woolfish

Still feeling Woolfish, I went up to town yesterday. Of course, I never normally 'go up to town'; I 'go into London', but I do like this expression when used by Virginia (and many a provincial lady in many a novel) when she visits London to go to a Picture Palace, a concert, a library or to carry out a few 'commissions'. Like Virginia, I travel by rail, and yesterday passed through Richmond Station where she used to catch trains ('non-stop' if she was lucky), and gazed at the river as we crossed Richmond Bridge, looking at the path where she and Leonard often walked.

Once 'up', Virginia was always meeting friends such as Clive or Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant or Katherine Mansfield, and frequently bumped into Lytton Strachey or Maynard Keynes on the street. I was also there to meet a friend; Alison is someone whose blog, knitting and creativity I have admired enormously for years and luckily, like those in Virginia's circle , she is more than happy to meet somewhere we could enjoy a treat. Virginia at al were often to be found in London cafes and tea rooms (ices at Gunter's sound particularly good), but Alison and I met at Ottolenghi. (If there had been a Bloomsbury Ottolenghi in 1919, I'm quite sure it would have attracted the Bloomsbury set. )

Virginia would go up to town for spectacles or books, or the occasional purchase of clothing (always mentioning the colour, as in an 'apricot coloured coat' or a 'ten and elevenpenny blue dress'). Like her, I found a place where the 'shop women' are 'charming' (not 'superb' and frightening); Jigsaw is the place for me and I found a pink satin-lined, veryVirginia/Vanessa coat which made me look quite artistic (I like to think) but I couldn't afford it. I wished I could put it in a novel instead, as Virginia would no doubt have done. Instead, I treated myself not to books or a concert, but to some gorgeous yarn (colours: Black Cherry and Blackcurrant) from Loop. I like to think Virginia who liked knitting - as someone pointed out in a comment on the previous post - would have approved of my colour choices, or at least their names.

As it grew dark, I headed home. My day up in town ended a little like Virginia's on 15 February 1919: 'Then I had tea, and rambled down to Charing Cross in the dark [except I rambled down to Angel], making phrases and incidents to write about. Which is, I expect, the way one gets killed.'

  ***

Virginia Woolf is one of the best London companions I know; seen through her eyes, the west of London becomes an even more special and interesting place. I find Dickens does the same for the City and the east of London. Hmmm, time to plan a Dickensian day of pubs and oysters and punch and Pickwickian jollity...

Comments

[Jennifer]

Your yarns are beautiful, I particularly like the name Blackcurrant ( I have a bit of a blackcurrant obsession, which is quite hard to feed here in the states). It sounds like you had a wonderful day, I used to love riding in the trains, looking at all the beautiful scenery. How nice to be able to meet up with a friend and enjoy a day of shopping.

[Pomona]

I still go 'up' to London, although I tend to think of it as the Great Wen, being a bumpkin at heart and quite rustic. Virginia Woolf and knitting (Mrs Ramsay's, to be precise) are what set me on the path to my thesis. Apparently Julia Stephen knitted all the time, and I am beginning to think that is how my children will remember me, always knitting, knitting, but warm and cosy things, rather than sinister registers.

I am sure that you will get far more enjoyment and value out of your lovely new yarn than a coat, which could so easily be a disappointment when you get it home, especially if you begin to feel more Dickensian than Woolfish. And actually a Woolfish coat makes me think of stones in the pockets, which is rather morbid. On balance, yarn is much safer!

Pomona x

[lucy]

What a lovely day you had. I took my little ones to the theatre (The Peacock)last year and we had a little wander round. My five year old needed the toilet so we popped into GOSH, which is in the middle of Bloomsbury (and also very close to Persephone) we had a lovely wander that day too x

[RainyDaisy]

I admit, at first I thought the post title was a combination of "wool" and "fish" which, I think, would have made an equally interesting post. :)

Sigh..I do love Virginia Woolf. And since I won't be able to go into "town" anytime soon, I am happy to live vicariously through you!

[Cathy]

Tee-hee. I saw the picture and read the title as "wool-fish" and not as "Woolf-ish". :-) Lovely yarn and a lovely day.

[Susan]

You never cease to inspire and amuse.

[Karen]

Your day sounds lovely. From here we do go "up to town", although when the children were little I didn't go very often at all. After years of working "up there" I had decided I wouldn't go any more. I do go "up" now and again these days and enjoy it for the treat it is. We often seem to have to go to Abercrombie. I bet you've been there too!

[trashalou]

I am going up to town on Friday and very much looking forward to it.

[kathe kramer]

Going "up to town" in no way sounds to me as exciting as "going into London". I grew up in small New England town and when we left our property to shop, see a movie, or go to the library, we went "up town". And if we were doing something really grand, like seeing a show on Broadway, we went "into the city". Where I live now, south of the Mason Dixon line people "go into downtown Annapolis". It is the capitol of our state, but my husband commutes "over to Washington" (D.C.)to work. When I can not find anything to wear in downtown Annapolis, I drive "into the city", our Nation's capitol and hope I can find something there.
After spending only one week of my life in London I have decided it is my favorite place to shop. So, your post made me most envious and I love the fact I have a few things I got "while I was in London".

[CashmereLibrarian]

Oh, I was raised on English novels and aren't you lucky you actually get to act them out in real life?! Thanks for a taste of Britain though Virginia's eyes!

[Helen]

When I saw the title of your entry I thought you meant the wonderful shop "Woolfish" which is a wool shop in St Abbs. Always worth a visit!

[Lesley Austin]

I, too, passed through Richmond station this Spring when were on holiday in England. I thought of Virginia as I snapped a photo of the pretty ironwork of the roof arches...and I also thought of you, as my train of thought ran on a Virginia Woolf line for a little while.

We live in the countryside of Virginia and call it "going to town" to go to Williamsburg (an hour away) and "going to the city" (an hour away) if we go to Richmond (the Virginia one-goodness-make that the US one)...but it is all by car, I am sorry to say.

[Amy]

I noticed in TGAOD you said the term "at the weekend"...we around these here hick parts say "on the weekend"...anyway, I was TICKLED pink to have the new term "at the weekend" (I'm easily amused ;) ) and now I again have a new one to use!!! "Up to town" :P

Delicious yarn colors!!! :)

[Lizbon]

Oh I loved this post. I myself talk about going "into town" when speaking of going to Manhattan, and my friends tease me about it. Apparently I am the only one who thinks of NYC as a town. Or as town.

Wonderful yarn.

[Petit Filoux]

What a lovely post you wrote there!!! Seems like you had such a nice time, wish I could do the same instead of going to work!!

[maggie]

I haven't read VW for years, but your last two posts have inspired me to get the books and do so. Thank you, always looking for inspiration for reading and crafts, and you supply both.

[Steel]

It's funny, but I used to take London for granted when I lived there. I was born and bred in West London and had all the usual teenage impulses to move away somewhere else in the country and be independent.

Once I moved to Northamptonshire and "going down to town" for shopping and exhibitions became an event, I appreciated it a lot more.

[Anna]

Rochester in Kent has a fabulous Dickensian weekend with snow and parades and a Victorian funfair in the castle grounds, lots of mulled wine and turkey for the six poor travellers the first weekend in December. And there are two fabulous art shops and an incredible patchwork shop in the High Street.

[perches]

Thank you, I've been wondering what to read next from the library, and VW sounds perfect. Lovely yarn!

[Sharon Lourie]

In New Zealand we say "going up town" quite a lot OR "going up the street" if you already live in town.
I have finally managed to get a copy of Dorothy Whipple's 'Someone at a Distance' - our local library borrowed it for me from another library...... long story. I have had a wee peek at the first page and KNOW I will enjoy it. Also a plan in place to see 'Julie & Julia' at the movies with one of my darling daughters!Thanks for sharing your finds.

[Claudia]

This is just what I needed to read today - the light is waning here and I've been marking papers, feeling a bit sorry I can't have all my time to myself & my loved ones. It was good to step into your day and think about Virginia Woolf, shopping, and knitting, even if it's for just a moment.

[Bekky]

ooo Ottolenghi is my absolute favourite place to eat in Angel - I used to go so often - my friends and I ended up calling it 'the Ott shop' the fresh mint tea is so beautiful, the breakfasts are so yummy and the cakes - well I don't have to even talk about them for cake haunted dreams to occur!

We also used to frequent this place:http://www.euphoriumbakery.com/
in Angel at the far end of Upper street - their croissants are almost as good as the ones I used to get from our local bakery in France - and they were fantastic!