Blackheath and Bowie

Having gone to Greenwich the weekend before it was perhaps logical to take advantage of a respite in the weather to take a walk around the neighbouring "village" of Blackheath.

But first, some unfinished business from the weekend before, a visit to Greenwich Observatory. I had given up on this the previous weekend, and justifiably so. Like the Cutty Sark, they have done what they can with the Observatory as a visitor attraction, and clearly its an important part of our heritage which needs preserving. Its just not very interesting and there isn't very much of it.

The Meridian

The main part is Flamsteads House, which apparently is a rare example of a Christopher Wren INTERIOR. The dome at the top - the observatory - is rather nice with its wooden panelling giving some idea of the lifestyle of a Georgian city gent rather than the landed aristocracy in their country mansions. But as for the exhibits, well its all timepieces and telescopes, not really the most rewarding things to see en masse. 

 

So probably the highlights are the views down to the Naval College and across the City to Canary Wharf.

Returning to Blackheath, well this is one of the most well-heeled parts of London, certainly of South London. The heath itself is one of those surprises you don't expect to come across in a big city, a large unkempt patch of land which one would expect either to be built upon or well manicured into a park.

All Saints Church, built right on the edge of the Heath

The village is like many of London's villages. compact and busy. But it is surrounded by some of the best Georgian architecture in London. Curiosities include the Pagoda House, originally a summer house enjoyed by the Prince Regent's wife Caroline.

But the finest assemblage is the Paragon, a Crescent of 7 "semi-detached villas." You will appreciate the scale of the houses, restored after bomb damage after the War, to now form 100 flats. Yep, 14 houses equals a 100 modern households.

Also of note is Morden College, originally built as almshouses, apparently designed by Wren. Really very attractive and worth a detour.

The semi-rural nature of the place - fox trotting along a path mid-afternoon

On Monday, after an eye-test, I thought I would take the opportunity to see the David Bowie exhibition at the V & A when it was quite. But quiet it was not - there was a queue to get in and it was truly packed.

Not sure what to make of Bowie. Genius, which clearly this exhibition tries to suggest, or just someone who tried almost everything however bizarre and got some hits as well as misses? I tend possibly to the latter. A room devoted to glimpses of his acting career (he has appeared in a surprising number of films), shows that acting isn't his forte, without being really bad. A few paintings show he could paint in an expressionist style, but nothing to write home about.

A lot of his costumes are on display, hardly surprising given his ever-changing image. Some of these are striking in a good way, some just unusual. Glad he gave up the man dresses for example. And while some of the suits were sharp, some were just diabolical. And all those striking album images for Diamond Dogs for example, well fine, but were they really his? Did he just surround himself with some decent designers?

One of the nice features was a clip from a wonderfully sneering Nationwide programme, revealing the incomprehension of BBC journalists that a man such as this dressing up in weird clothes could be earning half a million a year. You could almost hear the suppressed thought, have we really fought two world wars for men like this to ponce around in make-up and long hair?

Nevertheless, and interesting exhibition, and well put together, although I would like to have gone round it  with only 10% of the visitors who were there.

I wonder why this look never took off?