Yesterday, back in Greenwich with Bucket List London - we were starting with the Old Royal Naval College and National Maritime Museum. Was originally supposed to be the Queen's House to finish, but turned out they were booked out all day for a wedding, despite not having clarified that on the website! Then in the afternoon, we were headed to Eltham Palace and Gardens. Quite the packed day.. Now, there was a rail strike, and he cancelled the first one - but with tickets booked, I said that I'd go anyway. So he got dragged out after all.
Uhh, I could have done with a lie-in. Never mind, I was up bright and early - earlier than I normally would have been, even, lest my travel plans were scuppered by the strike! And preparing for another quite warm day. Step 1: get a bus to Bank - check. I just made it as the bus arrived, and we fairly zipped along, with hardly anybody on board wanting to get off, and nobody wanting to get on either. I disembarked near Bank.
Step 2: get the DLR from Bank. Except.. when I checked the departure boards, there was nothing for the DLR. I didn't really know whether it was running, and decided not to risk it - Google Maps provided an alternative route, involving two buses. So off I set! These were much busier -including a herd of foreign students and their teacher, who all went upstairs, and trooped off at Greenwich Station. To everyone's amusement, the driver waited in anticipation while the teacher counted heads, and didn't pull away until she gave him a thumbs-up..
So, I got to the Naval College, and got on the phone to him to see where he was. Eh, at the Maritime Musem. Uhh.. well, it's right across the road, so over I went.
It was just the two of us for this. And neither of us, honestly, expected the museum to be as good as it was - we took the lift to the top floor, worked our way down - and were mesmerised by everything there was to look at! Had we looked at all the interactive exhibitions, gone through all the bits there were to see, we'd have easily spent half the day there. The top floor deals with polar exploration..
This is the HMS Terror, but there was a bit about Shackleton, and about how his epic journey on the HMS Endurance - while one of the greatest survival feats of all time - pretty much put an end to pure exploration trips, which were now considered too dangerous.
This led on to a gallery on Tudor and Stuart seafaring, a huge exhibition on Nelson (I had to wonder whether there was as much of his memorabilia on sale in the gift shop) - and downstairs, a fascinating exhibition about the East India Company!
By this stage, however, my companion had realised that we were going to have trouble squeezing everything into the day - so we pretty much left it there. My though, we could have spent so much more time - and all for free! Cannot recommend this highly enough.
And so to the Old Royal Naval College, and specifically the Painted Hall, commissioned by Mary II, but whose completion dragged on through the reigns of a few monarchs! Happily, our tickets for this could be converted into year-long passes, as long as we agreed to have our details stored on their database. Which we did. Also, we were just in time for a tour - so off we went for that.
Ah wow, this is spectacular! and they could hardly have made the tourist experience better, with mirrored tables, to appreciate the ceiling:
cushioned beds to lie on, the better to comtemplate the ceiling:
and most particularly, the tour, highlighting so many aspects of this incredibly detailed painting. Such as pointing out all the monarchs - here are William III and Mary II:
and a whole hunk of Hanoverians, to mark the coronation of George I:
Too much detail for the guide to go into everything - but as I say, we have a year to go back and have another look!
Meantime, we needed to leave if we were to make Eltham Palace in time for the next, afternoon, event! Which we didn't, quite - although Google Maps was a saviour in telling us the best way to get there. And I was to be very glad I'd charged my phone before I left, even though it was pretty full already, and I suppose I could have managed. Still, it got a lot of use yesterday..
This was a mediaeval palace that fell into disrepair, and was incorporated into a new, modern home in the 1930s by a fabulously weathy couple, the Courtaulds. They had a passion for history - and in those days, conservationists weren't so careful, and they could do as they pleased with the ruins of the old palace. The house in general is a marvel of 1930s mod cons, but it has mediaeval touches, and the great hall - which they used for grand parties, the musicians tucked away in the minstrels' gallery - is a delight for mediaeval fans, with plenty of furniture of the period. Mediaeval-style music was playing softly when I passed through, and mercifully, this is the first point in the tour where you can sit!
The decor is all terrific: but I had a funny feeling walking around, because many pieces were reminding me of the style of knick-knacks that I would associate with my parents' time, or even older - so I kept associating them with old, musty things. Heavy, fussy. For sure, we'd decorate slightly differently today - although some features were fantastic, like the recessed ceiling, with hidden lighting, in the bedroom of the lady of the house (above).
And I was jealous of her walk-in wardrobe - although she's lacking a full-length mirror!
The first thing you do is watch an introductory video, and you can have an audiovisual guide, complete with headphones. This guide is beautifully detailed, and easy to use, with navigation to each individual room, instructions on how to get to the next stop on the tour, and an intro for each room, as well as specialist content specific to that room - interviews with people who used to visit when the family lived here, interviews with design experts, focus on specific items. After a while, I stopped religiously listening to/reading every article - there are just too many, and as it was, I spent 2.5 hours in the house!
My favourite room, I have to say, was the Italian drawing room, which reminded me of what you would imagine a film star's living room in LA to look like - it's a style that is still reproduced to this day:
Funnily enough, it turned out that the man of the house invested in Ealing Studios, and when he pulled out, that was kind of the end for them, and they were absorbed by the BBC.
Oh, and they had a pretty comfy air raid shelter, in the basement! (This is down a flight of stairs, but if you're not keen on that, there is a virtual tour on the audio guide:)
(The billiard room was there already, and could have provided a welcome distraction from air raids.)
Fasinating house, with many innovative features - but by the end of the day, I was exhausted, and skipped the garden tour. I'm not as interested in that, and I was dead on my feet. I was on my own by now - there had been supposed to be another person at Eltham, but she didn't show - as my companion remarked, the rail strike really scuppered this day, and it is a crying shame, because it holds the record for the amount (and quality) of stuff I've seen in one day, anywhere.
It was quite optimistic to try to cram all of them into one day, but I'm really glad I came to these places, and also really appreciate the organiser dragging himself out to go to Greenwich just to meet me, and showing me the way to Eltham. He'd bailed by now too though - he'd already been to Eltham, and as he said, he needed his lunch. And, as mentioned, it was a warm day, and a bit of a trial to spend the whole day sightseeing.
So it was on my own that I finished the tour. Collecting my stuff from the locker they make you put everything into (they don't like you to take bags around, they're protecting the walls), I banged my head on the clothes rail (for the second time), left my guide in the basket by the entrance, and schlepped up the road to Eltham village in search of food. I went to the very first place I saw that looked like its main business was food (and wasn't a fast food place):
It ain't gourmet, but it ain't half bad - friendly, attentive service, delish garlic bread. And when they say the chicken is smothered in BBQ sauce - they aren't joking! The drinks menu only mentions spirits, cocktails, and soft drinks - when she came to ask what I wanted to drink, I asked whether they did wine. Oh yes! she said, and got me the wine list. With chocolate ice cream (comes with two scoops) for dessert, I was well fed, and quite entertained by the raucous birthday party over the way, complete with balloons and cocktails. And oh, the best 80s soundtrack on the music system.. as I left, they were playing Take My Breath Away! I have always loved that song so much..
The bus to the station was as packed as it could be.. Tube home, and well, this was a long blog to write, so it ran too late, and I was too tired. I really appreciated the lie-in today, though!
Tonight, back with TAC for the opening night of I'm Not Myself Today: A Villainous Cabaret at the Bread and Roses in Clapham. An hour in which someone discusses with us why we all love the villain!
Tomorrow morning, another job interview.. with another company.. at least it's not at 9am! In the evening, I'm going to the Kiln Theatre for The Darkest Part of the Night. Another troublesome website - I tried for days to get it to work..!
On Tuesday, thinking vaguely about the Camden Fringe, which runs all next month - there's, for example, an interesting audio event called A Little Drape of Heaven, where you hold a precious item of clothing to your heart, then press play to access a YouTube link that you've paid for. Hmm.. Meantime, I had booked a walk with Laurence and the 45+ Not Grumpy Old Londoners for last week. This is The Magic of Midtown - and as I said to him, it finishes very near my new home! And wouldn't you know it - he postponed it, as a result of the heatwave, to this day. Not that I'm not glad he didn't run it when it was originally scheduled - I should still be able to make it..
On Wednesday, thinking of film - and v excited about what's coming up! Highest of the list is the NT Live showing of Prima Facie, the one-woman play with Jodie Comer, making her West End debut as a dynamic lawyer, whose world is turned upside down when she is raped, and I guess, gets to see the other side of the system. It's supposed to be an absolute tour de force, and is one I missed because tickets went so fast - well, now it is, as they say, coming to a cinema screen near you! In fact, it's showing in my local cinema, yay - not to mention that, as a member, I get to see it for free! And with three showings that day, even if I happen to be back working - which would be a very quick turnaround - I should still be able to make it.
On Thursday, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for a concert by Damien Lewis at Omeara. Yes, the actor! I've never actually been here before - should be interesting. Meeting Didi for dinner beforehand at Tas Borough - she's coming to the concert too.
On Friday, I've booked for another of Laurence's tours - Wonders of the National Gallery. Which I can go on, as long as I haven't started work again - Lordy, I wish he'd do something on evenings or weekends again! Then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend - and will be trying, once more, to get my car serviced. Subject to availability of mechanics! So, not sure whether I'll get to a film, as of yet.
On the 8th - yes, I am succumbing. Finally managed to get a decently priced (seated) ticket to Abba Voyage. Hell, I love Abba, and even if they have been replaced by avatars - it's supposed to be a spectacular show. Kind of has to be done..
On the 9th, I've booked with London Classical Music and Theatre Group - Didi, from the group, who is herself a classical guitarist, is playing a free Summer Music Festival concert in the Holy Sepulchre Church, which should be lovely - assuming I'm either not working, or can get the time off! as it's at lunchtime. Close enough to the (potential) office that I might be able to risk it.
That evening, I'm at Chasing Hares, at the Young Vic. And wouldn't you know it, CT now has ticket offers for this..
And on the 10th, I'm with a new Meetup group - Soho Comedy Factory Shows and Socials, which organises free events on Wednesdays at the aforementioned Soho Comedy Factory. Unless something better comes along - I've had bad experiences with free comedy!
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