Related Posts: Planning for London! and Planning for Blake’s London!
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Firstly, I just wanted to thank all the awesome bloggers who have given me very helpful advice for this trip!
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Note: This post is really just for me to try to jot down and organize all the information/recommendations/advice I’ve received about London so far. AND MORE ADVICE IS MORE THAN WELCOMED!
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Here, I’ve narrowed down the Blake historical sites to only the ones I want to see most:
- St. James’s Church: (10) Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
- Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake practiced drawing. Monument to Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.Will probably end up here on a bus tour!
- Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and occasionally exhibited his work. Original building.
- 13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
- 17 South Moulton Street: (10) Will be here on Tuesday!
- St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
- Bunhill Fields: (9) Where Blake is buried.
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Important: Buy an Oyster card!
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Harrods Vintage Bus Tour of London with Champagne Tea at Harrods
Okay, this might be really silly/crazy/touristy, but a tour in a vintage bus plus tea time? That just sounds so ridiculous (in a good way, I think)!
Won’t have time for this on Monday or Tuesday, so will have to do either Wednesday or Thursday.
Location: Starts at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge.
Time: Starts at 1 p.m, for 5 hours.
Price: £49
Includes: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall, a cruise on the River Thames, and tea/scones at Harrods.
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Jack the Ripper Tour
Might have time for this on Monday, or otherwise on Wednesday.
Option #1: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.
Option #2: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.
Option #3: Every night at 7:30 p.m. Outside exit 3 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 1 hour, 45 minutes.
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Tate Britain
At the very top of my list!!!
Tentatively, I think I might go to the Tate and V&A on Tuesday, the bus tour and possibly Jack the Ripper on Wednesday, and then the British Museum and Blake historic sites on Thursday.
Location: Millbank.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
Taking photos not allowed.
- Need to find out more about the renovated Blake rooms!
- Need to figure out what else I’d like to see at the Tate!
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Victoria and Albert Museum
Location: Cromwell Road.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
May take photos, unless otherwise noted.
- Ask information desk about the “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently.”
- David Bowie is: £14.00 (+£1.40 booking fee per ticket). Already bought my ticket!!
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British Museum
Location: Great Russell Street.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Free.
Photography permitted in most galleries.
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National Gallery
Not sure if I’ll have time for this.
Location: Trafalgar Square.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free.
Taking photos not allowed.
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National Portrait Gallery
Not sure if I’ll have time for this. May go if nothing else to do on Thursday evening.
Location: St.Martin’s Place.
Time: Open Sat.-Wed. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thurs.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
Taking photos not allowed.
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The Princess Louise
A restored Victorian pub. Recommended pint: Timothy Landlord’s.
Location: 208 High Holborn, Holborn. Between Covent Garden and the British Museum.
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
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Tea and Tattle
“Fresh leaf tea in a pot and bone china, scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches and tasty cakes… could anything be more British than afternoon tea in London.”
Location: 41 Great Russell Street (opposite the British Museum).
Time: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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The London Review Cake Shop
“…the traditional with a twist.”
Location: 14 Bury Place Bloomsbury (near the British Museum).
Time: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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Coach and Horses, Soho
Very shabby, but landmark.
Location: 29 Greek Street, Soho
Time: 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
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French House
Location: 49 Dean Street
Time: 12 to 11 p.m. (Food served until 4 p.m.)
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Seven Stars
Something quieter.
Location: 53-54 Carey Street (behind the Royal Courts of Justice, near some of the Blake sites around the Strand/Fleet Street).
Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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The Angel
Something quieter.
Location: 61-62 St Giles High Street (a bit of a no-man’s-land between Covent Garden and Bloomsbury that’s central yet tourist-free).
Time: 12 to 11 p.m.
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The Queen’s Arms
Location: 30 Queen’s Gate Mews (near the V&A).
Time: 12 to 11 p.m.
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The Sherlock Holmes
Has a very authentic English feel. Fish & chips.
Location: 10-11 Northumberland Street
Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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The Old Shades
Great fish & chips.
Location: 37 Whitehall (Trafalgar Square).
Time: 10/11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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Lighthouse Fish Bar
Fish & chips of mammoth proportions.
Location: 8 Tooting Bec Road (1/2 block from Tooting Bec Tube Station).
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
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Curry/Indian: Any suggestions?
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The Gay Hussar
Fabulous Hungarian food and a very interesting past illustrated by the political cartoons on its walls.
Location: 2 Greek Street, Soho.
Time: 12:15 to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 to 10:45 p.m.
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
39 comments | tags: 18th Century, Absolutely, Adventure, Adventuring, Advice, Afternoon, Airplane, Amount, Appointment, Appreciate, Appreciated, Apprentice, Arnolfini Portrait, Arrival, Arrive, Art, Artist, Artwork, Authentic, Baptism, Baptized, Basic, Basics, Battersea, Best, Big Ben, Birth, Born, Brainstorm, British, British Museum, Buckingham Palace, Building, Buried, Bus Tour, Cakes, Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, Champagne, Chunk, Church, City, Clotted Cream, Coach and Horses, Collection, Comic, Comic book, Comics, Covent Garden, Crazy, Cruise, Culture, Curry, Dante, David Bowie, David Bowie is, Death, Delight, Delighted, Delightful, Demolished, Depart, Departure, Disappointment, Display, Divine Comedy, Downing Street, Drawing, Drawings, Easiest, Easy, Edward, Edward I, Energy, England, English, Engraver, Engraving, Enthusiastic, Event, Everything, Excited, Exciting, Exhausted, Exhibit, Exhibition, Fame, Famous, Feel, Figure Out, Fish and Chips, Fly, Followers, Font, Food, Fountain, France, French House, Fresco, Friday, Galore, Graphic Novel, Grave, Hands, Harrods, Heathrow, Help, Helpful, Historic, Historic Sites, Historical, History, Hotel, House, Houses, Houses of Parliament, Hungarian, Hyde Park, Idea, Illuminated Books, Illustration, Illustrator, Important, Incredibly, Indian, Inn, Invitation, Invited, Jack the Ripper, Jack the Ripper Tour, Jam, King Edward, Knowledge, Lambeth, Landmark, Late, Lighthouse Fish Bar, Location, London, London Eye, Mammoth, Manageable, Map, Marriage, Married, Masquerade, May, Monday, Months, Monument, Monuments, Morning, Move, Moved, Mural, Museum, Museums, Naomi, Nap, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Nelson's Column, Newton, Nice, Old, On Display, Online Comic, Open, Original, Oyster Card, Painter, Paintings, Paranoia, Pen and Ink, Perfect, Perfect Timing, Permanent, Permanently, Photograph, Photographs, Pieces, Pint, Plan, Planning, Please Help, Poet, Poet's Corner, Poetry, Portraits, Poverty, Practice, Practiced, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Pre-Raphaelites, Priceless, Print Room, Produce, Proportions, Pub, Public Transit, Quiet, Quieter, Readers, Rebuilt, Recommendation, Recommended, Regency, Relax, Rembrandt, Renovated, Renovation, Research, Resource, Resources, Ripper Tour, River Thames, Rooms, Royal Academy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Royal Courts of Justice, Sandwich, Schedule, School, Scones, Secret, Secrets, Seven Stars, Shabby, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Short, Silly, Situated, Soho, Speak, Special, Station, Statue, Subway, Success, Talk, Tate, Tea, Tea and Tattle, The Angel, The Blake Society, The Gay Hussar, The Ghost of a Flea, The London Eye, The London Review Cake Shop, The Old Shades, The Poet and the Flea, The Princess Louise, The Queen's Arms, The Royal Albert Hall, The Sherlock Holmes, Thursday, Tim Heath, Tired, Tombs, Tour, Tourism, Tourist, Tourist Free, Touristy, Trafalgar Square, Transportation, Travel, Trip, Tube, Tudor, Tuesday, UK, Underground, Upcoming, V&A, Van Gogh, Vermeer, Victoria & Albert Museum, Victorian, Vintage, Watercolor, Watercolour, Web Comic, Webcomic, Wedding, Wednesday, Westminster Abbey, William Blake, Works, Writer | posted in Brainstorming, Research, Travel
Related Posts: Planning for London!
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Disclaimer: I do not own this image!!
As you may know, for the past couple months, I’ve been busy planning for my trip to Cannes and London. I’ll only have 3 full days in London, so I’m trying to figure out the best schedule that will allow me to fit everything in. For my British followers/readers, any advice would be incredibly appreciated.
Monday
- Arrive: Hello London!!!
- Take public transportation from Heathrow to hotel; check into hotel and get situated.
- Since I’ll be exhausted from the film festival (and if I don’t get in too late), I think I might take a bus tour of London. That way, I can relax and cover all the basics in a short amount of time and hopefully won’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything. If I don’t have time to do a bus tour Monday, then I’ll do one Tuesday morning/afternoon and maybe do a Jack the Ripper tour instead.
Tuesday: Special Event Day!
- I’m not exactly sure how I’ll spend a good chunk of this day yet. Like I said, I might take a bus tour of London. Or perhaps check out the London Eye, Covent Garden, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, etc. on my own. I have to look into the different types of bus tours and schedules!
- Leave some time to relax and possibly nap in the late afternoon.
- Special Event: G. E. Gallas Invited to Speak to The Blake Society!
Wednesday: Museums Galore!
- ★Tate: I recently contacted the Tate about their William Blake collection and was absolutely delighted to hear that the renovated Blake rooms are scheduled to open May 14th and will very likely include The Ghost of a Flea — talk about perfect timing!
- British Museum: I would like to visit the British Museum’s Print Room (Department of Prints and Drawings), where one can access Blake works without an appointment. According to the Chair of the Blake Society, Tim Heath: “…you are able to hold in your own hands some of Blake’s original (and now priceless) illuminated books. It is one of the secrets of the city.”
- Victoria & Albert Museum: According to Naomi, the V&A has “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently, as well as a good collection of watercolours which you can see in their Print Room (no appointment needed).” Would also love to see upcoming exhibit called David Bowie is (March – July)!!
Thursday: Blake’s London!
Thursday, I plan on adventuring through London to visit all the Blake historical sites. Naomi recommended this tremendously helpful resource on the Tate’s website: http://www2.tate.org.uk/williamblake/lambeth/london_intro.html.
I need to figure out the easiest way to walk and which sites I would most like to see (on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 meaning “I absolutely must see this!”).
- 28 Broad Street: (7) Where Blake was born. Original building no longer survives. Tate: “Old houses that survive… give a good idea of what Blake’s house looked like.”
- St. James’s Church: (10) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
- Mr. Pars’ Drawing School in the Strand: (5) Where Blake was sent to study at age 10. Demolished in Regency times.
- 31 Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn: (8) Where Blake at age 14 became apprentice to an engraver. Original building demolished in late 19th century. Tate: “…but the next-door houses (of brick rather than stone) give an idea of its original appearance).
- Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake as an apprentice practiced drawing ancient tombs (such as King Edward I) and monuments. Monument to William Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.
- Royal Society of Arts: (5) Where Blake admired James Barry’s murals The Progress of Human Knowledge and Culture. Original building.
- Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and exhibited his work on several occasions. Also important location for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, if I’m not mistaken. Original building.
- Green Street, Leicester Square: (5) Where Blake moved after his marriage. Original building no longer exists.
- 28 Poland Street: (6) Where Blake moved after dissolving his partnership with James Parker. House rebuilt in the late 19th century.
- 13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake lived during his most productive years and produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
- 17 South Moulton Street: (10) Where Blake “…suffer[ed] his bitterest disappointments. Fame and financial success continued to elude him, and he sank into poverty and paranoia.” Will be here on Tuesday!
- Fountain Court, Strand: (7) Where Blake lived until his death and produced his illustration to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Original building no longer exists.
- St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
- Bunhill Fields: (9) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake is buried (in an unmarked grave). Tate: “A small monument now stands at the approximate site where Blake was buried.”
- Paolozzi Newton: (6) Where a statue based on Blake’s Newton stands.
Friday
- Depart: Back to San Francisco!
Now that I’ve laid everything out, the next step is to narrow everything down into a manageable plan!
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
29 comments | tags: 18th Century, Absolutely, Adventure, Adventuring, Advice, Afternoon, Airplane, Amount, Appointment, Appreciate, Appreciated, Apprentice, Arrival, Arrive, Art, Artist, Artwork, Baptism, Baptized, Basic, Basics, Battersea, Best, Birth, Born, Brainstorm, British, British Museum, Building, Buried, Bus Tour, Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, Chunk, Church, City, Collection, Comic, Comic book, Comics, Covent Garden, Culture, Dante, David Bowie, David Bowie is, Death, Delight, Delighted, Delightful, Demolished, Depart, Departure, Disappointment, Display, Divine Comedy, Drawing, Drawings, Easiest, Easy, Edward, Edward I, Energy, England, Engraver, Engraving, Enthusiastic, Event, Everything, Excited, Exciting, Exhausted, Exhibit, Exhibition, Fame, Famous, Feel, Figure Out, Fly, Followers, Font, Fountain, France, Fresco, Friday, Galore, Graphic Novel, Grave, Hands, Heathrow, Help, Helpful, Historic, Historic Sites, Historical, History, Hotel, House, Houses, Idea, Illuminated Books, Illustration, Illustrator, Important, Incredibly, Inn, Invitation, Invited, Jack the Ripper, Jack the Ripper Tour, King Edward, Knowledge, Lambeth, Late, Location, London, London Eye, Manageable, Map, Marriage, Married, May, Monday, Months, Monument, Monuments, Morning, Move, Moved, Mural, Museum, Museums, Naomi, Nap, Newton, Nice, Old, On Display, Online Comic, Open, Original, Painter, Paintings, Paranoia, Pen and Ink, Perfect, Perfect Timing, Permanent, Permanently, Photograph, Photographs, Pieces, Plan, Planning, Please Help, Poet, Poet's Corner, Poetry, Poverty, Practice, Practiced, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Pre-Raphaelites, Priceless, Print Room, Produce, Public Transit, Readers, Rebuilt, Recommendation, Recommended, Regency, Relax, Renovated, Renovation, Research, Resource, Resources, Ripper Tour, Rooms, Royal Academy, Royal Botanic Gardens, Schedule, School, Secret, Secrets, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Short, Situated, Speak, Special, Statue, Subway, Success, Talk, Tate, The Blake Society, The Ghost of a Flea, The Poet and the Flea, Thursday, Tim Heath, Tired, Tombs, Tour, Tourism, Tourist, Transportation, Travel, Trip, Tuesday, UK, Underground, Upcoming, V&A, Victoria & Albert Museum, Watercolor, Watercolour, Web Comic, Webcomic, Wedding, Wednesday, Westminster Abbey, William Blake, Works, Writer | posted in Brainstorming, Research, Travel
Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!
★ Important Note: “The Poet and the Flea 100 Day Countdown to the Premiere” begins August 20th!
Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy…
But it feels like things are coming together! (ﾉﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ
Wednesday, July 25th
- In between working on The Flea, began some character sketches for graphic novel collaboration with Shannon.
Detail of rough character sketch for collaboration.
Friday, July 27th
- In between working on The Flea, conducted some image research (46 images and counting) for collaboration with Shannon.
- Received e-mail from Brian (Pixel Flick Entertainment). Trying to schedule a one-on-one meeting with him. Next Alliance meeting on Saturday, August 18th.
Sunday, July 29th
- Continuing to help fellow screenwriter/filmmaker Jay Dial. Had a great (hopefully productive) phone conversation with him.
- Received inquiry about my screenplay-in-progress The Man Who Never Smiled from an interested (and enthusiastic) production company. Although I originally intended this screenplay to be full-length, they’re interested in a short. Will bang out a draft (about 15-25 pages) and send them a copy by the end of August.
Monday, July 30th
- Received e-mail from a potential director/producer interested in making “one or two” of my short films. He suggested chatting on the phone. Very busy this week, so will call him either Wednesday (August 8th) or Thursday (August 9th).
- The Man Who Never Smiled: about 6 pages into research/outlining/writing.
- Some lat minute “spring” cleaning…
Tuesday, July 31st
- In between working on The Flea, worked on some text/font samples for Shannon.
- Heard from The Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition. Did not make it to the quarterfinals — knew it was a long shot. But I can always try again next year. Or perhaps I’ll have more success with a different route?
Wednesday, August 1st - Thursday, August 2nd
- Continuing work on The Flea and The Man…
Friday, August 3rd – Sunday, August 5th
- A family vacation of sorts…!
Monday, August 6th
- Received e-mail from Film Independent Screenwriting Lab 2012. Although my screenplay Who is Laurence Harvey? was not selected for this year’s lab, I was given some encouraging feedback: “…the script is a definite contender for the lab. It’s a unique idea with a capable writer at the helm… a noteworthy project…”
Etcetera
- The Poet and the Flea: 37 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-18, 21 completed, and 19-20, 22-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
- Working on Inside the Display Case (title may eventually change?) bit by bit. About 17 pages of script (+notes).
To Do:
- Call potential director/producer next Wednesday or Thursday.
- Work on research, character sketches, etc. for Shannon.
- Schedule second meeting with Shannon for mid-August.
- One-on-one meeting with Brian (Pixel Flick Entertainment).
- Attend The Pixel-Flick TV Actor/Filmmaker Alliance Second Meeting (August 18th).
- Finish The Man Who Never Smiled by end of August.
- Sign up with IMDbPro.
- Apply to the Bluecat Screenplay Competition (before October 15th).
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas
Leave a comment | tags: Alliance, Apply, August, Bit by bit, Busy, Character, Collaboration, Comic book, Comics, Completed, Conversation, Copy, Creative, Design, Director, Draft, Drawing, E-mail, Endeavors, Enthusiastic, Family Vacation, Film Independent, Film Independent Screenwriting Lab 2012, filmmaker, Finish, Font, Full-length, Graphic Novel, Graphic Novelist, Illustration, Images, Important, In Progress, Interested, Long Shot, Meeting, Note, Notes, One-on-one, Outline, Phone, Pixel Flick Entertainment, Potential, premiere, Producer, Production Company, Productive, Projects, Quaterfinals, Research, Rough, Sample, Schedule, Screenwriter, Script, Send, Short, Short Film, Sign Up, Sketches, Spring Cleaning, Text, The Man Who Never Smiled, The Nicholl Fellowships in Scree, The Poet and the Flea, To Do, try again, Who is Laurence Harvey?, William Blake, Work, Writing | posted in Application, Graphic Novel, Screenplays, Update
