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Odds n' Ends..! |
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Cool and classy yet slightly bohemian, Kensington and Chelsea have been fashionable since the 16th century. Henry VIII kept quarters
in Chelsea when it was a little fishing village beside the Thames. Affluent Kensington was the home of Princess Diana until her death
in 1997. She lived in Kensington Palace - as did Charles until they separated.
Chelsea has connections with artists, writers, fashion designers and rock stars; Kensington boasts embassies, clothing shops,
magnificent museums and enchanting Kensington Gardens. The area is well served by the 'tube': relevant stations are High Street
Kensington, South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Sloane Square.
Let's start our tour by emerging from the tube at High Street Kensington ("High Street Ken" in local parlance), having arrived
there either by the District or the Circle lines.
Click on the headings to find out more:
Kensington Market, a labyrinth of clothing shops, is within a stone's throw of the station. So is Kensington Square - you reach
that by strolling down Derry Street. On your way down Derry Street perhaps take a look at the unique architecture of the former Derry and Toms department store. Next door, Barkers department store (now Frasers London Flagship Store) is an art deco masterpiece.
Kensington Square itself is a tranquil and leafy place to wander and contemplate. Blue plaques on the houses denote famous residents,
including Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones and William Makepeace Thackeray (who wrote Vanity Fair at No. 16).
"It is impossible, in our condition of Society, not to be sometimes a Snob," Thackeray observed in his Book of Snobs.
Back in High Street Ken, the 250-ft Gothic steeple (London's tallest) of St Mary Abbots soars above the traffic. The church stands on the
corner of Kensington Church Street, lined with browse-worthy antique shops. Drayson Mews, nearby, is a charming row of neat little houses
once used to stable horses and now used to stable millionaires.
Kenneth Grahame, author of that inimitably English children's classic The Wind in the Willows, lived at No. 16 Phillimore Place nearby.
Walk along Phillimore Gardens (its a street, not a garden) back to the corner of Kensington High Street and you'll find a cafe called Sticky
Fingers. If the name reminds you of the Rolling Stones, it's no coincidence. It's owned by Bill Wyman, the group's former guitarist. After
tiring of a Stone's life (which must be pretty exhausting, even without the gigs!) Wyman decided to enter the restaurant trade. A quiet man
of many talents, he was a close friend of surrealist painter Marc Chagall in the early 1970s. Wyman looks pretty good for his years,
especially considering he has been exposed to rather more sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll than most of us. In a recent interview, he revealed
the secret of his physical well-being. He takes note of all the nutritional and health advice currently popular.
- He then does the exact opposite....
A couple of blocks further down High Street Ken heading west you reach the Commonwealth Experience (formerly the Commonwealth Institute).
This modern building became a bit tired and run down (rather like the Commonwealth itself) and was totally overhauled. Now known as the Commonwealth Resource Centre it offers a huge range of
resources on the Commonwealth. Glance at displays on the Commonwealth's 50 nations here, or continue along Kensington High Street to
Ilchester Park Road, leading to Holland Park Road and Leighton House, preserved exactly as it was when Victorian artist Lord Leighton lived
there. Leighton (the only artist ever to be made a lord) had a passion for Moorish architecture and pre-Raphaelite painting.
His house is an opulent delight - you'll almost wish you lived in the 19th century!
Holland Park itself used to be the formal gardens of Holland House, a Jacobean mansion. Only one wing of the mansion survives having been
bombed in WW2, (the old Garden Ballroom is now a superb restaurant) but the grounds have turned into a lovely, intimate park, a favourite of nannies
and the children they look after. It is also the home of Opera Holland Park - Open air opera in the summer here is a delightful must do experience. At the other end of Kensington High Street, more or less diagonally opposite High Street Ken station,
you'll find Kensington Gardens. What a wonderful place! Something about Kensington Gardens encapsulates London's soul, especially on a
fine spring day. Boys splash about with their boats at the Round Pond, dogs on leashes yap and prance, nannies and au pairs push
strollers ('baby buggies' is the English term) and puppet shows attract kids of all ages (including a few over 50). Don't miss
the Peter Pan Statue.
Kensington Palace (known as KP to the gentry) stands on the park's western edge. The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is on
display here. Outside Kensington Palace Gardens is a private road of opulent mansions, many of them now serving as embassies. A refreshing
place to amble. The rest of Kensington Gardens offers something for everyone. Surroundings range from sylvan glades to the formal
elegance of the Italian Garden adjoining Hyde Park at the northern end of the Serpentine. Lovely spot for a picnic.
"Pass the cucumber sandwiches darling.."
At the southern edge of Kensington Gardens, the newly refurbished Albert Memorial looks brilliant these days, all freshly gilded and gleaming.
It hasn't looked better since it was erected in 1876. Albert's gilding was stripped off during the First World War out of fear that German airship
crews might use the sparkling statue as a navigational aid to drop hand-held bombs on Kensington Palace. That kind of dastardly deed was
considered within the beastly Hun's repertoire. Thank goodness it never happened. Phew!
The imposing Albert Hall (officially known as the Royal Albert Hall) stands opposite the statue, just outside the park. Home of the famed Proms and all sorts of other musical and theatrical events, the Albert Hall is an impressive auditorium built to celebrate the British Empire.
As you inspect it, perhaps hum the Beatles classic 'A Day in the Life':
"I read the news today, oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall, I'd love to turn you on"
The Royal College of Music in Prince Consort Road and the Royal College of Art in Kensington Gore add to the area's arty feel. And don't miss the
Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens (10am - 6pm daily). Its exhibitions are usually avant-garde, often controversial and always free!
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