Fenton House and Gardens Hampstead

 

Cared for by The National Trust, Fenton House is a 17th century merchant's

house in Hampstead North London. And it's also one of the oldest houses in Hampstead.

And so these are just a few pictures I took back in June 2024 while walking around it's formal gardens, but never got round to posting the pictures up here, although I did make a short video while there, which is up on my Youtube channel HERE.

FENTON HOUSE HAMPSTEAD 

 

Waiting For The Summer.....Goodbye January.

So while the January Cornish holiday reservation lists seem empty with lots of untaken

bookings, probably because many are still paying off for their recent Christmas, I thought

I'd grab myself a week in early June when all Schools go back and the holiday prices drop.

But will I get the good weather unlike last June?

And as always, by March and early April most of the holiday bookings will be taken.

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Earlier in January Britain faced the wrath of one of it's worst Winter storms named Goretti.

And the West Cornish Castle Island of St Michael's Mount felt the full force of the storm.

And if you're familiar with the Island it is covered like a forest with trees dating back by a

hundred years. But sadly the storm devastated eighty percent of all those trees. One almost

dreads to imagine what the full picture of the Island looks like by now or how long it will all

take to recover.

The above picture of  The Mount was taken last Summer by Max from Singapore who I

bumped into while staying down in St Ives last June.

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Around the start of early January and the New Year's holidays I was struck down with one

of the worst cases of a sinus infection that I can ever recall. And the worst part of it was that

for two and a half weeks in the first part of January I had literally gone deaf in both ears.

And it was actually quite frightening. I couldn't answer my phone and I couldn't hear the

tv or radio. And my own voice was like a muffled vibration sound in my head.

I was also having to wear a mask over my nose to cover up visible nasal polyps.

And so eventually I took myself off to the local Hospital Casualty Department and endured

a truly horrible six hour long wait to be seen by a medical team who supplied me with

anti-biotic tablets while setting me up with an appointment the following day at an Ear

Nose and Throat Department at another Hospital where I was given even more medication as

well as further follow up appointments at ENT Department.

Almost within a few days I could feel a great improvement. I was gradually getting my

hearing back while at the same time getting a feeling of euphoria with the knowledge that

I could hear once again, although it's back by about eighty percent while continuing with

the rest of my medication.

Interestingly they said on the radio yesterday that many people with various health problems

are simply not prepared to wait the six hours to be seen and would rather suffer in silence

at home which is quite sad. 

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And so I can now finally put those headphones on and return to listening to music, something

I missed terribly.

And so below we have Youtube reactor Jayvee reacting to Steely Dan's 'Hey Nineteen'

from their 1980 album 'Gaucho' which also happens to be my favourite Rock Pop Smooth Jazz

album of all time.

I simply knew that when my hearing returned that Steely Dan's Gaucho would be the first

thing I'd want to hear again, with 'Gaucho' being the zenith track with it's amazing harmonies.

More of Jayvee's Youtube Channel.

Searching For Peace...A Bill Evans Masterpiece

"I feel this song in every piece of my body.

It's simply a masterpiece, like musical medicine."

If the state of peace could be conveyed into musical notes then this

1958 improvised tune by American Jazz artist Bill Evans would have

to be the ultimate musical description of peace.

Apparently Bill Evans walked into the recording studio back then

in 1958, sat down, played this improvised piece and then walked

straight out. Thankfully they got it all on tape.

And reading some of the comments on it's Youtube page it seems that

many have strong emotional attachments to this recording.

In 1959 Bill Evans was the pianist that featured on what has come to

be known as the most popular Jazz album of all time, 'Kind of Blue'

by Miles Davis which also featured John Coltrane, Jimmy Cobb and

Julian Cannonball Adderly.

Sadly as with many great artists Bill Evans life ended early in 1980

at the age of 51 after years of heavy drinking and a heroin addiction,

eventually passing away with pneumonia.

Video kindly uploaded to Youtube

by William Repicci.

CHRISTMAS 2025

So that wraps up another year. And December certainly was a chaotic time.

I can't believe how I've managed to put this post together with so much going

on.

The festive photo blogging around town wasn't easy with so much flu about as well

as many train and transport cancellations. On one occasion I was stranded down

at Battersea and there seemed like no way back home. So I was forced to hail a

black taxi and pay a whopping fare to get back home. But it was worth every penny.

Meanwhile my dear friend has been discharged from Hospital this week after seven

weeks and is now settling into a Care Home for a few weeks, and all under a NHS

Care program.

But it's all been delaying my own treatment until late January.

Here's a comedy video I posted up on a previous Christmas post a couple of years

ago. But I thought I'd give it another showing as it features in a popular reaction

video featuring Dazza.

The video features The Two Ronnies as Bert & Charlie at Christmas.

More of Dazza's reaction videos HERE

So I managed to get out and about on four festive trips during a busy December

in order to get some new pictures for this end of year post.

I also managed to film a few festive video clips which are now up on my Youtube Page. 

SKATE LEICESTER SQUARE. A NEW FESTIVE

FIXTURE FOR LONDON'S WEST END.

(Thursday 11th Dec).

REGENT STREET'S ONE OFF TRAFFIC FREE

FESTIVE DAY.

(Saturday 6th December).

FESTIVE LIGHTS IN THE STRAND.

(Thursday 11th December).

CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES AT

BATTERSEA POWER STATION.

(Saturday 13th December).

THE TRAFALGAR SQUARE

CHRISTMAS TREE. AN ANNUAL GIFT

TO LONDON SINCE 1947 FROM THE

PEOPLE OF OSLO NORWAY.

(Thursday 11th December).

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS DOWN BY

THE REGENTS CANAL IN PADDINGTON.

(Saturday 29th November).

CHRISTMAS IN NEW BOND STREET LONDON

(Friday 19th December).