efog-blog
Recent outings and activities...
Frieze London Sculpture Exhibition
On Sunday 20th October, eight of us met at Great Portland Street station at 10.30am. Although it was a bit wet to start with, that soon cleared and at least it wasn't cold.
The Frieze Sculptures - an annual event that is London's largest free display of outdoor art - are dotted around The English Garden in Regent's Park; this year there were 25 works of art on display, although one was only in situ during the Art Fair, last week, so we missed that.
Bambatha IBy zigzagging across the grass, we visited every piece that was there: a dancer figure that morphed a bird's head onto a human body (albeit one with four arms); a large clay head; a doubled figure that had four arms with the upturned hands holding the 'head' up, four feet and two faces (Seeing Both Sides); a bronze sculpture of the artist encircled by a brass snake-like coil (Bambatha I); split rocks, that came from the Dorset coast, alongside a tall, cast-brass lightning rod (Lightning Rod) that looked like a shell (next to which a linked, free qigong class was taking place as qigong is about cultivating energy from within); a brass bell, in the shape of a calla lily, handing from a tree; the shadow of a tree painted onto the ground in front of it using grass paint (who knew there was such a thing?); metallic structures representing figures uniting land and sea; two towering pillars of ceramic painkiller and psychosis pills; three separate works by one artist, focussing on repetitive movement, which supposedly contain anatomical figures but in which we found elephants, fish and cartoon mice; a stack of bronze balls topped with what was described as an elaborate hairpin; a mosaic inspired by a large mausoleum floor that was recently uncovered in Southwark; a flower head with chicken feet; a black & white chequered table (Materials 0f the Mind Theatre
Materials 0f the Mind Theatre) with what were apparently clay sculptures resembling costumes (but looked like amputated body parts) arranged on it and many more. The painted grass was fascinating and clever, but my highlight was a bright blue half-body, with coloured upright sheets in the head area, a blue bollard set a little way in front of it and a pyramid of brass coil behind (that may or may not be a polished turd) which was all based on Hieronymus Bosch's 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' (Non-Earthly Delights). I would happily make space in my garden for that.
Ent Non Earthly DelightsWe spent more than an hour and a half looking at all the sculptures, critiquing, admiring, being confused (clearly none of us are refined art experts), laughing, reading all the long, multi-syllable words that were scattered across most of the descriptions and Googling some of the references. Although we understood it, I've since confirmed that matrilineal is a real word. Unsurprisingly, we each liked different pieces, but it was a very enjoyable visit for all.
We then headed to the Wetherspoons pub by Baker Street station and managed to get two large tables next to each other, so we were all seated together. After a pleasant, leisurely lunch, we went our separate ways.
Jill S. 20th October 2024
Seeing Both Sides
Sand
Lightning Rod
Photos by Jill S.
An Early Autumn walk in Epping Forest
Twelve members met at Loughton Station on Saturday 5th October for a circular walk in Epping Forest. We joined the forest from The Stubbles, wending our way out to Connaught Waters. Near to Connaught Waters we encountered quite a few runners on some of the paths who were apparently either doing a 25K or 50k route. Glad to be walking instead of running, most of us walked around the lake, a couple of members opting to do the short side. After a quick snack break, we cut through the forest to join the Green Ride, taking this path all the way through onto the ‘Ups and Downs’, although a couple of members did the ‘level’ road-route from near the biker’s hut to avoid the hills and the cardio workout. We all met together for lunch at the cycling hut, after which we visited the Visitors Centre before carrying on via the Mount Pleasant Ride and down the Big Hill/Green Ride to Earls Path Pond and on to Strawberry Hill Pond. On this pond - which locals call Stubbles Pond - there were lots of Mandarin ducks, which was nice to see. A final push through to and across The Stubbles took the group back to Loughton Station. By my step counter the route was 6.5 miles; the weather was lovely, and it was a joy to be walking and enjoying good company and the forest.
Sue S. 5th October 2024. Photos: Trevor
Hatfield Forest and the Flitch Way
We nearly didn’t make it to Hatfield Forest on 21st September for Richard's walk. Jill was driving along the approach road and two muntjac deer hurtled across the road right in front of her. Fortunately, Jill was going slowly and was able to brake because another, fallow, deer then crossed the road. Hearts settling down, we made our way to the car park.
The group in Hatfield Forest
Hatfield Forest is under the care of the National Trust and is a National Nature Reserve. We had to produce membership cards to obtain free parking. The forecast had been for rain but the sun was now shining and we boldly set off with the rainwear either left in the cars or packed in our rucksacks. A quick drink at the café (and a monster flapjack – 416 cal – for Brian) and we set off across grounds showing the unmistakeable imprint of Capability Brown. The sun beat down on the exposed grassland and Jill for one took off her trouser bottoms – the bit below the knee, I hasten to add.
Lunch at Takeley Station
We walked over to the former rail line bordering the forest and now part of the Flitch Way. This is now a popular route for walkers, joggers and cyclists and we turned down it to make our way to Takeley station. We had our lunch there and posed for pictures outside the building and platform, now disused. A return walk down the Frith Way felt much shorter, even though we had to wait for a large group of cyclists to go past. On to the top edge of the Forest, we turned off the Frith Way and headed back, having to avoid some cows on the way. Back at the café we had more drinks in the beautiful sunshine and watched as the queue at the café got longer and longer. When will National Trust institute a more logical way of dealing with orders for coffee?
We calculated we covered just over five miles which in that heat was enough. Suitably refreshed, we climbed into the cars and went home.
Brian. 24th September 2024
South Downs Holiday - September 2024
Sunday 8th September, and we were meeting at the Eagle pub for a four-day holiday in the South Downs. Eileen, Marian and I all arrived promptly but Louise was running a bit late, having got on the wrong train, but she soon joined us and we set off. However, the southbound Blackwall Tunnel was closed for works so we diverted to the Woolwich Ferry; who doesn’t love a holiday cruise, albeit only a very short one?
The plan was to visit Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill and his family from the early 1920s, on route. On arrival we headed for the cafe and a welcome brew before visiting the house and gardens. Before visiting the house, we visited the gallery where a member of staff gave an interesting talk on Churchill and in particular his love of painting; he was quite the artist, amongst other things. Afterwards we visited the house, which has been restored to how it was in the 1920s, before returning to the car and continuing to the South Downs Youth Hostel at Itford Farm, Beddingham - near Lewes - where we had our evening meal.
On Monday we visited Ann, a former group member who moved to Littlehampton three years ago. Ann joined us on a very pretty walk of about 5 miles, from the harbour, along the river before heading through the countryside and a very overgrown stretch of woodland, leading to much cursing and swearing (no that’s not a nearby village!) before returning to Littlehampton along the beach. Arriving back at the harbour we headed for a cafe for drink, cake and some rest before enjoying an evening meal at the Arun View pub, which overlooks the River Arun and enjoying the sunset (very nice).
On Tuesday we caught the train to the nearby town of Lewes. After a cafe stop, we split up to explore this historic town, before meeting up at Anne of Cleaves House Museum, which actually had little to do with Anne of Cleaves (she seems to have visited it occasionally). Afterwards, the ladies were going to walk back along the South Downs Way, while I was going to return by way of the riverside path. However I couldn’t find a way to the river and with the increasingly gloomy weather, I wimped out and caught the train back. The ladies had the map and a written guide to the South Downs Way, so what could possibly go wrong? Anyway, shortly after arriving back at the hostel I had a call saying they were abandoning the walk as the path had disappeared.
On Wednesday we left the hostel to return home via Hever Castle. Arriving at the castle we split up to explore the grounds. I headed straight for the lakeside walk and water maze, which was a very pleasant walk. Meeting up for lunch we then headed to the castle to learn about its history and the life and times of Anne Boleyn and her family, although it didn’t end well (for her anyway!). Afterwards we departed heading for home, having had a very enjoyable break.
I’d like to thank Eileen for organising the holiday and doing all the driving (and putting up with my navigating when required, especially the A26 diversion loop!).
Trev Eley. 24th September 2024
Visit to Highgate Cemetery
The forecast for Monday 23rd September wasn't good, but thankfully it mostly stayed dry for our tours of Highgate Cemetery. 
The grave of Douglas Adams - author of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'Madeleine, Paul and I met, early(ish), at the East side and had a short wander, finding the graves of the actor Corin Redgrave, an avid reader called Horn (whose gravestone looks like a Penguin-published book), the author Douglas Adams (decorated with a potful of pens, ornaments bearing the number "42" - the number from which the meaning of life can be derived, per his 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' - and other items), the television and radio presenter Jeremy Beadle (a gravestone of giant tomes leaning against a bookend) and Malcolm McLaren, the rock-artist, clothes designer and boutique owner. We also encountered a black cat which, if you're superstitious, is supposed to mean good luck for 7 years.
The CatacombsWe then joined Brian, Kathy and Lynne in the courtyard of the West side, ready for the midday tour to start. Our guide, Peter, was excellent - entertaining, engaging and enlightening, although he had warned us at the start that, if he didn't know an answer to a question, he'd probably make it up. With him, we heard about Selby (a horse-carriage driver who won a bet, which is how a lowly carriage driver could afford to be buried at Highgate), saw the huge memorial commemorating various members of the Mears family (who had owned the Whitechapel Bell Foundry), stopped at "grave site number 1" (a lady who had died of consumption), visited the grave of Maria (whose husband based her tombstone on the top part of the Albert Memorial), saw a pyramid over a young child's grave and a gravestone carved with a pelican, symbolising a mother's sacrifice.Up the hill, we paid our respects to the singer/songwriter George Michael, learned a lot about polonium 210 at Alexander Litvinenko's grave marker, stopped at the largest grave plot in the cemetery (the family of a Naval man), laughed at a deep family grave that has the word 'Entrance' engraved on the front of the mausoleum (Peter doesn't know if the word 'Exit' is inscribed inside). We then visited the Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon (minus the mature cedar tree, which had to be chopped down in 2019) and heard about Wombwell's touring menagerie (his mausoleum is topped with a marble, sleeping lion) before being able to enter the catacombs which are only opened to people on a guided tour. Amongst other coffins, we were shown Robert Liston's, the first surgeon in this country to knock patients out with ether when performing operations, leading to modern day use of anaesthetic. 
The Egyptian AvenueBack outside, we visited the tomb of Tom Sayers, a bare-knuckle fighter whose funeral was said to have been attended by 10,000 people; Lion, his faithful dog, had pride of place in the funeral procession and a marble replica of the dog rests in front of the mausoleum. Immediately next to it his great grandson is buried and, apparently, the family wanted his memorial stone to be bone-shaped, as a nod to the dog next to him; the conservative Trustees of the cemetery wouldn't allow it.Nearby we saw the 'horse grave', linked to Queen Victoria's horse slaughterer. Nice. Down the hill, we stopped at Michael Faraday's grave, which is probably far more pronounced and certainly has a bigger headstone than he seemingly wanted for himself, and gave thanks for his contribution to all our lives with regards to the application of electricity. Our tour finished, back in the courtyard, half an hour later than expected so we certainly got our money's worth. 
Tom Sayers' mastiff 'Lion'
We met with Sue, Ken, Diana, Fozi, Trevor and Eileen, briefly, ahead of them being on the 2pm Tour, then retreated to the cafe at Lauderdale House, in neighbouring Waterlow Park, for lunch and a cup of tea. Helpfully, we were inside when the heavens opened. We found out later that, as the 2pm Tour was only just starting, their guide gave his initial intro whilst they sheltered under the colonnade in the courtyard, so they didn't get too wet!
Karl MarxAfter lunch, whilst the 2pm Tour was underway, the rest of us toured the East side, starting with the area that Madeleine, Paul and I hadn't covered in the morning: the grave of Reynolds, who masterminded The Great Train Robbery, Karl Marx's newer resting place (the bust of him, on top, is unmissable), Paul Foot the journalist, Max Wall the comedian, authors George Eliot (whose grave has multiple pens pushed into the earth) and Andrea Levy and, after a lot of hunting, the (toppled) gravestone marking the spot where the actor Roger Lloyd Pack is buried, complete with a small doll holding a broom, depicting his 'Trigger' character from Only Fools and Horses, placed on it.
Whilst the others walked down to look at the graves that I'd seen in the morning, before heading for home, I went to meet the second group who were just finishing their tour and then had another walk around the East side with them. In addition to the graves mentioned above, we also saw Rod Stewart's parents, a pop artist called Patrick Caulfield (whose headstone has the word 'DEAD' carved in cut-out letters), the memorial to Sir Albert Barratt (who we can thank for licorice allsorts), Karl Marx's original grave (covered with stones, entry tickets from the previous day, money including coins, a £5 note, some dollar bills & Chinese yuan and a booklet with the word DETOX on the front) and the headstone marking the last resting place of William Foyle, who co-founded the bookshop. 
Patrick Caulfield's grave and headstone
Whist four of them headed for the cafe in Waterlow Park, Eileen and I popped back in to the West side; she wanted a longer look at George Michael's grave without the crowd around it, whilst I wanted to see the memorials to architect Edward Blore (who designed the facade of Buckingham Palace, which I visited only a few days ago), author Beryl Bainbridge and Charles Cruft, the chap who started Crufts Dog Show. As we left, three foxes were in the Courtyard, eagerly anticipating being fed by one of the staff.
A cup of tea / coffee, plus cake for some, at the cafe rounded off our visit, before we headed down the hill back to Archway station.
Jill S, 23rd September 2024