Tower, Trains, Tube, Tate and Turners …

Halloween … bloody towers, crowded gutters, barracked bridges, torture trains, grim greasy humid humors … as in ancient bodily fluids …

The good, the not bad and the not too ugly about trips to London town … who’d had thought every man and his child would be London bound - yes, it was half-term, but ...?

I was standing on a bench, the River Thames is behind me -
in the distance you can see the spread of poppies, and
one of the cascades bursting up from the moat

I had to stand all the way up to town … honestly – that’s a bit much … the train was packed, they’d lost some rolling stock – beggars belief … but beggars can’t afford trains – or belief!

I was going to go last Saturday – good thing I didn’t ... these Gentlemen Warders of the Tower said the populace hadn’t curtailed itself then and it was populatedly packed!  They, I believe, mentioned 18,000 visitors …

Dragon cannon, ubiquitous raven, Jewel tower
in background

Dragons threw forth their fiery breath … wearily bringing those humors to misty life … which spread ghoulishly out and over the fortified walls into the City that never sleeps …

Damp, misty, ghoulish day ... the moat, the peoples, and
over the River Thames the Shard, all but lost in the mist

I had a ticket for Tuesday – but there were signalling problems outside London … so I gave that visit up and went to see the pier with its burnt shell (more anon) and on home!

One of the spread of poppies along the
west wall - in the moat

So on Wednesday stand we did … all in good humour (the other sort) … we nattered or packed ourselves like pickled, oily sardines to let the next station load on! 

One little lad was on his way to see Arsenal Football Club (the Gunners) … but for some reason had his Chelsea football shirt on … he wasn’t worried … so all will be well: bless his cotton socks!!

Here I've left the Tower and am outside
to see the waterfall cascade of poppies from
one of the Tower windows: crowds in background

Everyone poured out at Victoria Station with most going where I was headed … the Tower and the Turners at the Tate.  Grisly, damp, misty day … but the Tower beckoned … crumbs!!!

People … People … People … the populace had risen against the Tower of London … the only thing between the milling mass and the White Tower were nearly one million ceramic poppies … cascading from the Tower walls, bleedingly creeping along the moat … crimsonly oozing in from the River Thames …

You can vaguely see this in the first picture ...
I moved to the moat's edge - the Shard is behind me over
the River Thames; people walking into the Tower; beyond
outside the Tower ... people everywhere

Everyone was queueing for everything … tickets, food, entrances, then once inside each tower or exhibition … phones of all sizes skyward held … focussing across the rivers of blood red poppies …

Crossing the moat to gain entry

I’d been, seen and conquered the tribes visiting the fortress, palace, prison and 2,000 years later one of the foremost of our historical sites … tradition points to Julius Caesar as the founder of the earlier defence on the reaches of the Thames.

iphone pointed down for a closer-up!

Then – to cap it all for that part of the journey … Tower Hill tube station was closed to leaving passengers … a worker with a megaphone was exhorting all and sundry to cross busy roads, to go this way for that, that way for this … follow the yellow-brick road for the tube to escape the City.

The bloody sea - reaching its tentacles
inside the Treason Gate - the River Thames
landing point is just behind me

No yellow-brick road … but onwards as ever towards a bus, or a tube … then shooting down south to see the Late Turner Exhibition once again …

The Slave Ship by Turner (1840)
based on the Zong Massacre in 1781

… but also to see the sublime Olafur Eliasson: Turner Colour Experiments … Eliasson that artist whomade glass books, I previously posted about …

Here Eliasson investigated Turner’s use of light and colour, abstracting the hues of seven of his paintings into dynamic colour studies.

Three of the Seven Colour Experiments exhibited - all based
on one of Turner's paintings:
(1842) Peace: Burial at Sea (R)
(c 1840-5) A Wreck with Fishing Boats (C)
(c1835-40) Breaker's on a Flat Beach (L)

On trailing upwards to see Olafur Eliasson’s works at the Tate … I found many more of Turner’s paintings … many, many more! … and so need to go back – now I’m a member I can explore …

Based on Turner's The Burning of the House of Lords
and Commons, 16 October 1834 (exhibited 1835)

These seven studies bear Eliasson’s imprint … his circles … but they have been painted in oil on canvas … they are quite extraordinary.

I shall have to post again on a few of these thoughts … the Turners, Elisasson’s works, Remembrance Day is coming up … the reasons for these hundreds and thousands rouge ceramic poppies … I wasn’t sure at first – but they do make a show …

One of the direction boards - mind you
the queues were here too ... 

… and I’m glad I braved the dragon, the treason gate, torture trains or towers, Turner’s steam powered train, the underground workings … my creative mind always wondering …

Then earlier this week I had “A Little Halloween Card” from Lenny … just makes my day and week … also knowing that Linda, in the Nursing Centre, would have had one too – she did … it’s her birthday today …

She is confined to bed, and her room … and has been for years … sometimes life isn’t fair … but she now has visitors and a wonderful young friend who send her cards …

What did I mention about communication … it’s essential … sometimes we can’t be there … but we can email or write … and snail mail; if you’re ill or distressed those small moments can just make that difference …

Well that was my Halloween week … and yes it was a year ago I smashed my face – thankfully I was spared a dreadful accident and managed just to make my face look like I’d painted it for Halloween!  Amused a few people …

Lots of stories to follow … not sure about the mystery variety pro tem … but one day p’rhaps …

(NB:  I know the poppies represent the Service personnel lost in the First World War ... so my post may not reflect the reverence that some will consider due ... I have just used the amazing creation to evoke the horrors of conflict of 2,000 plus years ... in a way suitable for Halloween - apologies if I've offended anyone.)

We might break the heat records today as the warmest Halloween since someone wrote the temperature down - they are predicting 20 deg ... and 21 deg C will bust the record.  In fact it's reached 23 deg C ... but next week frost is coming ... i.e. the cold.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories 

Hilary’s Who Done It – the answer …

Note the possible murderous characters: those in the post’s story, and at the Cluedo mansion …

This could be a Cluedo mansion

The setting:  the Cluedo mansion, an estate with industrial units and a Gatehouse.

Remember death came via the possibilities within the game of Cluedo.

 

A gatehouse

Nine words needed to be used in the original telling of the story see link to post above …

Who did do it …

Mr Marchant, the old boy from the Gatehouse, seemed to be around rather more than necessary asking the Cluedo mansion residents more questions than they felt were necessary; 

... they noticed that he too was in and out of the industrial units questioning all and sundry about Timothy’s unseemly death.

Natural causes it seemed to them ... but Mr Marchant’s nose was smelling a rat – had the Cluedo players played too much ... had reality set in?

Marchant was an unknown – he’d been to dinner parties at the Mansion, he’d appeared very erudite and interested in their goings on, while the community activities he quietly participated in ... so he knew the inhabitants, but they, so self-absorbed, had asked little about him – knew even less!

What had happened to Timothy?

Was the typography business a goner .. as had been suggested?

Was Jerome covering up for Rena, his sister, while she escaped for some ............ space?

Marchant, his unfaltering features, giving little away ... probed and probed ... the Detective leading the case began to lean on him ... DC Stevens realised lines of enquiry were being followed and Marchant was doing a fine job – leaving him, the DC, to establish other facts – or fiction .. or dare I say it lies.

Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory had the dagger tucked into his belt as always – he stirred his Moutarde de Maeaux to keep the Pommery mustard fresh .. and he was stingy – no-one was allowed to share.  His moustache was twitching just slightly – would anyone notice ... he was a jittery fellow .....

Reverend Green spent most of his time in the Library reading, researching and refuelling his brain – that most were full of envy about  it– it contained so much  ... a wealth of information.  

But the spanner ... why did he bookmark with a spanner – in this day and age? ... to keep it in his possession?  Ah – now that was a question.

Professor Plum, with his bruised and rotting plum coloured florid face, spent a great deal of time in the kitchen twiddling with his bottles and brews of sloes, damsons, plums...

... all well slobbered over - when the alcohol went in ... far too much ... but did he admit that ... no – enjoying the slurps too too much.  He kept spilling the wax from the Candlestick when he sealed the bottles – so that was forever present …

Ah ah .. the ladies – Miss Scarlett .. she would need the revolver ... she was of the ilk that made that instant – pull the trigger decision ... bang bang and you’re dead – but Timothy didn’t die that way.  

Bang bang ... she was in the billiard room – bonging the balls around ... making that dreadful unpredictable noise – buffeted between the ballroom and the hall ... a muffled sound perhaps ...

Mrs White the all pristine ex housekeeper .. who abhorred all dirt, wove her cleanly ways through life – or was she ... the rope she used was always tattered ... she unwove it to tidy away dirty things ...

Not so pristine, but I couldn't resist her

... then rewove the rope after she'd cleared that mess away; she was thrifty – but ... Marchant felt there was a ‘but’ ... she lounged a lot ... in the lounge ...

Mrs Peacock .. now there’s ‘a one’ Marchant thought ... all splutter and not much body .. certainly not a body like Miss Scarlett ... but she was a home-maker ... 

... she was always in the Dining Room setting lunch or dinner ... ready for carving whatever joint might be served .. the dagger at the ready .. ah – what dagger – Colonel Mustard had the dagger .. didn’t he?

Marchant pondered on ... Stevens too – they both checked out the Typographical business ... Rena and Jerome were distraught at their father’s sudden demise – why? ... without warning ... how?  The answers didn’t immediately come …

Joe the typesetter was a sturdy fellow ... sure in his work, Amanda the glyph modifier – now there was something indecipherable about her ... did she know more than she let on about her craft; 

.... while Andrew the art director appeared to be managing the project rather than being artistic and, dare I say it, crafty?

Various items from the Mansion were sent away for analysis ...

Marchant went into the Library with the Reverend Green and they had long and quiet discursive musings ... the Reverend getting up and bringing books to be referred to ... what were they looking into ..

The modern way of instant research via the internet seemed the most satisfactory to the industrial unit and similar inhabitants ... but to the Cluedo residents .. what on earth was going on ... 

... the Mansion did not have WiFi ... so connection could not be made … nor were they interested in all things technical …

Marchant and Stevens conferred at the Gatehouse, WiFi was available ... everyone was held in thrall .. suddenly a meeting was called to the community hall on the estate ... everyone was rounded up to attend ... all were called away – no matter how inconvenient …

How did Timothy die?

The closet was off the Hall in the Cluedo Mansion ... why had Timothy been there at all?

Stevens began by welcoming everyone – to a murder investigation ... seemed strange ... while Marchant kept a wary eye ... the DC taking everyone through the events ...  then at last introducing Marchant ... 

... as Chief Superintendent Marchant of the Metropolitan Police – everyone’s mouths dropped and their eyes widened ... now they knew ... why he knew so much, but they knew so little ..

... Marchant summarised and then quietly looking at Colonel Mustard, the man with the feathering moustache, that occasionally twitched, - could he see the dagger – ah yes! a copy from the theatre props; 

... then Marchant suggested that the lead pipe had had a slice off it ... that slice being left in the mustard over the years ... causing Timothy a slow death ... Colonel Mustard was mean ... his Meaux was not to be shared ... even on Timothy’s sandwiches ... 

... so the generous offering at Christmas was not generous ... it was a poison threat over many years ... Timothy suffered as he regularly added Moutarde de Meaux to his lunchtime sandwiches ... which Colonel Mustard so ‘generously’ offered to refill – ensuring the poisoning went on.

Where was the lead pipe?  Had it ever had a slice removed ... well, we will never know – Joe the typesetter said he’d recently been given the lead pipe by Colonel Mustard to make some replacement typefaces ... 

... and yes it was about the time Timothy kept on being unwell ... the lead pipe had been flattened in the process ...

Colonel Mustard started blustering and blabbering ... but to no avail ... he’d been caught out ... in the end in the Closet with the leadpipe ... 

Tea, drinks shortly .... still playing games

.... off with his head – as the saying goes.

Then they all went home for tea ... or a drink ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Survive and Thrive blogfest: the list of bloggers and their subjects ....

I really cannot add to this great collection of warnings and stories about diseases …

I’d add peanut or nut allergies … there are a lot of serious allergies around now … always check.

Also explaining to kids and grandchildren (and others, I regret to say) re people who are disabled, have ADHD, or are in a rush, are rude etc etc … 

... the why we always need to be polite and look after others … and use our magic mouth muscles to raise a smile …

Then my recent C for Cancer post … where I addressed lots of caring words: communication, caring, compassion, courage, concern, conversation to mention a few – all creature comfort words for those who are ill, and those who are caring and concerned.

Thank you to Stephen, Michael, Diane and Alex for setting this blogfest up – so many useful and informative posts …

Survive and Thrive BlogHop – list of participants and subjects:

Sheri Larsen – Teenage Depression

Stephen Tremp – Colonoscopy

Ninja Alex – Prostate Cancer and early detection; eat fresh, drink water, exercise

Michael Di Gesu – Gout … which is a form of arthritis

Diane (Spunk on a Stick's Tips) – early detection; second opinions … you could be clear – but check up and check

Literary Rambles - Casey and Natalie - Breast Cancer and/or Colonoscopy awareness

Hart Johnson - check your family history for serious illnesses - eg cancers ... breast, colon, uterine, prostate ...

Dani Bertrand - Crohn's Disease

Roland Clarke - Why ignore the symptoms?  Multiple Schlerosis AND don't ignore the symptoms ... eg stomach cancer.

Mark Means - a post on the reasons for eating right and exercising ... before we're too old and before perhaps symptoms catch up with us.

DG Hudson - how to help ourselves ... and be prepared - re accident and heart attacks.

SL of Pensuasion - melanoma and pancreatic cancer; consideration in looking at genetic testing, if appropriate

Clarissa Draper - JANZ syndrome - juvenile epilepsy

Beverly Stowe McClure - reminds us of these: Diabetes, Alzheimers, Kidney Failure and/or Heart Disease - to be aware of their symptoms

Kathy McKendry - wise advice from a figure skater and coach, knows her body, who visualises and keeps stress to a minimum

C Lee McKenzie - mentions "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - all check-ups could be critical ... especially mammograms and similar

Beverley Fox - talks about blurred vision, being violently ill after a rich meal ... which meant diabetes at 27 ... it's in the family: so always check

Jay Noel - diabetes, high cholesterol ... but it's "Wheat Belly" that grabs the attention, with some serious facts

Donna at Book Lover - a social worker's perspective on prevention of childhood illnesses through immunisation

Melanie Schulz - a nurse's view (holistic take) on pneumonia and heart burn and being pregnant - not a good combination.

Morgan Katz - she describes being told (recently) she has cancer - aged 15 - a sarcoma on her head; surgeries, skin grafts ... 

Tamara Narayan - brain tumour; juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at two years old; kidney stones; ... case #4 - thankfully was all clear after mammograms ... she describes her family as a herd of zebra - I think they've seen off a few lions ... 

Julie Kemp Pick - she describes her cancer story - as a nose for trouble ... but you really should read it: Julie has a great way of bringing us laughter ... 

Eva of Life Post Brain Haemorrhage - advises us to keep our bodies healthy ... so we don't suffer a stroke - there's an infographic regarding potential signs ...

Cynthia - childhood asthma and on into adulthood

Robyn Alana Engel - the world's most common disorder: depression - an article she wrote for a local newspaper sums her knowledge up

Diane Burton - mammograms run in the family ... get your check ups

Pat Hatt - parasites and a cornucopia of diseases

Joy Campbell - The Chikungunya Virus: a mosquito borne disease in Jamaica

Birgit - Ehlers-Danlos Syndome - the genetic disease for which there is no diagnosis, or known cure ... described as bend it like a rubber chicken ... she does have a sense of humour!

Arlee Bird - healthy living; being content; having a positive mind

Shannon Lawrence - Women's Heart Attack symptoms and knowing what medications you/they are on ... and perhaps need to stay on

Michelle Wallace - mental health and keeping the brain sharp: so often forgotten in the scheme of things - but great exercising ideas here

Denise Covey - skin cancers ... melanomas

Be prepared, be positive, do not worry (that's stressful), remember others and their situations,  and be happy ...

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Happy Birthday Lenny … Where is Lenny? At home with his critters …

… or would he rather be here … this all started with a birthday present … the Natural History Museum at Tring?

 

Lionel Rothschild

Lenny – sorreeee …. I don’t think we can manage a few million …. but we can send amplitudes of thoughts … on this your special day …

Have a very happy 15th birthday day
lots of excuses to wear those expando pants?!

Lionel Walter Rothschild was the man behind the museum … he started collecting insects and birds aged 7.  By the time he was 10 he’d set up his first museum in the garden shed.  By the time he was 20 … his collections were bursting out of stores all over the family estate …

Galleries of  long, large, weird and wonderful -
and yes fur and claw, hand and paw

He kept an astonishing variety of animals in the grounds around the Museum and in Tring Park, his family’s home, including zebras, a tame wolf, rheas, kangaroos, kiwis, cassowaries and giant tortoises.  He even drove a team of zebras in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace – wonder what they’d say today?

A Tibetan Lynx

So what to do for his 21st?  His parents gave him some cash and some land on the estate at Tring to build a bigger museum.  This is still the museum – now owned by the Natural History Museum.

His family were an immensely wealthy banking family … for a while Walter tried his hand at banking – but his passion was with his collections.  He spent the rest of his life and most of his personal fortune building the largest zoological collection ever made by one person.

 

Curls and curves, prongs and points:
antelope shown here

Thousands of stuffed mammals, birds, and other creatures are on show in the galleries … the tip of the iceberg!  At its peak, his collection also contained more than two million butterflies, moths and other insects, bird skins and bird eggs …

Mantis Shrimps, Box Jelly Fish ...
and oh yes Hilary taking that photo

This eccentric man in 1937 left his collection to the Natural History section of the British Museum (now separate institutions).

Have a wonderful 15^th Birthday Lenny … with lots of fun at home and with friends around the blogosphere …

Now we’ve found you – we’ll hang on to you once again … now I know you’re in with the critters I’ll be looking out for you … which gallery though?  Fur and fangs, barks and bites, or Fancy birds but no flight, or Hop, hang, slither and swim, or Hall of horns, or Stripes stacked and packed, or one of the others ... flying with the beautiful birds dreaming, dre-e-a-a-m-i-n-g wonderful stories and poems .... 

... with a critterly hug or two … from GrandBlogMom ... to a very special lad - Lenny Lee.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories