colouring in the map of london

 

(Hayward Gallery staircase)

Armed with nothing more than an A-Z map and the need to have a morning off from blue fingers and aching shoulders and weary hands from too much writing and knitting in cold May weather, I decided to walk round a part of London I don't know very well. I've wandered along the South Bank, been to a wine tasting in the Globe Theatre, visited Tate Modern plenty of times, jumped off the Tube at Borough Market, and sailed through London Bridge railway station with its wonderful bird's-eye views, thus creating lots of little pin marks on the map of SE1, so to speak, but have never actually joined them all up.

So I took Mildred Pierce for company in the cafes that punctuate my cultural wanderings, and discovered the joys of south east London which, as it turns out, is punctuated by many brilliant blocks of colour that work as beacons, signposts, landmarks and pick-me-ups along the way.

The walk along the South Bank always causes a tussle in my mind. I am beginning to like the Royal Festival Hall and its Midcentury Modern look, but I cannot bear the Brutalist Hayward Gallery which even in dry, warm weather seems cold, dripping and shadowy, and yet I feel I should be more open-minded. But I can't complain about this staircase (above) that is part of it. Maybe the whole building should be painted in bright colours like a massive Luis Barragan extravaganza? Wow, now that would make it worth looking at from the other side of the river.

Funnily enough, there is a little piece of Mexican exuberance in Bermondsey - a little further on from Borough Market where I bought some huge Italian lemons that honestly smell mouth-tinglingly lemony, and some fabulous British cheeses from Neal's Yard Dairy whose smells tell you exactly what they are, and from Southwark Cathedral which I finally went into after years of wondering what it looked like on the inside (amazing). 

 
  

This is the Fashion and Textile Museum whose external colours mirror the pink hair and colourful designs of its founder, Zandra Rhodes - and, yes, it was designed by a Mexican architect. I went to see the Sanderson exhibition which brought back memories of working for the company in the 1980s - the best ones concerned fabric and wallpaper (I only lasted 8 months there).

 

(corner of the entrance ramp)  

It's good to see that its bold splash of colour somehow works in what looks like an ordinary street in SE1. Yet if you look more closely, you see that Bermondsey Street is one of the those amazing, regenerated, re-invigorated London streets that has reinvented itself. Even the pub which is decorated with these emerald green tiles, is a very smart gastropub which looks as though a stylist with a good budget has been let loose inside it. 

This is such a striking shade of emerald - one of our rooms is painted this colour and it's fab - and it is mirrored in the Booth's veg stall at Borough Market which I reckon is the most artistic of all the greengrocers there, with Turnips a close second.

The colour extends to flowers, too, and I saw a couple of intense wallflower plantings, great blocks of a single colour that fill their surroundings with an unmistakable sweet scent, depsite the traffic that thunders past. Too often, I find, wallflowers are muddled up like a dirty paintbox when in fact they are stunning when planted by colour or single variety - like these in the courtyard of Guy's Hospital.

So the dots have been joined up and the map has been coloured in. Another part of London has been added to my list of colourful favourites.

  

Comments

[Jessica Powers]

When I get to the UK, I am sure I'll be using your blog as some sort of guide! Thanks for taking us on your wander.

[Lil G]

I so enjoy traveling with you, and your tulips are just luscious. I may start quilting again! What a wonderful eye you have-I think I've said that before. Your color choices are remarkable.

[m]

But did you ever see the Richard Long show at the Hayward a few years ago (actually, more than a few years ago) which completely transformed it? A few stone circles made all the difference, if only they could have left them there permanently.

[Mary de B]

Your fingers aren't blue from Rowan Denim, are they?

[Karen]

Always, always so much wonderful color on your entry. Thank you so much, dear Jane!!

[Margo]

Thanks for the mini tour. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I enjoyed your pictures and intro to these places you visited. Love that emerald green tile!

[Rebecca]

I used to live on the street that pub is on and used to admire it's lovely tiles everyday as I walked to work (at the market incidentally). It is so true how the splashes of colour seem so in place. Thank you for the gorgeous pictures to take me back...

[frances]

Well, Jane Brocket, this post has taken me back in time to revisit places where I have walked.

And back to my great fortune to have met Zandra Rhodes ... must be close to 30 years ago. I absolutely love her designs, and hope to some day visit that museum she's now got going.

Once again, it's pretty marvelous to have a few clicks on a keyboard take me ... or anyone ... to places we just cannot quite visit in person.

Thank you! xo

[Elizabeth]

Hi Jane, I love your posts and thought you might like this blog, 52 Suburbs, from the other side of the world.
I'm not sure if I can do a link in here, but if you can't find 52 Suburbs any other way, go via my blog, which does have a working link.
I hope you continue to share more of your happy discoveries.

[Elizabeth]

So sorry, blew the comment thing again

[Maira]

Colour is important. Saw a copy of your new quilt book yesterday, in a bookshop-come-cafe in an outer Melbourne (Australia) suburb. The colours & pictures in that were lovely, too.

[Helen in Switzerland]

Loved your post Jane - it brought back happy memories from when I lived in South London many moons ago. I totally agree with you about the Hayward Gallery but it would take a lot for me to start to love the Royal Festival Hall - I can't get away from always thinking that the architect could have done so much better. Such a shame. I think they should knock it down and have another try! I see there is a comment above about a Richard Long show there. There was a great show by him at the Tate Britain recently. Now there's a modern artist who bends the rules and gets it right!
Have a lovely weekend!
Helen

[Heather]

Dear Jane, I bought your new book on Wednesday. Thursday I went to the fabric shop and on Friday I made the Russian shawl quilt top. Today I gathered my fabrics for purple rain and amaryllis. I am so enchanted by your book, it's truly inspirational. However, how do I get 12 diamonds out of 25cm of fabric (page 75) Am I missing something?

[JuicyFig]

You are making London look more and more appealing! - though a week of having to get off the tube at Elephant and Castle once was quite depressing. the only glimmer of joy in that place was visiting 'Baldwins' amazing apothacary!

Kath
x

[Fran]

I so agree with you about banks of wall flowers. Our local council has used them with great effect this year all along the promanade and on every roundabout. Single colour wallflowers have been grown under single coloured tulips...the effect is stunning and a stroll along the prom filled with fragrance.
When my neighbours moved into the bungalow next door it had not been touched since the 1930's. The whole bathroom was covered in emerald green glass tiles which they let me see in situ before carefully removing them [it was to be turned into the kitchen] and sold them for a great price on ebay.

[Kansas Amy]

Oh, how pretty. Thank you for sharing!

[Cindy Owings]

What a great walk you took! Your tour of that section of London will guide my own soon! So enjoy all write about.

[Janice]

Having spent a few years in the heart of SE London, I'm pleased to have some of its charms recognised and celebrated. It has much to recommend it, no matter what London cab drivers tell us!

[The Curious Cat]

as usual some wonderful photography going on...these photos are from my ex-boyfriend's street...haven't been there in a while...takes me back xxx