All Saints' Tudeley: In Search of Chagall

I remember the first time Melissa told me about All Saints’ Church Tudeley. I could scarcely believe this fantastic story about how a world-renowned artist came to design and paint  the windows of a tiny church in Kent. Marc Chagall was commissioned by Sir Henry and Lady Rosemary d'Avigdor-Goldsmid to design a window in memoriam to their daughter Sarah who had died in a sailing accident off Rye at the age of 21.

The east window is the first thing you see when you enter All Saints’ Tudeley and it depicts the tragic events surrounding Sarah’s death. Although initially reluctant to go ahead with the commission, it is said that when Chagall arrived at the church for the installation of the window in 1967, he exclaimed “c'est magnifique! Je les ferai tous!” (It's beautiful! I will do all!) and thus insisted on decorating the remaining eleven windows.

Look! Chagall’s signature on the window! He signed all the windows!

There is something quite thrilling about seeing original pieces of art, especially if you view collected works or attend a retrospective, but this experience was especially awe-inspiring. Here we were in the very location where Chagall intended these works to be displayed, in the place that inspired him so, to witness his epic tale of creation; death and new life; and joy and hope. Chagall relied heavily on symbolism and we certainly took our time as we made our way around the church. These were some of my favourite windows.

Creation: whirls and spirals in blue, with the hint of a crescent moon	Creation again: pinks, golds, purples and green, you can see a blue fish in the quatrefoil above plus more fish and birds in the window itself. Can you spot the donkey? I couldn’t find it no matter how I tried!
Death and New Life: I loved the way the light fell from this window. It was really peaceful and beautiful.	Death and New Life: I definitely spotted the donkey in this one! I liked this one a lot and liked the design of the angel.
Death and New Life: the east window in more detail. You can see Sarah in the water with her mother grieving on the shore. A red horse carries her to the ladder of heaven.	Joy and Hope: this window is full of symbolism from the angel in a golden glow to the butterflies and candles. It was lovely to finish our tour with an inspiring break from the previous windows.

 

Chagall was a Hassidic Jew from the Russian town of Vitebsk which now lies in modern day Belarus. Many of his works focused on Old Testament stories but Chagall came to be fascinated with the process of painting on glass (or “painting in light” as he called it) and he decorated windows in synagogues, churches and museums across Europe, in the USA and in Israel. All Saints’ Tudeley proudly declares to be the only church in the world with all its windows decorated by Chagall but you can also find one of his decorated windows at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Chichester, Sussex.

And if the beautiful windows haven’t convinced you, then perhaps I can tempt you to visit All Saints’ Church, Tudeley with some photos of the churchyard and Kent, the Garden of England.

Kent has a rich hop farming heritage and in this area you will see oast houses, the distinctive Kentish buildings specifically designed for drying hops in the brewing of beer. Most oast houses have been converted into houses these days but hop farming still goes on in Kent.

I don’t think I’ll ever see a scene like this and not be thankful that I live in Kent.

Quirky English pronunciation alert! ‘Tudeley’ is pronounced Tood-lee which my American readers probably got right but I bet everyone else was saying “Choodlee”. All Saints Tudeley is open every day during daylight hours.

Getting there

It took me a long time to visit All Saints’ Tudeley and it is not easy to get to. The Transport for London Journey Planner site says it’s not possible to reach on public transport but that is not true. You can catch a train from central London to Tonbridge and then the 205 bus towards Paddock Wood. Honestly, it might be best to visit by car because there is so much to see in this fantastic area and we had a super lunch at nearby Hop Farm (let me just say, best pizza ever). 

I recently figured out that if more than two of you are travelling, it can actually be cheaper and easier to hire a car if you’d like to explore Kent, Surrey, Hertfordshire or any of the counties surrounding London. Simply plug your postcode into a site like Momondo and hire a car for a day.

All Saints’ Church
Tudeley
TN11 0NZ

Website: All Saints Tudeley

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Rosé d’Anjou and Kebabs at the Queen of Hoxton, Shoreditch

One of the most exciting aspects about being a blogger in London is that you get invited to a lot of events. Of course, working full time and living a fair distance from London means that I don’t get to say yes as often as I would like to. When I was invited to spend an evening at the Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch for an evening of ‘pink pleasures, food and photography’ I was intrigued and knew I couldn’t possibly say no! Read on to find out how I along with Melissa from Wanderlust and Emma from Adventures of a London Kiwi made a most majestic team and almost found fame and fortune.

The Queen of Hoxton is a very cool bar which I have wanted to visit for the longest time. It is just my type of place with a games room and vintage pinball machine – have I told you before that I was a pinball junkie back in South Africa? I used to be pretty good at it! The walls of the bar and stairwell are adorned with commissioned graffiti and art from the likes of Jamie Burbidge and Animaux Circus. I’m a little sad I didn’t take any photos but that just means I’ll have to go back one day soon and do so.

The rooftop area of the bar is famous for its Rooftop Film Club where open air movies are shown and viewers provided with blankets and headphones. For our visit, the rooftop was converted to a pink oasis for a serious evening of wine tasting, food consuming and kebab making.

First we were treated to some canapés. Normally I wouldn’t really bother to blog about canapés but those Cuttlefish with Chorizo & Potato kebabs you can see in the top left corner were sublime and the Lemon and Thyme Chicken Kebabs weren’t half bad either.

Up next was the serious business of wine tasting. We were there to taste the Rosé d’Anjou collection of off-dry rosé wines made mainly from the grolleau grape from the Anjou region in France. Now you might know that I am not much of a wine drinker but as our host Douglas took us through the process of wine tasting, first swirling the wine while appreciating the soft raspberry hues, varying consistencies and the different aromas of the wine, I really began to enjoy myself.

Our first wine was the 2013 La Grille Rosé d’Anjou. There were hints of strawberry and blackberry in the aroma and I expected it to be sweeter because of the way the wine clinged to the glass but it was really nice and refreshing.

Next was the 2013 Champteloup Rosé d’Anjou. This might sound like a strange thing to say but to me, this wine smelled like the seaside with a hint of watermelon. It was quite different from the first wine we tasted, perhaps more of an all-rounder.

I think this might have been a 2012 vintage but in any event, the 1749 Rosé d’Anjou was my favourite of all the wines we sampled. It smelled slightly bitter but in a good way and we were told that it would go really well with spicy food. It was delicious, really lovely.

Our penultimate wine was the 2013 Les Ligériens Rosé d’Anjou. This wine had a bright salmon pink colour and is made from the Groslot grape. As crazy as it sounds, it seemed to have a slight earthy, mushroom aroma and was very nice.

Finally we sampled a 2013 Val de Loire Rosé d’Anjou. We were told that this wine had strong British links, presumably through Margaret of Anjou and that it had a natural recipe. This was perhaps the less impressive of the wines for me.

With our knowledge of wines suitably enhanced, we were then treated to a short food photography tutorial by Paul Winch-Furness. This was definitely a highlight of the evening for me and two things that stood out for me most were to shoot into the light (the shadows over your food will look better) and to zoom out and try give your photos some context. Mostly, don’t be afraid of people’s hands or movements as this shows a dynamic rather than static experience.

Now onto the majestic part. Our final challenge for the evening was to make a kebab from scratch. Now you might know that while I can cook, I have an almost phobic response to cooking so lets just agree that my poor team began at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, with some expert tutelage from the Queen of Hoxton head chef Daniel Ashley, Melissa, Emma and I crafted a series of scallop, tuna steak, mango and courgette kebabs, in a lime, chilli, mango chutney, ginger and coriander marinade.

We left our creations in the capable hands of Daniel to cook…

…ate a delicious sharing platter and sampled some more wine…

…and soon it was time to taste our creations. In the utterly objective and balanced opinion of Melissa, Emma and I, our kebabs were simply exquisite. The slightly dry texture of the tuna was perfectly balanced by the courgette and mango and the marinade was simply delicious. The only thing we would have changed would have been to take Daniel’s advice and put much more ginger into our marinade than we did but otherwise they were perfect.

The prize for the best kebab went to another team but we were thrilled when they announced a second-place runner up and it was the Majestics! Can you believe it? Fame, fortune and recognition at last – well almost!

We had a fantastic time at the Queen of Hoxton and yes, I can’t wait to return. With the games, art, rooftop movies and mouth-watering menu, this place is a little bit of something different in London’s east end.

Queen of Hoxton
1-5 Curtain Rd
London
EC2A 3JX

Have you found any quirky or unique bars or restaurants in London? Do share them below!

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A Visit to the London Sewing Machine Museum

If I had to choose, I would say that the best aspect of blogging for me has been getting to know other bloggers and the inspiration that I draw from them. Back in January, the lovely Sy from Sy's Prints (& Stuff) blogged about a visit to the London Sewing Machine Museum in Wimbledon. I tweeted about her visit which resulted in a very positive response and a large group of us arranged to visit the museum one Saturday morning in April.

Following the Second World War, Thomas Arthur Rushton began to retrieve sewing machines from derelict homes and restored them. You can a replica of his original shop front above, which was at 185 Merton Road. Rushton was skilled in sewing machine service and repairs but it was not always easy – the Singer company tried to destroy the second hand sewing machine market and began to retrieve machines too and would destroy their bases to prevent resale.

Rushton’s son Ray used to drive around on his bicycle to collect the machines and they later bought a van. It is Ray who has started the museum based on his own private collection of antique, vintage and modern sewing machines that he has amassed over the years.

Some of the pieces in the museum are quite spectacular. When Ray Rushton bought the Queen Victoria sewing machine (pictured above) for £23,500 it was the most expensive machine ever sold. This 1865 Pollack & Schmidt machine was given to Queen Victoria’s daughter on the occasion of her wedding. Please excuse the quality of the photograph, the machine is naturally behind glass!

Housing over 600 machines, the collection is quite extensive and features machines from all eras, including the very first Singer model.

Almost as interesting as the sewing machines was the collection of vintage memorabilia such as the original receipt above which dated back to 1929.

We learned that the ornate stitching on the shoes above would have required a special type of machine. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a pair of custom made shoes again in quite the same way!

Our visit to the museum kept us entertained for well over an hour, especially as the manager was so happy to talk to us and answer all of our questions.In the foreground of the photo above, you can make out a charity box – visits to the museum are free and all they ask is that you make a donation into one of the charity boxes.

The London Sewing Machine Museum is highly recommended and well worth a visit. Do take note that it is only open on the first Saturday of every month from 2pm to 5pm. I contacted the museum prior to our visit and they were super speedy and helpful with their replies. The museum is situated above the Wimbledon Sewing Machine Co so keep that in mind for all craft and sewing requirements.

London Sewing Machine Museum
Wimbledon Sewing Machine Co Ltd
308-312 Balham High Rd
London
SW17 7AA
Website: London Sewing Machine Museum
Email: wimbledonsewingmachinecoltd@btinternet.com
Telephone: 020 8767 0036

Have you ever been to a quirky or unique museum? Can you recommend any to me in London?

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Ten Things To Do in Johannesburg, South Africa

It’s a story I’ve told before: the reason that I am an eternal tourist is because I spent so many years believing that there was nothing to do in my hometown of Johannesburg. I was wrong and this realisation lead to my commitment to explore as much in my daily life as I do when travelling.

Naturally, this epiphany is only useful if I pay it forward and so I present my top things to do in the City of Gold, Jozi, Jo’burg or whatever term you adopt for the city of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg is a landlocked city and the nearest coastline is a good four hour’s drive away. It is a green city and is known as the largest man-made urban forest in the world. In the 1990s and 2000s, the inner city of Johannesburg experienced significant inner city decline and now we are finally beginning to see some much needed improvement there.

1. Maboneng

The gentrification of the Main Street area in Johannesburg city centre has been so successful that Jo’burgers are beginning to refer to the ‘Mabonengisation’ of their local neighbourhoods whenever new developments and restoration occur. You can work or live in an overpriced apartment in the Maboneng Precinct but visitors will be more interested in the fantastic restaurants, trendy boutiques, Arts on Main gallery and the Market on Main Sunday market.

Location: corner Main and Kruger Streets, Johannesburg

2. Constitution Hill

The Constitutional Court is the highest court in South Africa and protects the Constitution which is founded on principles of equality, human rights and justice for all. It is there to right the wrongs of the past and protect the future. Constitution Hill is home to the Constitutional Court and the Old Fort. The Old Fort features the Women’s Gaol, where Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Albertina Sisulu were detained and the notorious Number Four where Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela were detained in deploring conditions.

Location: 11 Kotze Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

3. Orlando Towers

I’ve discussed my rather unique approach to curing vertigo when I told you about confronting my fear of heights at Orlando Towers. If you are adventurous you can bungee jump, power swing or base jump off the towers of the old Orlando Power Station in Johannesburg. Orlando Towers is open every Friday to Sunday from 10am to sunset. I won’t lie, as crazy as my first experience was, I definitely intend to return in December.

Location: corner Chris Hani Road and Dynamo Street, Orlando, Soweto.

4. Melville

Melville is where you will head to eat, drink or dance 24 hours a day. It might seem strange to include an entire neighbourhood in this list but Melville definitely deserves to be here. In my entirely unbiased and objective opinion, Melville is home to the best restaurant on earth, Catz Pajamas and not a day goes by that I don’t miss their Cajun Chicken Nachos. You might also want to try the chocolate ganache cake at De La Creme Patisserie on 7th Street.

Location: the main strips are located on Main and 7th Streets in Melville, Johannesburg

5. Apartheid Museum

Many people know a little bit about Apartheid in South Africa but I can confirm that it was worse than you could imagine in your wildest nightmares. The Apartheid Museum is one of the best historical museums that I have visited in the world and it gives a superb multimedia display of Apartheid media and legislation, life under Apartheid and the long, long road to freedom. The museum is so good that I have been twice and will happily go again.

Location: Northern Park Way and Gold Reef Rd, Johannesburg

6. Maropeng and the Cradle of Humankind

Recently I expressed surprise when they discovered evidence of human habitation in Britain dating back almost one million years but I did know that hominid fossils have been discovered in the Cradle of Humankind dating back 3.5 million years. This makes this area northwest of Johannesburg the accepted seat of humanity. The Cradle of Humankind is Johannesburg’s only World Heritage site and I would highly recommend a day trip to the area if you’re in Johannesburg. The Maropeng Visitor Centre focuses on ancient human history and development and in the nearby Sterkfontein Caves you can see important fossil finds and San cave paintings dating back 10,000 years.

Location: R563 Hekpoort Road, Sterkfontein

7. Market Theatre Precinct

U2 spoke about rebel songs and Bob Marley spoke about songs of redemption. Well, the Market Theatre was the home of thespian protest during the Apartheid era. Even today, the plays at the theatre are often political, topical or controversial in nature and feature some of South Africa’s top writers and actors. The precinct is also home to the Bassline, Johannesburg’s top jazz club as well as the Sophiatown Bar Lounge. You can read more about jazz and protest in this area of Johannesburg.

Location: corner Bree and Miriam Makeba Streets, Johannesburg

8. Emmarentia Dam and the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

Emmarentia Dam played such a big part in my upbringing from Saturday afternoons spent playing in the river while my mum read a novel in the shade of a tree, to long days spent basking in the sun with my high school friends, to gorgeous picnics with old friends where adults, toddlers and puppies all climbed onto a huge blanket and whiled the afternoon away.

The site is also home to the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens which is free to enter from sunrise to sunset and features beautiful special gardens including the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden and the Herb Garden.

Location: a massive site, recommended parking in Olifants Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg.

9. Gold Reef City

Gold Reef City is a theme park dedicated to the gold mining heritage of Johannesburg and was opened in 1986, Johannesburg’s centenary year. The park is great for children and features numerous rides, restaurants, bars and a heritage experience. Definitely allocate most of a day to your visit because you’ll struggle to tear your children away!

Location: Shaft 14, Northern Parkway, Ormonde, Johannesburg

10. Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum

This is going to read like a strange way to recommend a place but I’m going to tell it like it is. I was so moved by my visit to the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum that I could barely speak for two days afterwards. The only museum I can compare it to is the 9/11 Memorial Centre in New York City. Like the centre, both museums are dedicated to one terrible day in history and the horrific loss of life.

The Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum focuses on the events of June 16, 1976 when police opened fire on school children protesting against the decree forcing them to take tuition in Afrikaans. Thirteen-year-old Hector Pieterson was the first casualty but many more children and adults died that day and in the resulting riots. No matter how difficult the subject matter, I highly recommend this superb museum.

Location: 8288 Maseko Street, Orlando West

Super Helpful Map

I’ve devised a super helpful map to assist you in planning your time in Johannesburg. I would recommend combining Orlando Towers with the Hector Pieterson memorial, the Apartheid Museum with Gold Reef City and dedicating a day trip to the Cradle of Humankind. This map is best viewed full screen and on a PC.

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Dartford’s Vintage Car and Steam Rally

1930 Morris Commercial One Ton RF 7818

This weekend we attended the Steam Rally and Dartford Remembered Live weekend in Central Park, Dartford. It was so nice to see so many people turn out on a windy and occasionally rainy day to see such a fine collection of vintage cars, trucks, bike and steam engines. There was simply so much to see that I’m going to break my ten photo rule and share a whopping 26 photos. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Trucks and Commercial Vans

Ford Thames 5 vintage truck WVS285

London Transport Vintage Bus GS15-MXX 315

Richardson & Sons family butcher

What I enjoy so much about events like this is how alive history is in England and especially Kent. In South Africa, if we saw vintage cars or vans, they were very much museum pieces. While this is true of the vintage London transport GS15 bus, businesses such as Richardson & Sons are very much part of our present day heritage in Dartford.

Alas, the story of Richardson & Sons is one that fills many hearts with sadness in Dartford at the moment. It is a well known fact that Bluewater mall and the economy lead to the steep decline of Dartford’s central shopping area but Richardson & Sons carried on trading in Lowfield Road. Now, after 100 years of trading, the butcher was forced to close to make plans for a new Tesco development.

Ford Thames Trader 300E Commercial Van

Harris & Sons Scrap Metal Merchants vintage truck HCO 988

1950s Ford Standard

I think if I could go back to any time in history, it would be when these cars were racing around England as a matter of course, when they looked fashionable not vintage, driven by Londoners with their posh 1950s accents wearing their posh 1950s clothing. Yes, I know, I’ve been watching too much vintage Doctor Who again.

Vintage Miniature Steam Engines

Vintage Miniature Steam Engine - William Foster & Co, Lincoln

Patricia Lyn - William Foster & Co, Lincoln

Dark Star - William Foster & Co, Lincoln

The miniature steam engines were a great hit with the children! They could climb all over them and play train driver for a short while. These are very cute indeed but don’t think you’ll be buying one any time soon – these little gems cost in the region of £50,000 each!

A Vintage Bus

Vintage Open Top Bus D 8650

The weekend festivities continued to Sunday when locals could book a place on a vintage open bus tour of the borough. A wreath was laid at the resting place of Richard Trevithick, a steam pioneer, inventor and engineer who lived in Dartford in his final years and the engines gathered in the centre of town for a road run up East Hill.

Steam Engines

“Eileen The Erring” BL 795 - The Wallace Expansion Engine

Fowler Road Locomotive - The “Nightmare” SV 8988 Steam Engine

Pierce Brothers Haulage “Endeavor” Steam Engine

Devon County Council - The Foden Steam Wagon - T8750

The steam engines were very popular and there were large groups of people examining and discussing the engines. I couldn’t help wondering what this man in the last photo was thinking as he stood gazing at the engine. I imagined that he had first encountered such an engine as a young boy and had probably grown up being intimately familiar with the inner workings of such steam engines.

Vintage and Retro Cars

Bond Bug 3 wheeler one door saloon BXD 75H

Morris Marina Coupe AEL 508K

Morris Minor GBP 358H

1930s Austin Sixteen Light Six PN 2115

1930s Austin Ten BPA 591

I suspect that I might have walked through the classic and vintage car display backwards because I started off by the futuristic, wedge-shaped retro cars and ended up by the gorgeous 1930s Austins. The nice men in the last car waved and smiled so nicely for me!

Out of all of these cars, I would most covet the Morris Marina although the retro car I would most like to own would be a second generation Ford Escort MKII. I just have this silly thing about cars getting me from A to B which is what precludes me from buying one.

A Vintage Fire Engine

Leyland Fire Engine GKO 224

I love everything about fire engines and firemen. I would have loved to have seen one of these in action although I’d have also liked to have seen a horse drawn one like in Gangs of New York.

Collectable Motor Bikes

Classic Indian Motorcycle

Classic Motorcycle Helmet

Hanging out at Dartford Remembers

Classic Police Bike

Classic Motorcycle

I know very little about bikes and unfortunately, the bikes were parked very close together which made it difficult to photograph them and learn about them. I definitely think they need more pride of place in next year’s festival!

We had such a great day out and I’m really glad that I marked it in my diary months ahead of time. I spend so much time in London that I often miss out on events in Dartford and this one was definitely worth staying in town for!

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