This England: One Last Day

Our last day in London! And there were places to go, people to see, things to do! On the "things to do" list was one last concert, this at the historic St. Olave's Church. It was one of the few medieval City churches that survived the Great Fire of London, thanks in large part to Sir William Penn who ordered his men from the naval yards to blow up the houses surrounding the church. This created a fire break. That, and a shift of wind, kept the church intact.

Rick, Jenny, T and I took off on the tube and took a short walk to Hart street. We had plenty of time before the concert to explore this small church with its lovely churchyard. Diarist Samuel Pepys called it  "Our Own Church," and supported it both financially and artistically, creating a memorial bust of his wife in the church after her death so he could "see" her on Sundays. In "The Uncommercial Traveler," Charles Dickens described it as "one of my best beloved churchyards."

I'm fond of a labyrinth, so of course had to walk this small one, as did Rick.

The garden includes 300 native plants that were described in detail by naturalist William Turner (Father of English Botany). The names Turner chose for a number of plants are still used today, including that of  the daffodil! In October it was past its peak but you could see the potential.

 

And the churchyard was also the final resting place of several notables including Pepys and his wife, Elizabeth, the pantomime artist known as Mother Goose, and hundreds who died during England's Great Plague of 1665. 

It was damaged in the Blitz but restored in the 1950s.

So, let's take a look inside.

We chose first to venture down the steep stairway into the crypt.

This cool, rather dark room held a number of interesting artifacts found during reconstruction, going back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

 Then, back up to the interior of the church itself.

 

A tall, stained glass window anchored the altar area, with its pulpit by the Dutch sculptor Grinling Gibbons, who also did the reredo at St. James Piccadilly.

 The glass was especially beautiful.

 

I loved the windows on the side, leaded, and apparently this section was donated by the Clothworkers guild.

And they weren't about to let you forget it!

Pepys was a major contributor to the church. You can also see the monument bust of his wife (I didn't get a good photo of that one, unfortunately) as well as this large one to Pepys himself.

 

But he wasn't the only one credited on the church's walls! Even back in 1619, major donors were given recognition -- or maybe they wrote their own copy!

 

While there was much to see here, we were there for the music. The performer was pianist named Ida P. (I can't find info on her last name. Jenny or Rick, if you remember, let me know!)

 

By this time, I was ready to be done with concerts, despite the fact that the pianist was quite accomplished. I wrote in my journal: "The concert was fine in that the pianist, a lovely young woman, really knew how to bang the keys loudly. Too loudly for my ears. I think the church acoustics don't help -- and my ears were ringing. I did like the selections for the most part -- Schubert, Mozart, Scarlatti and some South American guy."  I also mentioned in that entry that I had to really hit the bathroom desperately and couldn't leave! This affects any viewing experience!

Alas, no bathroom in the church. (Personally, I think they just weren't sharing!) They told me there was a pub down the street called "The Ship" and so I walked there as fast as I dared and entered the darkened bar, which was filled with very handsome men in business suits. It was very small, very close, and they were in clearly enjoying a good brew. Upstairs, where the bathrooms were, a dart game was going on. I would have like to participate and probably would have, had I not needed to get back to the church. I suspect they would have been very welcoming and my out-of-date skills might have been well improved with some tips! (Thanks, Jenny, for sharing a photo of the Ship's sign!)

After I returned, Rick, T, and Jenny said they were going to lunch with the pianist. I said, "Not me!" I have places to go, people to see and things to do. On another day, fine -- but this was my last day. And since we weren't far from the Tower of London, I wanted to take another walk about and hit the gift shop. (They had a lovely time so I think we were all happy with that decision.)

(My original plan had been to bolt right after the concert, get a tube to the West End and pick up a late matinee of a musical -- any musical -- but preferably one where people didn't die (see previous posts!). Although at that point, I would have taken my third or fourth viewing of "Les Miz." But she would not stop playing!) And I still had presents for home to buy. So, after another gander around the tower and a quick shop, I headed toward Westminster Abbey. Yes, another gift shop.  (Don't they have great window displays?)

After purchasing a nativity for Molly, I walked around the  area -- crossing the bridge and back and taking photos of a few favorite markers against a perfect blue sky.

Sometime I'd like to attend a session of Parliament or at least take a tour. Meanwhile, I peeked through the gates!

 

Then a walk in Parliament Square. This is my favorite of the monuments and I hold those words close as we face the challenging political times in our country (and, I suppose, around the world).

 

But my favorite part of that afternoon was watching an anti-Brexit demonstration across from Parliament Square. 

These guys were really good. They had a leader who sang adjusted lyrics to well known songs (think Abba's "Money, Money, Money," among others.) He had a great voice and a terrific sound system. I liked the signs, too! "We're Still Here Because Brexit Is Still Crap."

 

My other favorite had the Titanic sinking with the words: "Brexit -- A Titanic Success." They attracted quite an appreciative following!

 

Then it was back home. Amazingly, we all returned at the same time! It was off to our new favorite restaurant, Arabesque, for a farewell meal together. Tomorrow would be an early departure. Home.

 Thanks so much for joining me on my revisit to England. I've loved your comments, tried to answer your questions and I'm sure there will be something left to say. What I can say right now was that it was "my best time," made even better by friends old and new, and a great traveling companion!

Travel Tips:

• I've said it before but will repeat -- if you are looking for inexpensive concerts during the day (particularly classical music although there may well be jazz or other genres) check the churches. It can make for the double experience of both entertainment and discovering a lovely, historic building. 
• Always stake out the bathroom first, even if you don't need it then. Trust me. The older you get, the more important this becomes. 
• Gift shops at churches, museums and other attractions remain one of my favorite places for getting things to bring home. They usually have a lovely selection at various prices and your purchase helps support the upkeep of the site, so it's a win-win.
  
• I didn't mention this above but don't hesitate to rely on the tube to get you to the airport for your flight. Rick and I left Hampstead, made one line switch, and were at Heathrow airport within about 45 minutes or a bit longer -- and this was around 8 in the morning, a busy time. It's much less expensive than getting a cab or car. (We only had our overhead and underseat bags to manage on the tube; it might be more complicated with full-sized luggage)   
  

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