Distractions, reflections

Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

2008/09/15 Purley to Victoria Station to Victoria Coach Station to Heathrow

September 23, 2009
Like many travellers, I’ve taken the Heathrow Express from the airport to Paddington Station in central London.  However, Paddington is in the north side of London, and I was visiting on the south side.  Starting out from Purley Station, I decided to experiment with another route.

DI_20080915 094350 PurleyStation

I took the train north towards Victoria Station.

DI_20080915 095208 Purley train north

The northbound rail tracks pass over some east-west lines.

DI_20080915 104052 train to Victoria

The route goes by a power station.

DI_20080915 104124 train to Victoria power station

Approaching Victoria Station, tracks began to converge. Continue reading “2008/09/15 Purley to Victoria Station to Victoria Coach Station to Heathrow“

2008/09/14 Walks in Happy Valley Park and Coulsdon Common, farm in Surrey

September 22, 2009
For a quiet family Sunday, Greg and Scott suggested seeing the countryside nearby.  I’m used to touring the urbanized London, but the Green Belt near the southern suburbs has a completely different feel.  We drove over to Happy Valley Park in Croydon.

DI_20080914 092908 HappyValley kiosk

In the parking lot, we encountered some urban art:  a burned out car.  This vandalism was probably was the work of some juveniles.  We wondered why the chassis hadn’t been taken away, already.

DI_20080914 092740 HappyValley burned car

Down the road, we walked into Happy Valley Park.  The park was quiet, and we encountered a few other families on the way.

DI_20080914 093206 HappyValley family walk

On the way, Jasper stopped to check out some interesting smells. Continue reading “2008/09/14 Walks in Happy Valley Park and Coulsdon Common, farm in Surrey“

2008/09/14 Market in Croydon, dining in Purley

September 21, 2009
Purley is a suburb south of London.  Since Scott and Greg hosted me at their home, I offered to cook dinner for them.  To go shopping for supplies, Scott accompanied me, and we walked over to the bus stop.

DI_20080913 070006 PurleyDownsRoad bus stop SW

Greg thought the best shopping would be in Croydon.  The bus took a route direct to the city centre, and then drove around some one way streets before dropping us off just north of the Croydon Flyover.

DI_20080913 072718 CroydonFlyover

I waited on the street while Scott stopped in a store to buy a few household supplies.

DI_20080913 072730 CroydonFlyover bus stop

A few blocks north, we came to a fork in the road at the entry to the Surrey Street Market.

DI_20080913 072834 Croydon SurreyStreet market

This market has a history serving the neighbourhood going back centuries. Continue reading “2008/09/14 Market in Croydon, dining in Purley“

2008/09/12 Tate Modern, South Bank, London

September 20, 2009
To see the other Tate Museum in London, I took the tube down to the Southwark tube station.  I observed the Blackfriars station as closed, when I walked north.  Approaching the former Bankside Power Station from the south side, the Tate Modern is an imposing building.

DI_20080912 130108 TateModern BanksidePowerStation south side

Walking around to the west side of the building, I could see the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the distance.

DI_20080912 130200 TateModern BanksidePowerStation west side

From the west side, the entry of to the Tate Modern is down a long ramp.

DI_20080912 130254 TateModern west entry ramp

The ramp continues inside the building into the Turbine Hall.

DI_20080912 130354 TateModern TurbineHall

The galleries are on the upper floors.  I went up to Level 3, and saw some red benches with display terminals. Continue reading “2008/09/12 Tate Modern, South Bank, London“

2008/09/12 South Kensington, London

September 19, 2009
After I had spent a few hours at the Tate Britain, Ellen arrived in town, and we went for lunch.  She suggested an art show a little distance away, so we hopped on the Tube to South Kensington station.   As we tried to get oriented, we found ourselves outside the Henry Cole Wing of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

DI_20080912 102504 VictoriaAlbertMuseum HenryColeWing

Looking at our maps, the Science Museum seemed to be the wrong direction.

DI_20080912 102540 London ScienceMuseum

We turned the direction we thought was north, up Exhibition Road, finding another wing of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

DI_20080912 103106 VictoriaAlbertMuseum ExhibitionRoad

Since I have a Brompton bicycle, I was intrigued to turn down Brompton Square.  This neighbourhood isn’t a likely one for bicycle factory. Continue reading “2008/09/12 South Kensington, London“

2008/09/12 Tate Britain, London

September 14, 2009
Coming into London from the south suburbs for the day, I found my way to the Tate Britain.  I haven’t been to this art museum before.

DI_20080912 081540 TateBritain Millbank

I had read about “Art with Legs” in the Toronto Globe and Mail, so I was looking forward to Work No. 850, by Martin Creed.

DI_20080912 071452 TateBritain MartinCreed WorkNo850 sign

The sign reads:

Work No. 850 centres on a simple idea: that a person will run as fast as they can through the gallery. Each run is followed by an equivalent pause, like a musical rest, during which the grand Neoclassical gallery is empty.

This work celebrates physicality and the human spirit. Creed has instructed the runners to sprint as if their lives depended on it.

So, I wasn’t surprised to see  a runner dashing down the long hall.

DI_20080912 071012 TateBritain MartinCreed WorkNo850

I moved over to the side, and a few minutes later, a different runner came through the hall. Continue reading “2008/09/12 Tate Britain, London“

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