Travels in 2008
Travels in 2008
Friday 25 January
I obtained a season ticket for the Kew Gardens last year with the intention of making at least one visit each month to observe, and photograph, the gardens through the seasons.
I normally spend about an hour travelling to Kew by train, two hours in the gardens and then an hour travelling back. The time available for this visit was cut short by problems on the outward journey – it took me over two hours. A signalling problem at Willesden Junction led to the train I was on being halted at Kensal Rise, I then had to walk to Kensal Green Station to reconnect with a working railway system and then by a circuitous route finding my way to Kew. Not an experience I would wish to repeat.
The resultant hour in the gardens left me little time for other than a quick walk with few opportunities for photographs. Camellias and Crocuses come to mind.
Monday 17 March
By train, as usual, to Kew Gardens this morning for what could be my final visit before my season ticket expires at the end of the month. I will certainly give the Bank Holiday week a miss and after that there is only one more week left.
As my wall calendar tells me it is only three days until the start of Spring I decided to do the guide book’s Spring Walk. Mind you, the same calendar also tells me that British Summer Time starts on the 30th of this month – I’m certain Spring used to last longer when I was young, or maybe I’m just getting confused!
The magnolias at Kew also seem confused, some, considering that Spring was here, had opened their flowers and had them reduced to confetti, littering the ground, by the recent strong winds. On others, the buds had only slightly opened, just showing their colours, but quite sensibly had refrained from going any further until they were certain of the weather. But even the weather seemed uncertain, occasionally the sun seemed strong and warm but it was the cool northerly wind that predominated.
I now have a full year of photographs of the gardens, from which I will select, annotate and compile, to create a slide show … in due course.
Tuesday 1 April
Kew Gardens Review
A year has passed and my season ticket expired, I can report that I almost achieve my objective of at least one visit per month but missed out on July and December, although on other months I did visit on more than one occasion. In the end the limiting factor, as hinted at previously, was the journey to and from Kew. The one hour journey time proved to be the best possible that could be achieved from station to station, on most occasions it was longer – sometimes considerably longer – and to that one needed to add walking time to and from the stations. It’s unfortunate as my actual experience of Kew Gardens, having arrived there, was a very pleasurable one and I could almost ignore the potential discomfort of the return journey for the two hours or so that I would spend walking in the gardens.
The only other negative aspect of my visits (although a positive one from Kew Gardens point of view) was it’s popularity, there seemed on occasions to be just too many people there, particularly around the main entrances and conservatories, and I often quickly sought out the more remote parts of the garden. But that probably says more about me than anything else and nowhere did I find any of the unpleasantness quite often associated with large crowds, everyone who visits Kew Gardens does so to enjoy themselves – and seems to succeed.
But enough of the negative aspects, let me now describe what I enjoyed. I have not attempted to provide any detailed information on the gardens, and plants and buildings within them, those seeking such information should go to Kew Gardens’ own website. My photos of Kew.
The Buildings of Kew
There are many buildings of merit within the gardens, some have architectural awards other have achieved iconic status. They range in date from the 17th century to the present day, the most recent, The Shirley Sherwood Gallery, not quite completed when I photographed it in March 2008. My favourites are The Palm House, the curving glass structure seeming ahead of it’s time, and the recently completed Alpine House, a small elegant structure from outside and so airy inside that you become completely oblivious of it’s presence.
Kew in Bloom
While the green leaves of the trees and plants are with you for most of the year, it is the flowering of these which always attracts the attention and Kew provides an abundant variety of bloom throughout the year, the conservatories extending the natural seasons. Some of the more stunning examples are included in the photo slide show.
In The Alpine House
It was not only the structure of the Alpine House which impressed me, the contents did as well. The plants are constantly being changed to ensure that there are always many in flower on display. I always made a point of visiting here on each of my visits and from my photographs you can see why.
Autumn Leaves and Grasses
For some reason I seemed to miss most of the autumn colour of the trees. Was it just poor timing on my part, the variations in seasonal weather we have experienced recently or simply that with so many specimen trees there is no period when all the trees “turn” together as one experiences in natural woodland where most trees are related. But some dramatic leaf colours were captured by the camera to convey some seasonal feel. However the grasses performed particularly well in this respect, after flowering their variety of bronze hues provided many photographic opportunities.
Moore at Kew
When I bought my season ticket in March 2007 I had no idea that a significant “world” event was about to take place in the gardens during the coming year. An open air exhibition of Henry Moore sculpture officially opened in September 2007 (although some were on view in August) and closed as my season ticket expired in March 2008. A truly memorable experience, the settings amongst the trees or with the backdrop of famous buildings was outstanding – there was no need for imaginative effort in composing the photographs, it was all done for me. The only difficulty was getting the shots without other people posing in front of the sculptures. I have not attempted to “catalogue” my photographs – just enjoy them.
I will miss my visits to Kew (although not the travel involved) and while I will not rule out any future visits, from where ever I settle in the country, I am very glad that I made the decision to use part of my last full year in London this way.
Monday 11 August
On Monday 4th I bade farewell to my motor caravan. My new Smart Car was collected today from Mercedes-Benz of Loughton and since then I’ve been like a small boy with a new toy – in fact I seem to remember having a pedal-car when I was a small boy which was only marginally smaller than this!
Tuesday 19 August
This was more of an excuse to “play with my new toy” or, to put it in more adult terms, gain some driving experience with my new car.
RSPB Rainham Marshes has only been open to visitors for a short while (not much more than a year I think) and as it is almost on my doorstep, well – no more than 15 miles away, I should have really paid it a visit before now. But the alternatives of a rail trip which is just outside the range of my Freedom Pass or road journey involving the A406 (North Circular Road) and A13 did not inspire me – the added incentive of using the new car just tipped the balance in favour of the road journey.
The reserve is a pleasant quiet oasis rescued by the RSPB from advance of the East London Corridor and as long a one walks around with blinkers on, looking only inwards to the reserve and not outwards to the surroundings, this illusion is preserved. Looking outwards, as I am afraid is unavoidable, one sees the raised dual carriageway A13, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and a landfill site – all immediately adjacent to the reserve – and above there is the continuous drone of aircraft coming in to land at London City Airport. The birds don’t seem to mind though and only the occasional swoop of a Marsh Harrier seemed to unsettle them.
Definitely worth a visit but I suspect, because of its location, I will not be rushing back there again and I seem to hear the vast open spaces of North West Norfolk beckoning me.
Thursday 21 August
Another excuse to have a drive in my new car? Well that was partly the reason …but this has been a visit that I have been meaning to make for the last 40 years. When I first moved to London I was frequently travelling backwards and forwards to Norwich, where my parent lived, on what was then the A11 and the Audley End House was a notable landmark seen from that route. The building of the M11 and the downgrading of the A11 meant that for many years I by-passed this route but recently (as those of you who have read some of my travel journal will know) I have often reverted to using the “old A11”, particularly when returning home. The House therefore called me …particularly after I started an annual membership subscription to English Heritage, who now own the property, and I would therefore have no entrance fee to pay.
Audley End House, a Jacobean mansion was built between 1603 and 1614, with later interior remodelling by Robert Adam and then more extensively in the Victorian Age. The landscaped parks are by Capability Brown.
Close enough to London for a day-trip, no more than 40 miles for me from East London. By tradition I took the “old A11” route to Audley End but returned by an alternative route (which was often used during early summer trips between London and Norwich when the A11 became clogged up with holiday traffic) from the adjacent Saffron Waldon, though Thaxted, Great Dunmow and Chipping Onger. My new car seemed to be quite at home with the twists and turns of this alternative route. The weather forecast was not promising, bright periods but with occasional showers – but fortunately the forecast was wrong, no showers despite some ominous looking clouds on occasions and it was mostly quite sunny. A pleasant day out and one I could repeat when it was less busy.
Thursday 2 October
The prospect of a bright sunny day tempted me to go for a short drive South, into Kent, to visit two National Trust properties in the Sevenoaks area. Through the Blackwall Tunnel (first time for the little car but it coped well) and then, avoiding the motorways through Chislehurst and on to Sevenoaks, finally by delightful Kent country lanes to Ightham Mote.
This was my first visit to Ightham Mote and it proved to be quite a pleasant discovery. Dating from 1320 but containing architectural manor house features from nearly all periods since that date to the Victorian Age. My Photographs of Ightham Mote only show the exterior (as this is all that is the only photography allowed at NT properties) but the different styles are more apparent internally.
After a light lunch at the adjoining restaurant I then travelled, by county lanes again, the short distance to Knole in Sevenoaks. This was a return visit to this much larger and better known National Trust property. Although it’s origins are earlier, much of the present complex of buildings and interiors dates from the 17th century and received more recent “publicity” from the novels of Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. I took the opportunity to update my Photographs of Knole but did not have too much time to spend there after my earlier visit. Next time, if there is a next time, I must investigate the large deer park that surrounds the house.
The return journey, by nearly the same route as I came, took a little longer as the Blackwall Tunnel Northbound had it’s normal “traffic calming” effect – slowing it all down to about 10-20mph well before the tunnel entrance appeared.
Thursday 16 October
The prospect of a bright sunny early autumn day tempted me out to West London to visit the National Trust property of Osterley Park and House. Although over an hours journey by the Central and Piccadilly Lines of the London Underground the prospect of this, and a cost free journey, was preferable to taking the little car from one side of London to the other. The journey was uneventful, I’m please to say, although uninspiring.
Although there are older features, such as the 16th century stable block, the House is justifiably renown for the extensive remodelling carried out in the 18th century by Robert Adam and the interiors are claimed to be one of Britain’s most complete examples of his work. As with all National Trust properties I am unable to bring you my own photographs of the interior but my Photo Album illustrates some exterior features of Adam’s work including his neoclassical garden buildings. The stable block is also shown – where I fed and watered myself at lunchtime as it now houses a National Trust Tea-Room.
The interiors of the main reception rooms were designed by Adam to impress friends and business associates of the then owner of the House, but they still manage to achieve that for today’s visitors two centuries later, although they are definitely rooms to view rather than live in. The state of preservation, particularly of tapestries and carpets, is also exceptional for the age, apparently due to the under-use of the House during those two centuries.
This is the last record of My Travels in Great Britain.
Thursday 2 April 2009
Moved from Leytonstone to Dersingham, Norfolk