MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS VALENCE HOUSE...

Valence House is the only surviving manor house in Dagenham.  Dating back to medieval times (a house was first established on this site in the 13th century) and partially surrounded by a moat, it was refurbished extensively as a museum in 2010.  I only found out about it recently and wish I'd known about it before as it's only a short 20 minute bus ride away from where I live and is a (to use a much-worn but accurate phrase) hidden gem!  Okay then, I'll be different and call it a hidden jewel... 😉

Valence House holds 200,000 artefacts, dating from Prehistory to the modern day, plus material from local Barking and Dagenham archaeological digs.

We had an easy ride of it getting there and back- in both instances the bus rocked up just as we reached our stop.😊

You have to walk behind the library to reach the house.  In front of the library is an installation of a rusty Mark 2 Capri.  Well, I'm assuming it's art and not a car that was stolen, joyridden and burnt out the night before!

Here's a photo of the me 'n' the SuperDean reflected in the mirrored windows...

The view back over the grass.  The museum is to the right..

The museum entrance...

This more bucolic view was taken after we'd walked by the lake...

In the first room we learnt about the history of the house and here is a model of the site as it was in 1921...

In the second room, we were greeted by this little guy- he is the Dagenham Idol and was found locally in 1922.  He is made of wood and dates to around 2250BC, making him one of the oldest human representations in Europe.  By the way, the Dagenham Idol is not to be confused with Pop Idol, won by local girl Stacey Solomon.  Or was it X Factor?  And was she just a runner up?  Either way...

This room also contains a grand piano...

...and a khazi!  The smallest room in the house would have contained peat, which was changed regularly...

Moving on and we have a Roman skeleton and sarcophagus...

This section is dedicated to Roman times and it is possible to dress up in a toga (shown to the left of the photo).  Dean tried but it's obviously meant for kids as it was w-a-a-a-y too small for him.  Oh, and we also have to have a Vain Old Tart reflection...

The next section is about famous people who were born in or who resided in the area.  Singers Sandie Shaw and Billy Bragg got a mention, as well as a selection of footballers.  It also mentions iconic visitors, one of whom was Mahatma Gandhi, who was in the area in 1931...

There is a lot going on in this section, with cabinets dedicated to how people both worked (the Ford car plant in Dagenham gets a mention, of course) and played.  There is a cabinet full of trophys and the women's movement gets a mention.  

I had to include this cabinet featuring a suffragette, as us women nowadays take so much for granted; things that these gutsy ladies- and more women since then (I'm thinking in particular of the campaign for equal pay)- had to fight for.

A Becontree kitchen.  I believe this is based on homes during the Second World War...

This is definitely wartime as there was a gas mask on the floor, just out of shot.  I love the rag rug on the floor (I knew a woman who used to make these- a fine way of recycling fabrics).

Medicines and medical implements...

Toy cabinet...

 I absolutely loved my dollies as a child- they were my WORLD!  I once said to my mum, 'Dolls are not just dolls- they are little children who have died...'  She said it was the creepiest thing anyone had ever said to her!!!!

Mayoral robes...

I took this view out of the window simply because I loved the tree with red berries...

And I took this photo because stairs always interest me and I like the cough candy twist curly balusters...

A silver chest.  Or rather, a chest for holding silver...

Whaling took place locally and this is the bone of a whale's jaw.  really, it was HUGE!  I had to stand back into the next room to fit all of this picture in...

Dresses also formed part of the museum's exhibitions...

Original walls.  The top one belonged to the pantry...

There is an exhibition entitled 'Copying the Fanshawes' running until March 2019.  It describes how copies often exist of famous paintings- some by the original artist and some not- and why this was common practice during the 17th and 18th centuries.  Portrait painting was often used, by rich people (it was an expensive business, after all) to commemorate special occasions.  People would commission them to give as gifts or, if they owned more than one property, to display in each of their homes.

Valence House estate was acquired by William Fanshawe in 1619 and remained within the family for nearly three centuries, until Evelyn John Fanshawe sold it to the London County Council in 1916.

This is Captain Aubrey Basil Fanshawe (1893-1973) who donated some fifty portraits of members of the family to Valence House Museum in 1963.

Sarah Fanshawe (1642-1717) was a renowned beauty of her day.  This portrait does her justice- visit the exhibition and you'll see that the copy does not, and succeeds in making her look rather hard-faced.  

Anne, Lady Fanshawe (1607-1628).  She died giving birth to her first baby.

There are several more portraits other than these- I just took photos of the few that really appealed to me.

We then took a walk outside, past the library.  Here is part of the partial moat.

These geese did not want to be photographed and showed me their bums!

But on the lake around the corner they acquiesced...

One end of the lake...

T'other and there are fishermen right at the end...

Lake island...

We walked back to the cafe for coffee.  Inside it was very clean and relaxing, and everything was very reasonably priced...

...with nice homely touches such as these herbs...

...taken from the herb garden (which is a little lane that is actually on the way out)...

I made a friend in the shape of Mr. Agnes.  He was called Agnes until they discovered he was actually a boy!  He was told off (and slung out) for wandering into the cafe...

We entered the garden via this seating area with an old-fashioned mangle in the corner...

The summerhouse...

Ditto, with someone being a pest...

The bowery...

I liked this ivy-covered tree...

Wartime garden...

Air raid shelter...

Compost heap.  My dad had one of these in our garden...

I took a photo of these Black-eyed Susans as we left.  I like this flower, although it does have a 'scary' look about it.  Maybe it's that combination of yellow and black together (wasps, tigers, traffic wardens, SuperDeans whenever they dress in bad fashion combinations, etc...)

You wouldn't believe that such a lovely place is huddled away behind the quiet residential and sprawling urban, chicken-shop-infested streets of Dagenham but it was a calming way to spend a couple of hours and I'll definitely return.

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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LAST LETTER HOME by RACHEL HORE

LAST LETTER HOME

BY RACHEL HORE

THE BLURB:-

Can a chance encounter unlock one woman's past?

On holiday in Italy, Briony Wood becomes fascinated by the wartime story of a ruined villa hidden amongst the hills of Naples. Not only is it the very place where her grandfather was stationed as a soldier in 1943, but she also discovers that it harbours the secret of a love long lost.

Handed a bundle of tattered letters found buried at the villa, Briony becomes enraptured by the blossoming love story between Sarah Bailey, an English woman, and Paul Hartmann, a young German. The letters lead her back almost seventy years to pre-war Norfolk.

But as Briony delves into Paul and Sarah's story, she encounters resentments and secrets tightly guarded. All too quickly it is clear that what happened long ago under the shadow of Vesuvius still has the power to cause terrible pain...

THE REALITY:-

Rachel Hore's novels either touch me or they don't, and I'm pleased to say that this book fell into the former category. Her books are often complex; with many different layers in terms of time frame, and explanatory sections coming at you from different angles. I've often felt the need to totally re-read her work just to straighten some of the facts out in my head. I haven't felt the urge to revisit this book in its entirety, but I did pick up on some continuity issues so I, being extremely pedantic and annoying, just HAD to go back to a clarify and double check a couple of points...

Okay...  On page 272, Greg is discussing his grandfather, Ivor Richards, and he describes him as being dead for ten years. This book was published in 2018 and is definitely set in the modern age, as technologies such as Facebook, the Internet and selfies are mentioned. Greg's age is in his early forties and he mentions that he knew his grandfather, but not very well.  But on page 511 Ivor's son, Tom, states that his father died in 1973. So, Greg wouldn't have even been born when Ivor died, and therefore didn't know him at all. Also, on page 519, Briony compares pictures of a young Harry taken in Westbury with the men on the film she's acquired and I'm pretty damn sure that's the first time pictures of Harry in Westbury (trust me, Harry's face is very important to the storyline) have been mentioned. Jeez, I think I need to work as a continuity editor (although I do respect the fact that, as a novelist, you have to be extremely careful about such inconsistencies and it's not that hard for something to slip beneath the bar).

Writers, you need me as much as the public needs to read my work!

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of the book as, like a couple of other Rachel Hore novels, it's set in Norfolk where the author resides. I was brought up in the county and still visit parts (although not the town in which I grew up- I have my reasons and just don't want to). The characters across both time frames were all interesting and there were some unexpected twists regarding the relationship between Briony, Aruna and Luke. It does grate a bit that the main characters are all well-educated, successful and well-paid, but that's not the author's fault- rather it's my own problem, as I have been quite a late developer in getting my act together and, as a result, have led a troubled life career-wise. Oh well, after my upcoming (Norfolk!) holiday my MA Creative Writing applications will begin in earnest and hopefully I'll be able to manage to kick-start my professional life.

I did think that- spoiler alert!- Diane's illegitimate baby might hold the key to the story and might even be Harry Andrews, but I was totally wrong. The subject of the Arandora Star and German internees in the UK during the Second World War has been used in another novel I read (Before The Storm, by Judith Lennox) many moons ago so it was something I knew about. Generally, though, I found the war scenes a bit tedious (although well written) but then again I often find war scenes in novels a bit dragging- that's just me. I've also seen the subject of a character taking on someone's else's identity during the aftermath of the war used before (The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton) so it's something that was obviously relatively easy to do then. That idea had been used here and it really worked and pulled the whole story together. A great read which comes highly recommended.

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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