Ten Things That Make My Heart Beat Faster

Last year, the lovely Jessica over at Chronically Vintage wrote a post entitled 'Ten Things That Make My Heart Beat Faster', which was in turn based on a 1956 interview with Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor in Good Housekeeping magazine.

In celebration of St Valentine's Day, I've done my own version, which I present to you below. It was tough, I can tell you, and I had to leave a lot out and stop before I got carried away. If I did it again in a week's or even a day's time, different things would probably come to my head first and it would be an almost entirely different list. But I can say that, tough as it was, it made me very happy in the process of thinking of all the things that lift my spirits, quicken my heart, make my breath catch in my throat and bring a smile to my lips.

In my usual St Valentine's Day fashion, I've aimed to make it all inclusive, picking things that hopefully everyone, including those without an individual person to call their Valentine, can identify with and enjoy... unless they happen to be a dog person...

Happy Valentine's Day, one and all.

Random Reasons to Love London #12

Today I had to trot up to the British Library to buy a present from the shop there (which, incidentally, has a really great selection of books and gifts, if you're ever looking for something for a discerning book lover). Deciding to get a coffee after having accomplished my mission, I stopped into St Pancras Station, which is, in my opinion, one of London's great public spaces. There's something lovely and exciting about railway travel, and this just imbues the place...

Seeing people tinkering on the two pianos there also always makes me smile, especially when you get a total juxtaposition between the players on each one. Today, there was a professional busker on one piano, accompanied by a woman on a French horn... and they seemed largely unperturbed when a slightly strange bearded man came along and leaned on the piano, intermittently tinkling a few keys at his end. At the other piano there was a small child having a go, later replaced by the couple above. I've seen all sorts playing there and I love the variety of people it attracts.

When I eventually emerged from the station, I was faced with a passing shower, resulting in a rainbow over King's Cross Station (which, between you and me, I prefer to St Pancras, architecturally, but that's a subject for another post).

It was a crazy day for weather generally, with gusty winds and frequent changes from sun and blue skies to rain and dark clouds. It somewhat messed with my original plans for the day, which entailed a bicycle, but it didn't work out at all badly, ultimately.

Random Reasons to Love London #11

Whistler's Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Chelsea, 1871 (Image source: Tate)

Last weekend, I was feeling a bit run down so decided to spend a gentle afternoon in the Tate Britain. As I wandered through the permanent collection, I stopped to look at the above Whistler painting, which they have on display. A woman who also stopped to examine it asked me if I knew if we were allowed to take photographs. I said that I thought so, if you didn't use a flash (apologies to the Tate is this was misinformation!).

We carried on our conversation and she told me that she was very excited to see the painting in person as she was president of Whistler House - the birthplace of James McNeill Whistler - in Masschusetts. We then went on to talking about the various artists' residences around Chelsea, here in London, and her plans to go on a walk and see some of them. She was quite impressed by my knowledge of the topic - which has come from a combination of volunteering at the wonderful Carlyle's House for some time a few years ago and recent work advising on listed artists' studio flats in the area... and supplemented by general interest in the period and its people as well. 

Perhaps I ought to do a post on the topic one day. (Did you know, for example, that Dante Gabriel Rossetti had a whole collection of exotic animals at his house on Cheyne Walk, including a wombat?)  But, whether that eventuates or not, it made an enjoyable and stimulating interlude to my afternoon, speaking with this interesting and interested lady at the Tate. Art galleries really are a great place for good conversation with random strangers.

Rossetti's sketch of himself mourning his wombat, Top (Image source: Pre-Raphernalia)

Random Reasons to Love London #10

Last night, I was sitting at home, relaxing, when I suddenly became aware of someone blasting out the June Carter/Johnny Cash classic, Ring of Fire, somewhere out on the street below. I leaned out my window to see what was going on and discovered it was coming from none other than a London Fire Brigade fire engine driving up the road!

Image source

It wasn't my chaps but when I just looked up the latest information on what's going on with the fire stations closure threat, I noticed that there was a public meeting going on last night at Islington Town Hall... and the truck was heading in that direction, just shortly before the meeting was scheduled to start! I reckon it was them blasting it out as a protest song. How awesome are our firemen!? 

I'm just disappointed that I missed the meeting. Well, there's still time to comment on the consultation and write disgruntled letters to our buffoon of a mayor. If you love our firemen too (and how could you not after this episode?), you can find out more about the closures and how you can comment here.

Waterloo Sunset's Fine

It never fails to give me a small thrill whenever I happen to find myself at Waterloo when the sun is going down. The classic Kinks song always inevitably pops into my head and, if I'm in appropriate company, I sing out the chug-chugga-chugga of the opening bars.

It especially lifts my spirits when I find myself there at sunset upon arriving back into Waterloo Station after a trip away from London. That was the situation last night when I snapped these shots, on my return from a night away and a site visit in Dorset.

As an architectural historian, I also always find myself working out which of the buildings in the views from Waterloo Bridge would have existed when the lyrics were penned. And indeed, what bridges, as Hungerford footbridge, visible in the view below, wouldn't have been there then... One day, I'd like to sit down and work it all out. Perhaps draw up my own little 1960s view, if I can't find a photograph of one. There's a mission!

Last night, I was also particularly thrilled by the sliver of a moon resting above Shell Mex House, one of my favourite Thames-side buildings. How can you not love London at moments like this?

Random Reasons to Love London #9

Recently, I was walking back to my office after an exclusive look into one of Piccadilly's lesser known but absolutely fabulous and unique buildings (one reason to love London). I decided to stop off and eat my lunch in the sun on the terrace at Somerset House, overlooking the Thames (another reason to love London). As I cut back through the courtyard of Somerset House, I encountered this scene:

Sheep at Somerset House. Yet another, completely, completely random reason to love London.

Love, Sweet Love

I made treats for Valentine's Day! Long-time readers who remember my Valentine's post last year may be surprised by this. But, if you remember, I am not at all opposed to the tradition of Valentine's Day, but rather the commercial and predictable event it has become. I'm a total Romantic, and I love the idea of taking someone by surprise and professing your undying affection. I love the idea of people selecting or making special, personal gifts and sharing their true feelings. But the disheartening sight of desperate, sweating men crammed into shops buying tacky cards and regulation roses does not speak to my Romantic heart.

I also dislike that Valentine's Day seems to stop at people in established couples these days. Love is so much more than that. What about love between friends and family - the relationships that often last longer than romantic ones? What about sharing joy with acquaintances that are neglected in love and friendship? What about smiling at and conversing with strangers? What about finding the beauty in unexpected places and falling back in love with the world?

So, this year, I opted to share the love far and wide. Well, within the walls of my office, anyway... So I baked lots of biscuits for everyone! I adore cherries - they're the fruity love of my life - so they were a natural choice for my sweet treats. Cherry pie is my favourite, and I was considering making more cup pies, as I did for Halloween, but wanted something a little less fiddly and which could go further. So biscuits it was.

Cherry and chocolate biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 250g butter
• 2 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond essence
• 2 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped (I used black cherries in syrup, as I couldn't find maraschino ones)
• large chocolate chips

• Combine sugar, butter, cherry juice and almond essence. Blend well. 
• Add flour and salt. Mix well. 
• Add cherries. Mix well.
• Shape into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on a biscuit tray covered with greaseproof paper. 
• Bake at 180C for 8-10 minutes. 
• Immediately after baking, top each biscuit with a chocolate chip, pressing down firmly. Remove from tray and cool on wire rack.

Yes, I am dressed in a Valentine-cooking-appropriate red dress with a little heart pattern...

I failed to get a picture of the finished product (apart from the one at the top of this post). They took much longer than the stated time to cook... I think that maybe my oven isn't the greatest though. I bake so infrequently that I'm not aware of its quirks and how I might need to compensate for them.

In the end, the biscuits didn't come out looking quite as appetising as I had hoped and I wasn't overly delighted by the overall result - I feel I would have preferred just munching on cherries! I think dark chocolate would have been a better option than milk chocolate but I couldn't find dark buttons, sadly. But the biscuits went down well at work, and that's the important thing. I =got to share the love and subtly make my point that Valentine's Day shouldn't just be for couples. 

I also got so carried away with my loved-up enthusiasm that I created a Valentine's Day mix, for your listening pleasure. Not much thought went into this, I must confess, I just cast an eye over my itunes library and pulled out a few songs... Or rather, as it ended up, more than a few songs... I opted to throw in friends, love lost, unrequited love, innocent love, less innocent love and "other", just to cover a greater spectrum of experiences and circumstances. And it all kicks off with the worldwide love that inspired this post title, and which I was humming to myself all day today. Click below to enjoy! (And yes, the cover of my compilation is inspired by the fact that my excitement continues to mount over the upcoming Lichtenstein exhibition...)

Valentine's Day from lisamariemac on 8tracks Radio.

Random Reasons to Love London #8

Image source: Ewan-M via Flickr

Last night, the Cat and I went to see James Bond at the Curzon in Mayfair. Yes, as the chap behind the counter informed us, we are probably the only people left in London who hadn't seen it yet. But it was worth the wait. It was freaking awesome. I'm not generally an action film kind of girl but James Bond is my exception to the rule. And this was a particularly good one. I was riveted the whole time, gasping and exclaiming and probably bothering the people behind me... But I wasn't chatting inanely, it's just that now and again I found I couldn't contain my enthusiasm. I especially enjoyed the fact it was mostly set close to home. The Shanghai scenes were awesome, with all those crazy buildings and neon lights, and Turkey was wonderfully exotic, but I just love seeing London and other parts of the UK on film. It makes them all so sparkly and exciting again. And it's fun to spot places at a glance and think "oh, oh, oh, that's Smithfield Markets!" etc, and then to see all the secretive spy world that the recognisable London scenes are hiding.

Emerging from the cinema afterwards, I confess I was perhaps a little bit hyperactive, bouncing about in my excitement over the movie. Not being in our usual neck of the woods, we had to stop to determine the best way to the nearest tube station (after the Cat turned down my suggestion of cycling, citing the frostiness and drizzling rain...). As we paused to take out our A-Z, a man approached us to ask if we could spare some money for him as he was homeless. I have to confess, I don't always help out people who approach me in the street but I was in a good mood and, weighing up in my head the fact that I had just spent £30 on cinema tickets plus drinks besides, I figured it was just plain mean not to help him out. So I pulled out my purse and gave him a few pounds. He thanked me politely and then walked off.

Once the Cat and I had worked out the most direct route to the station, we headed off up the street, running over our favourite parts of the movie. Further along, we passed a cafeteria and, as I glanced casually into it, I saw the homeless man at the counter, placing an order. I was so happy to see that my few pounds had taken him directly to get some warm food! The general population are so cynical about giving money to people in the street, saying that you never know what they're going to spend it on, often saying that it will probably go on drugs or alcohol. It's true that you don't know, and sometimes I'm sure that it doesn't get spent in the best way, but it's terrible to make that presumption about everyone who's unfortunate enough to have to beg for money.

Not only was it nice to see my change making an immediate difference to someone, it was so reaffirming to see that this man had been honest and was simply after some nourishing food. I look forward to being able to pull this story out the next time someone makes some sweeping accusation about the misguidedness of giving money directly to people in need. I just hope the poor chap went on to find somewhere safe and warm to spend the night...

Random Reasons to Love London #7

Last Sunday evening, I succeeded in hiring my first ever Boris bike. For those unfamiliar with them, Boris bikes are London's bike hire scheme, nicknamed after our buffoon of a mayor. But, it was brilliant fun and now I'm somewhat addicted - I just want to get back on a bicycle and hit London's mean streets again. Preferably, though, I would like to get my own because the Boris bikes do have their shortcomings, particularly the gear system which means you have to cycle especially vigorously for not too much gain...

Boris bikes, all ready to take me on adventures (Image source)

But it's such wonderful fun, whizzing around London's streets on a bicycle. My first experience, which took place last weekend with The Cat, happened as we were walking home from the Barbican after martinis on a mild Sunday evening. I've tried to hire before but not had my card accepted. This time, however, it worked. I was just going to go for a slightly scenic, meandering ride home but The Cat was so enthused that he suggested we ride down to the river. And so we did. Down winding, cobbled lanes and across Blackfriars bridge, with London buildings sparkling in the evening light and the Thames flowing under us. Perfectly romantic!

Then I had another chance for a ride yesterday evening, when I was heading down to south London to play boules in Cleaver Square and then out to dinner.

Cleaver Square, with its boules gravel (Image source)

One of our party was riding his bike so I opted to join him on a Boris bike, rather than catching the tube or bus. Down over the river again, to Kennington, via the perilous Elephant & Castle roundabout, at which point he leaned over to me as we were stopped at traffic lights and said, 'If your mother could see what you were doing right now, she would kill me' (... and now my mother is going to read this, so I will make sure to keep this friend anonymous, just in case!). But there is something that appeals to me about cycling through busy streets much more than the prospect of, say, cycling along country lanes. Although I'm sure that would be lovely too.

Finally, we cycled home at the end of the evening after dinner, whizzing back east along the Embankment from Vauxhall. A far nicer way to end an evening than getting on the tube, even if I probably got more sweaty... At least it's satisfying sweat mixed with invigoration and satisfaction, rather than the uncomfortable sweat caused by the unnatural atmosphere of the underground.

Embankment - not quite like this anymore, but just as pretty to ride along at midnight (Image source)

I'm so sad to think that Sydney doesn't have a bike hire system (as far as I'm aware?) because it would be perfect to be able to carry on with my new found love while I'm on holiday. But when I'm back in London, I will start looking into acquiring my own bike, and will continue to take advantage of the Boris bikes in the interim.

The only problem with cycling around London is the risk of getting distracted by all the beautiful buildings you pass, especially dangerous when you're with a fellow architectural historian, as I was last night! Eyes on the road, people!

Random Reasons to Love Love London #6

Tate Modern Turbine Gallery (Image source)

On Friday evening, I went to see the current Edvard Munch exhibition at the Tate Modern (more on that later, hopefully). As I was looking around, enjoying the rich and wonderful paintings, a young chap who had been looking at a painting nearby caught the attention of my friend and me, saying "excuse me, but isn't this painting just so cool. Sorry, I don't know much about art, this is the first exhibition I've ever been to..." To which we responded along the lines of "don't worry about that". "I just think it's great, isn't it?", he carried on, in delight. We agreed and admired the painting together before he happily made his way into the next room.

I was just so pleased and flattered that he had chosen to share his excitement and unpretentious enjoyment of the painting with us. I like to think it's because we looked friendly and unpretentious ourselves... It made me really very happy to share this stranger's joy at experiencing these paintings up close at his first ever exhibition. I still become exuberant when I see original art works (or even prints of my favourite pieces) so it's not that I needed reminding of what a wonderful experience it can be, but it was just rather special to have this stranger so unashamedly keen to share his appreciation of this painting with us.

Beware When Out in Bermondsey...

... for you may encounter wild cats...

Hats off to whoever put these leopards and tigers up in the trees.

Random Reasons to Love London # 5

18th-century engraving of St John's, Smith Square (Image source: Wikipedia)

The other day, I went to a meeting in Westminster with a couple of colleagues. Once it was over, we went for a slight detour on the way back to the office in order to walk past St John's, Smith Street. Tucked away in the terraced streets to the south of Westminster Abbey, this was one of the churches built under the instruction of the Commission for the Building of Fifty New Churches, a body established under an Act of Parliament in 1711. Only just over ten were actually built but they are some of the most striking of London's churches. Others include Hawksmoor's Christchurch, Spitalfields, which will be known to anyone familiar with Brick Lane, and St George's, Bloomsbury, also by Hawksmoor, with its wonderfully playful spire...

St George's, Bloomsbury (Image source: World Monuments Fund)

But I digress. My colleagues and I went to have a look at St John's, Smith Square, built to the designs of Thomas Archer, and completed in 1728. Again, it is a strikingly playful, Baroque building. The legend goes that Archer approached Queen Anne to ask her thoughts on the design of the church. Not particularly interested, her response was to kick over her footstool so that it lay upside down, with its legs in the air. She gestured at it and said, "like that". It henceforth adopted the name of Queen Anne's footstool. After this amusing beginning, however, the story of the church becomes much sadder in the 1940s, as it suffered a direct hit in the Blitz. It was extensively but sensitively restored in subsequent decades, and has served as a classical concert hall ever since.

St John's today (Image source: London Traveltips)

My colleagues and I admired the church from the outside and then one of them decided he'd try and ask at the reception desk if we could have a look inside. Unfortunately we were turned down, as there were apparently preparations going on for a concert and it was necessary to make an advance appointment in any case. Fair enough.

However, as we were walking away from the building, a gentleman came up and asked, "Did I just hear you asking if you could have a look inside?" Thinking he was another architectural enthusiast also interested in having a look, I responded with "Yes, but we were turned down, sadly." To which he responded, "Well, I'm the director, and it would be my pleasure to take you up." Wasn't that a stroke of luck? And what a lovely chap.

He showed us into the church and told us various fun facts, including the proposal suggested in the 1960s to have had Picasso paint the ceiling! That would have just been mind-blowing! My colleagues and I wonder if there's concept drawings lurking somewhere in archives because it would be fascinating to have a sense of what that would have been like. Still, the building is striking enough in its own right so perhaps it's just as well that plan didn't go ahead, as it might have just been an overload!

The interior of St John's, Smith Square (Image source: Venues London)

After our brief, spontaneous and exclusive tour, we thanked our unexpected host and headed off. But what a treat we had, thanks to a friendly and hospitable stranger!

(And, kind of on the topic of things to love about London: in preparation for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, don't forget to enter my giveaway! Only a couple of days left...)

Random Reasons to Love London #4

In Hackney, Clapham and elsewhere, a counter-balance to the hate and destructiveness of last night's rioting and looting, as locals come together to help clear up in the aftermath...

Source: The Guardian

Londoners do have a history of resilience, after all.  I just pray that it's not tested again tonight.  Lots of love going out to everyone else out there in this fine city.

[Post-script: Have just read the following observation in a Guardian Comment piece, which I thought worthy of quoting here: 
"The broom, raised aloft, and cups of tea carried on riot shields have become today's iconic images. How British. How beautifully British. And how very, very London."]

Random Reasons to Love London #3

Photo courtesy of Fouquier via Flickr

Parts of London may be in disarray right now, with the riots which have been carrying on for the past few nights but that's just a momentary blip, involving a small minority of people.  It's a sad situation and my heart goes out to those unsuspecting people caught up in the fray, but these few days don't change the fact that London is full of wonderful people and wonderful moments.

So, I felt the need to counter all the horrible scenes that are going on across London with a nice little story.  I know that my little tale won't stop the social problems which are making themselves so evident right now, but all the same, here it is...

I was walking along the other day, dressed up in a pretty, bright frock and in high spirits as it was the weekend and I was off to meet some friends for a nice day out.  As I walked past a dignified elderly couple at a bus-stop, the man caught my attention with a polite "excuse me".  I stopped, thinking he was going to ask me directions or advice on what bus to catch.  But instead he said, "That's a lovely dress you've got on.  It's brightened up our day."  His wife nodded gently in confirmation.  I smiled with surprise and delight, and thanked him before trotting off again on my way, my mood buoyed even more than before.

Now, isn't that just the loveliest thing?  What a sweet, wonderful couple!  I may have brightened their day, but they certainly did the same for me through that brief moment we shared.

Random Reasons to Love London #2

This evening, when out shopping for a friend's birthday present, I was served by a friendly boy wearing pastel blue nail varnish.

He commented on my Belle & Sebastian tote and we went on to exchange stories of how we both fell in love with them.

He told me about seeing them at T in the Park years and years ago.  It was raining heavily as they played, until the clouds parted and the sun shone through.  It was a magical moment, he said.

Crazily enough, I had almost exactly the same experience on an entirely different occasion.  The first time I ever heard them was at Glastonbury years ago.  During that set, there was a downpour which then cleared, followed by a rainbow appearing over the crowd.  The memory's always stuck with me.

The boy in the shop and I both agreed that there's just something strangely irresistible about that band which makes it so that you can't help but love them.

Random Reasons to Love London #1

This afternoon as I was finishing up at work it started to drizzle with rain. By the time I left the building it was raining heavily. As it had been pleasant in the morning, I was unequipped to deal with the downpour so I just had to put my head down and hope for the best...

At one point on my dash through the rain, I came to cross a main road, clip-board held aloft above my head to offer some kind of shelter (not very classy, I know, but it could have been worse). A man in a van stopped to let me cross in front of him and then called out to me when I reached the other side. I turned around to see him waving an umbrella out the window, asking if I needed it! I thanked him and assured him I'd be fine.

But bless him, how lovely!