Great Falls Historical Distric Cultural Center in Paterson New Jersey

Those of us who grew up in NJ don't normally associate natural beauty with Paterson - but here is the proof!

Thames Barrier and Thames Path

We have set ourselves a goal of walking the Thames from source past the Thames Barrier (184 miles) and on to the River Darent (9 more miles). Most walkers stop at the Thames Barrier because the "Working River" is quite industrial as we now know! We even caught the bus from the Belvedere Industrial Centre back to the train.

The Thames Barrier is the 2nd largest movable flood control barrier (523 metres) in the world. It is closed in the event of a storm tidal surge combined with a high tide to protect the Thames upstream. This is why we can live happily on the Thames in Kew and not be concerned with flooding ("touch wood" as the Brits say).

As of 24th May 2008, we have walked from Staines to River Darent. The walk gets prettier and prettier as we walk upstream. Part of the adventure is finding our way to each starting point, a place to lunch, and our way home. And we get some exercise as a bonus!

British Library Ramayana

Kris especially loved this comprehensive Ramayana exhibit which included over 100 17th-century Indian manuscript paintings. We were both impressed with how many countries depicted this great epic in some form or another. Since we could not take pictures, I included the British Library website picture and explanation on how to interpret this painting.

"The Ramayana manuscripts commissioned by Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar (1628-1652) were illustrated on the grandest scale so that no episode or detail of importance was omitted. This necessitated the revival of the ancient narrative method of simultaneous narration used in both sculpture and painting. In European or Islamic illustration, each picture usually concentrates on depicting a single episode of the story - but in the Indian method, each picture might capture several episodes in the story so that the characters appear more than once in the same picture. In the example shown above, reading anti-clockwise, we can follow Rama, Bharata and Satrughna from the top of the hill, down to the river (in the lower right corner) and back up again to where they sit outside the hut."

LEG Bedford Park in Chiswick Walking Tour led by John Scott

LEG London arranged for a tour of Bedford Park in Chiswick led by local architect John Scott. John gave us a brief talk about the history of the area. We were shown key buildings, a variety of home architectures, the Yeats (John Butler, W B, Jack B) and John Lindley blue plaques, the ugly building that prompted the formation of the Bedford Park Society, and even a house designed by C. F. Voysey (1891) after Jonathon Carr lost control of building in Bedford Park.

Bedford Park was a model for the “Garden Suburbs”. Jonathon Carr was an early building speculator who bought 24 acres of land near Turnham Green station in 1875. His intended renters were middle-class artists who could not afford Chelsea or Kensington. The community would have its own Church (St Michael and All Angels), pub (The Tabard – now includes a small theatre), General Store (now offices) and Social Club (now the London Buddhist Vihara).



Carr used a series of architects until he settled on Richard Norman Shaw. Carr always purchased the designs and built his houses with little further input from the architects. As many trees as possible were retained which gave the development a mature look quickly. The style is difficult to describe, but has been called “Queen Anne Revival”.

Carr bought more land and Richard Norman Shaw moved on, leaving E. J. May as his successor. More detached homes on larger plots were built. Carr lost control when his company ran into financial difficulties in 1886, but building in Bedford Park continued until 1914.

Bedford Park had deteriorated to a low point in the 1960s. The Bedford Park Society formed in 1963 after developers tore down a historic home and replaced it with a concrete (the Society called it “unsympathetic”) apartment block. That will never happen again, because the Bedford Park Society has facilitated Grade II listing for 300 homes and all significant buildings.

AWC Winchester Castle, Cathedral, College

Our guide for the day was Hilary of London Original Walks. She pointed out several other flint buildings before we arrived at Winchester Castle. This Norman castle was built in 1067 and we viewed the "murder holes" above the gate before entering the Great Hall, built by King Henry III. Many cases were heard and it is here that Sir Walter Raleigh was tried and condemned in 1603. Columns of Purbeck Marble (polished crushed and densely packed seashells) are rarely used now because of the expense. Queen Eleanor's (of Provence) medieval garden was delightful.

The site of Winchester Cathedral was part of a monastic settlement in the 7th century. William the Conqueror built the even larger Winchester Cathedral in 1079. Hilary showed us old sections of the church to see how 3 vaults (romanesque) had been cleverly converted into the more impressive double vaulted (gothic) ceiling. The cathedral was decorated for Easter when we visited. The giant stained glass window was used as target practice during the Civil War, thus could only be restored in "mosaic" form. Saint Swithun's memorial and Jane Austen's tomb are here. Queen Mary and Philip II of Spain were married here. William Walker "The Diver" reinforced the waterlogged foundations working 6 hours per day in total darkness from 1906 - 1912 to save the church. We were all humming "Winchester Cathedral" by the (UK) New Vaudeville Band which was a number one hit in the US in 1966.

Winchester College was founded in 1382 by the Bishop of Winchester, William of Wykeham to be a feeder to Oxford (later Eton was established as a feeder to Cambridge). Our charming guide explained about the 70 (poor but academically talented) "scholars", the "Quiristers" (choristers), and the paying students who make up the 700 (all male) Winchester College student body. We were entertained as we learned about attacks on the college by the starving townspeople, dining traditions when no guests (witnesses) are present, and the failure of Winchester College's attempt to be a site for Harry Potter filming.

Goutham in London

Our niece's friend Goutham stayed with us for a few days on his first trip to London. Our first stop was to the Borough Market to admire all the food stalls and find something to pack for lunch. Then we set off for the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garrett. This oldest surviving operating theatre in the country, dating from 1822, was rediscovered in 1957 and is currently being restored. Until ether and chloroform were introduced in 1847, surgeons depended on opiates and alcohol but mostly on swift technique (amputations in less than a minute). The patients in this operating theatre were women and poor. The herb garrett (attic) was used for storing herbs and now serves as a museum for victorian medical implements.

We then walked to the Brahma Tea and Coffee museum founded by a former planter and trader, Edward Brahma. This museum covers the history of tea including the East India Company, smuggling, Boston tea party, opium trading and the introduction of teabags. I photographed the largest teapot in the world as well as one of the many teapot collections. There was also a lot of information about the history of coffee.

We took a quick look around the Tate Modern and ate our lunch outside overlooking St. Paul's Cathedral.

While I went home to feed Banjo, Goutham took a London Original Walks tour of Westminster and many of the traditional sights. His tour ended at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. We all reconvened at the Mall Galleries for the 196th Annual Exhibition fo the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. There, we got to view work-in-progress and techniques of many of the finest water colour painters in the UK.

KCWC Grosvenor House Tea

We enjoyed a beautiful tea with piano music in the background at the newly refurbished Grosvenor House. We started with champagne followed by tea, sandwiches, scones, pastries, and marzipan. I finished the scones quickly and they brought more. The service was friendly and comfortable (opposite of stiff and snooty).

The highlight for me was winning lunch for four in the raffle (one won a dinner for two and another won a weekend with all meals). I am looking forward to a wonderful lunch with three great friends.

KCWC Norouz - Persian New Year

Sousan hosted a Norouz ("New Day") celebration in her home. Norouz officially starts 20th March 2008 at 5.48am GMT. This Persian New Year holiday celebrates the Spring Equinox with many customs. Sousan sent us a wealth of information including the cultural significance of each of the items required for a Haft-Seen Setting - starting with 7 natural and edible food items all beginning with letter S:
1) Sabzeh (sprouts, usually lentil or wheat): Rebirth of nature
2) Seeb (apple): Natural beauty & health
3) Samanu (a sweet wheat sprouts pudding): Affluence
4) Somaq (somaq berry used as spice): Sunrise & vitality
5) Senjed (the sweet, dry fruit of oleaster tree): Love
6) Seer (garlic): Health
7) Serkeh (vinegar): Patience

Other items displayed as part of the Haft-Seen ensemble are:* Mirror which represents clarity* Sofreh (table cloth) on which Haft Seen is displayed* Sonbol (Hyacinth): Spring flowers with the scent of heaven* Sekkeh (coins): Represent prosperity and wealth* Painted eggs represents fertility* A Seville orange floating in a bowl of water represents the earth floating in space* Goldfish in a bowl representing flow of life and the end of year which takes place in the month of Pisces* Rose water, for its magical cleansing power* Sepand (incense) which ward off evil spirits*Home made sweets and pastries.

Sister Maureen Goodman, one of the directors of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, was a guest at this event. At our request, she spoke for a few minutes - a beautiful, hopeful prayer.

This was a wonderful cultural event with over 50 guests from many countries. I am glad KCWC President Sandra and Sousan stopped long enough to get their photo taken.

KCWC Cambridge

It was only a 45 minute train ride from Kings Cross to Cambridge. Our guide, Caroline MacDonald-Haig, grew up in Cambridge (her father taught there) and was VERY enthusiastic. She provided fascinating insights into the educational methodology employed and college system.

We visited Kings College Chapel which was started by Henry VI in 1441 and finished by Henry VIII in 1547. The ceilings and carvings were magnificent. Unfortunately, the "no flash" rule meant no good interior photos for me.

On our way to Kettles Yard, we admired the River Cam and gardens. Jim Eade recognised and valued avant garde art earlier than most. He bought a group of cottages in Kettle Yard to display his growing art collection - sometimes acquired when artists he admired had "clearance sales". Jim opened his home to those who appreciated or wanted to learn more about this art. As a student, Caroline was one of his guests and remembers him fondly. Jim Eade left his collection and Kettles Yard a nephew on condition that the nephew would in turn bequeath the estate to Cambridge.


I was most fascinated with Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) and his diary. He wrote in code about EVERYTHING from 1660-1669 thinking his diary would be completely private. We saw pages of his diary in code and the translations - it is amazing that anyone figured it out but they did! Pepus attended Magdalene College in Cambridge and left his 3000 volume library to his alma mater.

We admired one of the five Round Churches in the UK which was built 1130. We also heard the story of Oliver Cromwell's head and its recent (1960) burial, the exact spot known only to two people at a time.

Jersey Boys at Prince Edward Theatre

What nostalgia! From references to New Jersey landmarks (e.g., Rahway Correctional Facilities) to all the fabulous songs written and performed by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like A Man, My Eyes Adored You, Working My Way Back To You are only a few of the songs incorporated into this musical. I sang along with many others in the audience and remembered my NJ childhood fondly. I even discovered that one of my KCWC associates had also been born in Muhlenburg Hospital in Plainfield, New Jersey. What a small world!


The photo from "The Stage" website shows the West End production actors (this award winning show has been shown across the US). Ryan Molloy asFrankie Valli; Stephen Ashfield as Bob Gaudio; Glann Carter as Tommy DeVito; Philip Bulcock as Nick Massi

NPG - Vanity Fair Photographs & Shutting Up Shop

Cindy, Lucrecia and I spent HOURS admiring every photograph and reading every detail in the Vanity Fair Photographs exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery. From the NPG website, I included the photo "Legends of Hollywood" by Annie Leibovitz as well as a photo of Gloria Swanson by Edward Steichen. What I didn't realise was that Vanity Fair was published 1913-1936, had a 50 year hiatus, and was published again starting 1983.

I was fascinated with the "Shutting Up Shop" exhibit. John Londei started taking pictures of small, independent, "anachronistic" (e.g., button makers, contraceptives, cobblers) shops and their proprietors across the UK from 1972 - 1987. When John returned in 2004, only 7 out of 60 were still in business.

KCWC Middle-Eastern Cooking Demonstration

Koko demonstrated how to prepare three middle-eastern specialties: Artichoke Salad with broad beans and dill, Freikeh (grain) with chicken and nuts, and Mahalabi pudding dessert. She often showed how something would be done traditionally, then offered up an easier technique or substitution. Koko used some unusual pans but did not know where we could find them in London. But, she had several suggestions on where to find all of the ingredients. These recipes were challenging and the more proficient cooks in the audience were asking lots of questions. I thought all of the dishes were delicious and everything but the desserts (very rich and sweet) were very healthy.

In addition to lunch, we were provided with mint tea and many sweets. I commented to the "Magic of the East" activity leaders Susan and Mona that all of their events have generous amounts of food. They said that people in the middle-east show love with food and that generosity is highly valued. As for generosity, I learned ALL of the proceeds from this event were being donated to KCWC charities and a charity chosen by Koko.