London in Spring

Springtime seems to announce itself suddenly in London as the city casts off its winter coat and suddenly everything appears to be happening en plein air! So concerts, events, music, street theatre all come out of hiding and onto the streets and parks. One sure sign of spring is the great street celebration known as the London Marathon which 36,500 runners took part in on Sunday. The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and is one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981.



The other great sign of spring are the wonderful floral displays in London’s Parks, no more so than in my personal favourite St. James Park with its vistas of Buckingham Palace and Horseguards Parade over the entrancing lake bustling with wildfowl and a community of Pelicans, introduced by a Russian Ambassador in 1664.


London Eye from St James's Park

So after work the weather is just too dreamy to head straight home and it is time to get out again and walk to Green Park Station through the wonderful enclave of Queen Anne’s Gate, St. James Park, up the Mall to Buckingham Palace to view preparations for “The Wedding” and then along Queens Walk at the side of Green Park passing by some of the (few) remaining great houses of the aristocracy including Spencer House, the former townhouse of Lady Diana’s family.



Old Queen Street and adjacent Queen Anne’s Gate are set in the Birdcage Walk Conservation Area and contain some of London’s most striking William and Mary, Queen Anne and Georgian architecture.




Birdcage Walk


Queens Walk - Green Park





The Royal Parks which stretch from Kensington Palace to the Palace of Westminster owe their existence to the Restoration of the Monarchy after Cromwell’s Republic In 1660. At this time, England had a new King, Charles II. He wanted to be able to walk all the way from Hyde Park to St James's without leaving royal soil. With its royal, political and literary associations, St James's Park is at the very heart of London and covers 23 hectares (58 acres). With a lake harbouring ducks, geese and pelicans, St James's is also home to the Mall, the setting for many ceremonial parades and events of national celebration.





http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/04/st-jamess-park-london.html

The Green Park covers 40 acres and is an important link between St James's Park and Hyde Park in forming a chain of open spaces that contribute so much to life in the capital. Although situated so close to St James's Park, The Green Park is quite different in character. It is more peaceful with mature trees and grassland and is surrounded by Constitution Hill, Piccadilly and the Broad Walk.





In 2010, British and Chinese artists have created designs based on a 'seed theme'. Their deckchairs will be on display in the Royal Parks and the Shanghai Botanical Garden during the summer. The adventure also incorporates an educational programme in London and Shanghai - helping school children, plus a group of older people, explore the natural world and its portrayal through art. Their designs will also be reproduced as deckchairs in the Parks.









Since 2006, an eclectic mix of 70 visionary artists, cartoonists, fashion and interior designers, thespians, celebrity chefs, singers and taxidermists, children from nine schools and members of the Household Cavalry have helped to make Deckchair Dreams a reality. Together they have designed 81 original deckchairs that celebrate the trees, wildlife, and other rare and wonderful things of London's eight Royal Parks. They bring joy to the Parks and allow visitors to relax on works of art.
This is one of the great Joys of London; Art is always around whether it is in the wonderful collections in the National or Tate Galleries or in street displays like Cow Parade or the Elephants last year.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2010/05/elephants-of-old-london-town.html

In front of Buckingham Palace preparations are afoot the wedding on the 29th April of Prince William and Kate Middleton including the building of a Press Centre facing the Palace which will carry broadcasts of the “Great Event.” One is constrained from commenting further for One is Invited!





http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-is-invited.html










Time then to head back along the great ceremonial avenue The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace where over 600,000 people are expected to congregate next Friday. Outside Buckingham Palace is the Queen Victoria Memorial, which celebrates the days of the British Empire. The memorial includes not only the marble statue of Victoria and the glittering figures of Victory, Courage and Constancy, but also the ornamental gates given by the Dominions. These are the Australia Gate, South Africa Gate and Canada Gate. On the North side of the Mall are some of the great aristocratic houses still extant in London, Marlborough House, Lancaster House, The Palace of St. James and last but not least Clarence House.


Lancaster House

Clarence House is the official residence of The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Prince Harry. Designed by prolific architect John Nash, it was the home of The Queen and The Queen Mother between 1953 and 2001 and is attached to St. James’s Palace. By the side of Green Park is Queen’s Walk, laid out in 1730 for George III’s wife, Caroline of Brunswick-Stretlitz who gave her name to the Bird of paradise flower, in Latin Stretlitzia.


Clarence House

Along here some of the aristocratic houses survive most notably the glorious edifice of Spencer House restored by Lord Rothschild who is also the guiding force behind Waddesdon Manor.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2007/11/waddesdon-manor-buckinghamshire.html

From its conception, Spencer House was recognised as one of the most ambitious aristocratic town houses ever built in London and is, today, the city's only great eighteenth-century private palace to survive intact. Spencer House was built in 1756-66 for John, first Earl Spencer, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-97). Situated in the heart of St James's, Spencer House is a short distance from St James's Palace, Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster, and has a splendid terrace and garden with magnificent views of The Green Park.


Spencer House


John Spencer initially employed the Palladian architect John Vardy, a pupil of William Kent. Vardy was responsible for the external elevations of Spencer House and the design of the ground floor rooms including some of the furniture. James 'Athenian' Stuart, then newly returned from Greece, superseded Vardy as Lord Spencer's architect in 1758. As a result, the House became the first example in London of the application of accurate Greek detail to interior decoration, making it one of the pioneer examples of neo-classical architecture.

At the top of Queen’s Walk you come to Green Park Tube Station which is currently in the throes of redevelopment to provide disabled access before the 2012 Olympics. As part of London Underground's upgrade works to improve the accessibility and operation of Green Park tube station, a number of improvements are being made to The Green Park including:



Improved views both into and out from the Park. Improved appearance of the area around the Ritz Corner on Piccadilly. An opportunity to enhance the horticultural and ecological value of the area, with improved landscaping. A new entrance to the station, direct from the Park, including improved access for people with restricted or reduced mobility.



Coming out onto Piccadilly by Green Park station it is hard to believe this traffic clogged artery was once one of London’s most fashionable streets lined by more huge houses of the aristocracy. Foremost amongst these on the North side of Piccadilly was the house depicted in the movie about Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire depicted in the movie “Duchess” starring Keira Knightly. Devonshire House in Piccadilly was the London residence of the Dukes of Devonshire in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was built for William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire in the Palladian style, to designs by William Kent. Completed circa 1740, empty after World War I, it was demolished in 1924.

Before the early 20th century, many of Britain's peers maintained large London houses which carried their name, As a ducal house (only in mainland Europe were such houses referred to as palaces) Devonshire House was one of the largest and grandest, ranking alongside Burlington House, Montague House, Lansdowne House, Londonderry House, Northumberland House and Norfolk House. All of these, like most of the great London free-standing houses are now long demolished, apart from Lansdowne House, which is substantially altered by a road in front of it.


The former gates of Devonshire House incorporated into Green Park




Devonshire House - Past and present

Today, the site is occupied by offices, known as Devonshire House which incorporates the Northern entrance to Green Park Tube.

As we head towards London 2012 the Olympic Games in London next year these Royal Parks will play an important role in London’s hosting of the event. The Royal Parks will host some of the key venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and planning permission has now been secured for each venue:

Greenwich Park - Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events; and elements of the Modern Pentathlon;
Horse Guards Parade Ground - Beach Volleyball;
Hyde Park - Triathlon and Marathon Swimming.

In addition to this a number of events will incorporate roads in the Royal Parks - including:

The Mall in St James's Park - will host the start/finish of Road Cycling; the Olympic and Paralympic Marathon and Race Walk;

Bushy Park - will be used for part of the Road Race Cycling route. The outbound route will enter the park at the north and then head south down Chestnut Avenue, and around the Diana Fountain. The course will not pass through Bushy Park on the return leg. The men's Time Trial cycling race will be held on 1 August 2012 and it will take in Chestnut Avenue and the Diana Fountain in Bushy Park along the route;



Richmond Park - will be used for part of the Road Race Cycling route. The outbound course for the road race will enter Richmond Park through Roehampton Gate, and then head west to leave the park through Richmond Gate. The return route will enter the park at Kingston Gate, and then head north to Richmond Gate where it will then head east to leave the park at Roehampton Gate.

The Royal Parks is also working with the Greater London Authority over plans for Hyde Park to host a Festival Live Site during the Olympic Games, providing Games coverage as well as cultural programmes.

Let it Grow! Let it Grow!

I wish these tourists wouldn't stare at me!

The Television Gardener and raconteur, Alan Titchmarsh, once remarked that “They say gardening is the new sex. I preferred the old stuff.” I bore this thought in mind today when with the brief outburst of summer sunshine midst the rains of London it was time for me to womble into my favourite London Park, the Royal Park of St. James to record the summer bedding, the newly cleaned lake and the Royal allotment! It was also an opportunity to record the seasonal changes since my last visits in winter and in spring. The lake gets drained and cleaned about every 15 years and it is a major undertaking whilst ensuring the Pelicans and water fowl don’t go elsewhere so it is good that it is completed and the park is back to normal. The summer displays are always wonderful, particularly compared to my sad displays at home.

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2008/06/blooming-june.html

How I admired the skill of the gardeners and cursed my green fingered mediocrity until one horrible morning when walking through the park I lost my innocence! For there in front of me were rows of trolleys with the summer bedding in peak condition ready to be planted and the spring bedding being dug out? Now that I knew their secret of how the beds always looked so wonderful I was reconciled to my own indolent efforts at home!



St. James’s Park is in fact one of 3 Royal Parks which provide the setting for Buckingham Palace, London’s great ceremonial avenue, The Mall, and the ceremonial parade ground of Horseguard’s Parade. The Green Park was originally a swampy burial ground for lepers; but by 1668, Charles II had enclosed it and stocked it with deer, again to indulge the regal passion for hunting. It was designed by the French landscape architect Le Notre and it is a “Green Park” as it has no flower beds. The third park is less well known; being the 32 acre enclosed walled garden of Buckingham Palace which contains another lake. We last visited St. James’s Park when it was covered in snow and then when it was in its spring glory where the flower beds tried to recreate the colourful displays of its designer John Nash.


Horseguard’s Parade from the park

Here is the park in winter;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/02/london-snow.html

Here is the park in spring;

http://daithaic.blogspot.com/2009/04/st-jamess-park-london.html

One excellent new summer feature for the past few years is the allotment to encourage people to renew their interests in allotments and grow their own vegetables and fruit and maybe even honey! The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms in association with The Royal Parks ran a Dig for Victory allotment project in St James’s Park, London from May-September 2007. As many of you are aware, Dig for Victory was a WWII campaign to help combat food shortages by promoting the planting of allotments in gardens and on public land. The campaign reflected issues still relevant today, such as access to fresh healthy food, being active and living sustainably.




Dig for Victory!

You don't need a large garden to grow your own food. Lots of different fruit and veg will flourish in the smallest pots. So if you have a patio, balcony, window box or just a window sill you can enjoy the fun of producing healthy cheap food. The Royal Parks Allotment at St James's Park offers a wealth of inspiration for all the family. This year alongside the allotment and herb garden it will show you how to grow potatoes, salads, and greens in containers, raised beds and confined spaces. Experts are on hand to provide friendly advice and tips for the garden. It is good to see its progress and return again to observe the fascinating development during the season. Today it was certainly a popular attraction with the visitors book recording the “newly married” K. Patel’s from Leicester, Chelsea Pensioners and visitors from North Carolina and Malaysia. It is clear that many people are very suspicious of the food industry and want to take control of part of their own nutrition by growing their own food. As well as the nutritional benefits it is relaxing and saves money. Going back to its origins in the original “Dig for Victory” campaign it is worth noting that during WW11 when food was rationed and people eat less meat, sugars and fats nutritional health in the UK actually improved greatly – the moral here is “Less is more!”





With its royal, political and literary associations, St James's Park is at the very heart of London and covers 23 hectares (58 acres). With a lake harbouring ducks, geese and pelicans and in the centre of the lake is Duck Island is the home to many wild breeds of beautiful ducks and bird life.



There are many ducks; gulls; swans; geese; pelicans. Some rarer visitors are the golden eye, carrion crows, grey wagtail and shovelers. A popular spectacle for visitors is to watch the wildlife officers feeding the pelicans every day at 2:30pm. The stars of the feeding show are undoubtedly the gregarious pelicans who were introduced to the park as a gift by a Russian Ambassador in 1664.




Local inhabitants

St James's is also home to the Mall, the setting for many ceremonial parades and events of national celebration. St James's Park is the oldest Royal Park in London and is surrounded by three palaces. The most ancient is Westminster, which has now become the Houses of Parliament, St James's Palace and of course, the best known, Buckingham Palace.


Humans chillin...


Ducks chillin...


Pelicans chillin...

The Park was once a marshy water meadow. In the thirteenth century a leper hospital was founded, and it is from this hospital that the Park took its name. In 1532 Henry VIII acquired the site as yet another deer park and built the Palace of St James's. When Elizabeth I came to the throne she indulged her love of pageantry and pomp, and fetes of all kinds were held in the park. Her successor, James I, improved the drainage and controlled the water supply. A road was created in front of St James's Palace, approximately where the Mall is today, but it was Charles II who made dramatic changes. The Park was redesigned, with avenues of trees planted and lawns laid. The King opened the park to the public and was a frequent visitor, feeding the ducks and mingling with his subjects.


Duck Island

During the Hanoverian period, Horse Guards Parade was created by filling in one end of the long canal and was used first as a mustering ground and later for parades. Horse Guards Parade is still part of St James's Park. The Park changed forever when John Nash redesigned it in a more romantic style. The canal was transformed into a natural-looking lake and in 1837 the Ornithological Society of London presented some birds to the Park and erected a cottage for a bird keeper. Both the cottage and the position of bird keeper remain to this day. Clarence House was designed for the Duke of Clarence, later to become William IV and was also the home of the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.





Outside Buckingham Palace is the Queen Victoria Memorial, which celebrates the days of the British Empire. The memorial includes not only the marble statue of Victoria and the glittering figures of Victory, Courage and Constancy, but also the ornamental gates given by the Dominions. These are the Australia Gate, South Africa Gate and Canada Gate.


Rear of Downing Street from the park

Another excellent feature of St. James’s Park is the restaurant run by Oliver Peyton and designed by Hopkins Architects (The Architects of a nearby Building of the Year – Westminster Tube Station) – the punningly named “Inn the Park” . Oliver is well known to the British Public as one of the judges on “The Great British Menu” programme on the telly but the lad actually hails from Sligo in the West of Ireland – as do Westlife but you can’t win them all! He owns several restaurants throughout London, which, over the years, have been as much applauded for their architectural achievements as their gastronomic standards.




Inn the Park

The Hopkins designed building is nestled in the 1828 Nash landscaped park, amongst the trees, on the edge of the lake. With such a beautiful and historic setting, Hopkins Architects set out to create a modern design that worked thoughtfully with the original intentions of Nash’s design and did not impose itself on the unspoiled urban oasis. The result is that from The Mall and most parts of the park the building blends invisibly into the rolling landscape. Whilst walking from Horse Guards Parade or Admiralty Arch it emerges; an elegant, wood-clad shelter with glazed frontage and roof top pathway looking across the lake to Duck Island and onwards as far as the London Eye.

Warm Austrian larch, contrasting with concrete and stainless steel, was chosen to reinforce the calm and timeless feeling of the historic park. The larch, from sustainably managed forests, forms the primary structure and envelope of the building and has been left untreated to gradually weather over time. Basically, the building is a one-story structure housing a restaurant and toilet facilities. A glass wall with sliding panels and a veranda overlook the adjacent lake. The whole of the project is beneath a grass roof that makes the building blend into the park.



Inside, the dining room is divided from the kitchen and take-away area by chunky white marble booths with black patterned leather banquettes. Chairs are constructed out of tubular polished stainless steel topped with patterned black or purple crocodile leather cushions, table tops are crafted out of burgundy stove enamel. The lighting is striking. The building design maximizes the use of natural light with three large holes bored through the roof flooding the back of the restaurant with daylight, whilst running the length of the room are suspended Tom Dixon’s impossible to miss mirrored lights. With the lights on, the larch wood floor and ceiling glows with a honeyed intensity.





Behind the marble partition, ‘grab & go’ food is displayed in elegant bronze refrigerators, whilst either side of a giant three-metre long grill, bountiful displays of freshly baked produce form impossibly precarious piles along a terrazzo counter.

Outside, the majority of the wooden terrace is covered and heated. Sturdy wire chairs replete with purple leather mock-croc cushions accompany marble topped tables. The far end of the terrace, open to the elements, looks up towards Buckingham Palace. A flight of steps at the end of the building leads to the grassed roof, where a wooden banquette follows the ‘swoop’ of the walkway, which extends Nash’s paths over the top of the building and down the other side. From here all visitors can enjoy the sublime views, the perfect vantage point for the daily Pelican feeding or a comfortable seat for reading a book and nibbling a sandwich. Overall the Inn the Park restaurant is a remarkable success and a most well mannered building but there again it is set in London’s most well mannered and loveliest park!


Swire Fountain