Wanders around the Metropolis

It's been a quiet month on the blogging front. Partly because of the recent hostilities in North America, sorry, I mean the World Cup. But with Argentina's antics, including during and after the final, the gap between sport and violence was very thin at times.

Reading

No games or painting or modelling in the Schloß, but I have been reading. Firstly, Reed Browning's The War of the Austrian Succession, leant to me by Neil Patterson. I enjoyed it more than I expected (Neil didn't oversell the book!). A very good introduction to the subject. Then I picked up Henry Hyde's Wargaming Campaigns, which I'm about 3/4 of the way through. It contains a lot of useful information, but I feel that a bit of pruning would help - if for no other reason than it would make it less of a work out to hold. So far I haven't found a lot that I will use in my campaigns. The suggestions tend to be admin heavy. There's a lot on the process rather than concentrating on the effects. But that's probably because the author is into creating a rich narrative. One thing I will probably do is introduce more weather effects in my campaigns.

Hounslow Heath

Back in the real world I've been on a few walks. At the end of June Lincolnshire Tom and I went on a combined walk with the Battlefields Trust and Hounslow Local History Society. The subject was the Military and Aviation History of Hounslow Heath. This was very enjoyable and informative.

Not much physical evidence of the military history survives. Barrack Road is one vestigial sign. There are old barrack buildings remaining but the site is boarded off for re-development.

Random shot of the heath. Not far from here is the River Crane Walk and that goes past an old Shot Tower. Or at least that's what it is labelled as. The guide said recent historiography has cast doubt on its purpose.

Seen on the Hounslow walk. Can't remember what variety of moth/butterfly these will turn into.

On the way home one evening in June I noticed that mountains had sprung up in the direction of Kingston-upon-Thames. They were gone not long after.

The Odyssey

Saturday just gone, saw the Margravina and I venture into London to see the Odyssey. We could have seen it at a local cinema but I fancied a wander around some of my old stomping grounds so we went to the Curzon* at the Brunswick Centre. The film was good, overall, but a couple of things niggled. One was that the makers couldn't resist adding bits to the story. It's only been around 3,000 years so it obviously needs a bit of re-writing to help it survive. I don't think I'm spoiling the plot if I mention them. There was a whole new piece about young boy who volunteered to go to the war. That added time, so out went one of the key points in Odysseus' journey to the Underworld - his talk with Achilles. I get having to cut things to fit into the budget, but not when they add a load of new things in not in the story. There was another change too, concerning Calypso. I had a similar reaction to the Hobbit.

* The Renoir, as was.

There was also a tendency to treat the audience as a bit dense and forgetful. Something about the Law of Zeus (I forget exactly, it only got mentioned in every other scene). I also, pedantically pointed out to the M that at a couple of points, the crew were rowing wearing their helmets and body armour (not in a war scene). 

On the positive side, there were a couple of decent innovations. One concerned rumours of the Sea Peoples. The other was the way Circe turned Odysseus' crew into pigs.  Overall, I would recommend seeing the film.

I enjoyed our foray into that area of London. We had to walk from Farringdon Road near the old Mount Pleasant Post Office site because the buses were on diversion. Like a lot of London this area has been gentrified. Back in the 90s I'd ventured over that way a few times and it was a bit grimy. It's still not pristine in parts but it feels very different. One thing that helps is the lack of diesel vehicles trundling around, as well as the redevelopment work. We wandered over to the cinema past a few of my old stomping grounds (code for pub visits) and it rekindled the desire to go back again. One thing I'd like to visit, and haven't before is the Foundling Museum off Coram's Fields. I was able to point out my old office (some so-and-so had left the window open!)

Like the Mount Pleasant area, the Brunswick Centre has become somewhat gentrified since I was last in the area. The site underwent a major refurbishment a few years ago. And there's now even a Waitrose! Something that was definitely not likely in the 90s. I wonder if the old 70s council flats are still social housing or if there's been 'social cleansing' too.  On the positive side, the place looked a lot more vibrant.

The M suggested walking back down to Waterloo rather than catching the bus back, so we had a pleasant stroll down past Queen Square, Boswell Street, Red Lion Square, Lincolns Inn, down between the LSE buildings, the Aldwich, Strand, Embankment and Waterloo Bridge.

                                    Plaque at Red Lion Square

One of the buildings at the LSE. Romans invented shopping trolleys?

 

St Mary le Strand. Now 150 yards from the river, before the Embankment was built in the 19th century, the Strand was the beach front of the Thames. Hence the name.

The Curiosity Cabinet on the Strand. Part of Kings College London (a second university just metres from LSE).

The defunct Aldwich tube station on Surrey Street. It is now part of the London transport Museum. Also on the to-do list.

St Paul's Cathedral from Waterloo Bridge.

The view west from Waterloo bridge

Looking back east from the bridge.

The City

Overall a grand afternoon out and 12,500 steps logged.