Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
 

 
Hyde Park

Matthew took me here on the very first day I arrived. As part of this outing, he also took me for my first Starbucks coffee. I wasn't enormously impressed, but I have subsequently discovered the Chai Tea Latte, which has improved my opinion. 

 
View of the lake

 

Albert memorial
This sculpture was designed by George Gilbert Scott for Queen Victoria. In the Gothic shrine is a sculpture of Albert. Surrounding the base of the shrine is a frieze of 169 carved figures, angels and virtues, as well as a separate groups of sculptures representing the continents, industrial arts and sciences.
Africa
Gilbert Scott was the architect for the sculpture, each of the elements within it were designed and created by a team of sculptors.

In the forefront of this image, you can see Africa, which was designed by W.Theed. Behind Africa, is Commerce, designed by Thomas Thornycroft. You can also see parts of the frieze, which was designed by a team of sculptors and designers.
America
Designed by John  Bell.

 

Asia
Designed by J.H. Foley.
Europe
Designed by P. McDowell.
If you're interested, I basically shot blind, not really knowing what it was that we had stumbled on. I could read the signs saying it was the Albert Memorial, but that's all the information I could glean at that time. I found the following site:
http://www.speel.demon.co.uk/other/marbwalk.htm
Which has helped me fill in the blanks, and will hopefully help me figure out what some of the other sculptures I have stumbled upon are.
Royal Albert Hall
The hall was part of Prince Albert's dream to build an complex of cultural, scientific and academic institutions all on one site. The Royal Albert hall was just one of these. Prince Albert died before the estate was built, but on that site now stands the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, the Royal College of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Royal College of Music and the Royal Geographical Society.  The concept of a 'great central hall' had taken root, and the plans were taken forward by Henry Cole. The design was completed by Captain Francis Fowke of the Royal Engineers, and presented to Queen Victoria to view and approve in January 1865.

Construction was plagued by problems varying from financial issues to the acoustics of the great hall. The Hall was formerly opened by Queen Victoria on March 29th, 1871. Since then, over 150 000 performances have taken place in the Auditorium. The Royal Albert Hall remains Britain's largest concert hall, with a seating capacity of 7000, although this is limited to 5500 these days, for safety reasons.

 

 

 

2 September 2003