Bloomsbury Festival walk - Sunday 20th October 2013
Take One, by Christine
A few hardy members donned their raincoats and wellies to make the most of the last day of the Bloomsbury Festival on Sunday. We followed a route mapped out by Jacky, who organised the day so that we could see as much as possible that was going on (and a few that weren’t!). Our first stop hadn’t quite got started when we arrived, but was an art installation made up of spherical white balls linked together, and with antennae of clear plastic tubes that lit up when pushed, generating sounds that formed music as they moved about.
In the crypt of St Pancras ChurchWe then went on to St Pancras Church to visit the crypt and see an art exhibition by Julie Caves and H Locke, a local Walthamstow artist. The crypt was huge with vaulted passageways and a series of rooms creating a most spooky atmosphere. Dragon eggs, drawings and paintings adorned the walls, but the most magical effect was in a small room, where a set of delicately coloured translucent bells were arranged in a circle, glowing gently in the dark, gliding around as though they had a life of their own.
Afterwards we wandered through Russell Square, where the crafty ones among us could make an appropriately coloured paper flower to pin onto a banner of your choice strung across the walkway with emotions such as “Fearful” or “Excited” on them. Another attraction was a demonstration of Mongolian throat music, which made Paul very excited as he already knew about this style of singing.
We left there after coffee, to return later. The next stop was UCL; here we came across an exhibition not normally open on Sunday at the Burundi Gallery called “The Eternal Flame” about Zoroastrianism, its origins and history. Artefacts included pottery, paintings, videos, textiles and included a reconstruction of a temple where a flame burns eternally. Well worth seeing and free to enter, it’s on until 14 December http://www.soas.ac.uk/gallery/
Inside UCL we found a food event and, although we had to wait for it, a delicious lunch of vegetable soup, bread and dips, coffee, and homemade scones with cream and homemade jam. Before each course we listened to expert artisan food producers who talked about why they set up and what they made. Talks ranged from a cheesemaker who made Mexican cheeses to urban beekeepers and the future of composting – into gas for heating, and cooking, if you want to know.
Our penultimate destination was the Senate House at UCL, which we hurried along to in the pouring rain; we were lucky enough to squeeze onto a guided tour of the building and learn something about its history. We then completed our day walking back through Russell Square, where the events were closing, hastened by the rain, and we caught the last few songs of the day from “The Choir with No Name”.
Christine Toogood, 23 October 2013
Take Two, by Paul
Just before 9am on Sunday morning I'd got myself ready to leave for Jackie's Bloomsbury walk, then texted Fred to say that I wouldn't be going because it was raining. Then words such as “outdoor” and “walk” and “wimp” started annoying my head, so I had to rush to catch the train.
Floating bells in the cryptWe met at Euston Station and visited the crypt of St Pancras New Church – the one with the dumpy caryatids - where there was an art exhibition by Julie Caves and guest artist H Locke. I needed to 'get myself in' to the art displayed, but H (that was her name) helped out a lot there. As well – especially as she lived in Walthamstow and wanted to explore the Forest on her bike a bit – she readily accepted one of our cards.
Then on to the fayre in Russell Square where, just as Jacky and Christine had finished adding their origami flowers to the category of their choice, I heard the strains of “The Gay Goshawk”* amongst the other sounds emanating all the goings-on in the square. I watched the performance from a distance, then rejoined Christine, Jacky, Lynne, Marilyn and Fred to tell them what I'd been listening to. The singer was Carole Pegg, a founder member of the Folk/Rock Group Mr Fox from the 70s. It was from Mr Fox that I'd first heard the lilting tune and disturbing words of the Gay Goshawk. 
Christine and Jacky placing their paper flowersThis was followed by Tuvan throat singer Radik Tülüsh, whose deep undertone singing I hope amazed us all. His words may possibly have been even stranger - but then perhaps not. Together with the bass player Richard Partridge, they were performing sets from the Goshawk Project: English Folk meets Siberian Roots.
From Russell Square we walked through Tavistock Square with its peace-themes and Ginkgo trees, then made an unscheduled visit to the School of Oriental and African Studies at UCL where there was a display about Zoroastrianism. It was interesting, but it didn't gel with me anything like the previous day's visit to the Hindu Temple had, but the Zen roof-garden was nice.
When we arrived at the UCL cloisters the promised food was not yet ready, and we were ready to eat. However, we were encouraged to stay and during and following a series of short talks on bee-keeping, cheese-making, apple-picking and bread-making forth-came a selection of ecologically-friendly foodstuffs and coffee. It was a nice event and I felt I needed to say thank you to Marina (?), the organiser of the event, who had encouraged us to stay. I found that I was speaking to one of the nicest personalities I have ever met; when I thanked her there were tears in her eyes and she clutched my hands and thanked me!
Christine, Jacky, Fred, Marilyn and Lynne in the UCL cloistersWe made our way to the '1984' building (thirties, actually) of Senate House where we were given a guided tour. In the Senate Hall, sitting at our desks in front of microphones, from my viewpoint I could see two of our small group seated in their esteemed positions looking somewhat weary. We had covered a fair bit of ground, walking outside as much as visiting inside, with a variety of exhibits and happenings to take in.
We returned to Russell Square to hear the close-down performance of the events there by the Choir With No Name. They were singing in the rain slightly less so than we we were standing in it.
There was a general consensus that we'd had a good day and that perhaps it was time to go home, so we did. In fact we'd had a very good time, taking in so many different things. Jacky had done a wonderful job organising it ( not the whole festival – just EFOG's participation!) Particularly as a very new member, she deserves to be congratulated on the day.
When I got home I remembered that I had almost not gone. I'd have missed a lot more than a gay goshawk.
Paul Ferris, 20th October 2013
* The gay goshawk came to my window sill;
The snow it fell fast & the stars stood still;
Oh, won't you take me in from the storm;
Won't you take me between your sheets so warm...
Don't breathe a word, don't speak don't shout;
I can turn the whole world round about;
Lay the moon flat on the land;
Whisper rope out of flying sand...
(from Mr Fox - "The Gay Goshawk", based on Child ballad number 96. My highlight of the day - apart from the company!)
