A depository of various trifles that interest me, An eclectic mix - photography, food, theatre gardening, history, music (especially the British dance band era) and of course all aspects of Glamour and Gayness
today was my first visit to Kew for ages. Shame on me!
Summer had finally arrived . Jon and I both had a midweek day off so we headed down to Kew to meet up with Alistair and Joe.
It was Joe's first visit to Kew so the Palm House was a must no matter how hot it was.
Then onto the Order Beds ;
The Lily pond was looking very murky but the dragon flies seem to enjoy it.
After a troll through the rockery and the Dukes Garden -
it was on into the Alpine house -
always a joy !
Then around the lake and up to the Pagoda and down through the Temperate House.
A fab day indeed.
We must make sure not to leave it so long before our next visit.
Having read Time Out's team of experts celebrate London's finest moments on record in their ' The 100 best London songs ' I was amazed at far down the list some of my all time favourites were and how full the top 20 was of songs I would never have picked.
Here is their top 10.
10
‘Hometown Glory’ - Adele (2007)
9
‘For Tomorrow’ - Blur (1993)
8
‘Baker Street’ - Gerry Rafferty (1978)
7
‘Primrose Hill’ - John and Beverley Martyn (1978)
6
‘Itchycoo Park’- The Small Faces (1967)
5
‘Streets of London’ - Ralph McTell (1969)
4
‘LDN’ - Lily Allen (2006)
3
West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys (1984)
2
‘London Calling’ - The Clash (1979)
1
'Waterloo Sunset’ - The Kinks (1967) click here to get the full list
Needless to say I had to have a bash myself. It was much more difficult that I thought .
Here we go...
At number 1 on my list and 52 in Time Out is ‘London Pride’
2 # A song that went through my head every night on my way home from work on the night bus
here is the wonderful Queenie Watts singing 'Waterloo Sunset'
3# Still in line with Time Out, the Pet Shop Boys classic 'West End Girls'
4# A Music Hall fave of mine, but here sung by none other than Marlene Dietrich - "Wotcha! Knock'd 'em in the Old Kent Road" :
#5 'A Foggy Day (In London Town)' by Judy Garland in 1969. Her guest is Terry-Thomas.
6# Not as well known as some of the others, but I love this number from Jack Hylton and his Orchestra,
'Life Begins at Oxford Circus'
''
7# How could Time Out leave this song out? I have no idea. Here is Dalida to sing it like no other:
'Le Lambeth Walk'
8# ‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square’ is at number 21 in Time Out. This is Anne Shelton's version from 1940 with Ambrose and his Orchestra:
9# This one might not be on any one else's list but I love it - here is Julie Andrews giving it a bit of welly.
'Picadilly', from the Original Motion Picture "Star!" (1968)
10# A last minute substitution - it was going to be Petula Clark - "London is London" from "Goodbye Mr Chips"
But is now Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue", to remind me of when, way back in the mists of time, when I lived for a short time in Brixton; if not on, just off Electric Avenue.
Appendix
And some just for fun
Peter Sellers - 'Balham - Gateway To The South' - 1958
Willie Rushton - 'Neasden'
Hope you have enjoyed going through me list let me know of any comments or suggestion you might have
"Keep it real"
and remember
"You have to use your culture or you lose your culture"
What a miserable Summer so far - but it is June, whether it feels like it or not, and the roses are out here at Delargo Towers.
As are the long awaited and beleaguered delphiniums:
The hollyhocks and lupins we sowed last year never made it through. The Canterbury Bells have been well worth the wait, though, and have put on a stunning show - despite the weather doing everything it could to batter them down:
Campanula medium
Centaurea is going over now; just a few left for the bees to enjoy:
After a slow start the boxes and tubs are well away now:
Regal pelargonium and cuttings from last year's Zonal pelargoniums.
One of pride and joys - Lilium regale at the start of the month:
Jasmine through the pear tree:
Lilium regale again, this time halfway through the month. It was just starting to flower by the very end of it, so we will be kicking off the July post with it in full splendour:
More cuttings and the new fuchsias - Winston Churchill, Eva Boerg and Paula Jane. I still didn't manage to get the specialist fuchsia nursery in Essex this year but managed to pick up these cheaply from a stall in Chiswick:
Honeysuckle which I think is Lonicera Halliana:
It's going to be a bumper crop for the pear this year methinks!
We will hardly be self-sufficient in fruit and veg but it's a bit of fun to grow some.
This years tomato is Gardeners' Delight. We lost the first truss to the cold weather in the spring but have two healthy ones now. We also have branched out into growing soft fruit; well one strawberry plant. It is an old variety called Cambridge Favourite:
Last month we were hit by a plague of aphids. This month saw the arrival of a mass of Ladybird larvae. They were everywhere - loads of them, and now there is not a single aphid left! It has been truly amazing and fascinating to watch:
They have done their job and are now starting to turn into proper ladybirds.
The forecast for July is no better than June, but there is a lot to look forward to and the Lilies will brighten up even a dull day...
