Also, Kensington Palace , Kensington Garden Flowers , Elfin Oak , Playful Squirrels , Squirrels up my Leg , and Serpentine Water Fowl ( The Dog and Swan)
On the other side of the Serpentine Lake is Hyde Park. We’ll have a wander over.
Here I am on my holidays, That’s me with the wings. What a hoot, honk.
Back at Kensington Gardens in the Autumn
A beautifully atmospheric autumn evening, at 11 am. I do love the British weather.
With a little music at the end, for the dance. 🙂
Once again, hats off to the builders, makers, artists and musicians. There is also Hall Place Gardens, Hall Place Interiors and nearby Danson House.
17 pics. From Queensway Underground station, across the main road, through the main gates and along the broad avenue facing south through Kensington Gardens. After a short walk, a small clock tower and the Elfin Oak ⇐ can be seen on the right. A little further on, also on the right, is Kensington Palace. The palace was built in 1605. More of its history, from Wiki, can be found here ⇐. The official website, with admission prices etc, can be found here ⇐.
Non-commercial photography is permitted but the lighting is dim and there is a certain amount of glare. As a result it was necessary to use a higher ISO setting than I would normally wish and gives a brighter impression than is really the case. Nevertheless, if you like old houses, it is the most atmospheric that I have come across so far.
It is well worth using the map, provided with your ticket, and finding the Queen’s rooms. They are located behind a large wooden door and you may have to ask an attendant for access. However, the staff are very friendly, informative and helpful.
If you wait a little while, the shadow will dance accompanied by the sound of shoes upon the hard wood floor and occasionally a little music.
Above is Princess Amelia, a favourite daughter of George III. The shadow dancers will occasionally move into each others space and dance together.
One can only wonder at how many, during the long past, have gazed at this view from the window and of their thoughts and dreams. You might spare a moment to join them.
And, hats off to the artisans who built this for their skill and diligence.
You might also like to see some of Kensington Gardens Flowers ⇐ or perhaps what the local Water Fowl ⇐ do for fun.
Taken in mid August, a little sunshine for December.
From the North Gate of Kensington Gardens, just across from the station called Queensway, a traveler might proceed along the great path leading south. After but a short walk, can be found on the right, a small clock tower. Very close to this, and beside an outdoor purveyor of comestibles, the Elfin Oak will be found.
.
.
The remaining stump is of an Oak being 900 years of age. Carefully carved by Mr Ivor Innes in the year 1911 to reveal the elfin folk that were hidden within. Thereafter maintained by that same gentlemen for a further 40 years.
Later restored by the efforts of the inimitable Mr Spike Milligan and friends in 1966, the Elfin Oak is now protected by its own cage of steel.
Peeking into this little world, one might still see – Wookey the witch, with her three jars of health, wealth and happiness, Huckleberry the gnome, carrying a bag of berries up the Gnomes’ Stairway to the banquet within Bark Hall, and Grumples and Groodles the Elves being awakened by Brownie, Dinkie, Rumplelocks and Hereandthere stealing eggs from the crows’ nest. Or, these fine characters :-
. . . . and many more
A book, with the title “The Elfin Oak of Kensington Gardens”, was later crafted by Ivor and Elsie Innes and revealed that “for centuries now it has been the home of fairies, gnomes, elves, imps, and pixies. In the nooks and crannies they lurk, or peer out of holes and crevices, their natural windows and doorways. It is their hiding-place by day, their revelry place by night, and when the great moon tops the bare branchless tree the Elfin Clans come out to play and frolic in the moonlight.”
15 pics. – Just behind the Albert Memorial is a very nice outdoor cafe and one of the entrances to Kensington Gardens. To the left and a little further north there is Kensington Palace and to the right is the Serpentine Lake with Hyde park on the other side. You might also like Squirrels up my Leg.
“I don’t know what it is, but I shall defend it to my last breath, or teatime.”
At the end of August.
First a word from our sponsor.
“No brain cells were harmed during the making of the this travesty but we can’t guarantee the same whilst reading it, and have you got any cake. “
“I say, they’ve got tea and buns”
“Do I look like I’ve got a bun”
“What do think of my new paint job and have a got any panini.”
Signor briefly broke of the session to give a small dog a thorough hissing and then returned to a perfect composure. What it must be to live in the moment.
“Don’t look Nigel, Ma’s gone all tipsy again”. “Oh look a shiny thing”
“That Odette, what a diva. Not like me I’m so demure, and modest with it.”
“Me, I’m firm but fair and proof against meteorites.”
“Pay attention class while Mr Flogget demonstrates how we do walking”. “I’ll confiscate that in a minute”
“Ok, now choose a nice soft landing ground, lower landing gear, throttle back and full flaps – tee hee I’m so funny.”
“Alright not bad, now get off that swan. These kids, honestly what can you do !”
Never had a lesson in my life. Wheeeeeeee”
“Well of course he got his bill stuck in the mud. I told him, I said if we were meant to do that, we would have been born with propellers. “
“It’s like living in a madhouse around here. Why can’t they be more normal like what I am. “
The Victoria and Albert Museum is dedicated to design but it does not forget the designs of mind that we refer to as philosophy and ideology. On the steps, leading to the main entrance, are these words:-
Step 1 Top – Civil disobedience is not our problem. .. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem. (Howard Zinn)
Step 2/1 – Greed is stopping human evolution .. the richest people own half the world (Oxfam Charity)
2/2 – What is the crime of the bank robber compared to the crime of founding one (Bertolt Brecht)
2/3 – It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking system for if they did I believe that there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning (Henry Ford)
2/4 – During times of universal deceit telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. (Eric Arthur Blair pen name George Orwell)
Step 3/1 – Every effort for progress, enlightenment, for religious, political and economic liberty, emanates from the minority, and not from the mass. (Emma Goldman)
3/2 – No real social change has ever been brought about without revolution (Emma Goldman)
3/3 – Revolution is but thought carried into action (Emma Goldman)
3/4 – A riot is the language of the unheard (Martin Luther King Jr)
3/5 – The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion (Frederick Douglass)
Step 4/1 – There’s no reason for the establishment to fear me. But it has every right to fear the people collectively – I am one with the people (Huey Percy Newton)
4/2 – The history of progress is written in the blood of men and women who have dared to espouse an unpopular cause, as, for instance the black man’s right to his body, or a woman’s right to her soul ( Emma Goldman)
Step 5/1 – We declare our right on this earth, to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence, by any means necessary (Malcolm X)
5/2 – It is easier to build strong children than to mend broken men (Frederick Douglass)
Step 6/1 – Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds (Bob Marley)
6/2 – Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and passion to reach for the stars and change the world (Harriet Tubman)
6/3 – Question Authority (Socrates)
Step 7 Bottom/1 – Think for yourself act for others (Kenny Zulu Witmore)
7 /2 – The essence of your life is only measured in the way you can help others (Herman Wallace – 42 years in solitary confinement)
7/3 – I rebel therefore I exist (Albert Camus)
7/4 – I am an artist your rules don’t apply. The revolution will be ceramicised ( The Treatmentrooms collective)
Victoria and Albert Museum Entrance
Inside can be found.
London and the UK in general has always had a subversive and irreverent streak. It did not entirely begin in the 60’s but in the 50’s when people sought a better world after the ravages of world war. Many of the quotations stem from the philosophers of that time. Equality of race, gender and creed was fought for in the pursuit of the fellowship of humankind. History shows that the wish keeps on being born and is therefore indomitable. It scared the greedy then and it still does.
We have much to value in the freedoms that were won by those of the past, but the price of that freedom is eternal vigilance. The phrase is attributed to many, but probably originated from John Philpot Curran in 1790. It is not a new recognition. It is not a new problem. It is not a new battle. But there is always a new step, same as it ever was.
21 pics. Entry to the Victoria and Albert Museum is free. The museum is dedicated to art and design from around the world. The items here are just a few of many hundreds on display and non-commercial photography is allowed except for the wedding dress exhibit and the wonderful jewel room. There is also a large inner courtyard with water feature that makes a great place for lunch. Packed lunches can be eaten in the Learning Center’s Lunch room on the 3rd floor . The museum map. The website.
At the museum entrance there are steps that speak.
The nearest underground rail station is South Kensington with the very interesting Science Museum and the Natural History Museum nearby.
The Tea Rooms
.
Foyer
.
Please click on the figure to fit screen.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Click on Copyright⇐ or at at top right of page. 14 pics. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, was much missed by the queen when he died. Victoria was taken by long years of mourning and fell into a long period of personal decline. Part of the queen’s tribute to the prince are the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall. The memorial can be found on Google maps at the southern end of Kensington Gardens. The Royal Albert Hall is just across the road.
The Albert Memorial
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are extensive enough to spend an entire day there. Admission to Kew Gardens includes the TemperatHouses,e Houses, Hot Treetop Walkway and Kew Palace. And here there are Flowers at Kew and Orchids at Kew
The Pagoda requires a further charge, paid at the main gate. When I was there it was £4. I told them that £4 was not enough they’d have to pay me at least 50 quid to go up that.
The nearest rail station, to the main gates, is Kew Bridge (South West Trains). Then turn right out of the station then left over the bridge and first right to the main gates.
Freed From Time 