Clerkenwell

I've decide to continue on with bees for a bit and am going to start stitching "June" from the Prairie Schooler's "A Prairie Year II". 

Today we took a walk in the Clerkenwell district of northwest London.  My Mom was the tour leader.

The walk began at the Smithfield meat market.

In the middle ages this was "Smooth field" - a broad grassy area outside the London Wall along the river Fleet. Because of the access to grazing and water,  it was used as the city's main livestock market for centuries.

One of the oldest markets in London, meat has been traded in Smithfield for 800 years. 

This present day market is the results of Victorian reforms as the conditions of the animals, the smells, and garbage were appalling.  The market was destroyed near the end of WWII, and this current market was built.  

The wholesale market is most active in the very early morning hours, but even at 11:00am we could see a butcher or two. 

Next up on our tour was St. Bartholomew the Great.  It is a Norman church built as part of St. Bartholomew's Priory in 1123.  Rahere, the jester of King Henry provided the monies after miraculously surviving a dire illness.

I like the fact that as big and touristy as London is, you can still find something off the beaten track that is quiet and contemplative. 

This is Rahere's tomb inside the church. 

The Smithfield area has a very bloody history.  Executions took place near the market.  It is here that Sir William Wallace, among others,  was done in. 

As we walked along I was pleased to see several street food vendors set up on Grenville Road.

This one, serving Ghanaian food is called "Spinach and Agushi".

I was  totally lost (directionally) as we meandered about on our walk.  Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Shard and St. Paul's make an appearance.

 

No walk about the city is complete without noticing a pub or two.

This was my favorite.  The Bleeding Heart pub is named after nearby Bleeding Heart Yard.  The yard appears in Dicken's "Little Dorrit" home to the Plornish family.  Legend has it that Lady Elizabeth Hatton danced with the Spanish Ambassador at the Winter ball of 1626.  She was later found dead with her heart still pumping away.  How gruesome is that?  She actually died of old age.  

And hey, look here!

I think this is a Great Tit.  Please feel free to weigh in if you thing otherwise.

If You Seek His Monument, Look Around You

 

Design - "Bee Skep"

Chart - "June"

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 32 count Lambswool linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 15 May 2013

Completed - 20 May 2013

 

Ta-da!  I think I ended up stitching this little skep twice to complete it once.  The frogs followed me across the pond to England. 

 

Can you tell how we spent today?

 

Here's another hint.

 

 

You guessed it, we visited St. Paul's Cathedral.

 

The detail is extraordinary both inside and out.

Built in 1669 after the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed the previous cathedral, it is considered Christopher Wren's finest work.

 

All these centuries later, it still dominates the skyline nearby.

I'm not able to share photos of the remarkable interior as photography is not permitted inside the church.

 

There were police on horseback working the area near St. Paul's.

 

After visiting St. Paul's, we walked across the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern.  The art museum is famous for the revolving large installation in the former turbine hall.  I was crushed to find that the room was closed - under construction.

I think this is the most clever street performer I have ever seen!

Certainly all the school children gathered around thought so.

 

As we heading back to the tube station, we stumbled upon a Paul bakery.  It was such an easy decision to buy a take-away lunch. Paul is in the US as well at Britain, here's a link.  

The British Museum and Russell Square

Surprise!  Actual stitching progress and I use that word lightly. 

I've had next to no time to stitch since United plane landed at Heathrow.

I won't tell you about all the stitching supplies I carted over here... (yeah...lots of stuff)...

 

Today dawned gray and cold with puddles from the night's drizzle.  We decided it was the day to visit the British Museum.  So off we went.

 

I liked the shop details and window details of L. Cornelissen & Son located caddy corner to the museum.

 

Though I think you'd have to be mad to bicycle in London, these stands of 'for rent' bicycles have popped up everywhere including right next to the museum. 

 

The Great Court of the British Museum was built in 2000 and is now its most iconic feature.

 

The ceiling in amazing.

 

Mom and I got maps of the layout of the museum and off we went.  We split up and each went off in a different direct.  The rooms with Egyptian mummies are always extremely popular.  Today they were packed with school children out on a field trip to the museum.  I enjoyed visually cataloging the different school uniforms, and watching children interact with the exhibits.

 

I also enjoyed looking at the various found "hoards" of antique coins and jewelry.

 

There's something for everyone of every age at the British  Museum!

 

After several hours at the British Museum, we decided to take a leisurely stroll over to Russell Square.

 

There were lots of window boxes to admire along the way.

Russell Square had lilacs, roses, bleeding hearts, and centaurea.

 

Here's one of the entrances.

 

Inside the gates, pollinators were hard at work on perennial geraniums.

 

Squirrels scampered about though they were terribly out-numbered by pigeons. 

All and all it was a most pleasant day.  We spent time inside and time outside.  The threatening weather never made an appearance, and we ended our adventure by checking out another supermarket: Sainsbury.   As it was still a rather cool, dull day we thought it called for soup of dinner.  I had soothing French onion, and my mother enjoyed pea and ham with Stilton and table water biscuits.

Columbia Road Flower Market

This morning my Mom and I decided to visit the famous Columbia Road Shops and Flower Market. 

 

The market runs each Saturday from 8am until about 3pm.

The vendors' displays were amazing, as were the prices!

Orchids for £5, Lewisia for £2, Conifers for £1.50.

Much better than I could ever get back home.

I understand that if you arrive from 1pm on, the vendors will really deal, as they want to get rid of the merchandise rather than transport it again.

Dahlias for sale - four for £5 (about $7.60).

Tomato plants

A store called Open House had great garden supplies.  My very favorite were the Pantone pots on the top shelf on the left. 

 

I also liked these.

 

The market had everything floral for sale:

Alpines, cacti, bedding plants, conifers, orchids, and citrus trees.

 

As the morning progressed, Columbia Street became jammed with prospective buyers and the cries of the buskers.

 

Garden in an urban area using public transportation has many challenges including getting the items back home. Here's a lemon tree headed to its new abode.

 

And yes, a new bird today.

This is a male Gray Wagtail.