Saturday 19 October 2013

Culture vulture notes;-)

My thoughts have taken me back to the last Thursday event at the Polish Embassy. It commemorated the memory of an unsung WWII heroine, a Warsaw social worker who saved the lives of several thousand Jewish children doomed to death by the Nazi.


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As Saturday continues, I'd like to mention a guided tour I couldn't attend today. However, I was told, a hundred and fifty people turned up to listen to two ladies, both of a name Caroline, talk about an eminent artist called MacDonald Gill and his output. The artist's works are being exhibited at Pitshanger Gallery in Walpole Park, Ealing at the moment.

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Now, today's pictures time!

For an unknown to me reason, there was a flag atop the block of flats by the roundabout. Why this one? Why a flag at all?  I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the first of March, but on the 19th of October? I'm a bit puzzled.


By The Red Lion Pub in South Ealing I said good bye to my dear friend who was leaving for a unique country afar.


I thought I'd expose you, Dear Reader, to some genuine English reading practice. Below is the history of the said pub. I wonder if you manage to zoom in and read it. Would be nice to hear from you in the Comments section below, Dear Honorable Reader.:-)
Further south from the pub there is a university building. When we were parking the car the night before, we could see some dressmaking classes in progress through the side window while a huge number of wine glasses was awaiting their turn in the lobby y the main entrance. You might like to read that in the long gone times a school operated in that very place. The school was founded by Lady Byron who lived nearby after divorcing Lord Byron, bringing up their daughter Ada. This great female mathematician is considered a grandmother of computers!

If you leave The Red Lion and turn right, you will enjoy the sight of the colourful doors. I always do!


The white house on the corner always has this 'brand new, just polished' look. Nice? :-)

The Coach House across the street is next to The Ealing Studios building where Sir Michael Balcon 'ruled'.





It's not the first time I took pictures of nice dwellings like this one...

A Welsh Presbyterian Church is next to the row of the pretty houses:
Ealing Studios - a film factory in the heart of the Garden Suburb (that is Ealing, mind you!):
Yehovas Witnesses Hall took over an old school building tucked between the Welsh church and the studios. It faces the neo-Gothic Anglican church designed by Charles Jones.



Here is a truly precious piece of wall and more reading practice for you:


Probably the narrowest piece of fence in Ealing didn't come unnoticed:


Ealing Green in autumnal hues:

As a big chunk of Walpole Park is under redevelopment, you ca enter it through the university premises:

That's why it was only now that I spotted the sundial at the campus:


Here is the fenced part of the park. The river is gone and Spencer Cafe is gone for the time being...

The little pond turned into a swamp...

The fence encircles the 'no-go' zone on the right. It was too far for me to walk on. Hence I retrieved and has an opportunity to take more pictures.

The benches must be full of students at lunchtime on school days. Behold the rich colours of the foliage ahead:

I gave The Walled Garden a miss and walked into The Pitshanger Gallery. In the little exhibition room I saw works by an Australian artist who lives or lived in Ealing.



Like I mentioned earlier, the tour of the main exhibition was long over, but there were still many people admiring the works of MacDonald Gill and his brother Eric:






Earlier this week I was telling about William Hogarth's works to my friends who came to see London. Who knows? Maybe one day they will venture here and learn that next time in London, they can come to Pitshanger House in Ealing and learn more about this man and his art. However, first they should head for the artist's house in Chiswick. It's free to visit as well!


This splendid room is a testimony to Sir John Soane's taste and nowadays can be rented for functions:


Pitshanger Art Gallery entrance:

Terraced houses facing Ealing Green basking in the low sun:


Ealing High Street charity shops treasure as of today!


How about carpets straight from Iran? This Ealing High Street shop has a wide selection:






I talked to a lady at Octavia shop. When she was at school, far away in one of former Soviet republics, she made a box like this. And so did I, at my school in Poland.
Well, good night!

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