LONDON: A VISIT TO "THE PEOPLE'S PALACE"

This year when I visited London I was invited to stay with a friend in the northern district of Wood Green. A short walk from her home is the Alexandra Palace, named after the new Princess of Wales, Alexandra of Denmark who married Prince Edward but the palace is known as "the People's Palace" It was built in 1865 and covers 7.5 acres.

 Alexandra Palace "The People's Palace"

 

The palace is an entertainment venue meant for recreation, education and entertainment.  The late comedienne Gracie Fields nicknamed it "Ally Pally".

During the First World War the park was closed and the palace ad grounds were used as an internment camp for German and Austrian civilians. In 1936 the palace became the headquarters of the world's first regular public "high-definition" television service operated by the BBC. The radio tower is still in use. During the Second World War the transmitter was used for jamming German bombers' navigation systems.  The palace continued as the BBC's main transmitting centre until 1956. 



BBC Tower

 



The day I visited there wasn't a tour of the inside of the palaceI enjoyed a leisurely stroll all around the grounds of Alexandra Park. From there you get a sweeping panoramic view of London city although that day it was overcast.

The park surrounding the palace has flower-beds, flowering trees and in a woodland at the edge of the park I spied deer grazing.

The palace and park are overseen by the Greater London council with provision that it should be used for charitable purposes.The original Victorian theatre also still is in use. The Great Hall and West Hall are used for exhibitions, music concerts and conferences. There is also an ice-skating rink, palm court and a pub. On weekends a City and Country Market is held there.

Skating Rink

Palm Court Entrance

 



You can get to Alexandra Palace and Park by Underground to Wood Green (Picadilly line). There is also a rail line to Alexandra Palace from Moorgate and King's Cross.

TRAVEL PLANS, 2013

It's time to do my preliminary travel planning. I always do this before I go on a trip so that I have some of the details already recorded of places I want to visit. This way I don't miss out on anything and also have the information I need about a place.

I'm leaving here June 8 and flying to London first. I'm hoping to explore some new areas of London and as I'll be staying in North London that will give me fresh opportunities.  On June 10 I'm taking the bus to Cardiff and Caerphilly to spend time with my cousins.  I love visiting Caerphilly, especially making my almost annual treks to the beautiful castle. As I grew up listening to my dad's stories about how he played in the castle, I always call it "my" castle.

Caerphilly Castle.

 

While I'm in Wales this time I want to visit the Cardiff Castle again as well. And then I'm going to take a day tour to Swansea to see the Dylan Thomas sites.

 

 

 

Cardiff Castle

 

 

Swansea

 

Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

 

 

On June 13th I'm going back to London for one night and hope to go on one of the London Walks.

I have a choice of three: "The Comic Side of London; The Ancient City at Night or West End ghost Walk.  Any of these will be fun. I usually go on at least one of the variety of walks each time in the London.

 

 

I fly to Athens on June 14, back to my 'second home' and many friends. I love Athens and look forward to seeing everyone and all the old familiar places. Whenever I'm in Greece I try to go to different areas where I have not visited before. My choice this year is the island of Zakynthos on the west coast.  I've been to Kefalonia, Ithaka and Lefkada before (and briefly once in Corfu) but never to Zakynthos. 

I had intended to go down the coast to visit the Palace of King Nestor (from the Iliad) but apparently it is closed for archaeological work. So instead, I may visit another part of Greece connected with the Troy Wars.  Pelion is named after King Peleus, father of Achilles. It's another beautiful area north of Athens on the east coast. From Volos there are various little villages that can be visited. And some nice beaches too.

Besides these to points of interest I'll probably make my usual pilgrimage to Delphi, maybe go to Naxos again if there's time and money enough. And there are always interesting day trips out of Athens. I'm always on the look-out for more material for travel stories so I love to explore new place.
And, if I get tired of doing that, I'll hang out at the beach with my friends and spend lots of time sitting around my favorite taverna, To Kati Allo. 

So keep an eye here for more blogs along the way.

 



 

STROLLING THE STROLL

Did you know that Vancouver is reputed to be the "prostitution capital of Canada"? For more than a century there's been debates about this. From 1975 - 1985 there was a vibrant, pimp-free, racially diverse community of sex-trade workers living and working in the city's West End.  These included not only females, but transsexuals and male sex workers. On and around the Davie Street area they built networks that enabled each other to keep safe. They also contributed to the neighbourhood's economic and cultural development.

 

 

 My friend Cheryl and I joined a walking tour of sex work history in Vancouver's West End put on by the Museum of Vancouver.  Our guides were Jamie-Lee Hamilton, a Canadian politician and advocate of aboriginal people who is often referred to as the Harvey Milk of Canadian politics. She was once one of the sex trade workers herself and is a member of the LGBT community.  The other guide, Becki Ross, is a professor cross-appointed in Sociology and the institutes for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice and is the author of a book "Burlesque West: Showgirls, Sex, and Sin in Postwar Vancouver"

What I didn't know is that back in 1984 a Supreme Court edit banned all sex workers from working and living in the West End, pushing them toward the Downtown East Side where 65 sex workers have been murdered since the mid - 1980's.  And until they were kicked out of the West End where they had been relatively safe, there were no pimps, few drugs and they had their own support-system to warn each other of shady characters and dangers.

Our afternoon walks began at the Little Sister's Bookstore on Davie Street, famous for creating controversy with sexual books often banned at the US border. We walked down Hustler Row, and up to the Speakeasy Bar formerly the Columbia Inn Restaurant and Bar, the undisputed home of "hookers on Davie" where the sex workers hung out in safety and security. 

An interesting thing to note was that while the sex-trade workers were being harassed and forced out of their neighbourhood, the local churches provided sanctuary for them. This church, where today people can walk the labyrinth, was one of them.

Then on to the Pumpjack Bar, formerly the Au Petit Boo and Benjamin's Cafe also an important hangout for girls and guys.  The Numbers Cabaret, popular today was the former Tropicana Night Club. Celebrities at 1033 Davie Street used to the the old Embassy Ballroom where my friends and I went dancing on Saturday nights.

Over on Hornby Street there's a vacant lot where once the Taurus Spa was located, Vancouver's biggest and most popular bathhouse.  From there we walked down toward False Creeks where we took the Aqua Bus across to the Maritime Museum port and then walked up the the Museum of Vancouver where the two guides continued their very interesting lecture about the life and times of the sex trade workers. 

We found it to be the most educational and interesting 'field trip'.  And at the Museum there is an excellent exhibit, Sex in the City, illustrating sex toys and anything else you ever wanted to know that goes on in people's bedrooms. 

A VISIT TO NIKKEI PLACE AND MUSEUM

It's taken me a long time to make a point to visit the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre. I used to post regular program notices for them when I wrote for Planet Eye Traveler (The Vancouver Guide) but as many times as I'd intended to take in some of their exhibits or just pass by to say hello, I didn't get around to it.

Last week, however, I needed to stop in to pick up a gift packet for the BC Travel Writer's gala in May. Once I got there, I was more than sorry I'd neglected to go sooner.

The multi-use facility houses the National Nikkei Heritage Centre and the Japanese Canadian National Museum. It's located at the corner of Sperling and Kingsway and easy to reach by public transit if you don't have a car.

The Centre promotes understanding and appreciation of   the Japanese Canadian culture and heritage and the contribution of Japanese Canadians to our Canadian society.   They offer many programs and special events including art exhibits, a speaker's series, bazaars and many other problems both for youth and elders included. There's art classes, folk dance workshops, exercise groups such as yoga, flower arranging and even a course in the traditional incense ceremony.

When I arrived at the Centre I was first impressed by the lovely gardens that surround the building. The cherry blossoms were all in bloom which seemed appropriate.  The building itself is impressive and much larger than  I'd expected.

I only stayed a short while and mainly visited the museum on the ground floor where there is an exhibit of Ryoshi: Nikkei fishing on the BC Coast. (It runs until May 19,2013). The admission is by donation.  It displays the fisherman's life from the bustling docks of Steveston to the remote inlets on the northern Coast. For many years Japanese Canadians have made a unique contribution to fishing in BC both before and after the war.

 

 

 

 

Upstairs in the museum there is an exhibit of Taiken: Japanese Canadians Since 1877. It's an ongoing exhibit so I'll have to go back and take a look. It deals with the first arrivals of Nissei in 1877 and the hardships of the early pioneers and struggles during the war years when the Japanese of the Coast were interned and their properties confiscated.

Don't pass up this interesting Museum and Cultural Centre. It's open every day but Monday.
Check their website for more information on programs and exhibits.
www.nikkeiplace.org

A WINTER WALK IN VAN DUSEN BOTANICAL GARDENS

I missed this year's Festival of Lights at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, but on an overcast, misty day in late January I decided to visit to see what the Gardens are like in winter without all the Christmas decorations and lights.

The weren't many people around on this late afternoon day so the paths were virtually deserted giving the Garden somewhat of an eerie feeling. It was so quiet as I walked the paths that I felt somewhat disconcerted, but enjoyed stopping now and then to take photos and meditate in the quietude of nature.

The Gardens were originally a large piece of property owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway and logged at the turn of the century. From 1912 to 1964 it was home of the Shaughnessy Golf Club. An association was formed in 1966 and the VanDusen Botanical Gardens Association was formed.  They ensured that the site would not be used for housing development. Work began on the Garden in 1971 and the Garden was finally opened to the public in August 1975.

The botanical garden, unlike a park, is like a living Muse with plant collections, and various species of trees and shrubbery that are carefully cataloged and labelled. The garden also displays sculptures and other art-work from various cultures.

I discovered this beautiful First Nations canoe tucked away across the pond.  And at various locations around the garden you'll find other works of art.

Although the flower beds were bare, I did find a flowering tree that brightened my walk along the path.

There are various themes in the Garden and this day I chose to wander through the Japanese Cherry orchard where, when it's blossom time, they hold a haiku contest.

Then I walked along the path leading to the Asian part of the Garden where there is a beautiful Korean pavilion and a Japanese gateway.

In spite of the lonely pathways and chilly weather, I enjoyed my afternoon stroll. I look forward to returning to the garden in Springtime when the flowers are budding.

The VanDusen Gardens are open January - March 10 am to 4 pm
and more extended hours once Spring has arrived.
Admission and other information is available on their website at www.vandusengarden.org