Andy wins again!

View out my window whilst I pack

Must not damage the bag

There are still 4 places on this
 tea towel that I have not been to!

Just as well Stephen is keeping me updated with the important stories at home, like forming a government and koalas sitting on couches. 

Meanwhile its time for me to pack my bags and get ready for the big journey home. Ok I am a bit more experienced at this now and have not brought as much as previous years (I think). Heavy stuff in the small bag. Have a cuppa. Half the big bag. Stare out the window at the lovely garden. Figure out how to tackle ‘the coat’. Well more specifically the coat bag. Its so nice a man on the bus was patting the gold embossing when I was not looking!

Time flies, Mary and Jeff are here and its time to make the long journey to Heathrow. Its goes quickly we have lots to talk about and Andy Murray is winning!

Terminal 3 madness awaits, oh my how long is the line for VAT. Ok, time to stream Wimbledon to keep me sane. Andy win’s, ball boys and girls are thanks, trophies are held high. Happiness abounds.

A big thanks to Jane and family for a wonderful trip!

See you on the other side. 

Did I meet a Banksy imitator?

Esther and some of the tour

Pointillism

Lots of statements about London
being too expensive

Done with marker pen

Quaint but cute

Very smart, by Wrdsmith
- think I have seen these in Melbourne

Matched for the street perfectly

Clet, an old favourite

Psychedelic app by Insa

Esther

Invader + Obey

Great pig robbery

Catch up with Tony the fossil guy
at Covent Garden markets

London bopping as I finally say goodbye at
Charing Cross station

Is it morning already? After a big day and night, its a big hard to get out of bed - but it's another day on the tourist trail. So let’s get up and get going. 

As Jane heads out the door, she leaves a warning to stay away from Bond St. Who knows where I will end up, my first port of call today is Shoredtich for a street art tour. We all know my obsession with street art started with a Stik above Phoenix Garden in Soho in 2012, then Invaders, then its just grown and grown. Now with Melbourne, New York and Berlin under my belt its time to go back to Shoreditch and see what’s happening.

My instructions are to meet at the goat statute, this in itself amuses me. So here I am and so is Esther our guide for today. With about 20 others we are off at a pace. Wait - better walk faster. Stickers, not just digital but screen printed, 4 year old bronzes on top of poles and now in Fashion Street. Esther is a art historian and doing for her PhD in street art so she knows her sutff. Explaining the finer points of how traditional techniques have been adapted to the street. The evolution of artists from earlier works, the difference with their gallery pieces. Its all fascinating. I had no idea how much skill was used to control drips, am very impressed with the pointillism piece. 

We keep going and going, down alley ways, up lanes, across roads. I have no idea where we are. Time for a break, whats that a massive 2 metre high invader in the distance, Esther sees me hyperventilating and assures me we will see that after the break. Time for some water, I need it to keep up with this street art marathon. Hope that camera battery lasts with all this photo snapping. Break over lets get up and get going, past a barber’s decorated inside and outside with street art and old men standing around with capes on. Bizarre real life. Now its time to get our phones out for a preloaded app by street artist INSA. Hold it up to the piece and viola, the piece moves around like a kaleidoscope amazing. This is so much fun. Now another piece by INSA. Then cross over and into another lane, who knows where I am glad I am with about 20 people. There are strange cars going by with strange men, all with the windows down playing duff duff music. Add rubbish and graffiti and its a tad scary. Glad I am with 20 other people and Esther knows what she is doing. One of the American ladies comments, I think we have taken a wrong turn and ended up in the gang streets of New York in the 80’s. App out, initialise, validate, ta da, 50 points. Next to an obey mural, then whats that a pig clock that has had all the pigs stolen and a pig wanted poster next to it. Very funny, I love the humour. We turn a corner and we are out of the lane back into ‘normal’ streets of Shoreditch, glad we survived. Now on and on, down more lanes I love 616’s evolution from an electrician in a van going about London doing his work seeing the street art. To starting his own small installations and now doing stencil work. Esther is explaining a lot more about the master and apprentice method of creating the big pieces and how people get to carry the cans and earn the right to participate. Sounds like we are in 16th century Florence. What a worthwhile tour. I saw lots of other ‘street art’ tours during the day - they looked very boring by comparison to this one, trip advisor reviews do work.

Now where in the hell am I and what do I do now? Esther sees me looking lost and sends me over to the Pure Evil gallery and orientates me to where the station is. Cross a road and more street art everywhere, Shoreditch really is the centre of the street art movement. This gallery represents many established and new street artists. In I go photo snapping, the rubbish bins look like an installation. Is it? Who knows. The two guys on their phone below the Audrey portrait make a nice contrast. Can I take your photo with the prints? Ah, NO. And one guy runs off like a scared rabbit and hides in the corner with his face turned away. The other says he is camera shy. I say, no worries and move on. What a weird encounter. Was that Banksy - I don't think so looked to young (I think), was it someone wanted by the police or someone else famous/infamous? Who knows. 

Now I am back on the streets where do I go, what do I do. Where exactly am I - disoriented again. Look there is a guy in an invader t-shirt looking up and snapping. Hiya (the standard London greeting) so I snap the invader we get chatting and now he leading me to another invader around the corner, and then why not and other corner, and have you seen the big one that is one of the first pieces. No. Well come this way. Marcel, my invader friend is a font of knowledge. Next year he wants to go to Tokyo to snap invaders, much to the dismay of his partner. After an enjoyable impromptu tour its time to say goodbye. 

Saturday’s in London as just so alive there is hours more fun to be had. So its on the double decker bus up the top at the front to travel the streets of London. Places to go, people to see, photos to snap. I love London.

Highly recommended: Shoredtitch Street Art tours

No cash for the ferry man (Part 2)

Ready Captain

Richmond

Curtains go up, so we can go through

Just made it under this bridge with the tide coming in

We made it Westminister

Very exciting! 

Will we make it, yes, no, yes. We are the last two to jump on the Cockney Sparrow boat heading for Westminster via the Thames. Will we go upstairs, of course. Time to sit back and relax as the sites of the river slide but first we have the safety announcement, from our first mate. Ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies, we have life boat on both sides of the boat, with enough food and water for 6 weeks or you can just swim to the side of the river. Its good to calm down after the intensity of the show. Ladies, please pay, what credit cards - not possible you will have to walk the plank. Posh houses and fishing shacks roll by before we know it we are a Richmond. 

Why is there concrete piers across the river. Its a loch, there is the loch man. Is that what they are called? The captain expertly manoeuvres in between drags on his ciggie. Now he dons a lifejacket with the first mate and they do things with ropes. We drop a long way, waiting, waiting. Something miraculous has happened - I have no idea what and the gates are automatically open. After all that excitement its time for a cup of tea, we scrape together just enough coins for two cups, no cake today. Thinking of that where is the first mate he said to wait till Richmond to pay by credit card. 

The guy behind us is taking his friend from Berlin for a tour. His running commentary and little stories are trivial but fascinating. There is where he and his Dad go to watch Fulham play. This bridge is bedlam and peak hour on and on it goes.

Now for our next obstacle we are doing donuts and I don't know why. Ah, for this bridge if we wait a few minutes the tide will be right to miss the loch. So wait we do, the curtains raise, everyone on the top deck is snapping photos and then under the drips we go. Thankfully we did not get wet but the back of the boat did.

Closer to London and many more bridges as we chug along on the Cockney Sparrow, the sun is shining, the wind is pleasant, this is tourisitng with ease and style. Right oh, that Captain has put down his ciggie, must be something important happening now. He has a screwdriver. Is the motor not working? No, he has decided to do some maintenance and take down an aerial. What? Announcement, keep all arms below or they will be broken. Under Hammersmith Bridge we go with only an inch or two to spare. Apparently the tide was nearly too high and we would have had to turn around if we where a few minutes later. 

Lots of big apartment blocks now, where we walked at Chelsea along the embankment last weekend, the Battersea power station under gentrification and lots more. Finally Westminster Bridge, Houses of Parliament and the London Eye are all laid out in front of us. There’s that funny first mate again. Ladies, you got this trip for free. Well thank you!

Now you think most people after a big day out, then a 3 hour boat ride would go home. But not us, we have an important appointment at Bond St. Burberry. Take a seat ladies, we will just be a moment. The moments get longer, and longer. Would you like a drink ladies? Yes, please - champagne hits the spot. Finally it arrives, THE coat. Try it on, sleeves done to perfection by the Burberry tailors. Now Catherine would you like to see the different styles. Yes, please. This way or with scarf, casual tided here, do the bow know this way. How will I ever remember all this I hope they have you tube videos. Finally the wrapping and a bow and we are on our way to dinner.

For a Friday night London is buzzing but we get a seat after the theatre crowds. Lovely meal and now its time to head for home. Let’s Skype Stephen whilst we walk to the bus. A bus from Selfridges down Oxford St. Jane says, up the top? Where else I ask? The bus has only gone 100m and its stopped there is a big crowd of people and coppers around, what is happening? All of Oxford St is at a standstill its an impromptu protest the police have it all under control and after a bit of a delay we are on our way and its time to say goodbye to Stephen.

We are late home. Bath and bed. Zzzzzzz.

Garden groupies (Part 1)

The man responsible for all the pink trolly's

Plans change and somehow we have found ourselves in possession of two tickets to the Hampton Court Flower Show, yipee. Everyone on our carriage must be going to the same place how nice, they all look excited. We have arrived at Hampton Court, standing at the train doors there are a sea of faces. Down the platform, up the platform, everywhere. Ok lets join the throng. As one we make it through the station, over the bridge, along the Thames path and eventually we are in. This is more crowded than Harrods on a sale day. 

Finally we get our rhythm and start to explore. Everyone is dressed nicely in lots and lots of florals. I think everyone here wears their favourite clothes and its an annual event. The trolly ladies are real veterans with strategies evolved over the years ready to snap up the latest plants for their gardens. I think I have landed in a different planet.

All the conversations are about roses, where is the rose tent, have you seen the Martha Sweet, what about the perfumes. Its all a bit overwhelming but around we go sculptures, displays, garden furniture, artists who will do a portrait of your house and garden. Its insane.

One favourite bit is the scarecrows made by school kids. There is even a plant creche to leave your plants whilst you shop for more. There is a bunch of ladies downing pimms before the sun is over the yard arm. The definitely don't take their plants seriously but they are having a jolly good time. 

Its an amazing experience to be here, but intense overload of the senses not knowing which way to look and navigating between the people. We manage to do it ‘all’. With only a touch of FOMO.

A train trip to 1894

Front of Standen House

Got to love a house full of books

Electric lights

Exquisite embroidered bedspread

Great room used as studio by
one of the daughters

An angel on the staircase

Photo snapping in the garden

Back of house, with views over the valley

So much taste, much better than home

Jane has picked Standen House for today’s adventure. With the help of google and a friendly station attendant we make the right train changes and arrive ready, for a cup of tea. Well everyone here is about 20 years older than us so we may as well practice for when our hair is all grey.

The house was built by Phillip Webb and decorated by Morris and Co for a London solicitor and his family, the Beales. We are here to see the interior, its a time capsule of William Morris carpets, fabrics and wallpaper from 1894. But we soon learn there is so much more, like this house was one of the first to have electric lights built in - they where powered by a donkey.

My favourite bit has to be the embroidered bedspread. The bedspread does not actually belong in the house. However it was made by Morris and Co and stored by a lady in an attic as she never used it. She then decided to donate to the V & A however they where unable to display and suggested she donate here. Standen House was most willing to display and thats why it is here today in one of the guest bedrooms. The detail, soft colours and intricate patterns are exquisite. 

Finally we explore the gardens, the shop (can I have a stronger bag to carry that all back to London please) and hang out in the barn cafe. Jane beats me for the number of photos taken. 

Back home for dinner and more high drama at Wimbledon, matches goes on and on, just as well strawberries are plentiful in London.