London Landscape Observer: Historic Landscape Characterisation

Showing posts with label Historic Landscape Characterisation. Show all posts

Friday, 30 January 2015

Follies....

...can be just an expression of joy, an attempt to provide an eye-catching adornment to the landscape, or they can convey coded political messages. London follies might include the King's Cross Lighthouse and the Hyde Park Temple (amongst many others). See the searchable map below for follies in Britain and Ireland

The Lighthouse Block, 297 Pentonville Road
© Copyright Oxyman and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Hyde Park - Temple Lodge
© Copyright Peter Whatley and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A semi-circle of yew hedging with niches containing statuary and sphinxes. The statuary has been restored as part of a £12 million restoration of the grounds completed in June 2010. Credit: Richard Bryant©: Richard Bryant

The Exedra at Chiswick House (an intriguing and multi-layered designed landscape) once declared loyalty to democracy with figures of the poets Horace, Homer and Virgil, the philosopher Socrates, and the leaders Lucius Verus and Lycurgus.
(© Richard Bryant)

Political folly is on a far larger scale than that of landscapes - although it can scar landscapes for generations

Friday, 19 December 2014

Thames in Spring and Thames in Winter - "Sweet Thames Flow Softly"

I met my girl at Woolwich Pier
Beneath a big crane standing
And oh, the love I felt for her
It passed all understanding
Took her sailing on the river,
Flow, sweet river, flow
London town was mine to give her,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

Made the Thames into a crown,
Flow, sweet river, flow
Made a brooch of Silvertown,
Sweet Thames, flow softly
At London Yard I held her hand
At Blackwall Point I faced her
At the Isle of Dogs I kissed her mouth
And tenderly embraced her
Heard the bells of Greenwich ringing,
Flow, sweet river, flow
All the time my heart was singing,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

Limehouse Reach I gave her there,
Flow, sweet river, flow
As a ribbon for her hair,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

From Shadwell dock to Nine Elms Reach
We cheek to cheek were dancing
Her necklace made of London Bridge
Her beauty was enhancing
Kissed her once again at Wapping,
Flow, sweet river, flow
After that there was no stopping,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

Richmond Park it was her ring,
Flow, sweet river, flow
I'd have given her anything,
Sweet Thames, flow softly
From Rotherhithe to Putney Bridge
My love I was declaring
And she, from Kew to Isleworth,
Her love for me was swearing.
Love had set my heart a-burning,
Flow, sweet river, flow
Never saw the tide was turning,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

Gave her Hampton Court to twist,
Flow, sweet river, flow
Into a bracelet for her wrist,
Sweet Thames, flow softly
But now alas the tide has changed
My love she has gone from me
And winter's frost has touched my heart
And put a blight upon me
Creeping fog is on the river,
Flow, sweet river, flow
Sun and moon and stars gone with her,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

Swift the Thames runs to the sea,
Flow, sweet river, flow
Bearing ships and part of me,
Sweet Thames, flow softly

Friday, 30 January 2015

Follies....

Friday, 19 December 2014

Thames in Spring and Thames in Winter - "Sweet Thames Flow Softly"

Saturday, 16 August 2014

Drifting through the limninal areas of City vs East End : the haunts of Jack the Ripper AND Thomas Paine