Update

Sorry I haven't posted much this year but I have been on the sick list. Had surgery a few weeks ago and am gradually getting my act together. Promise you some more travel blogs soon! 

Regents Park in London

Regents Park was the last to become a public park in the 19^th century. In the 1780s various local leases terminated and in 1793 the Prince Regent approved a plan for a high-class residential development. John Nash planned a circular park with a lake, terraces and, in the park, 56 detached villas.  It didn’t quite work out that way. Only some of Nash’s terraces were built. There was to have been a boulevard from Portland Place through Regent Street to Carlton House on The Mall. The reason why the plans weren’t fulfilled is because of the Napoleonic War.  That was an expensive project and more important than the Prince’s dreams. 

What there is now is a beautiful and large park in which to stroll, relax, play games and get away from the traffic. Along the north side is the Regents Canal with colourful longboats passing slowly to and fro. Further round is the London Zoo (opened in 1828).

And there are gorgeous gardens on display plus Queen Mary’s Gardens which were laid out in 1838. These are fabulous with over 12,000 rose plants. Go there in the summer and it is like stepping into a rose bower. This is London’s largest collection of fabulous roses of every hue and many highly perfumed - and seats on which to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. 

Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park which goes from Hyde Park Corner up to Marble Arch and stretches across from Park Lane to Kensington Gardens is probably best known for its lake, the Serpentine. It was George II’s wife, Caroline, who was responsible for its creation. Originally the River Westbourne, she had William Kent plan and supervise the more ornamental lake.  During the great frosts of the 18^th c. the lake would freeze over and people used it as a skating rink. The statues about the park have been there since the 19^th c, but the one of Peter Pan (by the Long Water) and was placed there in 1912. 

Achilles

With the Serpentine for boating and swimming, Rotten Row for horse-riding, Speakers Corner, vast expanses, trees, shrubs and flowers, it lacks nothing for a beautiful park. It first became a public park in 1637 and had a racecourse called The Ring. In 1642 the Parliamentarians requisitioned it and dug trench defences against the King’s forces. Oliver Cromwell sold it in 1653 for £17,000. The new owner recouped his money by charging for admission. 

 

Queen Mother's 90th Birthday gates.

Hyde Park really gained fame during Georgian times as the place for High Society to promenade – showing off gowns and gathering gossip.  Some people strolled while others rode or were conveyed in their carriages – even now people ride along the tan.  And the Household Cavalry exercise their horses along there. 

Separated from Hyde Park by the West Carriage Drive is Kensington Gardens.  It was the private grounds of the Earl of Nottingham's until 1689 when William III took up residence in Nottingham House which was transformed by Wren, Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh and Kent to become Kensington Palace. Queen Anne expanded the gardens and had the Round Pond constructed. A favourite corner for children to sail their boats. And, of course, was the home of the late Princess Diana.

Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace.

St. James's Park in London

Looking at the tourists feeding the greedy geese, quacking ducks and bossy pigeons in St. James’s Park it is hard to imagine a time when a burgundy-drinking elephant was kept there.  True. King James I had a menagerie in the park which housed the animals too large to be kept at the Tower of London (then a zoo). The elephant was given a gallon of burgundy a day to keep its spirits high. An alcoholic pachyderm?

As visitors to London know, most of the wonderful green spaces are the Royal Parks: St. James’s, Regents, Green, Hyde and Kensington Gardens. What many don’t know is that the land was originally owned by the church - in one form or another. St. James’s belonged to the Abbey of Westminster and was a leper colony. Hyde Park, originally known as the Manor of Hyde, also belonged to the Abbey of Westminster. Regents Park was owned by the Abbey of Barking. 

Then along came Henry VIII and the Dissolution. Henry enclosed the areas and had some of them made into hunting grounds. It was King Charles II who opened the parks to the public. He loved flora and fauna and had Andre le Notre advise with the redesigning of the layout of St. James’s Park. This is when The Mall made its appearance. Not as an approach road to Buckingham Palace which didn’t then exist. Pall-mall was a game similar to croquet which the King enjoyed playing and had the ground laid out here. 

It wasn’t unusual to see the King in the park – walking his dogs and feeding the ducks. It was he who stocked the lake with the more exotic species. I don’t know if the pelicans are direct descendants, but in 1666 the Russian Ambassador gave the King a pair. 

And Samuel Pepys is reputed to have done what many of us do today. He would lie on the grass by the lake and have a snooze. One thing which I am sure the King didn’t do when the general public was around is to swim in the nude. Oh yes, he did! 

As St. James’s Park was open to the public Charles II enclosed Green Park so that it could be used for royal picnics.  And Green Park is the place where Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks was first played. In 1749 the Temple of Peace was constructed to celebrate the end of the War of Succession. It was destroyed by the fireworks as Handel’s music was playing. A celebratory night that went with a bang. [Sorry!!!]

Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

Cockatoos greet you on arrival.

Penguins in Singapore!  My friends didn't believe it either.  But at the park there they are - in a specially built cold house.  Safely behind thick glass they are happy to be in snow and water.  The great thing was that I could see them swimming under water - exactly as in television wild life programmes.

The monorail is a good way to get an idea of the layout of the park and whilst waiting for the train we were royally entertained by the brilliantly coloured macaws in a nearby enclosure.  I was particularly taken with one who was showing off by sliding down a slope (the roof of a feeding tray).  He went feet first, then tail first, on his back – yes, really – and finally fell off in a great flutter of wings and noise.  Teach him to show off!

The great joys for me were the walk-through aviaries with their bird-feeding points.  By being very patient and standing still, birds eventually arrive and are almost within touching distance.  I couldn't begin to name them all, but in the African Waterfall Aviary they included parrots of every colour and size: bright greens and reds, yellows and blues.  There are also other birds of every combination of colours.  These included Turacos, Carmine Bee Eaters, Red and Yellow Barbets and Weavers.

The man-made waterfall (over 30 metres,) is set among the tropical vegetation.  Apparently there are over 1,300 birds flying free in here.

In the South-East Asian Birds Aviary there are some stupendous birds in royal blue and black which I discovered are called the Asian Fairy Blue.  There was also a very dull looking brown kingfisher - until he turned around.  He has a beautiful turquoise back.  There are also some Bali Mynahs.

 

A keeper told me that these Mynahs, which are white with black tips and patches of blue round the eyes, are very shy.  He said that I would have to look very carefully for them.  Would you believe that they came close enough to photograph?  You do have to look very carefully for some of the birds as they are very tiny and their colours blend well with the flowers and foliage.

The Jungle Jewels Aviary – named for the Hummingbirds in their jewel-like colours.  As they dart about from flower to flower and their wings flap at an incredible rate of knots it is difficult sometimes to see them but I did see a few, particularly the rubies and one called a Sparkling Violet.  To add colour to the streams in the aviary there were colourful Teals and Pintail ducks.

Strolling around the grounds I heard myself being accosted and looked around.  No one in sight.  Another whistle.  I looked up into the trees.  A pair of Toucans.

In an enclosure was a very proud looking mama, showing off her baby.  Ever seen a baby ostrich?  Fluffy, grey, gorgeous eyes, long curly lashes - and larger than mum.

Safely caged are the magnificent and haughty birds of prey.  Then there are corners where I found Birds of Paradise, kingfishers, owls and more parrots.  The water birds are, predictably, on Swan and Flamingo Lakes.

Jurong has over 7,000 birds representing 600 different species from around the world and specialises in breeding programmes and conservation, for which I salute them.

Queen Victoria's Christmas Decorations

As pictures are worth more than words, here are some of the decorations on Cunard's Queen Victoria. 

 

I particularly like the Gingerbread Village.....

Do you like Liquorice Allsorts?

Staten Island, New York

To get a good look at the Statue of Liberty without actually visiting it, some tourists take a round trip on the Staten Island Ferry, which is a mistake.  Staten Island has some wonderful places to see and people to meet.

For example, Historic Richmond Town is fascinating and you meet people in ‘olde worlde’ costumes, visit their homes, the general store and America’s oldest Elementary School.

The Snug Harbor Cultural Center is a collection of Greek Revival Buildings.  At one time it was a refuge for retired merchant seamen and now houses art galleries and museums surrounded by woods and gardens.

A favourite corner of Staten Island is the Botanical Garden, which is beautiful and peaceful.  It is a must for fans of the children’s book, “The Secret Garden” (by Frances Hodgson Bennett) because in here is a Secret Garden based on that story.  It is a maze made up of intricate pathways lined with evergreens, which leads to a walled secret garden.  Overlooking the one-acre site is a 38ft castle – complete with drawbridge and a moat.  Although designed for children, everyone enjoys strolling through the maze to find the secret garden.

The Alice Austen House Museum is a must for photographers.  Alice was a photographer who lived in a Victorian Cottage at the turn of the 20^th century and the rooms are filled with samples of her work.

The Sandy Ground Historical Society celebrates the first community established by freed slaves in North America.  The museum and library document the life and history of the people who settled here before the Civil War.

Film fans may recognise parts of Staten Island.  Films in which it has been featured include “Working Girl” and “The Godfather”.  “Casa Corleone” was, in fact, a pair of Tudoresque homes in the Hamilton Park neighbourhood – look for Longfellow Street, but don’t expect to meet members of the Corleone Family!