MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS THE CITY OF LONDON POLICE MUSEUM...

This was another visit to a museum that was so small that I thought it was hardly worth blogging about... BUT it might be small (really, it's one room) but it's perfectly formed and I did get some okay pictures and liked the half an hour I spent there.  So, here goes...

The City of London- also known as 'The Square Mile'- is the historic centre of London which also contains the primary central business district.  It is not a London borough but a county in its own right.  Indeed, it is the smallest county in the United Kingdom.

It had a resident population of 9,401 (figures: Office for national Statistics, circa 2016) but over 300,000 people commute to and work there.

The current City Police Headquarters is built on part of a site of a Roman fortress.  It is this site that probably housed the City's first 'police' as there has been some form of policing in the City since that time.  The museum takes up a small section of this building.​ 

Bollards in the City are painted red and white.  I loved this view down to the museum, walking past the nearby Guildhall Art Gallery.

Just before you enter the museum, there is a section devoted to playing cards.  Why, I do not know!

If you wanna talk playing cards, then let's talk shoes!  I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a pair of these.  They're by Lulu Guinness and are from a collection called 'If You Play Your Cards Right.'  They first came to my attention when I saw a pair in a Margate vintage shop (in my size) but I wasn't paying either £60 or £70 (I can't remember which) for second hand shoes when they pop up on eBay for a tenner.  I will keep searching...

The first cabinet displays a range of historical defensive weapons used in early policing...

There is a sad section devoted to Catherine Eddowes, who was Jack the Ripper's fourth victim.  She was the second person killed in the early hours of Sunday September 30th, 1888.  She was found in Mitre Square, which falls under the jurisdiction of the City of London.

The next section is devoted to The Houndsditch Murders.

In December 1910, the murder of three City of London Police officers and the wounding of two others was, and continues to be, one of the largest multiple murders of police officers on duty carried out in Great Britain.

The three officers – Sergeants Bentley and Tucker and Constable Choat - were shot dead whilst trying to prevent a burglary at a jewellers in Houndsditch on the evening of the 16th of December and this incident and the events surrounding it formed the precursor to the famous Siege of Sidney Street in January 1911.

Today, 11 Exchange Buildings, Houndsditch no longer exists, a casualty of the Second World War, but the street layout remains unaltered and it is still possible to follow in the footsteps of the three murdered officers – all of whom left behind family responsibilities in an era without a welfare state or benefit system.​

The force has come a long way, and changed a great deal, since the Houndsditch murders in 1910. Imagine a time with no patrol cars, radios, traffic lights or even electric street lamps. (source: City of London Police website.)

The rented gang house was next to the jewellers...

Front page raid story...

Information board showing details of the crime...

 Their gun and a reflected vain old tart...

Round the corner we find an old-fashioned Police Box, where members of the public could call for police assistance.  I recently photographed on of these near Postman's Park and featured it in that blog.

I believe this is a police emergency call switchboard...

Underground torches used during recovery after the Moorgate Tube crash of 1975...

It was a sad time towards the end of the last century as the City played host to IRA bombings...

This is a ruined helmet of a police constable after the Old Bailey Central Criminal court bombing of 1973.  The officer survived the attack.

Horses and dogs play an integral role in policing the City.  According to these writings, they appear to lead a pretty nice off-duty life!

Uniforms throughout the ages...

This cabinet was probably my favourite and showcases a selection of criminals' weapons.  Nice!

Police hats...

After we left, I took a picture of this cooling green sculpture fountain just because I liked it.  Not too sure about ye-olde-plastic-carrier-bag in the water, though!

We popped into the next door church of St Lawrence Jewry.  It was destroyed during the Blitz in 1940, but rebuilt in 1957 and opened by the Queen.

We popped into Pizza Union in Spitalfields (I was at its sister restaurant in Aldgate East last week) and had this lovely Nutella and mascarpone pizza ring.  Delicious!!!!

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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THE PAYING GUESTS by SARAH WATERS

THE PAYING GUESTS

BY SARAH WATERS

THE BLURB:-

It is 1922, and in a hushed south London villa life is about to be transformed, as genteel widow Mrs. Wray and her discontented daughter Frances are obliged to take in lodgers.

Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the 'clerk class', bring with them gramophone music, fun- and dangerous desires. The most ordinary of lives, it seems, can explode into passion and drama...

A love story that is also a crime story, this is vintage Sarah Waters.

THE REALITY:-

When I saw the length of this book I let out a reluctant sigh... I wanted to read it and I've always loved a tome but... boy oh boy, (or should that be girl oh girl, as Ms. Waters is a voracious lesbian writer?) can Sarah Waters string 'em out. Whilst I've loved some of her salacious Victorian sapphic romps- such as Tipping The Velvet and Fingersmith- Affinity, set in a women's prison, nearly bored me to death. In fact the latter novel only got going 30 pages towards the end, with a fantastic and unpredictable (yet screamingly obvious) twist.

So it was with trepidation that I picked up this novel and yes, it was generally a bit too drawn out, but it was a really good read. Really, what you're looking at is a novel in two parts. The first half deals with the- spoiler alert!- burgeoning love affair between Frances and Lilian, and the second half the aftermath of– even bigger spoiler alert!- Leonard's murder. I liked both of the main female characters. On one side you have spinster Frances, who comes across as rebellious and unconventional but in reality she isn't. She won't turn her back on the notion of middle class respectability and keeping up appearances and you kind of get the impression that maybe she wished she was someone who would have been happy with a husband and family. Then you have, by contrast, Lilian- the epitome of the 'new and emerging' bohemian up-and-coming working class- who wants to do things her own colourful, romantic way but who again is hidebound by the conventions of the time.

The murder scene was one of the best I have ever read and so real you almost believed you were there, in that house!  EXTREME SPOILER ALERTS COMING...  Frances watched the clock whilst clearing up the gory evidence of the terrible crime, always the partner more in control of the situation; and yet you could sense the nerve-wracking tension in every nail-biting line. Later on, the mental strain came across with the way in which she wrestled with her conscience and the 'what if' and 'if only' of the whole debacle. It made you wonder- then change your mind, then change it back again- as to whether the women were going to admit to their crime or try and get away with it.

One valid point was put across by a reviewer in the inside cover: that is that Sarah Waters is dealing with a vanished era. Nowadays two women can marry. But if you stick a lesbian love affair within the context of the 1920s then yes, it was shocking and was, generally, the kind of thing that had to be conducted craftily and with the utmost discretion. We must place ourselves into this period before we can truly understand what is going on. Incidentally, full marks to the author for bringing this twilight world to life with her excellent research.

I liked that the two women got away with their crime and that no-one else got hung for it either. The ending was left too up in the air for my liking, but I don't think these two could have remained together. It's fitting that their final scene took place on a bridge, as I think that too much water had gone under the bridge for them to be truly happy.

A wonderful crime story and worth a go. Don't be put off by the length of the book- this is one of the author's better offerings.

MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS THE BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM...

I have to be honest, I'm not sure that the brief visit I paid to the Bank of England Museum is even worth blogging about, but I took a couple of pictures and thought I might as well post them on here.

I popped in as it was literally on my way back to the Tube station after visiting the Guildhall Art Gallery.  It's quite small but certainly worth half an hour of your time.  I didn't skulk around for too long as there were a few annoying kids running around and also a screaming baby wailing a crescendo.  Usually I can handle these things as they're a part and parcel of life, but on this day I, quite frankly, was not up for tolerating either.

The museum is small but perfectly formed and you do get to see the stunning architecture which is a blend of the styles of Sir John Soane, Bank architect from 1788 to 1833 and Sir Herbert Baker.  The latter was responsible for accommodating the expansion of the premises, and the only part of Soane's Bank- mostly demolished in the 1920s- which remains today is the outside curtain wall.

This impressive architecture is evident when you see the wonderful skylight dome in the entrance section...

This first section is devoted to the founding of the Bank and the early years (1694-1800).  Around the room there is a lot of writing regarding financial history and the building.

The Bank's famous nickname 'The Old Lady Of Threadneedle Street' comes from this 1797 satirical cartoon by James Gillray.

This was from the time of the Napoleonic Wars, when the Bank was forced to restrict payment of gold for its notes to maintain sufficient reserves (a highly controversial move at the time).

The central part is dedicated to describing how money works...

Here is a very old treasure chest...

The Rotunda.  One thing I did like reading about was how money is mentioned in literature, notably the works of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

The Rotunda is devoted to the years 1800-1946...

...And has another wonderful skylight dome...

There is a room dedicated to banknotes...

The most interesting part for me was this printing press, which also had details of how intricate patterns are stamped onto the notes and how this helps prevent forgery...

There is a section devoted to famous robberies...

You can lift a gold bar if you want to.  It weighs two stone- the same weight as my ornamental Art Deco bedroom mirror- and I know how lifting THAT felt (and that was with two hands!)  I managed it okay with my right hand but struggled with my left (even though I think it's the stronger arm) as I appear to have pulled my shoulder out recently.

Gold cabinet, and there's also a film about gold to watch.

A taste of history via a cabinet about decimalisation, which took place in 1971...

Loads of pound coins...

Although the place wasn't packed, I certainly didn't glean as much information as I would have liked as I couldn't, generally speaking, get close enough.  Or maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.  But I'd definitely give this museum an encore if I happened to be passing again.

I stopped off at Pizza Union in Aldgate for a delicious lunch.  It was good value for money too- this 12" pancetta, goat's cheese and broccoli pizza (I believe they call it a 'Romana) only cost £6.50.

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS THE GUILDHALL ART GALLERY AND LONDON'S ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE...

When Miss Elaineous heard of the existence of a Roman amphitheatre right here in London, some nosey-parkering was definitely in order.

The Guildhall Art Gallery is in the heart of the City of London and was first built in 1885 to display the City of London Corporation's increasing art collection.  It was almost totally destroyed by fire during an air raid in May 1941.  Fortunately, many works had been removed to underground storage facilities in Wiltshire, but some 184 pieces, including drawings, watercolours, prints and sculpture were lost.  A temporary structure stood on the site for many years until 1985, when the City decided to redevelop the site and add a lower art gallery.  In 1987 the remains of the original art gallery were demolished, and in 1988 the startling discovery of a Roman amphitheatre meant that the new building had to be redesigned, to incorporate this amazing feature of extreme historical importance.  The new gallery was finally opened to the public in 1999, and the amphitheatre in 2002.

The art gallery houses some 250 ever-changing works of significant art and sculpture, as well as showing temporary exhibitions.  The static collection mainly incorporates the chief artistic influences of the Victorian period, including Orientalism, Classicism and works by the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood.

I love the City of London- nowadays it's a real mixture of old buildings juxtaposed with shiny new creations.

You see this building as you exit Bank station.  I've seen it described as a 'wedding cake'!

The view down to King William Street...

The Royal Exchange with the Leadenhall Building, aka 'The Cheesegrater' in the background...

Mansion House...

No.1 Poultry...

Side views of the Bank of England...

Maybe I should live here, nudge nudge, wink wink...

The Guildhall Art Gallery...

The City of London Police Museum is opposite and I'll be giving this a visit in the near future...

The church of St Lawrence Jewry...

I took photographs of some of my favourite pieces.  This gallery allows photography, unlike some who are way too precious about it.

This 2012 piece is called Plenty and Progress and is by Mark Titchner (b.1973).  You can see an orange and leopard print vain old tart reflected in it!

La Ghirlandata (The Garlanded Woman), 1873, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882).

I love the Pre-Raphaelites.  A friend of mine described them as, 'Rampant shaggers- and they painted some lovely paintings too!'

George Herbert at Bemerton, 1860, by William Dyce (1806-1864).  I liked the detail in the leaves.

The Garden of Eden, 1901, by Hugh Goldwin Riviere (1868-1956).  This is part of a series of works on display (by different artists) depicting the old-fashioned rituals of courtship, which seem very irrelevant today.  Mind you, even in the 21st century I've met men that are w-a-a-a-y too formal...

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, 1833, by Paul Delaroche (1797-1856).  Poor girl.

  These are modern stained glass decorations by Stella Timmins.  They were commissioned in 2002 to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

The view outside through the gauze window blinds...

Sun and Moon Flowers, 1890, by George Dunlop (1835-1921).

The Music Lesson, 1877, by Frederic Leighton (1830-1896).

 I've been to his stunning artist's house in Holland Park, west London.  Here a a couple of PDFs of Leighton House Museum- photography was definitely not allowed there!

This is the entrance hall... 

The stairway...

Moving on, and there's an exhibition of tiles and plates by ceramic artist William de Morgan (1839-1917).  A friend of William Morris, he designed tiles, stained glass and furniture for Morris & Co. from 1873-1962.  This exhibition also looks at how mathematics is applied to design in the form of symmetry and pattern.

We come to a historical section and mythical figures Gog and Magog are the guardians of the City of London.

A copy of the Magna Carta...

There was a temporary exhibition of Victorian landscapes.  This one is by John Constable (1779-1837) and is an oil sketch called Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows.  It was painted between 1829-31 and he's worked in a kind of frenzied attack, which you can see from his almost violent brush strokes.  This painting is thought to reflect Constable's state of mind as his wife had died the previous year.

Echoes of a Far-Off Storm, 1890, by John Brett (1819-1907).

The Churchyard at Bettws-y-Coed, 1863, by Benjamin Williams Leader (1831-1923).

The Meeting of the Avon and the Severn, 1826, by Patrick Naysmith (1787-1831).

I loved the simplicity of this 1968 work called A London Story, by Mark Boyle (1934-2005).

Landscape 715, 2003, by John Virtue (b.1947).  I loved the sheer anger that appears to have gone into this striking piece!

I was already in the basement, but now I had to take a short walk down into the bowels of the building to see the amphitheatre.  The Romans established Londinium around AD43, and within 30 years were thought to have constructed a wooden amphitheatre, which received a major facelift at the beginning of the second century. 

It is certainly atmospheric: with realistic crowd noises piped in and the green lighted seating and figures giving us some idea of a sense of perspective.  The reason it's so subterranean is that population causes the ground level to rise.  We walk in via what would have been the eastern gate.

These holes are thought to be the site of what was an iron gate, which was maybe used for holding the fighting slaves or animals.

Illuminated superimposed fighters.  

There were intact sewers on the ground under glass.

 And finally, we have to continue with the lavatorial theme- the toilets have been named 'the best in London!'  They were certainly clean and impressive.

Vain old tart...

Even this shelf has been given some Roman inspiration...

I will return when I come to visit the police museum.

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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