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long live winter!!

Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, tagged snow in London 30.11.2010 on December 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

as I mentioned before, there is one thing guaranteed to get me out of bed before the alarm and that is snow.

what I saw when I opened my curtains at 7am this morning

I am dressed and out the door camera in hand in less than 10 minutes…….. it usually takes a cup of tea and a half-hour snuggle before I get up! so today I open my curtain to take a peek at what the weather holds in store and it’s SNOWING!!!!!! Talk about a ripple of energy!!!!! it’s like an electric current runs through the bed……..

So there I was, not yet 8am and I was out and about in the snow grinning from ear to ear and LOVING it!!!! There is one thing to be said for snow besides that it is beautiful – and that is that it is MAGICAL!!! There is something about snow on the rooftops and covering the trees that is quite simply magical.

picture postcard perfect

I know it causes chaos and I have lost out on work in the past…but hey so what! It is one of natures most beautiful visions and in all the 9 years of living in the UK I have yet to tire of it. Long live winter…. it brings the snow!

pretty as a picture

There were a few hardy souls out before me and we smiled a greeting (see thats what the snow does, creates a sense of community) as we wnet on our individual ways. Them to wherever they are going and me to the park nearby (can’t venture too far). I love the sounds of silence the snow creates, how it mutes all daily sounds, the crisp crunch underfoot as you step on virgin snow, the whoosh as it slides off the awnings, the slow steady drip drip drip as it melts off the branches.

birdbath frozen over

I love the sight of the trees under their blanket of white,

xmas trees

the ground a pure white disc, all uglies hidden, the enchanting vision of snow on the roof, the tumultuous flakes as they whirl and twirl down from the heavens, the smile it brings to peoples faces!

(p.s. this was written on 30.11.2010…I forgot to post it 🙂 )

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communing with the dead

Posted in Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, tagged Highgate Cemetery, victorian cemetery in london, victorian london on November 28, 2010| 3 Comments »

one of the things I have found most fascinating since moving to the UK 9 years ago are the cemeteries! Not just any cemetery mind….but ancient churchyard cemeteries and gothic cemeteries. They are evocative, secretive, and fascinating in the extreme, offering a glimpse into lives long over, by a multitude of causes from disease to fire with in some instances whole families wiped out by one cataclysmic event, those of children the most heart-rending.

: Fanny Elizabeth Stokes – died 22 February 1873 aged 7 years

Ireland is one of the best countries for visiting really ancient cemeteries and graveyards, one of which of course would be Glendalough (see the link below)…..absolutely fascinating.

I have visited hundreds of churchyards since living in the UK and find the smaller graveyards in old churches to be of great interest. So much about a village can be told by the stories written on the memorials and gravestones. Nearer to home (currently) and on a much larger scale is the Highgate Cemetery….in Highgate of course 🙂 north London. Often on my way to the village I walk along the perimeter of the cemetery and spend time peering through the railings at the gravestones reading their stories. I also take loads of photos; of course! 🙂

entrance to the west side of Highgate Cemetery - the older section

Highgate Cemetery is a Victorian Gothic cemetery first used in 1860 to inter a young lass; Mary Ann Webster, a baker’s daughter.

Highgate Cemetery, originally known as the Cemetery of St James at Highgate, is one of a series of large, formally landscaped burial grounds established around London during the early part of Queen Victoria’s reign, and offers a fascinating glimpse into Gothic London.
Victorian society had been outraged by the scandalous practices and overcrowding in existing burial grounds and the consequential insanitary conditions which this engendered. Parliamentary action enable private companies to create a ring of burial grounds around London which could reflect the eclecticism of Victorian taste; secure, elegant, ordered and imposing!

orderly rows of the dead

Highgate Cemetery is the most prestigious and dramatic evocation of these features.
Situated in the north of London N6, the first interment was on June 12th 1860 – 16 year-old Mary Ann Webster, a baker’s daughter was buried. The Cemetery, still a working burial ground has been run by the FOHC Friends of Highgate Cemetery, a non-profit organisation, since 1981.
Amongst the many tombs and graves that fill the cemetery to the brim, in excess of 50,000, are the world-famous Egyptian Avenue, catacombs, and a great number of ostentatious memorials heavily decorated, some featuring eye-catching inscriptions as well as poems.

169,000 people buried in 52,500+ graves

Highgate Cemetery is one of England’s finest Victorian cemeteries and is listed as a site of ‘Outstanding Architectural and Historial Importance’, a Grade I listed park. There are some 169,000 people buried in more than 52,500 graves in the east and west sides of the cemetery.
The formal borders and shrubberies planted by designers of Highgate Cemetery in the 19th century have largely gone and in their place, gentle decay, resulting in a ‘romantic confusion of plants, memorials and crumbling buildings.’

sunken graves and lop-sided stones

By the 1970’s the invasive sycamore created havoc as branches and roots damaged memorials and buildings. The cemetery offers a diveristy of wildlife and the introduction of native trees such as oak, willow, birch and hawthorn have greatly increased the diversity of insect life and provided a wider basis to food chains for wild life, with a developing woodland canopy with it’s undertow of shrubs, herbs and grasses, neadow areas and pathways where flowering plants such as greater burnet, knapweed, ragged robin, lords and ladies, ox-eye daises and many others grow, as well as ferns and and mosses.

this is one of my favourite pic - check how the vine has wrapped itself round the headstone, now almost one with the tree

A walk round the cemetery offers a remarkable insight into Victorian London and many famous persons are buried here; namely:
Douglas Noel Adams 1952-2001 – author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
George Eliot 1819-1880 – English novelist and author of Silas Marner & Middlemarch etc.
Michael Faraday 1781-1867 – one of the greatest scientists of the 19th Century.
William Alfred Foyle 1885-1963 – Bookseller – founded the world-famous Charing Cross Road
William Edward Friese-Greene 1855-1921 – claimed inventor of cinematography.

memorial to William Friese-Greene 1855-1921

John Lobb 1829-1895 – maker of bespoke boots & shoes; shoe-maker to Royalty
Anna Mahler 1904-1988 – award-winning sculptor born in Vienna, daughter of composer Gustav Mahler
Karl Heinrich Marx 1818-1883 – the world’s most influencial political philosopher.
Richard ‘Stoney’ Hovis 1836-1900 Baker who in 1886 launched Hovis, the 21st mass-produced brown (wheatgerm) bread.

And many many more.

Visiting the cemetery: http://www.highgatecemetery.org.uk/

Glendalogh – glen of two lakes

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squirrels in the garden

Posted in Fun Stuff, It's my life, tagged it's my life, squirrels in the garden, wildlife on November 27, 2010| 2 Comments »

time for breakfast

one of my ongoing and constant sources of delight are the squirrels in the garden! ever since I arrived at this position last year in February, I have enjoyed the goings on and antics of the squirrels, who have taken up a load of video space on my camera! they are exceptionally funny, very greedy and quite resourceful at getting food, especially when it comes to raiding the bird-feeders.

resourceful is my middle name

I have tried every possible position available to hang the bird-feeders so that the squirrels cannot get to them; to no avail!

if I can just get this damn thing off the wall..............!

They slide down the awning, climb the window frames, shimmy up the walls, jump from amazing distances with hilarious results until they reach their goal!

intrepid little squirrel

A lesson could be learned from them……it’s called determination! and never taking your eye off the end results…..in this instance – food!!!

This morning was no different! I have recently started putting out peanuts along with the bird-seed and breadcrumbs on the verandah in an effort to stop the squirrels raiding the birds feeders and this seems to have quelled their lust for suet/peanut treat and the energy balls, it has also attracted a larger number than usual of the wee pesky critters and this morning there was a mad tussle and lots of jumping and squawking and hurry scurry as we had no less than 6 squirrels on the verandah; all vieing for the same treats…..the word is out!!!

early morning arrival

One of the ways I entertain myself during the very looooonnng and boring mornings of my job is to chase the squirrels! I put the food out in a pile, wait for a few to gather and then I rattle the chain on the door, turn the keys and open the door……. 🙂 🙂 This has the effect of an electric current running through the ground and the squirrels scatter at great speed. There are one or two of the regulars who are no longer perturbed by this and know that I am all steam and no action, so now when I go through the motions they either ignore me or run to just a few feet away, first having grabbed a mouthful, till I go back indoors and before I have even locked the door they are back….looking at me through the glass as if to say ” is that all you can manage?”. they are hilarious!

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snow in London :)

Posted in Fun Stuff, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, tagged its my life, snow in london, wintery landscape on November 26, 2010| 3 Comments »

there is one thing guaranteed to get me out of bed before the alarm on a cold wintery day and that is SNOW!!! I woke up yesterday morning, had a peek out my curtain and jumped out the bed like an electric shock had just whizzed through my sheets!! 🙂 SNOW!! glorious snow!!! mind you it was just a light dusting of snow…but snow none-the-less!!! I was dressed and out the door before you could say “Bob’s your uncle” (which of course he isn’t…..), wrapped up warm and camera in hand, I scooted around the neighbourhood capturing scenes of snow before the sun got warmed up and melted it all.

houses in the neighbourhood

snow on the benches in the park

a snowy seat

a light dusting of snow

snow covered flowers

I believe we are in for a lot more in the days to come…………………..BRING IT ON!!!!! WHOO HOO!! snow glorious snow! 🙂

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my week in pictures

Posted in Fun Stuff, It's my life, tagged a week in my life in pictures, London, things I get to do and places I get to visit in London on November 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Monday brought a visit to Hampstead to meet with a potential Business Coach for 3 Days in London:

a school in Hampstead - reminds me of a school i went to in South Africa...a million years ago!

my kinda house. Hampstead is filled with delightful houses

and a visit to starbucks for the 1st 'gingerbread latte' of the winter season

Tuesday a walk to the village and I found these discarded pumpkins looking sad and lonely, waiting for the trashman

Wednesday and a walk on the Heath is in order. a dark wintery day didnt deter from the beauty of one of my favourite places

the fishing pond on Hampstead Heath... a favourite spot (much photographed)

Thursday was a wet and rainy day, and I got to walk through Waterlow Park on my way home from the village, the beauty of the foliage is much to be admired

the beauty of this particular spot catches my breath every time I walk by (this too has been photographed many times)

the pond looked suitably dark and mysterious

Friday I had the afternoon free so headed into my favourite part of London….the Square Mile

Guildhall, from whence the Lord Mayor starts his historic journey

the interior of Guildhall. the features are fabulous and it was awesome to walk in the footsteps of history.....

X marks the spot.....beneath this very unpreposessing looking slab, 20 feet below the surface lie the remains of a Roman Amphitheatre..which I visited of course

then a visit to another Wren church

St Lawrence Jewry - a Wren Church

and Saturday brought a visit to Keats House

the house where John Keats (poet) lived before he left for Rome where he died of TB at the age of 25

the chaise lounge in his parlour, Keats used to sit here and enjoy the view and write his poems

a fascinating discovery on the way home...a house in Hampstead

Sunday I stayed in 🙂

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Autumn 2010 in London

Posted in It's my life on November 17, 2010| 2 Comments »

Autumn 2010 has been one of those amazingly beautiful seasons that we get here in the UK,

crispy autumn days

a delicious surprise of vibrant colours, and sublimely crispy days….the sun beating down and warming you up as you briskly ‘take the air’ (a new expression I learned last week 🙂 ).
Autumn has always been my favourite season, the colours are splendid and the days crispy and beautiful, especially on a clear day and I love to kick my feet through a pile of crackling, crispy leaves, to throw a handful into the air and watch them floating down. There is something about the crackle and crunch of autumn leaves underfoot that thrills me, ankle deep drifts of leaves blown into piles by the wind, a veritable patchwork of colour; pleasing on the eye!

drifts of autumn leaves

2010 has been unusual in that the colours were far more pronounced than usual and we have been treated to a magnificent display;

autumn colours

a palette of red, purple, orange, yellow, russet, brown, and yellow

autumn colours

all offset by the ever present green of trees that never lose their colour and the psychedelic splash of bright green grass,

psychedelic green grass and bright yellow trees

particularly noticable in the parks of London…of which there are many!
The reason behind this fabulous display this year is the long spring drought and the wet, cool late summer that followed; combining to produce an outstanding autumn display, a sunburst of gold,

sunburst of yellow

a towering pillar of fiery red,

fiery red

the flickering flames of yellow and orange tinged with red

flickering flames of red and yellow

…….remarkable colours that have combined to produce an outstanding display of rich, deep colours.
I have tried to capture as many of these as possible, but as lovely as some of the photos are, they simply do not do justice to the colours of autumn!

this is one of my all time favourites - the viaduct bridge and duck pond on Hampstead Heath

and sunset on a glorious autumn day

16;20 sunset on the heath; mist on the fishing pond

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where was I on that day….

Posted in around the UK, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, Travel, tagged a royal engagement, a royal wedding for 2011, William and Kate announce their engagement on November 16, 2010| 2 Comments »

…that day back in 1981 when Charles and Diana got married.

Of course the news today that William and Kate are engaged to be married is absolutely, wonderfully delightful and I for one am thrilled to bits!!! A Royal wedding in 2011! Hooray!!! So very exciting. And how fortunate that I am living in London and will be able to experience the event. You can be absolutely sure that I will be camped out on The Mall to ensure that I get a bird’s eye-view of the proceedings!! The thought that I will be standing in front of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day and get to see them step out onto the balcony is beyond belief.

the Royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour 2010

I remember so clearly the day that Charles and Diana got married – I was living in Johannesburg at the time, in an area called Hillbrow; our apartment building was situated on top of the hill (ergo the name Hillbrow). My daughter was just on 11 months old then and I recall that on the day of their wedding I was sitting on a swing in the gardens of the apartments, my daughter on my lap with the sun shining down as we looked out over the city of Johannesburg. As we sat there, gently swaying back and forth, the wedding was taking place here in London…and never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect that one day I would be living in London and in a position to experience the wedding of their first baby, a baby who at that stage was still a twinkle in his daddy’s eye…..

and 29 years on hooray!!! we have a Royal wedding on the calendar for 2011.

Congratulations to William and Kate, may their union be blessed and filled with joy and happiness.

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if this is autumn……

Posted in It's my life, tagged autumn in london, gingerbread latte, Starbucks on November 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

…..then this must be gingerbread latte!

gingerbread latte at Starbucks...and a cherry liquer cupcake

One of the pleasures of autumn in London are the ‘gingerbread lattes’ at Starbucks. delicious and one of my treats on a cold day!

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The Lord Mayors Show 13 November 2010

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, tagged The Lord Mayors Show London 2010 on November 15, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Wow!! what a fantastic show. I had the best day ever on Saturday, was totally impressed and can tell you one thing for sure….no other country can do Pomp and Ceremony like the Brits!!! F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.

Pomp and Ceremony

The day started out grey and grim and I sent a tweet to my twitterverse to please wish for sunshine….we almost made it. By the time I left home I could see patches of blue sky…and the rain held off for the day!! Bloody marvellous.
I was so excited by the time I headed off for the bus…I have been in the UK for 9 years now and this is the first opportunity I have had to attend the Lord Mayor’s Show; a nearly 800 year-old tradition in The City of London. An annual event of 3 miles of fun, music and pageantry to welcome in the new Lord Mayor.
The lastest mayor being one Alderman Michael Bear, 683rd person to be elected to office, and latest in a long line of Lord Mayors that stretches back through centuries since 1189 when Henry Fitz-Ailwyn first held office.

cariciature of The Lord Mayor 1881

An illustrious position once held by Whittington, Lord Mayor of London thrice in his lifetime, the first in 1398.
“Turn again, Whittington,
Once Lord Mayor of London!
Turn again, Whittington,
Twice Lord Mayor of London!
Turn again, Whittington,
Thrice Lord Mayor of London!

The Lord Mayor’s Show dates to 1215 when King John allowed the City to elect it’s own mayor. The processional route takes you through thousands of years of history; a rich tapestry of events, places and streets of London over the centuries.

the processional route

Starting at the Guildhall

The Guildhall (1411-1440 15th Century Gothic)

and accompanied by the Mayor’s personal bodyguard,

Pikemen and Musketeers

Pikemen and Musketeer The Lord Mayors bodyguard by Royal Warrant

the coach winds it was through the streets of London, preceded by floats, the Pageantmaster,

The Pageantmaster - responsible for organising the event

Livery Companies, organisations, Merchantmen, buses, businesses, flambouyant carnival style costumes, marching bands, horse-guards charities, Freemasons, members of the Territorial Army, Cadets and a long line of wonderful coaches bearing the Aldermen of the City of London, 145 in all as well as zulu warriors and dancers

Zulu warrior

– supported by Standard Bank and reminescent of the Lord Mayor’s roots.. More than 6,500 people take part in the show and hundreds of thousands of spectators from far and near line the streets to see it.
The Lord Mayor’s State Coach,

The Lord Mayor's Coach

built in 1757 has pride of place and travels to St Paul’s Cathedral where it stops briefly (about 5 minutes), the Lord Mayor is welcomed into the city and blessed by the Dean of St Paul’s, a ceremony that takes place on the steps for all the citizens of the city to witness.

re-joining the parade from St Paul's Cathedral

From there it re-joins the parade and proceeds along Ludgate Hill, into Fleet Street past Prince Henry’s Room

Prince Henry's Room - Fleet Street

and into The Strand to The Royal Courts of Justice,

in front of The Royal Courts of Justice

the crowds following close behind. The journey pauses here for just over an hour while the Lord Mayor swears his allegiance to the Crown.
The procession starts once again and winds it’s way through Temple, along Victoria Embankment up past Puddle Dock, into Queen Victoria Street and thence to Mansion House – (completed in 1758 a rare surviving Georgian town palace) – the home and office of the Lord Mayor for the time he is in office.
Thereafter a gap of approx 2.5 hours and to end the event a fabulous display of aquabatics, a row-past by the Thames Traditional Rowing Association, (at which point I waved enthusiastically to Joe (from twitter) of The Brightside Six) who were part of the regatta,

Thames Traditional Rowing Association

dancing water fountains and fireworks on the Thames.

The Lord Mayor's Show - fireworks on the Thames end the show

fireworks on the Thames - a sparkling end to a sparkly day

The Lord Mayor is not to be confused with the Mayor of London, a completely different role. The Lord Mayor is primarily an international ambassador for the UK and spends 90 days a year travelling to around 23 countries, promoting the Square Mile aka the City of London.

griffin and herald - City of London

I was lucky enough to find a fabulous spot right near the steps of St Paul’s for that part of the ceremony and then another just past the Royal Courts of Justice for the 2nd part. I then followed the parade right to the end at Mansion House and thence to the Guildhall to see the coach in it’s display case.

The Lord Mayor's Coach

It was quite amazing to be part of this historical procession and to witness an event that has been re-enacted for almost 800 years. It was quite weird to see a funfair at St Paul’s too!!!

the fair comes to St Paul's

I phoned my sister in South Africa so she could listen to the bells ringing but unfortunately all she could hear was static. The bells rang out across the city, almost continuously for the whole time except when the Lord Mayor was actually at the cathedral. The streets were lined with thousands of people and an air of excitement pervaded the city. I had ever such a fabulous day, rushing along the pavements and streets of London following the parade, chatting to people, being cheeky with the police (heehee), and generally having a brilliant time. The day ended off with a pledge fulfilled and fireworks… the pledge was to Joe from twitter…I had said I would wave my pink scarf as they went by and so I did….and he saw me!!! how much fun is that!

It is fantastic to be able to witness these events and I am eternally grateful that I now live here…….London for ever 🙂 I am truly addicted!

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and on a lighter note

Posted in It's my life, things to do in London, tagged a ramble on Hampstead Heath. Hamsptead Heath on November 14, 2010| 3 Comments »

a view protected by law - London from the top of Parliament Hill

a ramble on Hampstead Heath….. ahh it never ceases to fascinate me that whilst one is doing one thing….there are a multitude of other happenings going on around you!!! Things you are not even aware of till later….ie Wednesday’s student protests in London. I had the afternoon off and had been debating about what to do, what to do!!! I love Westminster and go there as often as possible and since Wednesday was such a gorgeous day I had a mind to go walkabout through the area……however, I decided instead to visit Parliament Hill for some photos and then decide what to do.

a fabulous day - view of London from halfway up Parliament Hill

I stood on the crest of the hill looking at and admiring the view of London (which is protected by the way), quite simply enchanted by the view: St Paul’s, the London Eye, the O2, Canary Wharf….all are visible albeit tiny in the distance. After taking my fill of photos I headed downhill to the busstop having decided I could not pass up an opportunity to go into London.

On the way I stopped to look at an aerial map of the heath

Hampstead Heath

and noticed that right there in the middle, a part I had not yet explored was a viaduct bridge….and that was the end of my trip into town. and a jolly good thing too as it turned out!! Instead I spent the next few hours rambling about the heath, traipsing through long grass, under ancient trees, along a multitude of pathways, up a row of stairs to a secret glade and down again…walking along paths carpeted with a rich tapestry of autumn leaves.

a rich tapestry of autumn leaves

The viaduct bridge turned out to be magical

the viaduct bridge

and after taking my fill I climbed up to a beautiful spot above to just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet. I then headed back through the avenue ( a line of trees planted after the hurricane some years back),