Yesterday I took Olga to Hampstead Cemetery for a walk, and the windows of the chapel buildings were cracked open. The chapels are always locked -- to my knowledge they're completely inaccessible to the public -- but I could see through those cracks little hints of the stained glass inside.
Perhaps that's John himself in the window above.
According to the building's historic listing, the windows are by J. Dudley Forsyth of Hampstead. The structures themselves (which I've photographed many times) are from 1875-76.
They look like interesting windows, depicting angels with bright red feathery wings. I'd love to get in and see them in their entirety. There aren't even any pictures online that I can find.
Anyway, we had a good walk, and I got lots of gardening done yesterday too. I trimmed back more dead stuff, cut down our bean vine, and...
...lifted most of the dahlia tubers. I'll put them in some soft dry compost and overwinter them in our garden shed. I didn't lift one dahlia -- the pink one -- because it still has green leaves, but all the others had already died back naturally for winter.
I left the tubers sitting out on the lawn after I lifted them, hoping to dry them out a bit before storage, but I was scared the squirrels would get them! Eventually I moved them to a safer space in the shed.
Remember the pants I ordered from Land's End and had sent to school, only to realize I'd given our home postcode by mistake? Well, somehow Land's End got the problem sorted and the pants came to us here at home. So that problem is solved and I finally have more than one pair of pants to wear to work.
Pants? Do you mean underpants? I have a few saggy old pairs I can send you if you are short of pants. I guess it's hard to afford new pairs of pants on a school librarian's salary. You could solve the problem by "going commando".
ReplyDeleteI mean American pants, not English pants! LOL
DeleteIt took me a moment to realise that you were talking about " trousers" !!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I would never call them trousers. I mean, I know the word, obviously, but it's just not something Americans say. :)
DeleteDear Steve, never take no for an answer - other than the obvious exception (wish I didn't have to point this out - well, such are our politically correct times).
ReplyDeleteJust because a church is locked doesn't mean it can't be opened. Find out who the vicar is (if still a "live" church"), find out who the warden is. They'll let you in, gladly. In most cases they'll be happy to leave you to it and are a mine of information if you so wish. The great thing about both vicars and church wardens that they are never in a rush. So, you can take your time, meander and, of course, in your case, take photos. And/or just sit quietly and soak in the silence. If religion has given us one thing it's artefacts and stupendous architecture. And Michelangelo. And, yes, windows. Into the soul?
Your Dahlia tubers a work of art. At first glance the peasant in me thought shallots.
Happy Sunday,
U
The thing is, it's not really a church. There are no services and I doubt there's a vicar. I think it's a passive prayer space. Maybe it's used for funeral services -- I'm not sure -- but I've never seen it open. I'll have to contact the cemetery management and see if I can arrange a visit.
DeleteI was little confused by your pants typo, but then it doesn't take much for me to be confused.
ReplyDeleteNot a typo! It's an actual word! LOL
DeleteThanks for the reminder about Lands End. We still have clothes we bought from them 25 years ago. The stained glass photos are the most interesting I've seen in ages. Even better than the complete works. And the dahlia tubers photo is also a work of art. You really have an exceptional aesthetic.
ReplyDeleteI used Land's End for basic stuff like PANTS (emphasis added for the benefit of those above) and jeans. Dave got me into using them, actually, and I like their stuff. Thanks for the kind words on the photos!
DeleteThose peeks at the stained glass are fascinating. It would be great if you could get inside for a look around. I'm glad your package finally arrived. One less thing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteIndeed! I was glad to be able to cross it off the list!
DeleteWhat is the chapel used for? Do they open it up for interments? The stained glass looks exquisite, and the first thing that pops into my mind is that stained glass is no good without the sun. But you cannot see that glass from outside the building? Now I'm intrigued.
ReplyDeleteYou can see the windows, but stained glass from the outside just looks dark. If there's no interior light it's very difficult to distinguish the design.
DeleteI hope that the rats don't get to your tubers. We don't really grow dahlias here. Do you have to dug them up in the winter or are you just trying to preserve them? Curious.
ReplyDeleteSeems like such a waste to keep that chapel closed but I suppose it's the best way to protect it from vandals. Thanks for the peeks into it. You are our journalist on the ground in far-away (to many of us) London!
They have to be protected from frost and freezing, so to leave them in the ground (or in a pot outdoors) is risky over winter. The routine here is to lift the bulbs and store them for replanting in the spring, but last year I put a whole pot in the shed and it came up fine too. This year I lifted them all so I could give them fresh compost next year.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteInteresting peeks at the artwork there. It would be nice to go inside to get a better look.
ReplyDeleteReally glad your pants arrived. I may actually order a pair of jeans online and see how that works out. I saved the labels from the last time I bought my favorite pair of jeans locally at a store here. I don't know what made me save that, but now I know exactly what I should order without being able to try them on.
Excellent! Let's hope they are consistent in their manufacture! Sometimes I'm surprised when I order the same size and type of garment and one is still different from the next.
DeleteTrousers arrived! I thought that the order must have gone back to the company- Sometimes my orders go to Western Australia because, WA. The photos are intriguing through the window, mysterious murder mystery book covers. I have been watching a lot of VERA lately, everything is a mystery, luv.
ReplyDeleteOh Lord -- Western Australia! That WOULD be a problem. I was impressed that they managed to re-route this one so easily.
DeleteI used to order from Lands End fairly often. Then I retired, and now I spend my days in lounge wear - that's one step up from pajamas.
ReplyDeleteWe tried dalias in Seattle, but the slugs ate them.
That's why we grow ours in pots! Slugs LOVE dahlias and when we put them in the ground they were gnawed to bits. (Same with our hostas -- they're in pots too, for the same reason.)
DeleteBeing American, I knew what you meant by "pants". But I'm still confused. Why would you wear two pair to work? (...I finally have more than one pair of pants to wear to work.) Isn't that a big bulky? Or is it really, really cold there?
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to figure out how I should have worded that sentence differently. Maybe, "I finally have multiple pairs of work pants to choose from?" It's an interesting grammatical question!
DeleteI'm glad your pants arrived! And I'm glad that you're not giving in to British word usages. You're still an American, dammit! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's right! Pants are pants, not underwear! LOL
DeleteGlad to hear all of your advice on dahlias. I wanted to try planting them next spring because I saw so many beautiful photos of them. I did not realize there were tricks to getting them to grow. I will have to read up on them.
ReplyDeleteI watch so many BBC shows on TV and read so many British blogs that I have started using some of the words in my every day speech - like "Well done, you", or "I've got it sorted" or "innit?"
That's nice to hear Ellen. Repeat after me "Eee by gum".
DeleteSome people grow dahlias as annuals. You can plant the seeds in the spring and you'll have flowers by summer.
DeleteI say "sorted" all the time -- it's a good expression! Many other Britishisms have crept into my speech as well. But pants are still pants to me. LOL
Pants are pants here, too. The long, outerwear kind. lol
ReplyDeleteI bought a bag of dahlia tubers for my husband's birthday in June this year. When I planted them, there was only ONE with an "eye" or whatever that thing is from whence the new plant will sprout. I was disappointed, to say the least. I planted it, but it didn't grow. Either I have ten black thumbs or the soil is cursed here. I planted cosmos in the same area and got a grand total of three from a packet of seeds. Bloody heck.
How odd! I wonder what happened? Maybe too wet/too dry/not enough sun? We grow our dahlias in big flowerpots on the patio, planted in compost, and we water them frequently (basically daily) if the weather gets hot and/or dry. Dahlias don't like to dry out, but they need good drainage too. Sometimes seed packets just don't produce -- I've had that happen with both cosmos and dahlia seeds.
Deletecan't grow dahlias here. I always thought churches and chapels were supposed to always be open to provide shelter for those who need it. another christian more down the drain. what? you need shelter from the storm? not in my church. Jesus weeps.
ReplyDelete