Tag Archives: London

Exploration

Gunnersbury Park: A Botched Museum Inside a Beautiful Park

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Main house museum

I decided to pay this old house and grounds a visit, it’s free to visit. However, I felt disappointed with the house. I did enjoy my walk around the grounds know.

There are two old houses there, the main house museum which you can visit inside and the other appeared to be going through a renovation? The main one, the museum, I’d have to say has been, from my perspective, has been botched! You walk in and they have added the reception area/shop which in my view should be moved out into a separate building from the main house.

You walk through into a few other rooms, you see a hallway with modern displays and a room off of it also setup in a modern way which doesn’t suit the history of the house what so ever.

There are then the three main rooms facing the gardens which have this lost grandeur and look ever so tired. Floor, ceiling and walls. That’s it! Lovely looking ceilings know! These were receiving a lot of natural light and on a preservation note, maybe not the best approach.

Then you find yourself down a corridor and meet the butler, this video, does he explain the house? Nope! This focus is more about the Upstairs Downstairs social narrative.  

I proceeded upstairs to the next floor and other than seeing the round banister I couldn’t really see much more. As all the doors to the other rooms were close! Up again, past this big elevator that took up a lot of room! The top floor was dedicated to an exhibit which really didn’t have any bearing on the surrounding area or grounds. Just fashion from modern people. That isn’t history!

After escaping this poorly curated mess of a house at least I got to see the grounds. The grounds themselves are nicely kept, mostly. However, they do need a lot of work on them in some areas. The interesting grotto bathhouse was closed off to the public as it hasn’t been maintained or kept well. Also, outside is a small orangey building, which also feels like it’s lacking love from the local community.

The Orangery

There are some fake ruins in the garden near to an area where once they had a stables. There are a few ponds one, constructed after the London clay had been removed for brick building which was part of the old industry of the area. So in essence, it’s worth coming just to explore the grounds.

Fake ruins

I feel what needs to be done with the house is that they need to work to bring it to a standard along the lines of Kenwood House in Highgate. Which at the top in Hampstead, now that’s a nice place to visit. Restore the furniture to the rooms, paintings. See if they can bring it in life with the past lifetime when the Rothschilds had the home.

At least you can get some nice walks here, far better to be outside anyway.

Gunnersbury Park, Popes Lane, London, W5 4NH
Can be reached from Acton Town tube station on the Piccadilly Line

Personal

Wtf are we importing?

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I was just walking back home in North West London from Edgware and there is little bit of park near the tube station for this dark Asian looking guy to walk past me, stop pull out this little bladed article and look directly at me to say. “Come near me and I will stab you!”

I just stood there and stared at him, he started walking away but to the path I wanted to go. I wanted to keep my distance for sure. The guy was dress scruffy in flip-flops with socks on, that have holes on both heels, so I kept my distance. Once I decided to start walking again and following the path through I really had to stay alert.

When I saw him again, he was on the corner of a bike path looking down the road at me, thankfully I wanted to go another route which took me more away from this… scum!

Rest of the way back home, my thoughts were, welcome to England mother fucker, hope you get arrested and deported soon. Least I am home safe now, but wtf was that!

review

Hawaiʻi – a kingdom crossing oceans review

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On right now in the British Museum is the Hawaiʻi exhibit A Kingdom Crossing Oceans, which is available until 25 May 2026.

I enjoyed the exhibit and found it easy to navigate, although for me there wasn’t enough art on display. But what was there was of fantastic quality. The quality and craftsmanship really do stand out, from the headdresses and cloaks to everyday objects.

You have a story starting with showing off the crafts and wares of the island, then straight to a letter sent to the then king of England (George III) to confirm that the English crown would help protect the island nation. The king was presented with a rather large cloak, finely crafted.

Cloak sent to George III of England

This then swiftly flows into the voyage of King Liholiho and Queen Kamāmalu across the seas, visiting many places on the way, reaching all the way to England. They managed to explore some of England and experience London, but behinds the scenes they were sadly mocked which can only be described as racism. Sadly, it didn’t end well for the pair, as they died from measles in their 20s and never got their engagement with the King of England at the time. They were left in their hotel with many of the objects they brought with them, and when the king found out what had happened, he organised a ship to return them home.

However, it is clear from the exhibit that England never did truly protect Hawaii, as America eventually conquered the island, dispelling the last of the royal family in what sounds like an imperialistic fashion, and in the last century the island became the 50th state of America.

My own little thought at the end: I pondered, should they get their independence back?

4 out of 5

Creepy fella, almost looks like it might have children’s milk teeth!
Quality of craftsmanship
A healing bowl imbedded with human teeth from past chiefs
Football, Personal

Has Tottenham just hired their worst ever manager?

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Three matches, three defeats!

I am so upset, I started off watching the football (Spurs playing at home against Crystal Palace) and after the red card I couldn’t watch anymore. I don’t care what this new managers name is, I want him gone already.

This has to be the worse, miss-managed situation I’ve ever seen Tottenham in. This isn’t Hotspur anymore this is hot-water and the club is drowning in stupidity.

Poor recruitment, the failure to blend the use of youth and experience. And a tactless display. No cohesion in midfield. The defence at times has been dreadful. Excellent defenders for going forward! But actual solid defence?? Seriously, the club is going to give me a heart attack before I reach 50 at this rate.

I am wondering if the club I grew up with, have so much heart for will get relegated! Then maybe we can have a real good clear out from top down and go win the Championship! Who knows, but at the moment, I feel robbed. I wish for a refund.

Update: 11 March 2026

Last night in Spain Tottenham lost 5-2 to Atletico Madrid and there was another clear indication of no preparation for pitch and weather. The key element was that the rain was making the pitch slippery and in the first half this was evident on the first goal, second goal and wait, most of the goals!

At no point during the match was an effort made for a change of footwear to adjust for the conditions, in fact there was the substitution in the 17th minute of the Tottenham goalkeeper. Kinsky had the disadvantage of the wrong boots and so many of the others did also. And not just the Tottenham lot, Atletico players were also prone to bad footwear.

Also in the first half it was lucky that van de Den was again almost sent off for what appeared to be another reckless challenge. Again you could say this was down to the bad weather, but in this day and age. He is a lucky boy!

There was some light at the end of the tunnel in Spurs pulling some goals back. But it feels too little too late. Everyone will have to wait for the second leg to see what happens. But for Igor Tudor’s tenure, this really is a knife edge moment.

Now he is four games down and been defeated four times. He is clearly not the right man for the job on these numbers and the proverbial gallows await.

review

British Museum – Samurai Exhibition Review

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I have always loved Japanese artwork and architecture, and I genuinely enjoyed many of the objects on display in this exhibition. The craftsmanship, armour, and historical pieces were impressive in isolation.

However, when it came to reading the accompanying information, I found myself struggling. For some reason, the interpretation panels did not quite settle in my mind. It may be that I am already familiar with much of the history, but the wording often felt unclear or oddly framed.

Certain descriptions also seemed confusing. For example, some items were labelled in ways that did not entirely make sense to me, and a few cultural elements felt slightly off in their presentation.

One moment that particularly stood out was a lift-up panel stating, “About half of all samurai were women!” This struck me as lacking context. My understanding is that women associated with the samurai class were historically a small minority compared to male warriors. Without clearer explanation of what was meant whether referring to the broader samurai households rather than battlefield combatants the statement felt abrupt and potentially misleading.

I also felt there was a missed opportunity to go deeper into the construction of samurai armour and weaponry. A breakdown of how armour was assembled, along with more detailed information about sword-smithing and forging traditions, would have added real depth. The artefacts themselves were strong, but the interpretation sometimes felt underdeveloped.

As the exhibition progressed, it shifted more heavily into myth, modern storytelling, and cultural legacy. While I understand the intention to show how samurai imagery has influenced global culture, the inclusion of a full-sized Darth Vader suit near the exit felt somewhat jarring in tone compared to the earlier historical focus.

I am normally very impressed with the British Museum’s exhibitions. They are often thoughtfully structured and rich in detail. This time, however, I was left with a lingering sense that something was not quite cohesive. The narrative began strongly but seemed to lose clarity as it moved towards myth and modern reinterpretation.

Overall: 3 out of 5.

Personal

Wait, what? Can’t sell my ticket?

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I’ve done it once in the past, but considering how much money it costs to buy football tickets you expect you should be able to sell them back on the so-called ticket exchange! 

But hang on a minute, I just tried to sell my ticket for tomorrow’s game. (Tottenham vs Borussia Dortmund), which as you know is today’s game now!

I feeling like shit, got a cold and Tottenham Hotspur are employing the dark arts against me.

I’ve been through the website, no ability to add my Champions League game ticket to the ticket exchange. Phoned up, dark arts enabled again by punching a bunch of numbers into the phone and then hearing “All lines are busy at the moment please try again later!”

It was the fourth time I finally got through and the dark arts yet again, I asked first, how do I resell my ticket. But no, they don’t allow that! Then I asked for a refund however I was straight-up told, I need to do that at least seven days before the game.

I honestly feel like my consumer rights have been abused by the club. I will still support them and go to games. However, I am extremely disappointed with the club at the moment. I might have to contact the Tottenham Hotspur Supports Trust and ask them to help rectify so people like myself don’t have to lose their money and are able to use the exchange. Because from my perspective, I am just being punished by a club I’ve been loyal too.

Personal

Barnet council have rolled out, let’s repeat what failed.

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Kitchen waste can be separate a few ways, into the garden waste which I often do for veg stuff. Into the normal black bin waste and down a waste-disposal unit in your sink if you have one.

It’s not really that hard for people in the home to sort that out.

Yet for some strange reason, Barnet council had the little brown bin scheme fail last time. Why on earth are they wasting council money and time to reintroduce a scheme that failed? Yet this Sunday a little brown bin arrives again!

Talk about not learning from their mistakes.

Well, I am not taking part and refuse too, and I’ve dumped my little bin in the garage!

More wasted council tax money and it’s annoying me.

Not this thing again!
Exploration

Natural History Museums new dino

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Enigmacursor – ee-NIG-ma-kur-sor

The Enigmacursor has only been at the museum for a few months now. On the small size, it was probably about the size of a Yorkshire terrier dog. It’s a little away from the beat and track of the museum footfall, above the east exit on the stairwell. So if you are visiting have a look out for this new specimen

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/enigmacursor.html

Exploration, Travel

Did you know you can go inside Wellington Arch?

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I never knew you could go inside Wellington Arch until a few weeks ago, so I thought I should take a look. It’s has a fair amount of space inside and a little bit of a museum to explore.

I also never knew it wasn’t in its original position and was taken down and moved to its current home. And the original top contained Wellington on his horse, that is now gone and it was changed over to what you currently see. Right up until the 1950s it also was home to a police unit.

Now it’s more a tourist attraction and a good view of the Kings Guard passing through.

If you want to visit it, it’s a good idea to check the days and times at; https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wellington-arch/

Exploration

The Jewel Tower

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Not necessarily off the beat and track in Westminster, but for some reason it’s away from all the crowds. Maybe it’s not well advertised or maybe it’s just that bit too expensive for the tourists for what it is.

Over three floors, but really two with the café part on the bottom you have history of the tower and in part the history for the old Palace of Westminster. The building was more or less a battlement of the Palace which in turn was vault storage, partly surrounded by a moat fed from the Thames.

The monarchs used the space to store their treasures right up until a fire ripped through the palace at the beginning of the 14th-century. The then reigning King Henry VIII moved his valuables to Whitehall Palace.

Later on, the House of Lords began to store all its records in the building. On the first floor in the storage room, you can see some examples of what they found in a unique desk where you can pull out copies of those unique items.

Big old iron door into the old records room.
Don’t miss the documents in the table!

There is a cabinet full of finds they have found in the old moat which shows glimpses into when the building was lived in. And you’re pretty much done. You really don’t need more than half an hour. I was here for around 20 minutes. You can book an advanced ticket but I just turned up on the day. Please be aware it may not be for everyone, but if you do go I’d be interested in your thoughts.