New Home

 I have now moved into my new home. It is much smaller than my previous house and so I have had to be ruthless with what I could take with me. The legal side of buying/selling property in England is a fairly long drawn out process and it can fall through right up until the last minute. I had a couple of very stressful issues but all that is behind me and I am happily ensconced in my new abode.

I am living on a small housing estate which is surrounding by greenery.

Until 1903 this was farmland which became individual residential homes for children surrounded by parkland. It closed in 1983 and by the end of the 80s a new development of town houses were built. 

It is an area I am not familiar with and I am looking forward to exploring the locality. It is much closer to my daughter and her two children and has the advantage of a large railway station a short bus ride away. Yesterday I went into London and was pleased to see that it only took 10 mins by train to London Bridge. I am still living in a London Borough and am therefore still entitled to free Travel. A huge advantage of living in London. No doubt I will be posting more about this new area as time goes on.

Outernet

This four storey high building has wrap around LED screens which are interactive with smart phones. These free immersive experiences are on everyday, all day from what I understand. I was mesmerised by the sheer scale of it all and some of the videos were breathtaking. I didn't realise you could interact with the images until I read about it afterwards. I'll have to go back and have another look. It is just outside Tottenham Court tube station.

This butterfly trail was on another huge screen.

 Sorry I haven't been blog active recently but am in the middle of moving house. All the emotions of stress, excitement, frustration and exhaustion rolled into one.

Steiner house

 

This is Rudolf Steiner House, built between 1926 and 1937, a unique example of Expressionist architecture in London. As far as I am aware I think this is the only expressionist building in London. The house was designed by the architect Montague Wheeler. The building takes its inspiration from the work of Rudolf Steiner(1861-1925) Steiner was an Austrian-born spiritualist, lecturer, and founder of anthroposophy of, a movement based on the notion that there is a spiritual world comprehensible to pure thought but accessible only to the highest faculties of mental knowledge. Britannica

It is an unusual building but I really liked the way it flowed with the numerous curved lines. Parts of it reminded me of Gaudi's buildings in Barcelona.

The sculptural staircase 

No lines are repeated. This is the floor.

Rudolf Steiner House is home to many activities and events throughout the year, all of which are open to the public, as are the Library and Bookshop. In 2008/9 a lot of work was done on the property to comply with health and safety regulations. A new kitchen and cafe were also created. 

The main feature in the cafe is a central supporting wooden pillar. The pillar has inserts of the seven planetary woods: Ash/Sun, Oak/Mars, Sycamore/Jupiter, Hornbeam/Saturn, Cherry/Moon, Elm/Mercury, Birch/Venus.

End of 2024

 An interactive installation at the Young V and 

A. The last museum visit of the year was to this newly refurbished museum for children. Innovative, interesting and interactive. It provided a welcome outing after the indulgence of Christmas and the current need for being glued to the screen which seems to be an increasing problem amongst young children.

Trips for me this year were not as far afield as in previous years. Lake Garda, Italy and Oslo, Norway were my only foreign trips. The Isles of Scilly, Suffolk, Norfolk and Yorkshire were my choice for UKtrips. 

Leading walks for the u3a has kept me busy with many of them being guided walks in London. Knowledge gained on my continuing Above the Underground challenge https://62andthenext10pathways.blogspot.com

proved invaluable.

2024 saw the unexpected loss of a close friend and continues to sadden me but the year also brought joy with the birth of my 4th grandchild. 

2025 will bring change to my life as I am going to move. I will still live in my beloved London. A little further from the centre but I've made sure I will be close enough to be able to continue my frequent trips into town with public transport nearby.

With many thanks for your continued interest in my blogs, frequent and kind comments and friendship from afar, I would like to wish all my fellow bloggers a happy and healthy New Year

Selfridge's

 Continuing with the theme of Christmas decorations here are Selfridge's Christmas window displays. The windows are very large making it impossible to avoid reflections.

Bond Street

Bond Street is always a favourite of mine at Christmas. For Browsing, not buying, of course!