Meeting Kevin and (31)

This September I'll reach the time when I've know Kevin 50 years - as we meet and chat I continue to learn from and with him, yesterday we spent most of the day at London's National Gallery and our 'Major' was Australian Impressionism.

Kevin, like me has hardly changed
 in 50 years

A good talk kicked off providing the information to the exhibition we would visit later this  took in 'Nationhood'  along with the opportunity that developments in paints and practice which made Plein air painting possible first in Europe but then later around the world.


Nice to have a small  exhibition rather that a 'blockbuster' and at a 'negotiated' £5.50 it offered decent enough value - afterwards we also looked at some other 'impressionist' works like Turner's Rain,Speed and Steam (that shorthand in works on canvas for modernity and industrialisation).

Really Good- And it's a thumbs up from me for the new
 Fourth Plinth work outside London's National Gallery

Month one over and  £43.16 pence 

Doors

The end of the first month and it's been more of a challenge than I expected - I'll review and consider a little tomorrow.

A first the 'rise'

Number 31 signals the end of January 

More from the street and (30)

Plenty to come on National Gallery visit (tomorrow) but this is what's surprised me today and yesterday - decorations (perhaps from Christmas) and Happy Chinese New Year of the Rooster

Might as well leave it up 'til next Xmas

Well it looks better than nothing?

Disturbing programme about Francis Bacon if you're able to access BBC iPlayer - like above it's illuminating and an object lesson in how to crate tortured Artist. -

Little by Little (Sid's Auto-Biog) now £42.07

Doors

Here we've got two for the price of one.
Waldemar in Slavic means renowned ruler

An interesting Avenue name

Two for the price of one at No. 30

Politics in UK and (29)

Wow! the world of Politics is offering surprises by the day.

If I was still looking for Reds

What seemed like initially a good move by the UK PrimeMinister  to get in front of the new US President at the first possible opportunity appears to have backfired (certainly as far as the 'elites' are concerned) -Guilt by  association is a powerful meme to handle in these days of 24 hour news and our (UK) leader holding hands with a loose gun leader of the 'free world' is potentially an image that will run for years to come.

Listening on the radio this morning there was a hint that dissatisfaction with the performance at the top of the Government is growing and I wonder how long it'll be before senior ambitious figures in the party start making waves?

 ..and what has been good news from both sides of the Atlantic is that the role of 'The Law' is so important in protecting some of our 'rights' against the short term populism of Politicians. Quite impressed too by figures like former  Politicians (Madeline Albright)  and current Entertainers (Big Bang's Mayim Bialik) making principled statements.

£41.05 is Sunday's figure

Doors

In fact one of the street numbers I've been drawn to for some time is this number 29 - big bold and non-standard numbers but a small discrepancy on the level between the two figures.

Broughton Road Not far from the Uxbridge Road

29 but it's not quite level is it?

About books and (28)

The second book I'm close to completing is called 'Small Pleasures' from the School of Life.

I'm not someone who routinely underlines or highlights bits in books but I had to reach for the pencil this morning when I saw this (from page 200 of the book).

"We are deeply peculiar organisms; we are mysteries to one another and to ourselves; we don't really know why we ourselves do what we do half the time."

This seems to me such a pertinent point that we so often disregard and although our normal belief  is that  we make 'rational decisions' but the fact is that modern neurological research is pointing us towards the idea that we make instinctual choices and then intellectually justify them.

it was £14.99 is it an example?

Differential Pricing

And on the subject of books - I made a deal with myself that if the 'Pop Revolution' published by Tate was still on sale at £1 when I returned to Waterstones I'd buy it - I'm hoping that it'll chime with the short Citylit course I start next week 'Introduction to Tate Modern'. The book is marked at £14.99 and has got some really good reviews- why is it on sale at £1?

I don't think this is the same as Price Discrimination with reference to  Differential Pricing of which we now have practical experience from such applications as the purchasing of airline tickets.

I suppose we all take part in accepting that we'll pay more for our goods when we go to Waitrose or M&S than we would when visitng Aldi or Lidl- but are we making the decision on a somewhat subcoscious level, are we thinking  - it's a treat or 'the people are more like me' -?

Doors

Another milestone as I hit £40

Another street I've lived in (briefly in 1979) is York Terrace East- sharing a room with a US student at ISH (the International Student House) quite good fun and incredibly central London location it remains (I think) the poshest address I've had.

Not far from Regent's Park

Here's No 28 and an area I know

The Danish Church of St Katherine (NW1) and (27)

More diverse Churches- this one spotted in the Nation's capital the other week.

The Church is dedicated to St Katherine and is a Lutheran place of worship which is undergoing some refurbishment

A rather charming sign.

Add caption

The Danish Church is like the English Church embedded in the state (established) but unlike the Church of England it started the ordination of women in  1948 and in 1995 had its first woman Bishop.

The Church retains its name  from when it was an Anglican Chapel of the Hospital  - St Katherine (The saint also also known as St Catherine) was tortured at the wheel for not renouncing her faith.

The Fireworks - Catherine wheels  are named after this saint.

St Katherine's in the Winter Sun

Camera Fund

Well £37.61 is now recorded 

My camera fund continues to grow - on subject of cameras check this Pinout device - looks great (for Nikons though)

Doors 

I've started laying out the first month's Front Door photo's as a sort of calendar -which I may continue to do.

This one marks Friday 27th January.

Another road in W13 

Another Green door - I like the patterning in the glass

What comes after deconsecration and (26)

So yesterday I mentioned de-consecration, my nearest Christian Church (as opposed to Synagogue, or Temple ) is St Stephen's here you can see the old St Stephen's (de-consecrated)  and the one that's now working.

(1) The Old Church of St Stephen's 

And this is the new one - it's probably more 'fit for purpose' and looks a bit like a Youth Club (which it probably hosts) - I don't know how I'd feel if I'd been part of the congregation for 1 and now moved to 2?

I'm not a ' believer' but I wonder is the building relevant to the worship, can you get the same awe in such a functional setting?

In fact I see someone (a religious person who also has some of the discipline of an anthropologist) has asked and provided some answers to some of the  questions about the nature of 'formal' worship - from this it seems off putting doesn't it? 

I suppose this could be characterised by some as a form of noise and interference - others would see it to be more about getting in the zone and avoiding distractions.

(2) A Church for the 21st Century perhaps

So now £36.51

I see that St Stephen was made a saint as a result of his Martyrdom (he was stoned to death) -The Saint's day of St Stephen is for many branches of Christianity 26th December (Boxing Day).

There's a connection too to the idea of a place of worship  -as St Stephen says God does not live in a dwelling "made by human hands", referring to the Temple, he is using an expression often employed by Biblical texts to describe idols

It appears that St Stephen was a defender of the rights of widows.

A 'Special' Door

This ones a bit different and if Samaritans interest you take a listen to BBC radio programme where a Samaritan gives a bit of chat about what 'Listeners' do

26 Junction Road London  W5 - In fact the entrance is at the side 

De-consecration and (25)

So this is a rather fine looking church that is no longer a church

No longer God's House? (note the curtains)

Well oddly - as yesterday  I mentioned the United Reform Church -I find that this church was until 1991 that particular denomination.

Having seen it I realise that there are quite a large number of churches that are no longer used for worship (in a conventional sense anyway) - how does this work?

Another religious sign

The church was de-consecrated in 1991 I wonder is it that the congregation was too small (well you can see here an example of a flat there now) or that the money was needed to support the church?


Well de-consecration means that the site can be used for another building or the use can be then secular.

Oddly having looked up the procedure for the change of use service I saw a rather sparky interaction over the  Roman Catholic procedure but here's a reasonable run through of what might be done 

I suppose in reality that there are changes of use going on for churches near this one is a former cinema that's now a church - it's near St Aidan's Way. (the Irish Saint who restored Christianity to England - Saint's day 31st August ) 

Now at £35.50

More of the Doors

Corfton Road has number 25

The only information  on  Corfton that  I can find is that of a Shropshire village -the village being named for the nearby River Corve.

Through the branches we can see No. 25

United Reform (24)

United Reform are two pretty good words.

And here's the epitome of it in another Church from what it seems is a rather liberal 'sect' of the protestant Christian movement (they voted last year to be able to conduct same sex marriages)  this is a  United Reform Church which is actually the result of a 'merger' between UK Congregational and Presbyterian churches in 1972 .

Not that many followers though it seems (52,000) but like an upstart business it has plans and ambitions.

Kens(ington) United Reform Church 

as opposed to

KEN's Fried Chicken

At £34.25 I'm well on target 

Those Doors

Back with the doors - this has a number of large houses and some commercial outlets too on this road in West Ealing.

Drayton Green Road W13 the home of Piri-Piri

A touch of Grandeur in Drayton Green Road but looks almost like a '25'

The journey to and from (23)

Alighting at Camden Station

Often these days we here told of near apocryphal meaning about a journey.
Here's a bit about the 'journey' house for which Number 23 is the identification (and from it too)


I mentioned a couple of weeks back that we'd watched the film The Lady in the Van it ended with a shot of the house that the action was centred on and a fictional' blue plaque being unveiled.


So decided to seek out the house where Alan Bennett lived at the time of the story - seems it's now used by a photographer but I snapped it anyway  (you can see and hear more from Alan here)

The film (and story) were interesting in that they were also  about the relationship between  Alan and his mother running parallel with 'The Lady'.

The visit also revealed to me how close Camden is to the 'West End' on a bright winter's day it made for a lovely walk - although I did sort of get moved along when taking photo's in some posh areas (more about the walk soon).

Posh Houses

And Gloucester Gate is adorned beautifully

What is staggering is the splendour of the Nash terraces - the one in Gloucester Gate particularly stood out (and has been noted by others) it's a lot more exclusive than Gloucester Crescent.

The Matilda Statue also on my walk

And more contemporary in Camden

The fund continues to  accumulate.

Now at £33.15

That Door

Well here it is after all that fuss - but a picture I like anyway

NW1 sounds better than Camden