UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Jun 7, 2018 6:17:19 GMT
“I use those tunnels, yes. But only when my black cloak has been dry cleaned, and my Segway has a fully charged battery…” Avacyn do you really wear a black cloak or are you saying that just to mislead us? Could this man in Druid dress on a Segway be you?
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Jun 7, 2018 6:19:18 GMT
The sphinxes of Crystal Palace
Sphinxes have their own thread but this is the place to show off some of the best sphinxes in London, including some particularly good examples of Victorian replicas. I went to see the restored Crystal Palace sphinxes recently. I preferred the unpainted grey stone, but the new red colour has softened a bit. Is this one pining for the glory days before the Crystal Palace burned down? With his Royal Navy friends during World War I, and in a thoughtful mood today:
|
|
Avacyn
Project Manager
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by Avacyn on Jun 8, 2018 19:16:19 GMT
“I use those tunnels, yes. But only when my black cloak has been dry cleaned, and my Segway has a fully charged battery…” Avacyn do you really wear a black cloak or are you saying that just to mislead us? Could this man in Druid dress on a Segway be you? Drat, rumbled... You're getting too good at spying on me!
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Jun 10, 2018 6:19:12 GMT
The sphinxes on the Victoria Embankment
As previously mentioned in the main sphinx thread, the obelisk known as Cleopatra’s Needle is guarded by a pair of large bronze Egyptian-style sphinxes. The Victoria Embankment also has many benches with Greek-style sphinx supporters, very convenient for having a rest, admiring the view of the river and keeping company with the big sphinxes. I prefer Egyptian sphinxes to the Greek, and I also love the way these ones smile, not exactly mysteriously but in a self-satisfied way. They are my favourite London sphinxes; they are very photogenic:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Jun 12, 2018 5:26:30 GMT
London sphinxes - Brompton cemetery
These ones appeared in Guy Ritchie’s 2009 Sherlock Holmes film. They are Greek style sphinxes, but they have horse’s hooves in front!
|
|
|
Post by magpiejack on Sept 10, 2018 20:17:09 GMT
The city beneath the city
I like books and films that feature London, urban fantasy in particular. There are some good books about alternative London below: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Un Lun Dun by China Miéville The Borrible Trilogy by Michael de Larrabeiti Thanks for those recommendations UnseenI, I'm always on the lookout for a good read. Have you come across David Wailing's book Under? It's a creepy fiction read about secret tube stations. He also has a free Kindle version of a related short story called Signal Failure. With regards to the question of the thread - I like a day in London but I could never live there. I live in a village and wouldn't swap that for anything.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 11, 2018 6:08:52 GMT
Welcome back magpiejack . I enjoy having a day away from London but wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Each to their own! I hadn’t heard of David Wailing, but his book sounds promising. There was a lot of talk about the tunnels beneath London on the old forum. They were mentioned in several connections. Here is an extract from one of my old posts: “The tunnels and closed, forgotten tube stations below the streets of London are a fascinating subject… You have reminded me of an awful story I read in a 3rd class science fiction magazine ages ago. Late night lone travellers were vanishing from underground station platforms. The cause was a race of troglodytes, who were the descendants of some of the original tunnel diggers who had become trapped. I never wondered at the time how a group of men could produce a few more generations! They had broken through some walls and started to snatch their victims while they waited for the late trains. These monsters could only say one thing, which they had learned from the guards: it was, ‘Mind the doors'!"
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 11, 2018 18:06:59 GMT
More about Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere
The urban fantasy TV series Neverwhere was first shown in 1996. It was low-budget and a little amateurish – the Beast of London was funny rather than terrifying – but well worth watching. 1996 was not a good year for me, and this series was an excellent distraction. I loved the play on words, with stations as people’s names e.g. Angel Islington, who was a bad guy, and the Earl with his Court. A while later, I found the Neverwhere novella. It was just a companion to the TV series. A few years ago, I decided to mine the past and find books and films that I remembered as being very good. I got the Neverwhere DVDs, and found that the series has still ‘got it’, for me at least. A new, enhanced edition of the book was published in 2016. It is the author’s preferred text, and contains a lot of previously deleted material. It comes from Headline Publishing Group. Recommended for anyone who likes fantasy, alternative lifestyles and London below. The picture above is of the new edition. Here are some earlier covers:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 19, 2018 18:47:44 GMT
London graffitiWe have had a few examples of London street art. There is a lot of really good graffiti too. Here is one example:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 21, 2018 6:50:56 GMT
The fourth plinth
There is an empty plinth in Trafalgar Square that has been used for a variety of temporary artworks. The latest is a replica of an Assyrian winged bull that was destroyed by Isis in Iraq. It is made out of syrup cans. I have been past it on the bus many times and it is quite a sight:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 23, 2018 6:34:41 GMT
London’s ghost underground stations
The abandoned Tube stations under London have been mentioned a few times. As a very interesting map from the DM shows, there are a lot of them: “There are 49 abandoned stations on the 249-mile-long London Underground network – and they have all been detailed on a fascinating map of it. It has been created by Franklin Jarrier, who not only names these ‘ghost stations’ - marked in grey on the map - but indicates the date they closed. What’s more, his map shows the actual layout of the Tube’s various tracks and shows the overground network, too, along with its abandoned stations. The level of detail is astonishing - even platform numbers are pinpointed.” Much more information and expanded pictures can be found here: www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-6193143/The-fascinating-London-Underground-map-shows-single-abandoned-GHOST-STATION.html
|
|
aletheia
Junior Member
Still upright, still drawing air
Posts: 118
|
Post by aletheia on Sept 23, 2018 19:04:15 GMT
London is very historic and a multitude of notable figures have been buried within its walls. Oftentimes, these people were buried in non-descript fashions and some years later monuments and memorials spring up around the graves. Some of these graves and monuments have interested me in the past like this one dedicated to the famous writer and merchant Daniel Defoe (1660–1731), who is interred in Bunhill Fields, Islington. This was traditionally where non-conformists in the 17th century and onwards were buried and other notables found in this yard include poet William Blake, author of Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan, and distinguished Puritan theologist John Owen. "In 1869, James Clarke, editor of the Christian World children's newspaper, launched an appeal for subscriptions to place a more suitable memorial on the grave. He encouraged his readers to make donations of sixpence each; and to stimulate enthusiasm opened two lists, one for boys and one for girls, to encourage a spirit of competition between them. Many adults also made donations. In the end, some 1,700 subscriptions raised a total of about £200. A design for a marble obelisk (or "Cleopatric pillar") was commissioned from C. C. Creeke; and the sculptor Samuel Horner of Bournemouth was commissioned to execute it." – from Wikipedia. It seems strange that an Egyptian obelisk was erected in what was primarily a Puritan or reformed burial ground. And why was this deemed suitable for someone like Defoe? The year 1870, in which the obelisk was erected, is also quite a notable and eventful year in European history as a side note.
|
|
Avacyn
Project Manager
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by Avacyn on Sept 23, 2018 21:17:15 GMT
This might interest the Londonphiles on this forum. I watched it last night, and thought it very interesting. Made me think of the site I volunteered at a month or two ago: It's really good at showing how things can get when you're against the clock! It also got my interest, because of the level of sophistication and advancement there was. This ties in with what I've been learning about Roman Canterbury. Whilst the Romans kept on having continual problems keeping rule on the land, and it was a frontier, it certainly looks like Britain had far more status and importance than previously thought. I disagree with the Romans creating London, but that's a different topic.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 24, 2018 6:18:14 GMT
"I disagree with the Romans creating London, but that's a different topic."
?? So was it aliens then?
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 24, 2018 6:23:14 GMT
"It seems strange that an Egyptian obelisk was erected in what was primarily a Puritan or reformed burial ground. And why was this deemed suitable for someone like Defoe?"
It does indeed seem strange. Something more to look into when I get the chance.
The cemeteries and graveyards of London are yet another big attraction. This is not just because of the people buried there, but the stonework, the greenery, the wildlife, the peace... it is very sad when you see the gravestones of children who lived for only a few years.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 24, 2018 19:28:22 GMT
The Victorians liked Egyptian-style monuments. The obelisk known as Cleopatra’s Needle was installed in 1878. You can see plenty of small obelisks, sphinxes etc. in cemeteries all over London. On the other hand, this could be a subtle reference to Freemasonry: Daniel Defoe is thought to have been a member of the Craft. I notice your C C… the 33rd degree is of great importance in Freemasonry. His full name was Christopher Crabb Creeke. The sign of Cancer the Crab is in the keystone position in this picture:
|
|
Avacyn
Project Manager
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by Avacyn on Sept 26, 2018 23:23:00 GMT
"I disagree with the Romans creating London, but that's a different topic." ?? So was it aliens then? No, the Celts. Long story short. I'll have to make my argument on that, I guess. One essential thing to understand about history, is that people will use it to further their own ends. So, the Roman Empire got trumped up, because we needed to justify the British Empire. As an example.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 28, 2018 7:31:24 GMT
Who created the original London? Celts Avacyn? How about Atlanteans or Trojans? I think it was the Romans! Everything else is just a legend. I have seen some of their remains. Roman wall on Tower Hill: More ancient Roman wall and a modern-day statue. The layers of narrow reddish bricks are a sign of Roman construction:
|
|
Avacyn
Project Manager
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by Avacyn on Sept 28, 2018 22:50:26 GMT
Who created the original London? Celts Avacyn ? How about Atlanteans or Trojans? I think it was the Romans! Everything else is just a legend. I have seen some of their remains. Roman wall on Tower Hill: More ancient Roman wall and a modern-day statue. The layers of narrow reddish bricks are a sign of Roman construction: It's possible, the Trojan idea. I'm certainly well aware of it. As for Atlantis... it certainly existed. The timescale is right for a civilisation being wiped out due to the end of the Younger Dryas. But that's a topic for another time.
London could have been a capital city for a local tribe. These existed: case in point, Canterbury. The clue is in the name.
Nice walls, but I'm left wondering... is any of it Kentish Ragstone? It's a limestone. It was shipped about as far as Essex, so it's a possibility.
Roman buildings in Kent invariably were built using flint. They still are. It's a very common item around here! I wonder if the tiles were specially created, or recycled material?
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 29, 2018 6:51:46 GMT
As I understand it, there was certainly some pre-Roman occupancy but not a real town. There were nomads then a few homesteads and maybe a few small settlements. Post holes etc, have been found on the south side of the Thames. It seems that everything else is down to myths, legends, speculation, discredited sources and misunderstandings! Londinium itself was not extensive. This map shows what their tube network might have looked like if they had had one: You can get it as a PDF here: assets.londonist.com/uploads/2015/08/romantube_-2.pdf
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 30, 2018 6:44:19 GMT
Carreras cigarette factary
There is an Egyptian-style deco building near Camden Town in north London that I like very much. A former cigarette factory, it was completed in 1928. From WiKi: “The building's distinctive Egyptian-style ornamentation originally included a solar disc to the Sun-god Ra, two gigantic effigies of black cats flanking the entrance and colourful painted details. When the factory was converted into offices in 1961 the Egyptian detailing was lost, but it was restored during a renovation in the late 1990s and replicas of the cats were placed outside the entrance… The building was opened to great fanfare; a ceremony held in front of the building involved covering the pavements in front of the building with sand to replicate the deserts of Egypt. There was a procession of cast members from a contemporary London production of Verdi's opera Aida, actors in Ancient Egyptian costume performed around the "temple" structure, and a chariot race was held on the Hampstead Road.” There is a paving stone opposite the entrance on the other side of the road that has the Eye of Horus engraved on it. It is difficult to find pictures that do it justice. An old advertisement and recent photographs give an idea of what it is like:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 30, 2018 6:46:53 GMT
The deep shelter at Stockwell Avacyn you have accused me of tracking down your lairs and bunkers. I have just found another of your hideouts! It is close to Stockwell Station. It is brightly painted with poppies and military scenes. Together with the adjacent tower, it forms Stockwell's war memorial. The tunnels below are said to be an archival document store... who knows what really goes on down there!
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 2, 2018 7:08:48 GMT
Over or under the river for nothing
Most people cross the river Thames by bridges; there are also some tunnels for buses and cars. Some river boats and buses go from one side to the other. There are other ways, some of them free of charge. I have used these two a few times: The Woolwich Ferry is a free service connecting Woolwich on the south side of the river to North Woolwich on the other side. The Greenwich Foot Tunnel goes under the Thames, linking Greenwich with the Isle of Dogs. You go in the domed entrance and down via a spiral staircase or a lift. I would not go through it alone at night:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 10, 2018 6:31:05 GMT
Up, up and away over the river Thames
The cable cars known as the Emirates Airline provide some spectacular views for people who use them to cross over the Thames at North Greenwich. I was there on the opening day; I was one of the first people to take a ride in a car. It was hoped that large numbers of commuters would use this method of crossing the Thames, but the cable cars are mainly used by tourists and for pleasure.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 19, 2018 19:13:26 GMT
A beautiful tribute to the River Thames
Sweet Thames, Flow Softly is a lovely song. I know most of the locations mentioned in it.
I like the Liverpool Spinners’ version best. I couldn’t find it online, but this is almost as good:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Nov 21, 2018 7:46:58 GMT
The Victoria Embankment sphinxes yet again
These replicas have also appeared in the Sphinx thread, but for me they are a big London attraction. People sit and talk and eat their lunches in a protected place between the paws and under the benevolent gaze of these guardians:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Nov 22, 2018 18:45:35 GMT
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Nov 23, 2018 8:48:26 GMT
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Nov 30, 2018 7:13:15 GMT
The Stratford Shoal titanium sculpture
London is full of public art, some temporary some permanent, some ancient some modern, some beautiful and some bizarre. There is a permanent installation at Stratford Station that was created for the occasion of the 2012 Olympic Games at a cost of £3 million. I think that the colours are beautiful; I thought at first that it was trees and leaves, but the name suggests fishes:
|
|
|