London report - Last one - Sunday
The silliest question of today was from the barnman in the Wetherspoon-pub in Edgware Road when I ordered my Sunday lunch, a Sunday roast and a dessert. He asked if i wanted the main course and the dessert served at the same time.
Started the morning at Tate Britain, formerly known as Tate Gallery. But that was before they opened Tate Britain as well. Was pleasently surprised that they allow non-flash photography. Was dfisappointed by the fact that there are no guidebooks to cover the whole gallery, like the ones they have at the Wallace Collection I visited yesterday.
Saw the Millais-paintings I came for, and lots of Turner. They must have the biggest Turner-collection in the world. But I admit I like his earlier works the best.
Took a walk along the Thames up the Houses of Parliament. The monument to the citizens of Calais is still very poerful. But i did not remember there was a statue of Emelie Pankhurst there too, not the monument over the abolishment of slavery.
Short visit to Covent Garden to buy another dumpling (doll) for the wife.
Felt a sudden urge to visit the National Portrait Gallery. The top floor is like a lesson in British history. You get the portraits, but also long explanations of each ones place in history. The Tudor Gallery is superb.
Saw more portraits in a small gallery in Greek Street in Soho. It was photograph-like paintings of musicians. Felt very old. All of them were described as very famous and I had only heard the names of one or two.
Made a short visit to Notting Hill to search for a certain blue door. Have three different explanations:
1. There was never a blue door. It was faked for the film.
2. There was a blue door, but it has disappeared.
3. I am lousy at finding things like blue doors.
Ended the evening with a guided Old Chelsea Pub Guide. Interesting walk with much about the history of Chelsea (not the football team), but two of the three pubs we visited were more bars than pubs, and the last one did not even have any real ale.
But the guide taught us how to remember the fate of Henry VIII's six wives (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived) and what a Chelsea Tractor is. By the way, Chelsea FC play their home games in the London Borough of Fulham, while Fulham play in Hammersmith.
That is that. Tomorrow is just packing and flight home.
Bye-bye from London
Started the morning at Tate Britain, formerly known as Tate Gallery. But that was before they opened Tate Britain as well. Was pleasently surprised that they allow non-flash photography. Was dfisappointed by the fact that there are no guidebooks to cover the whole gallery, like the ones they have at the Wallace Collection I visited yesterday.
Saw the Millais-paintings I came for, and lots of Turner. They must have the biggest Turner-collection in the world. But I admit I like his earlier works the best.
Took a walk along the Thames up the Houses of Parliament. The monument to the citizens of Calais is still very poerful. But i did not remember there was a statue of Emelie Pankhurst there too, not the monument over the abolishment of slavery.
Short visit to Covent Garden to buy another dumpling (doll) for the wife.
Felt a sudden urge to visit the National Portrait Gallery. The top floor is like a lesson in British history. You get the portraits, but also long explanations of each ones place in history. The Tudor Gallery is superb.
Saw more portraits in a small gallery in Greek Street in Soho. It was photograph-like paintings of musicians. Felt very old. All of them were described as very famous and I had only heard the names of one or two.
Made a short visit to Notting Hill to search for a certain blue door. Have three different explanations:
1. There was never a blue door. It was faked for the film.
2. There was a blue door, but it has disappeared.
3. I am lousy at finding things like blue doors.
Ended the evening with a guided Old Chelsea Pub Guide. Interesting walk with much about the history of Chelsea (not the football team), but two of the three pubs we visited were more bars than pubs, and the last one did not even have any real ale.
But the guide taught us how to remember the fate of Henry VIII's six wives (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived) and what a Chelsea Tractor is. By the way, Chelsea FC play their home games in the London Borough of Fulham, while Fulham play in Hammersmith.
That is that. Tomorrow is just packing and flight home.
Bye-bye from London
London Report - Saturday folk music
Exmouth Arms in Starcross Street has four draught real ales. Not a spectacular amount, but four quality ones. The sport Spitfire from the Shepherds Neame-brewery and Fuller's London Pride, together with Adnams and Courage. More than you need really for a good pub night, and a perfect setting for a folk club. The barman by the way wore a new Spitfire T-shirt with the message "The Bottle of Britain". Funny.
The Cellar Upstairs Folk Club is held in a room above the pub, a room we once used to celebrate our son's 18th birthday. It was not a sell out yesterday, but there was a fair crowd, maybe around 40. And many floor singers, with most of us just getting to perform one song/tune each. And some of the floor singers were people who usually headline on their own, like Tom Paley and Ralph Jordan.
The beginning was something of a Swedish theme night. Ralph Jordan and his female friend, both with concertinas, did a tune by late Lars Holmer of Samla Mammas Manna, Tom did a polska called "Vi drack och dansa'" and I did an English version of Birger Sjöberg's "Den första gång jag såg dig".
Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham were the guests. Very English, very traditional, often a capella with Keith delivering the mledoy and Sylvia adding harmonies. Sometimes one of them played a concertina, and both halves ended with them inviting other musicians in the room tyo join them for instrumentals. It was the first time ever I have seen five concertinas together on a stage. Well, not really a stage, they have none att Cellar Upstairs. More one end of the room.
But why is the Victoria line always closed for engineering work on Saturdays? Usually it is the perfect way for travelling between Euston and Victoria.
The Cellar Upstairs Folk Club is held in a room above the pub, a room we once used to celebrate our son's 18th birthday. It was not a sell out yesterday, but there was a fair crowd, maybe around 40. And many floor singers, with most of us just getting to perform one song/tune each. And some of the floor singers were people who usually headline on their own, like Tom Paley and Ralph Jordan.
The beginning was something of a Swedish theme night. Ralph Jordan and his female friend, both with concertinas, did a tune by late Lars Holmer of Samla Mammas Manna, Tom did a polska called "Vi drack och dansa'" and I did an English version of Birger Sjöberg's "Den första gång jag såg dig".
Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham were the guests. Very English, very traditional, often a capella with Keith delivering the mledoy and Sylvia adding harmonies. Sometimes one of them played a concertina, and both halves ended with them inviting other musicians in the room tyo join them for instrumentals. It was the first time ever I have seen five concertinas together on a stage. Well, not really a stage, they have none att Cellar Upstairs. More one end of the room.
But why is the Victoria line always closed for engineering work on Saturdays? Usually it is the perfect way for travelling between Euston and Victoria.
London Report - Saturday 1
I have been here nearly 100 times and I wonder why I have never taken the time to visit the Wallace Coillection in Manchester Square. It is a fabulous collection. Armoury and weapons, fine china, superb furniture and of course art. Some lovely 18th century French art, and of course some Rubens and even some Rembrandt.
I walked around on my own for an hour and then joined a guided tour. The guide was a young man by the name of Guiseppe, but with a clear Scottish accent. Interesting combination to say the least. He seemed very into French kings named Louis. As expected he picked out some highlights and went into depth about them. But is he a pacifist? He did not even mention the weapons collections. Not that I missed it.
Peter of London Walks is one of the best guides I have heard. He guided the Mayfair tour two days ago and today he was there again, this time for a tour of old Marylebone. He has got a story about everything, and one of his favourite subjects seems to be Prince Regent (George IV), a man I am quite interested in myself, and has written a little about.
It came as no surprise when Peter today told us he came to London in 1974 to train as an actor. Nowadays he does 2-3 guided tours a day.
I know lasagne is not an English dish, but when you are eating in an English pub it is as safe to order as fish & chips. It is always good. I had one today, with a mixed salad instead of the garlic bread, and a pint of a lovely ale called Fiery Liz. Has never tasted it before but loved it.
By the way. There used to be four pubs in Victoria station, but only two are left. Both Mash Tun (a little hole in the wall on the ground floor) and the one in Victoria Place is gone. I do not miss them that much, since the two I frequent are still there. But it a distressing sign of the times when record shopas and pubs close.
The folk club night I am going to tonight will be in a report tomorrow morning.
I walked around on my own for an hour and then joined a guided tour. The guide was a young man by the name of Guiseppe, but with a clear Scottish accent. Interesting combination to say the least. He seemed very into French kings named Louis. As expected he picked out some highlights and went into depth about them. But is he a pacifist? He did not even mention the weapons collections. Not that I missed it.
Peter of London Walks is one of the best guides I have heard. He guided the Mayfair tour two days ago and today he was there again, this time for a tour of old Marylebone. He has got a story about everything, and one of his favourite subjects seems to be Prince Regent (George IV), a man I am quite interested in myself, and has written a little about.
It came as no surprise when Peter today told us he came to London in 1974 to train as an actor. Nowadays he does 2-3 guided tours a day.
I know lasagne is not an English dish, but when you are eating in an English pub it is as safe to order as fish & chips. It is always good. I had one today, with a mixed salad instead of the garlic bread, and a pint of a lovely ale called Fiery Liz. Has never tasted it before but loved it.
By the way. There used to be four pubs in Victoria station, but only two are left. Both Mash Tun (a little hole in the wall on the ground floor) and the one in Victoria Place is gone. I do not miss them that much, since the two I frequent are still there. But it a distressing sign of the times when record shopas and pubs close.
The folk club night I am going to tonight will be in a report tomorrow morning.
London report - Friday
So once again I am an international radio star. The concert I just attended was broadcasted live on BBC3, just as a concert I attended about two years ago. Once again millions of listeners got the chance to hear my enthusiastic applauding, this time from seat PP26. I am sure any commentator on the radio must have said something along the lines of "The gentleman sitting in seat PP26 seems especially taken by the music".
And what a lovely concert it was. A conductor who also played the harpsichord and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment in full flight. Three pieces by Haydn and two by his contemporaries. It was a stroke of genius to begin with one of Haydn's early symphonies, no 6, and ending with one of his later ones, no 93, the first of those written in London. His development was evident. No 6 was good, but no 93 was spectacular, and performed in a very powerful way. I sat spellbound for the whole time.
And they even did an encore. How often do you get an orchestra playing classical musik doing that?
The Victoria and Albert Museum is not big, it is enormous. Almost 15 kilometres of galleries and 2.5 million exhibits. I have popped in a couple of times, but never visited it properly. I mean, where do you start?
So I went on a guided tour with London Walks today. And our guide did the only sensible thing. She picked about half a dozen exhibits of various kinds and talked in depth about them. We saw an old English bishops robe, a Belgian tapestry, some snuff boxes that used to belong to a king of Preussia, a Japanese chest made for export and of course a series of magnificent painbtings by Rafael.
Next time in London I will probably spend a whole day in the V&A.
Sad news. The HMV record shop opposite Bond Street underground station is gone. I thought: It cannot be, it has always been there. Well, it has move across the street once, but ever since I first visited London in 42 years ago it has been one of the places you always visited. OK the one further east on Oxford Street is bigger, but the old one once was the biggest record shop in Europe. Hopefully it will be opened again, since there was rebuilding going on where it used to be.
And what a lovely concert it was. A conductor who also played the harpsichord and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightment in full flight. Three pieces by Haydn and two by his contemporaries. It was a stroke of genius to begin with one of Haydn's early symphonies, no 6, and ending with one of his later ones, no 93, the first of those written in London. His development was evident. No 6 was good, but no 93 was spectacular, and performed in a very powerful way. I sat spellbound for the whole time.
And they even did an encore. How often do you get an orchestra playing classical musik doing that?
The Victoria and Albert Museum is not big, it is enormous. Almost 15 kilometres of galleries and 2.5 million exhibits. I have popped in a couple of times, but never visited it properly. I mean, where do you start?
So I went on a guided tour with London Walks today. And our guide did the only sensible thing. She picked about half a dozen exhibits of various kinds and talked in depth about them. We saw an old English bishops robe, a Belgian tapestry, some snuff boxes that used to belong to a king of Preussia, a Japanese chest made for export and of course a series of magnificent painbtings by Rafael.
Next time in London I will probably spend a whole day in the V&A.
Sad news. The HMV record shop opposite Bond Street underground station is gone. I thought: It cannot be, it has always been there. Well, it has move across the street once, but ever since I first visited London in 42 years ago it has been one of the places you always visited. OK the one further east on Oxford Street is bigger, but the old one once was the biggest record shop in Europe. Hopefully it will be opened again, since there was rebuilding going on where it used to be.
More Thursday
Well, I forgot.
When you are staying in a guest house close to Victoria Station you often use Bus 38 to get to Piccadilly Circus, and as an enthusiastic guitar player I do not mind travelling on a bus bound for Clapton Pond.
Many years ago travelling round the Welsh coast line we stopped over for one night in St David's, the smallest city in Britain. In one of the pubs I tasted a beer called The Reverend James, brewed in a Cardiff Brewery. I liked it so much I have been looking for it ever since. And yesterday at last I found it in the Duke of Wellington in The Strand. It was just as good as I remembered.
I got a flattering question after last night's folk club visit. One of the regulars from Saturday night's folk club came up and asked: "Why didn't you sing or play something?" Oh, I like that question. It is so much better than being asked: "Why did you have to perform?"
When you are staying in a guest house close to Victoria Station you often use Bus 38 to get to Piccadilly Circus, and as an enthusiastic guitar player I do not mind travelling on a bus bound for Clapton Pond.
Many years ago travelling round the Welsh coast line we stopped over for one night in St David's, the smallest city in Britain. In one of the pubs I tasted a beer called The Reverend James, brewed in a Cardiff Brewery. I liked it so much I have been looking for it ever since. And yesterday at last I found it in the Duke of Wellington in The Strand. It was just as good as I remembered.
I got a flattering question after last night's folk club visit. One of the regulars from Saturday night's folk club came up and asked: "Why didn't you sing or play something?" Oh, I like that question. It is so much better than being asked: "Why did you have to perform?"
London report - Thursday
YES!!!! I have just discovered that i can use my own computor to link up through the hotel network. If I had discovered that yesterday it would have saved me a £.
Wanted to learn more about Mayfair yesterday and decided to use London Walks. They had a guided walk through Mayfair in the morning. It was led by a very knowlegeble man called Peter. If I only could remember half of what he told us. He was good and funny.
On the way to the meeting place I passed the Ritz. Resisted an urge to go in and ask for Miss Pocahontas. But from what I have heard she is styill married to that travel books shopkeeper. (If you have not seen Notting Hill you will not understand that.)
For once Temple Church was open to visitors when I got there. Even if you have not read the DaVinci-code it is well worth a visit. A marvellous building from the Middle Ages. But nowadays they charge to get in, except of people above the age of 65 that is. I do not know wether to treat it as an insult or not, but they asked if I was a senior citizen or not? If I had lied I would have saved £3-
Thursdays are Curry Nights at Wetherspoon. Good and cheap. A Chicken Karma, not very hot, a pint of bitter and a dessert for just £8.58. Who said London is expensive? Well, it can be, depending on where you go.
I fell in love last night. Islington Folk Club at The Horseshoe in Clerkenwell is hard to find. I once had to guide a taxi driver the last bit. But it is well worth a visit. The Angel Band, with assorted squeeze boxes, is a powerful band that always start the evening, the MC Bernard is absolutely hilarious and many of the floor singers are of a very high standard.
But the headliners yesterday Lady Maisery was really something else. Every once in a while you see a group that just pushes you off your feet. This was one such moment. Three young women singing harmonies and for some songs using instruments like harp, fiddle, accordion and a banjo that sounded like a sitar, with a well chosen repertoire, that include diddling instrumental tunes from different countries. Just fabulous. And when Hannah James put on her iron-soled clogs for the encore and smattered away on a wooden floor ity was the perfect finish to a perfect performance.
Do not miss them if they ever come to a venue near you.
Wanted to learn more about Mayfair yesterday and decided to use London Walks. They had a guided walk through Mayfair in the morning. It was led by a very knowlegeble man called Peter. If I only could remember half of what he told us. He was good and funny.
On the way to the meeting place I passed the Ritz. Resisted an urge to go in and ask for Miss Pocahontas. But from what I have heard she is styill married to that travel books shopkeeper. (If you have not seen Notting Hill you will not understand that.)
For once Temple Church was open to visitors when I got there. Even if you have not read the DaVinci-code it is well worth a visit. A marvellous building from the Middle Ages. But nowadays they charge to get in, except of people above the age of 65 that is. I do not know wether to treat it as an insult or not, but they asked if I was a senior citizen or not? If I had lied I would have saved £3-
Thursdays are Curry Nights at Wetherspoon. Good and cheap. A Chicken Karma, not very hot, a pint of bitter and a dessert for just £8.58. Who said London is expensive? Well, it can be, depending on where you go.
I fell in love last night. Islington Folk Club at The Horseshoe in Clerkenwell is hard to find. I once had to guide a taxi driver the last bit. But it is well worth a visit. The Angel Band, with assorted squeeze boxes, is a powerful band that always start the evening, the MC Bernard is absolutely hilarious and many of the floor singers are of a very high standard.
But the headliners yesterday Lady Maisery was really something else. Every once in a while you see a group that just pushes you off your feet. This was one such moment. Three young women singing harmonies and for some songs using instruments like harp, fiddle, accordion and a banjo that sounded like a sitar, with a well chosen repertoire, that include diddling instrumental tunes from different countries. Just fabulous. And when Hannah James put on her iron-soled clogs for the encore and smattered away on a wooden floor ity was the perfect finish to a perfect performance.
Do not miss them if they ever come to a venue near you.
London report - Wednesday
Three cheers for British Airways, delivering me to London 20 minutes before schedule, offering free snacks and drinks during the flights and having my suitcase ready for collection when I had passed the passport control. Gave me almost a whole afternoon and evening on my first day in London. First day of this visit that is.
There was a new boy who gave me the keys at Morgan Guest House. He asked if I had been there before. I did not dare tell him that I had probably spent more days in the guest house than he had.
Selfridge's self checkouts are good. You do not need to be registered like the self checkout at Coop Forum and Ica Maxi. You can pay with cash and get the right change. And of course it is quick. But I must admit that I sometimes go to the cashiers to be able to exchange a few words with a human being.
I must say that Kentucky Fried Chicken has the best and juciest chicken in the world. It is just so sad their French fries is absolutely awful.
And where should you enjoy a glass of London Pride if not in London? I had my first on this trip in The Henry Holland pub off Oxford Street, close to Selfridges. But I must admit that the "Old Golden Hen" I had in the Travellers Tavern near my guest house is not as good as "Old Speckled Hen".
Spen the evening in Royal Festival Hall, one of my favourite concert halls. Apart from a good view from every seat it has the advantage of being situated close to the Thames. The interval yesterday was marvellous. A (plastic) glass of French red wine on the terrace. Fresh air and a lovely view of the lit-up buildings of London by night. What more can you ask for? Well ,music of course.
Mozart's Jupiter symphony (no 41) started off the evening. Music that just flows right through you, created by a master craftsman and a genious.
Mark Anthony Burbage's "On opened ground", concerto for viola and orchestra, was a strange piece. The first half was super modern, more sounds than melody lines and rythms. The second part was more enjoyable, especially the bit laballed "Interrupted song" which contained a kind of battle between the soloist and the orchestra. The composer himself entered the stage afterwards to thank the audience. Looked a little like Elvis Costello's younger brother.
And if you think Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is just that bombastic short piece you here when big stars enter the stage think again. It is actually more than 30 minutes of varied music. The beginning is bombastic, the end is the very opposite. It just fades away somehow. Must listen to it again sometime, when I am not as tired.
There was a new boy who gave me the keys at Morgan Guest House. He asked if I had been there before. I did not dare tell him that I had probably spent more days in the guest house than he had.
Selfridge's self checkouts are good. You do not need to be registered like the self checkout at Coop Forum and Ica Maxi. You can pay with cash and get the right change. And of course it is quick. But I must admit that I sometimes go to the cashiers to be able to exchange a few words with a human being.
I must say that Kentucky Fried Chicken has the best and juciest chicken in the world. It is just so sad their French fries is absolutely awful.
And where should you enjoy a glass of London Pride if not in London? I had my first on this trip in The Henry Holland pub off Oxford Street, close to Selfridges. But I must admit that the "Old Golden Hen" I had in the Travellers Tavern near my guest house is not as good as "Old Speckled Hen".
Spen the evening in Royal Festival Hall, one of my favourite concert halls. Apart from a good view from every seat it has the advantage of being situated close to the Thames. The interval yesterday was marvellous. A (plastic) glass of French red wine on the terrace. Fresh air and a lovely view of the lit-up buildings of London by night. What more can you ask for? Well ,music of course.
Mozart's Jupiter symphony (no 41) started off the evening. Music that just flows right through you, created by a master craftsman and a genious.
Mark Anthony Burbage's "On opened ground", concerto for viola and orchestra, was a strange piece. The first half was super modern, more sounds than melody lines and rythms. The second part was more enjoyable, especially the bit laballed "Interrupted song" which contained a kind of battle between the soloist and the orchestra. The composer himself entered the stage afterwards to thank the audience. Looked a little like Elvis Costello's younger brother.
And if you think Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" is just that bombastic short piece you here when big stars enter the stage think again. It is actually more than 30 minutes of varied music. The beginning is bombastic, the end is the very opposite. It just fades away somehow. Must listen to it again sometime, when I am not as tired.
