As I'm on holiday, I took advantage of the chance to go an see the new film "The Butler" at the Coronet in Notting Hill Gate, It felt a little bit strange to be going to the cinema on a weekday afternoon, but that is one of the advantages of being on holiday. The Coronet has special prices for matinees - £4,50 instead of £7.30. Not as good as the special Tuesday prices, but still better than the evening ones.
"The Butler" tells the story of Cecil Gaines, who having been born on a cotton farm in the South, moves north as a young man and gets job as a butler at the White House, serving under no less than eight presidents.
Forest Whitaker gives a superb performance as a man proud of his job and with a real dedication to providing the best service possible to the most powerful men in the world. He is a servant, but not subservient; he knows his job back to front, and enjoys providing an impeccable service.
There are ups and downs in his home life, as well as the constant changes at work as presidents come and go, including one of his his son's involvement with the Black Panthers; as a butler at the White House, he is apolitical, and does not get involved in the civil rights movement which was taking place throughout so much of his tenure. He was proud that his other son served in Vietnam, saddened by hsi death in action.
It is only at the end, when he has left his job at the White House, that he becomes involved politically, campaigning for his son, now older and wiser, in bis bid to become senator.
Forest Whitaker looked the part of the very formal butler, but the various presidents and their wives are also well cast,particularly the Kennedys.
Altogether an excellent film - well shot, well- scripted and well cast.
Monday, 30 December 2013
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Georgian Exhibition
Another great exhibition, this time at the British Library. Entitled "Georgians Revealed. Life, Style and the Making of Modern Britain", it looks at life in Britain during the reigns of the first court Georges - from the non-English speaking George 1 to the dissolute George IV.
What were the Georgians Like? As the exhibition suggests, depending on your point of view, they could be described as tasteful and polite, or riotous and pleasure-obsessed - the reality was they they were probably both
Life in Georgian times was as varied as it is now. There were the super rich - although probably nothing to compare with the fabulous riches of oil sheiks and oligarchs today. There were those further down the scale, especially the ones who aspired to better things. And right at the bottom there were the destitute for whom survival itself was a struggle.
But it was also a time for culture. Museums and art galleries were founded and there was a wide acceptance of the need for giving to charity - many modern day charities began life in this period.
What were the Georgians Like? As the exhibition suggests, depending on your point of view, they could be described as tasteful and polite, or riotous and pleasure-obsessed - the reality was they they were probably both
Life in Georgian times was as varied as it is now. There were the super rich - although probably nothing to compare with the fabulous riches of oil sheiks and oligarchs today. There were those further down the scale, especially the ones who aspired to better things. And right at the bottom there were the destitute for whom survival itself was a struggle.
There were cast changes in the lives of those with at least some money in the period covered, 1714 - 1830. The industrial revolution completely changed society; people moved in large numbers to the towns, men became rich through trade and there was a growing class of people with new money who aspired to join the aristocracy. Things that we take for granted now, like drinking tea, reading magazines, dancing, gardening and shopping for pleasure all developed in this period; those who had money wanted everyone to know that they could afford to live well and furnish their houses in the latest fashion. Clothes were no longer just to keep warm, but to show off as well.
But it was also a time for culture. Museums and art galleries were founded and there was a wide acceptance of the need for giving to charity - many modern day charities began life in this period.
It was also time for debate - coffee houses were very popular meeting places for men to discuss new ideas, and with the rise of mass communication via books and pamphlets there was plenty to discuss.
The British Library has drawn on a wide range of items from their collection to put on this exhibition, from paintings of the four Georges and other notable Georgian figures, to musical instruments of the period, books, maps, clothes and even advertisements of the time, which give a good indication of popular items for spending money on.
Friday, 27 December 2013
Cheapside Hoard
The latest special exhibition at the British Museum - the Cheapside Hoard - which fr0m the publicity seemed well worth going to see. And I was not disappointed!
The hoard was discovered by some workmen in 1912, buried in a cellar under a house in Cheapside, where it had lain undisturbed since the mid 17th century. Although some items had been displayed previously, this was the first time that the entire collection had been put on display, and such is the value of the exhibits, everyone had to leave all bags and coats in a locker in the cloakroom - for which one had to pay a non-refundable fee of £1.
The hoard itself consists of hundreds of items, beautifully crafted and all very expensive - whoever owned it must have been a very wealthy man (or woman) indeed. But no evidence has ever emerged as to who buried this huge collection of jewellery and other precious items, and no-one has ever come forward to lay a claim to it. Who owned the house when it was buried is no longer known - but even that may not have been any use in establishing ownership, as it could well have been buried by someone who did not live there. Also, there is no indication of the exact date, except for an inscription on one item, that shows it was later, if I remember correctly, than 1640.
But those were troublesome times, with the Civil War engaging large numbers of people, general unrest, and much disruption to ordinary life. A short film puts forward a possible suggesting scenario for their burying in the cellar. A wealthy man buried all the family treasure in the cellar of a neighbouring house, but for security reasons does not tell anyone of its whereabouts. His wife contacts him to find out where the treasure is, as she is destitute; he sends a message that there is no need to give her details, as he is on his way home. But he dies before arrival, so his widow is left destitute, with not a clue as to where her husband had hidden the jewellery. Fiction, but possibly very near the truth - if anyone had had any inkling as to the size of the treasure and that it was hidden in a cellar in Cheapside, they would certainly have attempted to find it.
As it is, it is we who today have the pleasure of being able to see and admire the exquisite workmanship, for which the Museum kindly provides magnifying glasses - it is impossible to appreciate the degree of craftsmanship involved in many of the pieces with the naked eye.
The Cheapside Hoard is well worth a visit - but one needs to leave plenty of time. There is just so much to see one needs a whole afternoon rather than just an hour or so.
The hoard was discovered by some workmen in 1912, buried in a cellar under a house in Cheapside, where it had lain undisturbed since the mid 17th century. Although some items had been displayed previously, this was the first time that the entire collection had been put on display, and such is the value of the exhibits, everyone had to leave all bags and coats in a locker in the cloakroom - for which one had to pay a non-refundable fee of £1.
The hoard itself consists of hundreds of items, beautifully crafted and all very expensive - whoever owned it must have been a very wealthy man (or woman) indeed. But no evidence has ever emerged as to who buried this huge collection of jewellery and other precious items, and no-one has ever come forward to lay a claim to it. Who owned the house when it was buried is no longer known - but even that may not have been any use in establishing ownership, as it could well have been buried by someone who did not live there. Also, there is no indication of the exact date, except for an inscription on one item, that shows it was later, if I remember correctly, than 1640.
But those were troublesome times, with the Civil War engaging large numbers of people, general unrest, and much disruption to ordinary life. A short film puts forward a possible suggesting scenario for their burying in the cellar. A wealthy man buried all the family treasure in the cellar of a neighbouring house, but for security reasons does not tell anyone of its whereabouts. His wife contacts him to find out where the treasure is, as she is destitute; he sends a message that there is no need to give her details, as he is on his way home. But he dies before arrival, so his widow is left destitute, with not a clue as to where her husband had hidden the jewellery. Fiction, but possibly very near the truth - if anyone had had any inkling as to the size of the treasure and that it was hidden in a cellar in Cheapside, they would certainly have attempted to find it.
As it is, it is we who today have the pleasure of being able to see and admire the exquisite workmanship, for which the Museum kindly provides magnifying glasses - it is impossible to appreciate the degree of craftsmanship involved in many of the pieces with the naked eye.
The Cheapside Hoard is well worth a visit - but one needs to leave plenty of time. There is just so much to see one needs a whole afternoon rather than just an hour or so.
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Christmas Carol Service
Another carol service, this time at St. Andrew's, Fulham Fields, so within walking distance, although there is a bus which halves the journey time. I got the bus there, but walked back afterwards.
St. Andrew's is quite a lively church, with a lot of social activities going on, such as songs and stories for children followed by refreshments and lunch on Wednesday mornings, and a homeless project on Saturday mornings. They are very much a community church, with a lot of outreach activities.
The church itself has been extensively refurbished, so that the back is now taken up with a kitchen and serving area, which can be screened off if required. There are no kneelers in the pews, so they obviously don't go in much for kneeling during their services.
There are two other clergy as well as the vicar, the curate being the Rev. Lesley Bilinia, whose arrival was reported in the local paper - she was previously married to an African who died - or was killed - I can't remember which. Anyway, that's where her unusual name comes from. I was speaking to her later, and she seemed very pleasant and cheery.
The service was the usual nine lessons and carols, with the carols being lead by a large robed choir. The first two verses of "Once in royal" were sung by a soloist and then the choir, before they processed from a side chapel into the choir stalls.
A number of people did the readings, which were all very clear, since they have a microphone on the lectern.
Not that they would have needed to shout to make themselves heard, even if there hadn't been one - the area now used as a church is fairly small compared to its original length.
In addition to leading the congregational singing, the choir also sang a large number of pieces on their own - virtually all familiar one, which was rather nice. After all, it is a carol service for the congregation as well as the choir, and it's nice to listen to things that are familiar and you know won't grate on your ears, as some modern works do, with their lack of predictability.
I found myself sitting next to our local MP, whom I'd always thought was an atheist - though the fact that he was attending a carol service probably doesn't indicate anything about his beliefs these days. If they get invited to something like that, they go, like Nick Clegg or Ed Milliband. No refusing because it's against their conscience to sing carols and say prayers they don't believe in.
The church was quite full, with a lot of hearty singers in addition to the chair - most people seemed to be joining in. There were quite a number of families there, with small children, and provision had been made to keep them occupied at one side, under the supervision of some adults - I recognised one of the supervising adults, who apparently is a regular attender at that church. I also saw several other people that I knew, and that I didn't know went there - it's a small world.
After the service there was mulled wine and mince pies - Mr. Kiplings or Mr. Tesco's, rather than
home-made, but delicious all the same. And the mulled wine I suspect also came ready-made in a bottle. Actually, shop-bought mulled wine is very good, and much better than my attempts to make it myself, though the home-made mulled wine that I had one year at the Dicken's Museum in Doughty Street was the most delicious I have ever tasted. I asked for the recipe, but my efforts weren't remotely as good.
St. Andrew's is quite a lively church, with a lot of social activities going on, such as songs and stories for children followed by refreshments and lunch on Wednesday mornings, and a homeless project on Saturday mornings. They are very much a community church, with a lot of outreach activities.
The church itself has been extensively refurbished, so that the back is now taken up with a kitchen and serving area, which can be screened off if required. There are no kneelers in the pews, so they obviously don't go in much for kneeling during their services.
There are two other clergy as well as the vicar, the curate being the Rev. Lesley Bilinia, whose arrival was reported in the local paper - she was previously married to an African who died - or was killed - I can't remember which. Anyway, that's where her unusual name comes from. I was speaking to her later, and she seemed very pleasant and cheery.
The service was the usual nine lessons and carols, with the carols being lead by a large robed choir. The first two verses of "Once in royal" were sung by a soloist and then the choir, before they processed from a side chapel into the choir stalls.
A number of people did the readings, which were all very clear, since they have a microphone on the lectern.
Not that they would have needed to shout to make themselves heard, even if there hadn't been one - the area now used as a church is fairly small compared to its original length.
In addition to leading the congregational singing, the choir also sang a large number of pieces on their own - virtually all familiar one, which was rather nice. After all, it is a carol service for the congregation as well as the choir, and it's nice to listen to things that are familiar and you know won't grate on your ears, as some modern works do, with their lack of predictability.
I found myself sitting next to our local MP, whom I'd always thought was an atheist - though the fact that he was attending a carol service probably doesn't indicate anything about his beliefs these days. If they get invited to something like that, they go, like Nick Clegg or Ed Milliband. No refusing because it's against their conscience to sing carols and say prayers they don't believe in.
The church was quite full, with a lot of hearty singers in addition to the chair - most people seemed to be joining in. There were quite a number of families there, with small children, and provision had been made to keep them occupied at one side, under the supervision of some adults - I recognised one of the supervising adults, who apparently is a regular attender at that church. I also saw several other people that I knew, and that I didn't know went there - it's a small world.
After the service there was mulled wine and mince pies - Mr. Kiplings or Mr. Tesco's, rather than
home-made, but delicious all the same. And the mulled wine I suspect also came ready-made in a bottle. Actually, shop-bought mulled wine is very good, and much better than my attempts to make it myself, though the home-made mulled wine that I had one year at the Dicken's Museum in Doughty Street was the most delicious I have ever tasted. I asked for the recipe, but my efforts weren't remotely as good.
South Bank
After lunch with a friend at the cafe downstairs at Westminster Cathedral - their menu is limited, but they serve excellent scrambled egg on toast - we went to the South Bank. There was a short opera workshop going on when we arrived, which we joined in, and then wandered along the South Bank, looking at all the stalls, which are all a bit like German chalets, and were selling a wide variety of items - trinkets, clothing, fast food, chocolates, jewellery and much more.
It was very, very crowded - far too crowded to enjoy being there with anyone, as you were constantly in danger of losing them if you were not careful.
But there was a jolly atmosphere there - everyone seemed happy, with lots of talking and taking pictures. The weather was fairly mild for the end of December, and although it rained later, it wasn't heavy.
It was very, very crowded - far too crowded to enjoy being there with anyone, as you were constantly in danger of losing them if you were not careful.
But there was a jolly atmosphere there - everyone seemed happy, with lots of talking and taking pictures. The weather was fairly mild for the end of December, and although it rained later, it wasn't heavy.
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Regent's Hall cafe
The listings in the local paper had said that there was a concert on at 1.00 p.m. at the Salvation Army's Regent Hall in Oxford Street, so I thought I'd go along - their bands are always so jolly and cheerful, and if there is one thing the Salvation Army do well - apart from all their welfare work - it is sing and play music.
However, when I got there, I found the concerts weren't taking place over Christmas, so I decided to have lunch in their little cafe before going home. The menu isn't huge, but they do have a variety of omelettes with salad - not the usual type of omelettes you get in cafes, but little round ones with, in my case, cheese inside and also on top. Really delicious, and the salad,, apart from the cucumber which I don't like was equally nice, and of course, very healthy. They also do things like sandwiches and jacket potatoes, and a selection of cakes.
The cafe is tucked away inside, and isn't really promoted, but it well worth a visit if you're feeling peckish when shopping in Oxford Street.
However, when I got there, I found the concerts weren't taking place over Christmas, so I decided to have lunch in their little cafe before going home. The menu isn't huge, but they do have a variety of omelettes with salad - not the usual type of omelettes you get in cafes, but little round ones with, in my case, cheese inside and also on top. Really delicious, and the salad,, apart from the cucumber which I don't like was equally nice, and of course, very healthy. They also do things like sandwiches and jacket potatoes, and a selection of cakes.
The cafe is tucked away inside, and isn't really promoted, but it well worth a visit if you're feeling peckish when shopping in Oxford Street.
Friday, 20 December 2013
A Family in Wartime
The Imperial War Museum is due to close for refurbishment on 6th January 2014 and not re-opening until the summer, and I'd noticed that they currently have an exhibition on entitled Horrible Histories - Spies. So I decided to go and see it while I had the chance.
The main entrance was closed, with a gentleman on the door directing everyone to a side entrance - a lot of work is already being done, and only a small part of the museum is still open.
When I went to get a ticket for the Horrible Histories - Spies exhibition, the assistant said it was really aimed at children, and perhaps I might like the other exhibition they had on, called A Family in Wartime. So I went to see that instead.
A Family in Wartime looks at the war through the lives of the Allpress Family of Priory Road, Stockwell - a large working class family with ten children, all of whom were very much part of the war effort, from fire spotting to making healthy meals from rationed food and in the case of one of the boys, being evacuated to the country.
It uses interviews, posters, films from the cinema at the time, photographs and paintings to present a picture of life in those years. when families had to cope not just with the threat of bombs, but also rationing, the black-out, shortages of basic items, and of course, the general disruption which results from being at war.
But several things come through very clearly. Although by modern standards life was very basic - for instance, their house had no electricity - everyone coped and was still able to enjoy life. All the adults, except for one daughter who had heart problems, and of course, the mother who had a full time role running the home, had a job, whether in shops or factories, or in the case of Mr. Allpress, on the railways. They were very much a working family.
Another thing which struck me was the size of their house, a model of which formed part of the exhibition.. Mr. Allpress had a very ordinary job, and obviously did not earn a very high wage. But the family lived in a four bedroom terraced house with a garden at the back. It may, like many houses at the time, have lacked electricity and a bathroom - but at the same time there was enough space for the whole family, even if some bedrooms had bunk beds. No-one working on the railways today could possibly afford to live in a house like that, except by claiming Housing Benefit, which did not exist in the 1940s.
A further thing which I noticed was the size of the meals. One of the questions asked was what the people had to eat in those days, and the window showed a picture of a typical plate. There were portions of everything you would expect - potatoes, carrots, meat - but the portions were far, far smaller than would be served up today. No wonder the people were so slim compared to nowadays!
Also, the voice of Betty, the eldest daughter who talked about things like making do and mending - no rough South London accent, but a very pleasant and clear voice which was a joy to listen to. They may have been very much a working class family, but they were well spoken, albeit not posh speaking.
Finally, there was the impression of a community which was united in fighting against Hitler - the Allpresses involved themselves in the war effort and their quiet patriotism was obvious.
The main entrance was closed, with a gentleman on the door directing everyone to a side entrance - a lot of work is already being done, and only a small part of the museum is still open.
When I went to get a ticket for the Horrible Histories - Spies exhibition, the assistant said it was really aimed at children, and perhaps I might like the other exhibition they had on, called A Family in Wartime. So I went to see that instead.
A Family in Wartime looks at the war through the lives of the Allpress Family of Priory Road, Stockwell - a large working class family with ten children, all of whom were very much part of the war effort, from fire spotting to making healthy meals from rationed food and in the case of one of the boys, being evacuated to the country.
It uses interviews, posters, films from the cinema at the time, photographs and paintings to present a picture of life in those years. when families had to cope not just with the threat of bombs, but also rationing, the black-out, shortages of basic items, and of course, the general disruption which results from being at war.
But several things come through very clearly. Although by modern standards life was very basic - for instance, their house had no electricity - everyone coped and was still able to enjoy life. All the adults, except for one daughter who had heart problems, and of course, the mother who had a full time role running the home, had a job, whether in shops or factories, or in the case of Mr. Allpress, on the railways. They were very much a working family.
Another thing which struck me was the size of their house, a model of which formed part of the exhibition.. Mr. Allpress had a very ordinary job, and obviously did not earn a very high wage. But the family lived in a four bedroom terraced house with a garden at the back. It may, like many houses at the time, have lacked electricity and a bathroom - but at the same time there was enough space for the whole family, even if some bedrooms had bunk beds. No-one working on the railways today could possibly afford to live in a house like that, except by claiming Housing Benefit, which did not exist in the 1940s.
A further thing which I noticed was the size of the meals. One of the questions asked was what the people had to eat in those days, and the window showed a picture of a typical plate. There were portions of everything you would expect - potatoes, carrots, meat - but the portions were far, far smaller than would be served up today. No wonder the people were so slim compared to nowadays!
Also, the voice of Betty, the eldest daughter who talked about things like making do and mending - no rough South London accent, but a very pleasant and clear voice which was a joy to listen to. They may have been very much a working class family, but they were well spoken, albeit not posh speaking.
Finally, there was the impression of a community which was united in fighting against Hitler - the Allpresses involved themselves in the war effort and their quiet patriotism was obvious.
Thursday, 19 December 2013
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
I had tickets for a preview of this at the Vue in Shepherds Bush, which couldn't be handier - no traipsing miles to places like Wimbledon or Kingston or Greenwich, but just a ten minute walk.
My first impressions of the film were that I didn't really like it. The dreamings of Walter Mitty were offputting to say the least, and interfered with the flow of the film. However, things changed as the film went on, and I was soon really enjoying it. There was plenty of action - Walter Mitty's real adventures were much more exciting than all his dreams, and there was never a dull moment as he went from one country to another, and from one hair-raising adventure to the next.
The end was quite a surprise Set in a magazine that the new owners had decided was to go solely online after the next issue, with the consequent disappearance of most people's jobs, his adventures were all part of his quest to find the photographer who had taken the picture that was to go on the front cover of the final issue, and which he assumed he had lost - picture No. 25, which the photographer had said encapsulated life and all its meaning. When the final issue came out, there was Walter Mitty himself on the front cover.
Intertwined with this was his search for a girlfriend. Having joined Harmony, a dating agency, he was having problems because there was absolutely nothing in his life that was interesting - he hadn't been anywhere or done anything interesting, never mind exciting. Everyone ignored him. However, as he posted all his adventures online, his profile changed - and in the end he gets to go out with the girl he wanted, whom he had first noticed in the office, but wanted to date via Harmony.
Altogether, a "feel good" film - exciting, all ends happily, and boy gets the girl he wanted.
My first impressions of the film were that I didn't really like it. The dreamings of Walter Mitty were offputting to say the least, and interfered with the flow of the film. However, things changed as the film went on, and I was soon really enjoying it. There was plenty of action - Walter Mitty's real adventures were much more exciting than all his dreams, and there was never a dull moment as he went from one country to another, and from one hair-raising adventure to the next.
The end was quite a surprise Set in a magazine that the new owners had decided was to go solely online after the next issue, with the consequent disappearance of most people's jobs, his adventures were all part of his quest to find the photographer who had taken the picture that was to go on the front cover of the final issue, and which he assumed he had lost - picture No. 25, which the photographer had said encapsulated life and all its meaning. When the final issue came out, there was Walter Mitty himself on the front cover.
Intertwined with this was his search for a girlfriend. Having joined Harmony, a dating agency, he was having problems because there was absolutely nothing in his life that was interesting - he hadn't been anywhere or done anything interesting, never mind exciting. Everyone ignored him. However, as he posted all his adventures online, his profile changed - and in the end he gets to go out with the girl he wanted, whom he had first noticed in the office, but wanted to date via Harmony.
Altogether, a "feel good" film - exciting, all ends happily, and boy gets the girl he wanted.
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Carol Service
As I was out in Richmond doing some shopping - well, looking at the shops, as I didn't actually find anything I wanted to buy - I( decided to go to look and see if there were any carol services there this evening. I popped into St. John the Divine Church, which is just a couple of minutes walk from the station, and found that all they had on this afternoon was a children's nativity play, with a minute congregation watching - evidently not even all the parents had bothered to attend.
However, I did see a leaflet with details of what was going on at all the other churches in Richmond for the Christmas period, and there was one, St. Matthias the Apostle, which had a carol service at 6.30 p.m.
So, as it was only four o'clock, I got a bus to Twickenham to look at the shops there - they have rather a lot of good charity shops in Twickenham - but unfortunately they didn't have the one thing I was really looking for - a nice, pretty milk jug. I really do need one, as it isn't a good idea to keep things like evaporated or consdensed milk in the tin in the fridge.
By this time, it had started to rain quite heavily, and when I got off the bus on my return to Richmond, I had to shelter in one of the shops for a few minutes, even though I had, as always, a brolly. It's not really cold, just very miserable.
However, the rain eased off, and I set off to find the church, as it didn't seem to be marked on the map in the station. The address given on the leaflet was just Church Road, which is quite a long road - I realised afterwards that what I thought was just a mark on the map must have been the cross for the church.
I arrived in really good time - about three quarters of an hour before it was due to start. So I settled down to read the book I'd brought with me.
St. Matthias looks as if it is quite an old church, with a tall spire which was floodlit and can be seen from quite a distance away.
Inside, the most noticeable thing is the ceiling above the sanctuary - gaily patterned, with dark read being the dominant colour. It's really quite impressive, and you just can't help noticing it. Almost equally noticeable is the ceiling, which is multi-coloured, with blue predominating.
The lighting is also slightly unusual, with rows of spotlights on either side, and they already had an enormous Christmas tree with red lights.
There has obviously been a lot of work done on the interior of the church to provide a kitchen, room for socialising and several little rooms - the original church must have been very long.
The church was packed, with quite a few children, and in addition to the Vicar and a reader, there was a choir consisting of seven women and four men, some of them fairly elderly.
Although it was advertised as "Carols by Candlelight", and there were quite a few candles around, they in fact had nearly all the lights on as well, so no-one had to strain their eyes trying to read the words.
The service was fairly traditional, with lots of readings from Luke's Gospel, read by various members of the congregation, all the usual congregational hymns like "O Little Town of Bethleham", "Of the Father's Love Begotten", "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "It came upon the Midnight Clear", "Joy to the World", and finally "O Come all ye Faithful" and a couple of items by the choir only, including one I wasn't really familiar with called "Come let us worship the King", which was rather nice.
Afterwards, there was mulled wine and mince pies at the back of the church - all rather delicious, and I got talking to the young couple with a small boy who had been sitting next to me. Apparently the church always has a large congregation, with a lot of children, and looking at the noticeboard, there did seem to be quite a lot going on.
Altogether it was a lovely service, and the mulled wine and mince pies rounded it rather nicely.
However, I did see a leaflet with details of what was going on at all the other churches in Richmond for the Christmas period, and there was one, St. Matthias the Apostle, which had a carol service at 6.30 p.m.
So, as it was only four o'clock, I got a bus to Twickenham to look at the shops there - they have rather a lot of good charity shops in Twickenham - but unfortunately they didn't have the one thing I was really looking for - a nice, pretty milk jug. I really do need one, as it isn't a good idea to keep things like evaporated or consdensed milk in the tin in the fridge.
By this time, it had started to rain quite heavily, and when I got off the bus on my return to Richmond, I had to shelter in one of the shops for a few minutes, even though I had, as always, a brolly. It's not really cold, just very miserable.
However, the rain eased off, and I set off to find the church, as it didn't seem to be marked on the map in the station. The address given on the leaflet was just Church Road, which is quite a long road - I realised afterwards that what I thought was just a mark on the map must have been the cross for the church.
I arrived in really good time - about three quarters of an hour before it was due to start. So I settled down to read the book I'd brought with me.
St. Matthias looks as if it is quite an old church, with a tall spire which was floodlit and can be seen from quite a distance away.
Inside, the most noticeable thing is the ceiling above the sanctuary - gaily patterned, with dark read being the dominant colour. It's really quite impressive, and you just can't help noticing it. Almost equally noticeable is the ceiling, which is multi-coloured, with blue predominating.
The lighting is also slightly unusual, with rows of spotlights on either side, and they already had an enormous Christmas tree with red lights.
There has obviously been a lot of work done on the interior of the church to provide a kitchen, room for socialising and several little rooms - the original church must have been very long.
The church was packed, with quite a few children, and in addition to the Vicar and a reader, there was a choir consisting of seven women and four men, some of them fairly elderly.
Although it was advertised as "Carols by Candlelight", and there were quite a few candles around, they in fact had nearly all the lights on as well, so no-one had to strain their eyes trying to read the words.
The service was fairly traditional, with lots of readings from Luke's Gospel, read by various members of the congregation, all the usual congregational hymns like "O Little Town of Bethleham", "Of the Father's Love Begotten", "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "It came upon the Midnight Clear", "Joy to the World", and finally "O Come all ye Faithful" and a couple of items by the choir only, including one I wasn't really familiar with called "Come let us worship the King", which was rather nice.
Afterwards, there was mulled wine and mince pies at the back of the church - all rather delicious, and I got talking to the young couple with a small boy who had been sitting next to me. Apparently the church always has a large congregation, with a lot of children, and looking at the noticeboard, there did seem to be quite a lot going on.
Altogether it was a lovely service, and the mulled wine and mince pies rounded it rather nicely.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Carol Singing
This evening, there was the usual carol singing at Hammersmith Station to raise money for a local charity - this year for the homeless.
I went there straight from work, as they were starting at 5.30 p.m. - there were about a dozen people, with a couple of small boys to hold - and rattle loudly - the collecting tins. Small children are always a draw for getting people to put money in the tins. These two were about four and eight I should think, and full of enthusiasm for the task.
We sang all the traditional carols under the direction of Denis Moriarty, who always organises it; Hammersmith Station during the rush hour is always extremely busy, so there are plenty of potential customers, and the tins were quite heavy by the time we finished at 7.00 p.m.
We were joined during the course of the singing by a member of the public, who just liked carol singing, and said she was on a retreat somewhere in Blythe Road.
The first time I sang carols in Hammersmith Station, when the new centre hadn't been completely, it was so bitterly cold that the flower seller in the booking hall went and got the two of us a hot drink, as we looked (and were!) so bitterly cold. It was absolutely freezing, with an icy blast blowing in.
This evening, however, not only was the temperature higher outside, but the shopping centre is now properly heated, and it was quite pleasant - no fingers so cold you couldn't turn the pages.
After we had finished singing, everyone went back to Denis and Jinnie's house for a delicious supper of nibbles and then pasta, washed down with wine - a really nice ending to the evening.
I went there straight from work, as they were starting at 5.30 p.m. - there were about a dozen people, with a couple of small boys to hold - and rattle loudly - the collecting tins. Small children are always a draw for getting people to put money in the tins. These two were about four and eight I should think, and full of enthusiasm for the task.
We sang all the traditional carols under the direction of Denis Moriarty, who always organises it; Hammersmith Station during the rush hour is always extremely busy, so there are plenty of potential customers, and the tins were quite heavy by the time we finished at 7.00 p.m.
We were joined during the course of the singing by a member of the public, who just liked carol singing, and said she was on a retreat somewhere in Blythe Road.
The first time I sang carols in Hammersmith Station, when the new centre hadn't been completely, it was so bitterly cold that the flower seller in the booking hall went and got the two of us a hot drink, as we looked (and were!) so bitterly cold. It was absolutely freezing, with an icy blast blowing in.
This evening, however, not only was the temperature higher outside, but the shopping centre is now properly heated, and it was quite pleasant - no fingers so cold you couldn't turn the pages.
After we had finished singing, everyone went back to Denis and Jinnie's house for a delicious supper of nibbles and then pasta, washed down with wine - a really nice ending to the evening.
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Puss in Boots
Whilst I was in Catford, I picked up a leaflet from the library issued by Lewisham Council, which gave details of all sorts of things that were happening in the borough, including a pantomime at the telegraph Hill Centre.
When we left the Horniman Museum, we had oodles of time to get to the Telegraph Hill Centre, although finding out where exactly it was and how to get there was a different matter. Everyone we asked said something different, and we hopped on an off buses without really getting anywhere. Finally, we got on a bus which we'd been told would take us there, but had no idea where to get off - or whether it really was going to Kitto Road. it's no use asking the bus drivers, as few of them have a clue.
But I saw a young chap looking at maps on his mobile phone, and asked if he would be awfully kind and look up Kitto Road. It turned out he was going there himself! And the bus stopped just a matter of yards from the centre.
Telegraph Hill Centre is literally on top of a hill. Yo can see for miles, and on a dark night, it all looks wonderful, with lots of twinkling lights everywhere. The Centre is in fact part of a church. There is a community cafe attached, but they are not normally open in the evenings, and all they had in the way of food was beam stew or a small - very small - selection of rather expensive little cakes. We had one with a cup of coffee just to keep us going.
The theatre was tiny, and we were lucky to get seats, as they were sold out. However, they did squeeze us in, and we had quite a good view as we went in as soon as the doors opened.
As usual, the pantomime included lots of local references, and I gather all the actors were local people. The Dame was great and so was Puss - she really looked the part, even in her costume.
Instead of proper scenery, they had a series of large panels, where were turned round to provide the different backgrounds, and everything took place on a very small stage - you certainly couldn't get too many people there at once.
I was lucky enough to get talking to the lady sitting next to me, who was local, and told us that we could get trains home from Nunhead Station, which was quite near where she lived. So there was no problem getting home, as the trains one way go to Blackfriars and the other way to Bromley South, where Janette lives. Luckily, neither of us had to wait long for a train.
From Nunhead you also have a wonderful view -it really looks rather a nice place to live. I also saw a tame fox sauntering along the path beside the railway line - he obviously wasn't afraid of people.
When we left the Horniman Museum, we had oodles of time to get to the Telegraph Hill Centre, although finding out where exactly it was and how to get there was a different matter. Everyone we asked said something different, and we hopped on an off buses without really getting anywhere. Finally, we got on a bus which we'd been told would take us there, but had no idea where to get off - or whether it really was going to Kitto Road. it's no use asking the bus drivers, as few of them have a clue.
But I saw a young chap looking at maps on his mobile phone, and asked if he would be awfully kind and look up Kitto Road. It turned out he was going there himself! And the bus stopped just a matter of yards from the centre.
Telegraph Hill Centre is literally on top of a hill. Yo can see for miles, and on a dark night, it all looks wonderful, with lots of twinkling lights everywhere. The Centre is in fact part of a church. There is a community cafe attached, but they are not normally open in the evenings, and all they had in the way of food was beam stew or a small - very small - selection of rather expensive little cakes. We had one with a cup of coffee just to keep us going.
The theatre was tiny, and we were lucky to get seats, as they were sold out. However, they did squeeze us in, and we had quite a good view as we went in as soon as the doors opened.
As usual, the pantomime included lots of local references, and I gather all the actors were local people. The Dame was great and so was Puss - she really looked the part, even in her costume.
Instead of proper scenery, they had a series of large panels, where were turned round to provide the different backgrounds, and everything took place on a very small stage - you certainly couldn't get too many people there at once.
I was lucky enough to get talking to the lady sitting next to me, who was local, and told us that we could get trains home from Nunhead Station, which was quite near where she lived. So there was no problem getting home, as the trains one way go to Blackfriars and the other way to Bromley South, where Janette lives. Luckily, neither of us had to wait long for a train.
From Nunhead you also have a wonderful view -it really looks rather a nice place to live. I also saw a tame fox sauntering along the path beside the railway line - he obviously wasn't afraid of people.
Horniman Museum Christmas Market
I met a friend, Janette, for lunch in Catford; her daughter lives there, although it is rather a tatty place, there are one or two nice cafes.
After lunch, we caught a bus to the Horniman Museum, which is quite near, and had a Christmas Fair and Market.
We'd both been to the actual museum before, so didn't both looking around again, but went up the hill to the market. They were selling a lot of artisan foods; I tried a little piece of the red cup cakes, but didn't buy anything. The trouble with a lot of these artisan markets is that they are terribly expensive - everything costs far more than it does in the shops. But they did have some delicious looking foods.
In addition to the market, which is a regular feature, there was also a Christmas Fair in two venues. I didn't see anything I wanted, but they did have some quite nice things if you wanted something slightly different as a Christmas present
After lunch, we caught a bus to the Horniman Museum, which is quite near, and had a Christmas Fair and Market.
We'd both been to the actual museum before, so didn't both looking around again, but went up the hill to the market. They were selling a lot of artisan foods; I tried a little piece of the red cup cakes, but didn't buy anything. The trouble with a lot of these artisan markets is that they are terribly expensive - everything costs far more than it does in the shops. But they did have some delicious looking foods.
In addition to the market, which is a regular feature, there was also a Christmas Fair in two venues. I didn't see anything I wanted, but they did have some quite nice things if you wanted something slightly different as a Christmas present
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