Wishing all of you and your families a restful, happy and festive break
Happy holidays
1
Category Archives: Culture
Remembrance Day
It’s Remembrance Day today, a day to remember those that died in the line of duty since World War I. A poppy is worn on the days leading up to November 11th and at 11am today a minute’s silence will be held across the UK to think of those that fell.
WPC: Ornate piano
This grand piano really lives up to it’s name. The beautiful, ornate embellishments are by William Morris and Co. and are typical of the designs that were created by him. I personally love the style and detail of Morris’ work and have been a fan since I first discovered it.
Firework night
It’s Firework Night tonight in the UK, (also known as Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes night) the day that people light fireworks and sparklers to celebrate the foiled plot to blow up the House of Lords in 1605. I can hear fireworks being set off already, and I hope I catch some firework displays later.
V&A: Islamic Middle East
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some really interesting exhibits, showcasing pieces from all around the world. One of the collections I always stop to admire when I visit is the Islamic Middle East which consists of some really beautiful pieces from as far back as the 7th century.
Some of my favourite and I think most impressive pieces on show are the Ardabil carpet which is one of the largest and finest in existence made in 1540, the second largest Qu’ran in the world from the 14th century and the pretty turquoise coloured tiles from 1358. I love the use of detailed geometric patterns and writings to embellish everyday objects that were placed in homes and places of worship.
My photos don’t do justice to how intricate and colourful some of these artifacts are but if you’re ever in London I would definitely recommend a visit.
Eid-ul-Adha 2015/1436: Eid Mubarak
Eid Mubarak everyone. Taqabbal Allahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept it from you and us).
Happy Eid to all to Muslims around the world who are celebrating Eid-al-Adha. I pray that all muslims find some happiness and peace whether they are migrating from a war torn country in the Middle East or have struggles that are found in our daily lives. I hope that a blessed, calmer time is ahead for all of us.
Hyde Park
I’ve had some free time since having left my job and being determined to make the most of it and the nice weather I decided to go to Hyde Park which I have passed by on many occasions but have never really explored.
Hyde Park is a Royal Gardens and is based in Central London. There are so many parts to it that I wasn’t able to visit everything but I did see lots of lovely things.
I decided to walk down to and along the huge lake called The Serpentine and follow the edge across the park. As its summer there were lots of deckchairs, geese and beautiful flowers to enjoy along the way.
What I liked was there were lots of smaller paths away from the main walkways in case you fancied a varied and perhaps quieter walk. There were also lots of statues to admire, each one quite different to the last. The most famous is the Princess Diana fountain which is a huge circular waterway. Each section is different, some with steps, or curves or even water shooting upwards. The kids really seemed to be enjoying the cool water.
Something that I unexpectedly came across really made my day, Ring-necked Parakeets! They were camouflaged in the trees and I almost missed them but I luckily joined a few people in watching them. The parakeets seemed completely at ease with people and even flew down to get food from out stretched hands. There were also pretty magpies, squirrels and pigeons that were enjoying the attention and food too.
I really enjoyed my walk around Hyde park, and I really appreciate all the hard work that it’s taken to make it look beautiful. The park is huge and there’s lots more to see, so I hope to visit it again at some point. I know how lucky I am to live in such an amazing city with so much culture, art and history and I plan to keep making the most of it. I’ll keep you posted on what else I explore and enjoy.
Tombs and headstones
Near my old workplace there’s a lovely public garden that is always busy with office workers, local residents and shop owners enjoying the pretty view, it being a place to escape the office and have a break, especially in the summer.
What is unusual about this garden is that it used to be an old cemetery. (It was a place of burial from 1747, but was open to the public as a garden from 1885). Among the benches, trees and flowers are box tombs. I don’t think they still contain any bodies but they are interesting to look at and certainly add character to the park.
Something less obvious, and what I didn’t notice until my umpteenth time passing through is, if you look closely, all along the back walls of the garden are headstones. They look quite old and most have the writing worn and weathered away.
This garden has been a sight for sore eyes especially from my desk, being able to see racing dogs, lunchers or local journalists filming but I think it’s the strange history that has kept me interested.
Strange sculptures
I was playing tourist recently in London (of which I will post more about soon) and on my wonderings I came across these interesting sculptures. The horse’s head is called Still Water and looks quite calming. The black beast-looking thing across, I have to admit gave me the creeps so I didn’t take any closer photos of it but it’s called She Guardian and I’m sure will also be scaring others. There was also a temporary summer observation wheel which gives you a view of the local area including Hyde Park, which seemed nice.
Eid party
My older sister decided to throw an Eid party to celebrate the end of Ramadan and on this occasion she asked the guests to bring along a dish so we could all share something with each other, which was a nice idea. The guests who came were good cooks and really generous which meant we had lots of delicious foods to eat and sweets treats to tuck into.
There were a wide variety of savoury and spicy dishes which went down well; kebabs, rice, chicken curry, samosas and many more.
The desserts that were bought along were just as delicious, my younger sister made a tasty chocolate cake, jelly shots for the kids disappeared in minutes, and the healthier options of a fruit platter or fruit with custard and whipped cream, which looked great, was thoroughly enjoyed. There were also mini gingerbread men and muffins and sweets.
Everyone enjoyed the food, games and prizes and we were all exhausted by the time the guests left, but happy that everyone had a good time.
everyphototunity 