Somewhere over the rainbow…

Well it’s certainly been a bit of a weird time hasn’t it. We’ve all absorbed a new vocabulary and the basic science of infection transmission. R numbers, lock-down, social distancing, bubbles…it’s all a bit, well, unprecedented really.

At the start of the lock-down I was blessed with some of the best spring weather I could have hoped for. Each morning, I promised myself, I would walk to work. This was, in reality, a stroll around the neighborhood before I returned home and climbed the stairs to my stuffy top room where I had installed the hastily borrowed work laptop and some randomly grabbed essentials from my reference book collection. Driving to work was so kinda BC.*

What I loved looking out for was the variety of rainbows that appeared – little signs of hope and love in a bleak and scary world. I loved the creativity with which people spread a little joy. People who had been whisked out of their normal work, home and school routines and were trying, like we all were, to wrestle some control over an uncontrollable virus.

They cheered me and brightened my commute. And for that I am thankful.

So in the end…I had to make my own!

See you somewhere over the rainbow.

*Before Covid. Of course!

©Chez l’abeille  2020

The Streets of London: Chihuly at Kew Gardens.

During the Easter break we were fortunate to have some extraordinarily unseasonable weather – the sun shone, the sky was a bright summer blue and the thermometer rose – so this seemed the perfect opportunity to see an outdoor glass installation by a favourite artist.

The Dale Chihuly Exhibition, “Reflections on Nature” at The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew is a sequence of artworks, both indoors and nestled within the famous glasshouses. It took a couple of hours of gentle strolling to see them all and to spend time really looking at these beautiful works within the natural environment.

Enjoy!

Niijima Floats Japanese Garden Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Neodymium Reeds and Turquoise Marlins Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Neodymium Reeds and Turquoise Marlins Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

In the temperate house, Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Lime Crystal Tower Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

In the Temperate House Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

In the Temperate House Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Summer Sun Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Summer Sun detail Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Ethereal White Persian Pond in the Lily House Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Ethereal White Persian pond Dale chihuly at Kew Gardens

Temperate House Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Ethereal White Persian Pond in the Lily house Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Sapphire Star Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Outside the Temperate House Dale Chihuly at Kew Gardens

As well as seeing the installations in the garden, we visited the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art (located inside Kew and included as part of your ticket). There is a large exhibition of classic pieces by Chihuly, some of which I already knew. However, I particularly liked seeing his drawings, which detail the swirls and undulations of the final pieces with an immediacy that is fascinating.

As I write this post, the weather has turned into Storm Hannah, wet, cold and far more like April. However the spirit of these wonderful works is continuing to keep a warm glow inside me. Later in the year there will be the chance to see them lit up at night. Something tells me I’ll be going!

The installation will be at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew until 27th October 2019

©Chez l’abeille  2019

The Streets of London: The Ghosts of Stoke Newington.

Not that kind of ghost – although according to Sam Roberts, aka Mr Ghost Signs, it has been known for people to take part in his walks expecting to see half visible glimpses of things past. Actually, they wouldn’t be that wrong really – but these are a different kind of ghost.

In the days of late 19th Century through to the mid-20th Century as businesses grew, advertising began to emerge in the form of painted signage. These old, fading signs can still be glimpsed in the high streets of our London villages and Stoke Newington is full of great examples.

I was lucky enough to get a spot on Sam’s last ever Stoke Newington guided walk – he’s hanging up his walking shoes for now, but if you want to follow in his own ghostly footsteps, the tour can be accessed via a rather good app. It’s highly recommended, and you can also download the sister walk around Bankside and Borough. If you want a peek into that then check out this post!

So here are a few of my favourites from the walk on a rather grey, damp day in early April.

Westminster Gazette/Army Club Stamford Hill

6 Tables/Speciality/Embossers Willow Cottages

The Westminster Gazette/ Army Club sign was the first on we saw, just up the hill from Stoke Newington train station.  Both this sign and the other nearby on at Willow Cottages are both examples of what Sam calls a palimpsest – different signs painted over each other. As they age the layers of paint fade and disappear at different rates allowing the signs underneath to come through. Westminster Gazette is also above a current newsagent, suggesting that this may have been the purpose of the business for some time.

Heading back down the hill we found the next cluster.

Templeman/Cooper Cazenove road

John Brown’s whiskies Cazenove Road

Yates Northwold Road

At the start of the walk we were warned to “use our wing mirrors!” Sam wasn’t wrong…walking along the streets the signs can be tucked in all sorts of spaces. originally they would have been placed in full view of shoppers and also up high to be visible from the train lines. With the continued rebuilding that occurs, many are now truncated or hidden from full view, as was the case of the Yates and Sons, dyers sign, which seems to have a door built right in the middle!

John Hawkins/Steeles Manley Court

Cakebread/Robey Tyssen Road

The furthest point down the High Street took us to one of the most spectacular of the existing signs: Cakebread Robey on Tyssen road. Sam’s research indicates there are at least three layers in this sign, all for the same firm. Again white paint was used to cover up existing signage and the lighter top coats are fade first. In 2016 A “light capsules” project developed projections of the signs which gave them a semblance of their former magnificence. I wasn’t able to get to this event, but there are pictures on the Ghost signs website if you want to see them.

Heading back and along Stoke Newington Church Street we came to the final cluster.

Hurstleigh’s/Daren bread Fleetwood Street

J Crane, House Decorator Marton Road

Alf the Purse King! Stoke Newington Church Street

Westminster Gazette/Criterion Matches/Gillette Stoke Newington Church Street

Walker Brothers/Waterman’s Stoke Newington Church Street

My favourite ghost sign of the whole walk was saved until last. I’ve just started reusing my original fountain pen, which saw me through O levels, A levels AND my degree…from the days when having a decent pen was an important element of your school pencil-case! I also remember having fountain pens which came with a built in lever to ensure maximum filling, which probably had enough tiny parts to make mending them a specialist trade.

A couple of hours is plenty of time to complete the walk which includes several other signs not shown here – for the full experience you’ll just have to go and find those ghosts for yourself.

Home

The streets of London: Ghost Signs #3. Bermondsey and Borough

Ghost signs #2: printers, paper and paint.

Ghost signs #1: Milk, bread and tea

©Chez l’abeille  2018

The Streets of London: Up on the roof.

At street level London is a jumble of traffic, people and bustle. It can be hard to see how it all connects and where space merges from one locality into another. To really appreciate the shape of London the only way is up.

Once upon a time, the tallest building near London Bridge was the Guys Hospital Tower. Now it stands dwarfed by the ever competing designs which parade across our skyline. Whilst the Shard retains its title for tallest building in the capital by quite a margin, another competitor is 20 Fenchurch Street. This building was designed in 2004 by Rafael Viñoly, a Uruguayan architect. The design flips a building on its head, by creating a larger space at the top than the footprint at ground level. With an oasis of greenery on the 35th floor there’s definitely something worth visiting.

It wasn’t the best day to go, but I’d planned my visit as part of my birthday “day off” and the free tickets are not issued until a week in advance so I couldn’t be picky. The website warns to dress up warmly so I was well prepared for the icy blast as I stepped out onto the viewing deck 35 floors above the Thames. There is a protective glass screen but on a grey November day I was glad of my thermal vest! Despite the weather, the views are still as fantastic as you would imagine. Below London is revealed, the shapes, colours and patterns that make up this amazing city.

 

London Bridge and the Shard

Towards Westminster

Towards Canary Wharf

Shapes of London – Towards Canary Wharf

The shapes of London looking west

The garden is arranged on several stepped levels which afford a 360 degree view of the city. An old favourite, “The Gherkin” at 30 St Mary Axe, was also revealed again – its familiar conical shape lost these days amidst a panoply of other, taller buildings and cranes. The free ticket gives you an hour, yet I didn’t see anyone pushing the 10.45am entrants out! With a glass of birthday fizz  in hand I had time to simply stop and stare.

 

The Gherkin and the Cheesegrater from The Walkie Talkie

London Bridge

reflections

Looking up and looking down, the views from the Sky Garden are worth the visit. Get in fast and book your space!

Sky Garden information is available here

©Chez l’abeille  2017

The House of Dreams.

Step through this gateway and you will find yourself in The House of Dreams.

I could try to describe the house and tell you all about Stephen Wright, the artist who has created and shaped this amazing work, but I’m not going to. Instead, as a tiny snapshot of this world apart, I’m going to show you some of the photographs Stephen very generously let me take before the most recent open day got underway.

Then I’m going to invite you to make a cup of tea, take some time out and let Stephen explain his work to you personally. Trust me. You’ll be glad you did. So go on – open the gate and step into the courtyard…

Now go through the front door and into the hallway. Memories surround you: Personal thoughts and immense feelings laid bare.

Peep through the archway – colours and textures draw you inwards. Assembled words and objects create something new from the lost and dispossessed detritus of the world.

The studio floor and walls bridge the space towards the back garden.

In the world of Forensic Science it is often said that “every contact leaves a trace”. The cherished fragments of lives lived and lives living infuse each space and become the very DNA of the house. Challenging, comforting, personal, intimate, human.

This is the House of Dreams.

Many thanks to Stephen and Michael for letting me get in the way while their final preparations for the open day were underway.

You can visit the House of Dreams in East Dulwich on the last Saturday in September or October – Tickets can be purchased via Stephen’s website here.

©Chez l’abeille  2017

The Streets of London: Frieze Sculpture 2017

Anyone who has read my last post and got as far as The Royal Docks may recall me telling you that there was now only the one sculpture there, where there were previously several. It was a surprise to find one of the missing pieces this week, amongst the 25 works that make up the 2017 Frieze sculpture trail in London’s Regent’s Park. Somehow this event had failed to register on my “what’s currently happening” radar, but thanks to some more in-the-know friends and with a sunny staycation day in hand, I was able to cross from south to north to have a look.

‘From the playful to the political, these 25 works explore contemporary sculpture’s material and technical dexterity, together with its social role and reflection on the human condition and our environment’. (Clare Lilley – Yorkshire Sculpture Park Director of Programme and Frieze Sculpture curator)

See what YOU think!

Mimmo Paladino Untitled 1989 Bronze (4)

Mimmo Paladino Untitled 1989 Bronze (3)

Mimmo Paladino Untitled 1989 Bronze (2)

Thomas J. Price Numen (Shifting Votive One, Two, Three) 2016 (4)

Thomas J. Price Numen (Shifting Votive One, Two, Three) 20

Thomas J. Price Numen (Shifting Votive One, Two, Three) 2016 (3)

Ugo Rondinone summer moon 2011

Rasheed Araeen Summertime – The Regent’s Park 2017 Painted Steel (1)

Peter Regli Reality Hacking No 348 2017 marble (4)

Reza Aramesh Metaorphosis – a study in liberation 2017 (3)

Michael Craig-Martin Wheelbarrow(Red) 2013 (5)

Hank Willis Thomas Endless Colum 2017 Painted resin (2)

Gary Hume Bud 2016 Bronze

Miguel Barcelo Gran Elefandret 2008 Patinated Bronze (1)

John Wallbank Untitled (sewn cube) 2016 (1)

John Chamberlain FIDDLERSFORTUNE 2010 coloured aluminium (2)

Jaume Plensa Tribute to dom Thierry Ruinart 2016 stainless steel (1)

Eduardo Paolozzi Vulcan 1999 Bronze (4)

Eduardo Paolozzi Vulcan 1999 Bronze (4)

I was most excited by Alicja Kwade’s piece, Big Be-Hide (2017) – unfortunately it would appear that something (or someONE) has managed to crack the mirror and it had been health and safety – ed to the max. I managed to take some reasonable pictures, but to see it in its full glory you need to head to https://frieze.com/article/frieze-sculpture-2017-0

Alicja Kwade Big Be-Hide 2017 (3)

Alicja Kwade Big Be-Hide 2017 (3)

 

Frieze Sculpture is free and is open from 5 July to 8 October in the English Gardens, The Regent’s Park, London.

 

©Chez l’abeille  2017

The Streets of London: The Line.

I’m not going to write too much about this walk as it really belongs to Kate, who has cleverly set her friends the year-long challenge of challenging her. Celebrations for significant birthdays occur in different ways and Kate has come up with a genius plan: creating memories through shared experiences. Not being one for the adrenalin fuelled event, my challenge came with art loving and tracking skills required; completing “The Line” ; a sculpture walk between Stratford and the Greenwich Peninsular.

We had chosen August in anticipation of fine summer weather. Heading out with thunderstorms of biblical proportions forecast wasn’t actually part of the plan but somehow we managed to miss the downpours and successfully navigated our way along the back waters of Bow. Here are the highlights.

The River Lea and Cody Dock

It took a little while to get going as signage along the way wasn’t always the easiest thing to decipher – but we followed our noses southwards and headed into unknown territory.

Thomas J Price Network

Thomas J Price Network back view

Memorial

Three Mills

Abigail Fallis DNA DL90

Damien Hirst Sensation

Cody Dock

Cody Dock

The rains came down just as we had arrived at Cody Dock – a rather fascinating and curiously empty creative quarter which has been developed post London 2012. As if by magic the man operating the cafe appeared so tea and cake kept us occupied until the rains stopped and we navigated our way southwards via the DLR to the Royal Docks.

The Royal Docks

On a previous visit I had seen several artworks around the dock but there is currently only the one so after a quick photo stop we were up, up and away across the Thames via the cable-car!

Sterling Ruby Consolidator #654321

Anthony Gormley Quantum Cloud

 

The Greenwich Peninsular

This is a great section of the walk, which curls around the back of the tent-like O2. The artworks here fit into the environment so well that it could be easy to overlook some of them, especially my favourite,”Here”.

Anthony Gormley Quantum Cloud

Richard Wilson A slice of reality

Thomson and Craighead Here

Greenwich Peninsular

Alex Chinneck A bullet from a shooting star

Still dry and now thirsty #ChallengeKate was completed! We headed to the nearest bar and congratulated ourselves with a cocktail in the sunshine.

Happy 50th Kate!!!

©Chez l’abeille  2017

 

 

The Streets of London: Pullens Yards

It started with a tweet by a publisher I follow. A mention of Pullens Yards, an open studios and a postcode intrigued me; I like to think I know many of the studios around my area but this was new to me. I had a few hours to spare before an afternoon of volunteering at a local theatre and as I had to pass through SE17 on the way I thought, “why not?”

I already knew that behind the Walworth Road in SE London there are many Victorian streets, full of original housing stock, but discovering some beautiful Victorian artisan workshops was a complete surprise.

Pullens Centre Sign

The yards sit within the Pullens Estate. This was built between 1870 and 1901 by local builders, James Pullen and Son. Included in the estate design were four yards, of which three remain, Iliffe Yard, Clements Yard and Peacock Yard. The Yards were purpose-built workspaces, designed originally as a work/live spaces, something that is still seen today in several locations around Southwark.

It was a great day to visit – the sun was out and London was basking in a kind of post-election lethargy. As it was quite quiet when I arrived many of the artists were happy to chat. I spent some time in the studio of David Cowley, who seeks to capture his responses to music and literature in his paintings. His work was fascinating and I could have spent all morning chatting with him about art and synaesthesia, but there were three yards to get round so I had to move on.

Iliffe Yard

Peeping into David Cowley’s studio Iliffe Yard

David Cowley paintings

The yards are a celebration of everything you know about Victorian building. From the wrought iron gates and the cobbled roadway, to the worn out staircases and arched doorways they are the epitome of the attention to detail that the builder brought to a project. Today they continue to house a wide range of artists, from Royal Academicians to lute makers, photographers, jewellers, potters…the list is endless.

Iliffe Yard

Victorian gateway Iliffe Yard

Victorian stairway Iliffe Yard

Pottery in Iliffe Yard

I was keen to visit Tiny Owl Publishers who are based in Peacock Yard. This publishing house focuses on books which aim to bridge cultural experiences, creating the most beautiful books about love, friendship or freedoms. I had a lovely conversation with co-founder Karim, who took time to show me their latest publications and the themes they focus on. If you are a fan of picture books that really say something then have a look at their titles. You won’t be disappointed.

Plaque for Tom Richardson

Tiny Owl Publishers Peacock Yard

Back in the 1970s the workshops and surrounding flats were heading for demolition. Thanks to the far-sighted campaigners who saved them in the face of bailiffs and police, the area was saved and is now a sought after place to live. As we see the shape of the Walworth Road and the Elephant and Castle changing on an almost daily basis, I hope these small-scale spaces remain as a creative hub, continuing to bring a little beauty to our lives.

Peacock Yard

The Yards host an Open Studios event twice a year in the Summer and at Christmas. Details can be found via their website http://www.pullensyards.co.uk/

©Chez l’abeille  2017

The Streets of London: Thames Path, Tower Bridge to Greenwich.

It’s almost exactly a year since I’d walked along the north bank of the Thames from Tower Hill to The Isle of Dogs so a stroll along the south side seemed the perfect thing to be doing on a late spring Sunday. Having lived in Southwark for over 20 years now I thought I knew my bit of London quite well but there were still surprises in store.

Heading along from Tower Bridge the first signs of history started to appear around St Saviours Dock. The tide was out and the Thames mud glistened in the sun, rippled with algae like some noxious ice cream recipe.

Dickens apparently described this area as “the filthiest, strangest and most extraordinary of the many localities that are hidden in London.” I don’t know if he would recognise it today as the many warehouses and storerooms along the old Bermondsey Wall have gradually been converted into expensive apartments.

Just along Bermondsey Wall East is a collection of brass statues, dedicated to Dr Alfred Salter and his wife Ada. Both Alfred and Ada Salter worked hard to change the lives of the poor in Rotherhithe. His pioneering work lead to the establishment of a comprehensive health service in Rotherhithe, long before the NHS. He also went on to become the Labour MP with Ada becoming the first female mayor of Bermondsey Borough Council. His daughter’s cat sits on the wall watching carefully!

From here the path turns towards old Rotherhithe, that bit of Southwark that thrusts into the Thames and loops it northwards. It also takes you back in history again to The Mayflower Pub and St Mary’s church across the way. In the pretty little church garden I found a monument to Christopher Jones, the Captain of the Mayflower who started out for the New World, with the Pilgrim fathers, from a mooring nearby. Through the churchyard, in the garden of the St Mary’s Rotherhithe Free School and Watch Tower I also discovered a delightful hidden cafe. As it was now time for a cup of tea it was a most welcome find and I was also able to do a bit of research into the school next door. It was founded in 1613 by Peter Hills and Robert Bell, two Elizabethan seafarers, to teach the sons of local sailors. You can see two children wearing their bluecoat uniform above the doorway. Free schools are seen as a rather modern phenomenon, but in a time when universal access to education was not an expectation, the money gifted for children’s schooling would have been a precious gift indeed.

The next surprise along the way was The Brunel Museum. Obviously with my Cornish heritage I have a fairly good knowledge of things Brunel – or so I thought. This is actually connected to Marc Brunel, father of the possibly more famous Isambard. He built the first tunnel under the Thames, an endeavour that took from 1805 to 1841. The tunnel is in use today but not as a foot tunnel as he envisaged. Nearby is the partner ventilation shaft to the one I saw at Shadwell, keeping the Rotherhithe road tunnel aired.

It was getting rather hot by now so the next stop along the way was the rather splendid Cafe at Surrey Docks City Farm. As a former Southwark teacher I’ve probably brought hundreds of children here for educational trips over the years but as a consequence, I don’t think I’ve ever had the time to sit and enjoy their cafe! The farm was full of squealing children and baby animals and it’s great to see that it is thriving despite the times of austerity we live in.

The farm is on the East side of the peninsular and from here you cross over from Southwark into Lewisham. This part of the docks was severely bombed during  WW2, but also played a major part in building the “Mulberry Harbours” used in the D-Day Landings, named after Mulberry Quay. Many of the docks were named for their role in seafaring life. The Greenland Dock, Ordnance Wharf, Canada Wharf and Columbia Wharf all give you a clue as to where their ships were destined.

Passing through The Pepys Estate, the path turns into Deptford Strand, where a gated set of steps stand rather forlornly, heading down into the mud and debris of the foreshore. However, they once marked the site of the Tudor docks of Deptford, and are where Sir Francis Drake, newly returned from his circumnavigation of the world on the Golden Hinde, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth 1st.

Much of the Deptford section of the Thames Path is inland, so I was mostly weaving through the back streets until I passed into Royal Greenwich onto the Thames riverbank again and the Cutty Sark hoved into sight. First though I had to walk past the rather bizarre statue of Peter the Great.

Between 1697 and 1698 Czar Peter 1st of Russia came to Deptford for four months to study shipbuilding. The statue shows Peter the Great with his court dwarf and his favourite travelling chair. A large group of Russian tourists were busy placing flowers at his feet, so clearly Peter is still an important figure for many.

Greenwich was busy with a Bank Holiday/school half term air so I didn’t linger long. The sky had also turned from glorious sunshine to a rather ominous grey; It was time for home after a day of local history and some great cups of tea along the way.

Tower Bridge to Greenwich: Approx 6.5 miles/10.5 kilometres

©Chez l’abeille  2017

The streets of London: Ghost Signs #3. Bermondsey and Borough

This post is a bit of a mash-up really. It combines two of my favourite things here at Chez L’abeille: walking around London and spotting ghost signs.

What, I hear you ask, actually IS a ghost sign? Well let me tell you. According to Mr Ghost Signs himself, Sam Roberts, it is a “painted sign, fading on walls.” Should you wish to read Sam’s academic research and argument for this definition look here. I’m happy to accept the word of someone who has done an immense amount of research and what’s more is very happy to walk you round and show you. I’ve followed Sam and his work on ghost signs for quite a while, more recently on twitter and through contributions to an earlier crowd sourced flickr album, where ghost sign hunters around the planet shared their passion. He also leads walks in London so a few weeks ago I signed up to follow him in real life and headed over to Bermondsey Street to meet up outside No 55.

I’ve actually got a couple of ghost signs near me. The best one is the marvellous Cutts and Co. Printing Office sign on the corner of Chadwick Road, but there’s also a completely washed out expanse of white paint high up on another wall in Bellenden Road. I’d not given this one much attention but after spending a few hours walking around Borough and Bermondsey with Sam I’d learned a thing or two. This seemingly pointless expanse of whitewash has scalloped corners. This means it was once a sign! There’s nothing left but white paint so I can go no further with it but wherever you look around London those fading painted signs are lurking, sometimes where you least expect them.

It was a pretty grim day with a cold easterly wind so walking was quite a good idea and stopping for a long time was freezing which meant our small band of hunters went a quite a pace. Having spent years working in and around the Borough I thought I knew most of the signs, but it turned out there were some surprises in store. I’m not sure how I ever missed the Bermondsey Wire Works but there it was, as big as a Victorian warehouse facade!

Thomson Bros Ltd, Paper, Estab’d 1857,

Bermondsey Mesh & Wire Works, William Cockle & Co, moved to Tanner St off Bermondsey St in 1903

Detail of building that once housed a blacksmith. R W Autos Morocco Street

Baylis & Co Ltd, Leather Factors, Morocco St

Bermondsey Mesh & Wire Works in 1988

Sign on the side of R W Autos Morocco Street

A brand new look…

“It is easily overlooked that what is now called vintage was once brand new.”

                                                                                 Tony Visconti

The cover of January’s “Which” magazine was asking a rather big question recently: “Which brands stand the test of time?”

I guess we only have to open the kitchen cupboards to answer this. A quick survey of my kitchen reveals Birds custard, Tabasco Sauce and Bournville cocoa powder, all longstanding familiar brands from childhood to today. However the best place for a stroll through your own sensational history is definitely the Museum of Brands.

Museum of Brands –  Ladbroke Grove

There’s something rather fabulous about stepping back into your own past. To walk through the “Time Tunnel”, where the museum’s extensive collection is displayed, is also a walk down the collective memory lane.

My main reason for going to the museum was to see the collection of jigsaw puzzles, but in fact I was totally absorbed by the retro packaging and designs. As I moved into the sixties and onwards, sensations were continuously triggered. Memories of sweet tastes or vile ones, good times or bad; the objects created a shared cultural experience that got visitors talking and swopping personal stories. I had a hilarious shared moment with some Australian visitors over the Sixties food packets and memorabilia on display.

The museum has two main parts – the Time Tunnel which walks you through design and branding by decades, from the 1800s to the present day and an exhibition of designs which traces the evolution of very well-known packaging.

8 Essentials For A Successful Blog (or 8 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started).

As Chez l’abeille headed towards its third anniversary I found myself musing on where it might go. You know – beyond a readership that is primarily family, friends and a few like-minded unknown followers to something that is recognised by name alone. Around the same time I was heading home one day, idly reading a discarded copy of The Guardian, when the words “How to create a successful blog” caught my eye. It was an advert for a masterclass with Niamh Shields of eat like a girl and Julie Falconer of a lady in london. Successful! Blog! Masterclass! I signed up immediately.

Niamh and Julie were fascinating as they talked about their journey from starting a blog to making it a platform for their full-time occupations. Although both had a different tale to tell, each shared common themes that are key in making a blog stand out from the rest.

So here are the 8 top tips I gleaned (in no particular order) for creating a successful blog. Apparently this is a listicle and a v. good thing. More on that later.

1. WHAT’S YOUR HOOK?

Aha! I know all about hooks, so this is a good place for me to start. Your hook is the thing that defines your blog and sums it up in a few well-chosen words. Think elevator pitch. Having tried to define the hook for each and every one of my, as yet, unpublished picture books I can tell you this is NOT EASY!! I didn’t really think about this when I started blogging – it was more of a vague “I’ll write about the things I do”. Now Chez l’abeille is about culture, travel and writing. It says so in my title. Although there’s a bit of London too…and maybe art…

Chez l’abeille success rating: 7/10

2. NAMING YOUR BLOG.

All blogs have a name. However, it’s important to think of a name that will work in the long-term and will grow with you. “My blog about things I did on Monday 12^th December” is clearly not going to deliver on that. It’s also a good idea to check you haven’t thought up the best ever name that is actually already in use elsewhere; whilst it might bring you loads of unforeseen traffic, someone else is going to be very cross indeed.

I searched for Chez l’abeille when I got home. Phew! It’s all mine. But does it fit my  target audience? Hmmm. Firstly, it’s in French. Clearly I’m not French, bien sûr. Secondly, hands up all the beekeepers out there? On the other hand it does reflect a bee (me!) returning home with tales for the hive. It’s staying.

Chez l’abeille success rating: 6/10

3. YOUR DOMAIN.

When I started my blog I hadn’t got a clue and my domain has been an irritation ever since. Let’s be clear – all the best blogs have their own domain. There are all sorts of domains now; .com, .co.uk, .london, .blog…I on the other hand have a crazy mashup of my email address and WordPress. This will have to change.

Chez l’abeille success rating: 2/10

4. BRAND CONSISTENCY.

Social media is very useful as you build your traffic and can be used to create interest in your blog. Curiously, as I was heading towards the masterclass I was hit by a moment of clarity; why were my blog, Twitter and Instagram all named differently? Eagle eyed followers might have spotted the sudden alignment across platforms. Your brand is the thing that makes readers remember you and also helps take you to the top of your “category”. Who do you think of when you think of a food blogger or a travel blogger? And if you don’t say Chez l’abeille when you think of your top 10 culture, travel and writing blogs I shall be very upset.

Chez l’abeille success rating: 7/10  

5. BLOG MUST HAVES.

Firstly a theme. Blog platforms will let you have these off the peg with various levels of personalisation available. You can have your own imagery developed but whatever you do, make sure your blog reflects you. Very big banner headers are a bit passé apparently.

Secondly, some key pages help. An “About” page is essential, as your readers are curious and will want to know a bit about you. A contact page is also a useful thing for when those offers of affiliation start flooding in.

Thirdly, use images. A blog is a visual thing and images help – make them as high quality and as big as you can! It is very important to check out copyright and permissions if you intend to use an image that is not yours. I failed to take any pictures at the masterclass, so here’s a rather jolly phone pic of one of the Guardian’s colour coordinated christmas trees as a seasonal bonus.

Chez l’abeille success rating: 8/10

Christmas at The Guardian

6. CONTENT

Edit, edit and edit again. Spell check and then do a bit more editing.

Consider your “evergreen” posts; those that stand up to the test of time and won’t fade into obsolescence like a listicle, where you share your top tips for example! It can also be useful to return to and update an old post as this is where all things Google creep in. Traffic to evergreen posts helps build your search rating and what do ratings mean? That’s right, visibilty! However, whatever you write, you are aiming to inspire your readers. Remember every reader is important and they must trust in you and your authenticity which means being transparent when you are working with a brand and not compromising your content. Quality is everything. Which probably means not having random images of Christmas trees. We shall see.

Chez l’abeille success rating: 6/10 (until this listicle hits evergreen status and I’ll bump it up to 8)

7. TIME.

I try to publish something twice a month; that’s not enough according to the pros. Again the googly tentacles that push you higher in the ratings need to see you are alive and publishing. I find making time to write so hard but it’s true, the more you do, the better you get and the more will happen. There’s also quite a bit of time involved in getting out there and meeting other bloggers, reading other blogs, keeping up with social media and just making yourself visible. One way to manage this is to keep anything from a little list to a full editorial calendar. Readers, I promise I will do better.

Chez l’abeille success rating: 4/10  

8. BE BUSINESS MINDED.

Because your work is worth it. When those offers of affiliation, co-working and general excitement start to flood through your “contact me” page you will need to organise yourself to manage their demands. Work out your costs and rates. Don’t do something you are not happy being associated with – does the offer fit with your blog ethos? So far I’ve had the grand total of one query which bagged me a bottle of champagne, but who knows? Better to be ready!

Chez l’abeille success rating: 1/10  and that’s pushing it

So there you have it. 8 top tips from 2 of the top bloggers around! Start writing those evergreens.

Mirror, Mirror

Sometimes things just happen. That, I guess is what constitutes a happening. The arrival of a mirror maze in Peckham for one weekend only is always going to be a happening. Add that it’s in the Copeland Park/Bussey Building’s achingly hip enclave and it is always going to be up there in the zeitgeist.

I’m not going to write a lot about the background to the work – there’s a really decent article by Creative Review, which tells you everything you need to know. Briefly, the work is by Es Devlin who has a background in stage design. It’s exploring scent, memory and identity. It’s created in partnership with i-D and Chanel to celebrate creativity from women in arts and culture aross the world.

What it actually is: a really fabulous, immersive, mesmerising artwork!

Backstage before the maze

Building a maze

The door to the mirror maze

Staircase in the mirror maze

reflections and refractions

Light strips in the mirror maze

red reflection – two pillars

The woman in white

The woman in red

The woman in gold

Water, light and sound in the mirror maze

The scent of red

Going in – going out

I’m glad I went down early on the opening day as I think visitors would be queuing round the block by the end of the weekend as word spread. By the time this post goes out it will all be over, but that I suppose is what makes it the best kind of memory – a transient moment of total magic.

©Chez l’abeille  2016

 

 

1666 and all that.

There’s always something to commemorate in London and we always seem to be able to do things in some style. Most recently this has been the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, documented so comprehensively by writers of the time, notably the extensive diarist, Samuel Pepys:

“I made myself ready presently, and walked to the Tower; and there got up upon one of the high places, . . .and there I did see the houses at the end of the bridge all on fire, and an infinite great fire on this and the other side . . . of the bridge. . .”

Samuel Pepys 2nd September 1666

Having been to one Fire Garden, I definitely wanted to go and see another flaming, after- dark art installation. It was rather wet and drizzly, but the flames leapt and warmed us as we wandered around the Tate Modern grounds. The illuminated vests hanging amongst the silver birches were weird and compelling in equal measures.

Great Fire 350 Tate modern

Great Fire 350 Tate modern

Great Fire 350 Tate modern

Great Fire 350 Tate modern

Great Fire 350 Tate modern

As a primary teacher I have spent many years helping young children craft their own 2d and 3d models of London in 1666, so one of the installations that I wanted to see was the huge wooden model of the city, before it was destroyed by fire. I didn’t have time to go and watch it burn later that evening but luckily for us all, it was filmed!

So yet another triumphant collective of history and art combined to make London the exciting city we know it is!

©Chez l’abeille  2016

The Art of Observation

I bought my most recent camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC GX7, in October before I headed off to Iceland. I wanted something that would take the pictures I could see and my long standing point and shoot just wasn’t cutting it any more. I thought I was fairly au fait with the workings of a SLR based camera, having used my beloved Pentax for years, but the ease of the totally automatic button has left me doing little more than, well, pointing and shooting.

The roof top gardener

So last Sunday morning I headed off through early morning London to meet my friend Kathy on the roof top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. If you haven’t wandered up the yellow concrete stairs to this little urban oasis I heartily recommend it. Currently the South Bank Centre is running a series of Sunday photography workshops with photographer Ollie Smallwood – this was the reason for getting up early! Ollie has been photographing the garden and the team of volunteers who look after for a while now, which meant he was well placed to get the best out of our ideas.

The group was small so we had time to talk and share ideas, experiences and cameras, which ranged from mobile phones to high end digital SLRs! What I loved most was that we didn’t spend a lot of the 2 hours taking pictures, which might seem odd, but in the end made perfect sense.

Our first task was to walk around and simply look. We were encouraged to think carefuly about what we wanted to photograph before whipping our camera from pocket or bag. Freed from the view through a lense, I felt more able to focus and open to the nuances of the space around me and the endless possibilties for pictures there were.

“slow down and value each picture you take”