From midday Saturday, our 4th day in London, Greg and I take the Tube from Aldgate Station south to Greenwich Station, where, on disembarking, we make our way through the charming town of Greenwich. We are struck by the beauty and age of the buildings, a few of which were built in the 13th century. At the heart of the town stands the church of St. Alfege, which was established in 1012, though the current building was built in 1718, after the second site collapsed 8 years earlier. Further damage, this time to the interior, occurred during the Blitz, resulting in a collapsed roof, and necessitating a complete gutting and re-design of the interiors in the 1950s.
Greenwich has a maritime feel to it. Indeed, Elizabeth I regarded Greenwich Palace, now occupied by the Royal Naval College, as her favourite summer residence, because of its proximity to the Thames. Her grandfather, Henry VII, was a frequent user of the residence and both she and her father, Henry VIII, were born there.
The Royal Naval College, which replaced Greenwich Palace, was designed by famed British architect Christopher Wren, and his assistant, Nicholas Hawksmoor, in 1696. Originally built as a hospital for naval officers, it continued as such for over two hundred years, becoming the Royal Naval College in 1873. In 1999, some of the buildings were leased by the University of Greenwich, for use as classrooms and administrative offices.
For Greg and me, the wonder of the University of Greenwich happens as we pass through its gates and are met by its administrative offices, their mid-20th century modernist style modest and unassuming: I do not expect the rest of the campus buildings to be different. A few hundred metres' walk from the front gates, though, and the full glory of Wren's masterpiece gradually draws me in, its breathtaking scale, proportion, and beauty, leave me dumbfounded for minutes as I take in its magnificence. Initially designed as one complex, the buildings were ultimately divided into quadrants, to allow an unobstructed view of the Thames from Queen Anne's house, which sits on a hill overlooking the site.
There are many memorable moments from this visit, simply because every corner of the site has some arresting detail or significance to it, including how sunlight creates variations of pale ivory on the building's stonework, turning the volutes of the seemingly infinite number of columns and the spindles of the rooftop balconies into delicate filigrees of sculpture. If I had to choose my favourite part of the site, though, it would have to be the Chapel in the Queen Mary Court: It is a pure gem. Entering it is to be awestruck into silence. Re-built in the late 18th century after fire destroyed the previous space, the Chapel is in the Baroque style, its pale coral walls and cornflower blue ceilings fitting backgrounds for the most delicate relief sculptures. I am struck by how, on the surface, the variety of details - from triglyphs to dentils to rosettes - create a cacophony of textures. Yet, in that well-lit, well-proportioned space, the effect is somehow harmonious and tranquil. From a design perspective, these juxtapositions should not work; yet, they do...beautifully.
Across the way from Queen Mary Court is King William Court, with its equally famous Painted Hall, my other favoured venue on the site. Here, the scale of the space, complements the extraordinary ceilings and walls - the perfect trompe l'oeil effect - painted from 1707-1727 by famed court painter James Thornhill, in hounour of King William and Queen Mary. Like the Chapel in Queen Mary Court, the scale of the space - soaring ceilings, angular walls - is dramatic, made even more so by the intricate details of the impeccably wrought paintings. Since the court was intended to serve as part of the naval hospital the site functioned as at the time, the original intention for the Painted Hall was as a dining hall for the hospital's infirm. Because of its magnificence, though, it was rarely used as such, instead becoming a tourist destination, a function it maintains to this day.
Greg and I spend hours at the University of Greenwich, taking in as much of it as we can. Of note is just how the campus, despite its grandeur, is also an ideal spot for quiet contemplation, social gatherings, and exploration. Divided into four main parts, the campus sits on axes of lawns, beautifully tended and inviting. With the Thames providing a dramatic backdrop, one can easily while away the hours with a good book or the company of friends.
In time, we set off on our next destination that afternoon. Just up the hill from the University of Greenwich sits the Royal Observatory, on the former site of a Tudor castle called Greenwich Castle (Henry VIII used to house his mistresses when he summered here, because it was conveniently located next to Greenwich Palace, the current site of the University of Greenwich and the former Royal Naval Hospital (later College). The approach is a short steep climb through Greenwich Park, a favoured haunt of runners and lovers alike, and lined on either side by the lushest gardens.
Along the way, I remark on the diversity of the large crowds: from East Indian families to Eastern Europeans, speaking in unfamiliar dialects to young lovers eager to stake out a spot on the vast green space in front of the Observatory and look out over the University of Greenwich and the Thames beyond. With the Observatory shut for the day, even we take the time to pause on the lawns and look out, for by that time, the light rendered the scene as if straight out of a Gainsborough painting.
The Royal Observatory was conceived of in the 16th century and sits atop the site of a former private residence, Flamsteed House, which, like the University of Greenwich below it, was designed by Christopher Wren. Since the 16th century, the Observatory has been used by astronomers to calculate measurements related to time. Four meridians, including the Prime Meridian, have been drawn there. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was based on observations and calculations, and, until 1954, was used as the standard for accurately measuring time around the world. Of note is the fact that since the beginning of the 20th century, the Royal Observatory was not in Greenwich, because the electrification of the railways surrounding the site interfered with the functions of the magnetic instruments housed in the building. The observatory was forced to re-locate to the village of Abinger in Surrey and later, after the second world war, the entire operation was transferred to Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex where it remained, being sub-divided yet again in the 90s, and re-located to various sites. Since the late 90s Herstmonceux Castle has been home to the International Study Centre of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Today, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich is a museum overseen by the National Maritime Museum and houses a collection of astrological and meteorological instruments. Through additional funding, the site also underwent expansion with the addition of the Peter Harrison Planetarium, a digital planetarium standing exactly on the Prime Meridian.
As the sun sets, Greg and I leave Greenwich Park in search of a meal. Walking along one of the main streets we choose a Chinese Restaurant, well appointed and serving fine Northern Chinese cuisine. As we eat, we make plans for the rest of our evening. It is Saturday night, after all, and we are interested in exploring the London nightlife. Leaving the Lisa Court Hotel a few hours later, after a change of clothes and a quick rest, we head out to Vauxhall in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is now 10 pm.
Vauxhall dates back to the 13th century when the area was part of the de Redvers family estate and was later acquired by Falkes de Breaute, one of King John's mercenary officers. The area remained flat and marshy for hundreds of years, hampering development, though ancient roads - such as the South Lambeth, Clapham, and Wandsworth - terminated there. It was not until the 1740s that the area became more accessible with the construction of Westminster Bridge. Prior to this, the locals accessed Vauxhall by boat when coming to the markets that provided fresh produce for the City of London. Much of Vauxhall was destroyed during the second world war as well as when the railways were expanded to create new lines to Waterloo Station.
Today, Vauxhall is a diverse neighbourhood undergoing much change. Many companies and government offices re-located here, lured by its low-rent accommodations. As with many London neighbourhoods, gentrification is quickly transforming this area into a more commercial one, with mixed results.
Greg and I are attracted to Vauxhall's vibrant gay nightlife, which had its inception in the 1990s with the opening of several underground clubs looking for alternative venues to ones in central London. Because of its recent surge in popularity, Vauxhall has also come to be known as "Voho" - an amalgamation of the neighbourhood names Vauxhall and Soho - a nod to the latter, more established gay neighbourhood. Our goal: to find a club that is both friendly and patronized by a diverse clientele. Being used to gay clubs that tended to serve specific groups in the gay community - the leather crowd, the twinks, the drag queens, or the older 'daddy' set - often to the exclusion of the others - we realize what a tall order we are demanding. But this being London, we believe it should be large enough to deliver.
Our first stop is The Eagle, whose website indicates that it could meet our clubbing needs. On entering, it seems we have come to the right place. The club has a typical pub look and feel with the clientele mainly consisting of men our age - not too young nor too old. But as minutes turn to over an hour, we start wondering where everyone is, though the time is sufficiently late (11:30), we think, that it should be busier by now. Finally, by midnight, when we tire of looking at the same faces, we ask one of the other patrons if there is a more lively club in the area he could recommend. He refers us to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a club in a historic building we had passed on the way to The Eagle. Walking in, we are met by the most raucous music and virtually pinned to the wall by a throng of dancing men, all moving in one undulating wave of bodies: jackpot! Of note is how the Royal Vauxhall Tavern crowd that night, though not as diverse as we would have liked, consist of the type of masculine demeanour I most favour: unassuming, unaffected, and non-caricatured. How rare to see such a remarkably attractive crowd. That said, we do not stay long. For one thing the sheer numbers of people in that relatively small space made breathing - let alone moving about - almost impossible (no wonder the crowd moves in unison). For another, it was quite late and the Tube had already stopped running.
After a winding, though scenic, bus ride through Central London, we find ourselves at a bus stop close to Westminster Palace, the seat of Parliament, where we flag a taxi for the remaining journey back to Bloomsbury. Exhausted after a very full day, we flop into bed and sleep soundly.
References:
1. Wikipedia
2. TimeOut Guide (London 2010)
See slide show below to see more images (click on slide show to enlarge):
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