Favourite things in London
Hyde Park Absolutely top of any of my lists: a vast green expanse in central London, Hyde Park became a royal park when it was gifted
The Prince Charles Cinema
A calming view: the lights are going down, the curtain is about to draw back... the magic begins!to Henry VIII, for use as a hunting park, by the monks of Westminster Abbey. No longer a country wilderness, but a cultivated park right in the centre of a huge city, there are still areas which I have not visited. Paths and trails criss-cross carefully designed areas containing places to sit, walk, or exercise no matter what kind of a mood you are in, or what sort of activity you want to pursue. There is always something going on, and people or wildlife watching are great ways to spend a lazy day.
The Prince Charles Cinema Squeezed in between the chain theatre palaces in Leicester Square is a real London gem.
The PCC plays movies which are no longer on release elsewhere, so it is that little bit (actually, a whole lot) cheaper, and it's hard to beat it for atmosphere - the red curtain rises for the ads and trailers, then lowers again briefly before the feature, while the lights dim and the audience hushes. The plush red seats have tall backs so you can loll confortably, and another uniqueness is the sloping floor - it is raked
up to the screen, so the people in the
row in front of you are actually higher, not lower! The view is still perfect owing to the high screen, and the whole place has a comfortable run-down grandeur about it.
Ben & Jerry's This is actually an American brand - when Jenny and I were driving through Vermont we came within an hour or so's drive of the factory. We tried it first in New York, and I for one am addicted. It is widely available throughout Britian, although it is a rather special price, meaning that it is for celebrations or pay days only. So far I have tried New York Super Fudge chunk, Half Baked, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Vanilla Toffe Crunch, Dublin Mudslide and Fossil Fuel. All of them are marvelous -
Ben & Jerry for president!
Events London is
always up to something. If you want to relax, you have to live with missing the thousands of events, gigs, exhibitions, plays, parties and shows on at any given moment. However, if you feel like doing something...
It is a vibrant city, both modern and old fashioned, and bustling with excitement, culture, and beauty.
Back in September I went with
Katy, Jenny, Tim and Lawrence to Goldenhorse, who played at a tiny bar in Camden. We had a great night, but were disappointed in the short set - London appears to have a licensing law which does not allow for music much past midnight, and after coming on a 11:15, that's when Goldenhorse stopped. But they were their usual selves, and being in a tiny place crammed with kiwis while of the other side of the world was a crazy experience.
For Jenny's Birthday in July we had a picnic. Unfortunately after days and days of baking hot sun, it rained on the designated day, so our picnic was held indoors. But all in attendance (half of our hostel as well as my friend Sam, his girlfriend and a kiwi mate) had a raucously good time.
Jenny and I wet to the Globe Theatre with two of our friends from the hostel. It was incredible to think we were seeing the play almost as the original audience must have seen it, and also stunning how alive a play becomes when you are seeing it in front of you, instead of poring over the lines on a printed page.
Photo within a photo
Katy and Jenny at Goldenhorse, displying a photo of their tent in Sweden The cast were rather wonderful, entering enthusiasticaly into the slapstick and broad humour which is so often ignored in Shakespeare.
We've also been to the
Blue Man Group and a small west end play - for free! Both of which were absolutely fantastic experiences.
History One moment you are walking along the street, the next you are looking up at a blue plaque, coming in sight of Nelson's Column or stumbling across some signposted ruins. In the middle of one of the great cities of the world. The museums and galleries are second to none, and most of them are
free! There are film locations everywhere you care to look. There is so much here that I feel the need to look something up or take another photo each time I step out the door. I'm in
London! The Palace of Westminster The Houses of Parliament, otherwise known as The Palace of Westminster, stands on the site of the original palace built by Edward the Confessor in the eleventh century. The royals moved out, but English Parliament stayed, and The Palace houses them to this day. Much of the building was rebuilt in the 1800s, after a
We are not amused
Jenny and Laurence at Barfly in Camden, psyching up for Goldenhorse. fire, resulting in the present gothic style exteriors. It is a stunning building, long and low, beautifully decoated, right net to the Thames and just across the road from Westminster Abbey. Oh, and it has a famous and much photographed clock tower.
The front top deck seat of a London Bus The way to travel! When I first arrived in London the buses seemed scarily random. Not knowing what your destination looks like means that first-time Londoners tend to rely on the Tube to get about - the maps are fixed and easily understandable. Soon enough though, you realise that it is an expensive and somewhat unreliable means to travel, and also start to realise that the underground map distorts distances and locations. Here's where the bus comes in: the front seat of the top deck is a wonderful window on London. As the bus careens through the narrow streets you get more of a sense of the way London works, and the people watching is fantastic! Bear in mind though, that busses are not a
fast way to travel.
Primrose Hill Something not widely known or realised by those who haven't lived here: central London
Jenny at Fruitstock
Watching the Breaks Co-op, yay kiwi! Fruitstock was a huge two day free music festival in Regents Park, thrown by Innocent Smoothies. (Another good thing about London... they are yummyyummyyummy.) is pretty much flat. Not flat as a pancake, there are natural inclines of course - but no hills to climb. There aren't that many tall buildings either. If you want a view of the city you have to climb something like a church tower, or one of the few blocks of flats or offices that are more than fice stories. This is where Primrose Hill comes in - a small grassy hill just behind Regents Park, affording panoramic views over London. Like all parks, this gets pretty full on a nice evening, and it was a great place to view fireworks popping up all over London on Bonfire night. (It's also featured at the start of the film
Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason - when Bridget is imagining herself as Maria in the
Sound of Music.)
Topshop Okay. I fell. I am smitten. All it took was an income, and I suddenly saw the point. Now I need to be restrained from going in there 'just to check.' I still maintain that the Oxford Street branch is best avoided on weekends though - it seems it is possible to fit more people in the store than
into Twickenham Stadium, and you can't move, let alone see the clothes.
Other things I love... oh, most things right now!
So. Winter fast approaches... I have bought my first ever grown up fitted winter coat (and don't I just feel smart!) I replaced the black shoes which walked me across America and all over London during summer with a pair that do not leak, and I have developed a scarf obsession. It got quite cold for a while, but right now it's actually quite pleasant weather - clear, crisp, and rather like Christchurch in autumn - albeit it is now dark at 4:30pm... strange but not yet scary.
I will try to get more news and photos up this week. In the meantime - huge hugs to everyone, especially those in the lands of summer x
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lcw
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Photographer of the Month!
What great photos!!!