Early in November I was reading E.V. Lucas's Wanderer in London (1906) and eagerly scribbling down quotes, ideas and possible 'projects'.
I have I think named all of London's statues that ever receive any attention. The others are chiefly statesmen, soldiers and kings, and may be said hardly to exist...
This, though far from complete, may be called a good list; and I doubt if there are many Londoners who could have supplied from memory half of it.
I myself wondered if those mentioned - all 52 listed between the first quotation and the second - still exist one hundred years on and are still easily accessible to the public. It's quite feasible that some fell foul of the Second World War, some have been left to rot and some may be shut off from public view - I'm guessing that may be the case for "Richard Coeur-de-Lion, splendidly warlike, on his horse, by the House of Lords."
Tomorrow sees the start of my latest London walking adventure. I have rearranged the statues into a vaguely logical walking order starting at the Royal Exchange and finishing in Chelsea by way of Islington Green and Camden. Sir Hugh Myddleton and Cobden have annoyed me somewhat by taking me too far north and probably ending my hopes of achieving this in a day; a day and a half if not two now looks more likely.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
3 comments:
Alack, we of the dying, church-going and cemetery-visiting class whose patrons stick out yet like a bad smell at weddings and funerals because they know the words to all the hymns. Good on thee for't. Hope you keep a record of your excursions!
I do hope you're going to share some pictorial evidence of this adventure. It sounds quite interesting!
Did you start taking pictures? Seems like a great idea.
Mind you - unlike Rehan, I personally hate 'yer traditional' statue - all those pompous men with guns (usually the ones cowering at the back ordering other poor fortunates forward... ) but it's an interesting thought.
Interesting to compare with what happened to the Soveit-era ones etc.
Post a Comment