Photo Opportunity - Stand or Sit Beside A Statue Or Hold Up A Big Building

 Famous buildings and statues for selfies are all around all over the world. You can photograph yourself apparently holding up the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy, or the Eiffel tower in Paris, France, or the Statue of Liberty in New York in the USA. 

Or sit or stand beside the statue or mural of a famous real person or fictional character. The giant statue of Einstein in the USA. 

Or sit beside that statue of somebody famous on a bench. Spike Milligan in London. Agatha Christie on the south coast of England.

Or kneel at their feet.  Or imitate a pose, such as Rodin's thinker in France. 

Or join a group, such as Alice in Wonderland's tea party.

ENGLAND

1 UK London, Paddington Station - Tea Table

The Wild Table Of  Love. 

At the table of mythical animals are two seats where you can sit with a child or spouse of friend. Often you have to queue on busy times and sunny holidays.

I thought this was Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter's tea party when I saw the big ears of a hare or rabbit. Apparently many other people also mistake this for the Alice scne.

It looked like the picture from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 

Paddington station is one of the three most visited stations in London, England. It was Brunel's landmark, his station for trains going our from west London, west to Wales, along Brunel's railway and bridge, across the ocean on his steamship to America. 

Paddington stations's other photo opportunities are standing by the little statue of Paddington bear, and beside the statue of serious, seated Brunel. 

Or upstairs under the huge statue of the lovers meeting.  

Which are the other two busy London stations? Liverpool station on the east side of London is for going East and from the east connecting to Heathrow in the west of London, visitor numbers boosted by the Elizabeth line. Liverpool station has the statue of the Kindertransport, refugee Jewish children arriving just in time before WW2 as the Nazi party advanced through countries of Europe and rounded up their parents.

Baker Street station has a giant statue of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes outside on the Euston Road. Inside the station on the platforms is an opportunity to sit on a bench under any one of several murals of scenes from his books. Or stand beside the mosaic tiles of Sherlock in his deerstalker hat with his pipe, clutching your hat, or a pipe.

Angela Lansbury on the white swan seat outside the Sofitel Hotel in London, near Piccadilly. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

2 London, Finchley

Comedian Spike Milligan.

Why is Spike Milligan honoured and why here? He was president of the local history and heritage society, so when he died, they fund raised a memorial to him. 

3 Torquay, 

Author Agatha Christie

The author's bench with her reading a book is in Torquay, the lovely seaside town in the south of England.

Another seaside memorial to Agatha in another place she visited is in the Canary Island of Tenerife.

Agatha Christie steps on Tenerife, in the Spanish Canary Islands. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

There were so many steps leading up the hillside to the bust of Agatha that I never made it to the top, as my husband was waiting in a car with no parking space, for me to return after my envisioned quick photo. I considered being photographed sitting on the steps. 

Statues you can sit right beside—often called "bench statues" because they feature historical figures or characters integrated seamlessly into public seating—are popular interactive art installations.

If you are thinking of famous examples, particularly around London and the UK, these stand out:

Allies, in London's Mayfair, shows Winston Churchill  and American President Franklin D Roosevelt together sitting on a bench in New Bond Street. Bronze statue. Room for you to be photographed between them.



You can also see F D Roosevelt in his wheelchair is in Washington DC, USA.

• "Allies" (Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt) on New Bond Street: Created by sculptor Lawrence Holofcener, this bronze sculpture depicts the British Prime Minister and US President casually chatting while sitting together on a park bench. The artwork leaves an open gap right in the middle between them, explicitly inviting members of the public to take a seat, chat, or pose for a photo.

• Other Bench Sculptures: Cities worldwide feature similar interactive pieces (such as statues of authors, 

• Singers, composers, musicians, with guitars or instruments, or at pianos.

• In London, Amy Winehouse standing statue.  

• Fictional characters on park benches) designed to break down the barrier between traditional high art and the public.

Spike Milligan statue, Finchley, London.

More on Alice in Wonderland

I described the Alice tea party sculpture at Paddington on zoom this when I was online to a Chinese friend I know from Singapore. He is now in South Korea. Although Alice in Wonderland is well known and hugely popular in Japan, and taught in some Asian primary schools, my Chinese friend had missed out. Alice in Wonderland meant nothing to him. I had trouble describing the Cheshire cat which left only its smile, which my Chinese friend said was not possible, and the Queen of hearts - he understood heart when I drew one, and playing croquet, a mystery. I picked out a souvenir seafood hammer in wood, not a hammer but for hitting a ball. When I gave the speech again in the evening, my Toastmasters International speech evaluators aid I should show photos of myself along side the statues.

If you are looking for statues related to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland, there are several notable locations across the UK linked to the author and the real-life inspiration for Alice:

• Guildford, Surrey: Guildford has deep connections to Lewis Carroll, who owned a family home there and spent his later years writing.

  • Millmead (by the river): Features a bronze statue of Alice and her sister watching the White Rabbit pop out of the ground.

  • Castle Grounds: Features an Alice Through the Looking-Glass statue.

• Llandudno, Wales: Alice Pleasance Liddell (the real-life inspiration for Alice) spent her childhood summer holidays here. The town features an official Alice in Wonderland Trail filled with wood and stone sculptures of characters like the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and the Cheshire Cat.

• Warrington, Cheshire: Lewis Carroll (born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) grew up nearby in Daresbury. Golden Square in Warrington features a prominent window-themed monument containing bronze figures of Alice, the Mad Hatter, and other characters.

• London (Paddington Station): While not explicitly an Alice statue, the popular Wild Table of Love sculpture outside Paddington Station (featured in your current blog post draft) is frequently mistaken for the Mad Hatter's tea party due to the whimsical animal figures.

London is full of statues and busts. 

When you have finished, think about the tourists who took the train west from Paddington station to the ship for America. Over in Central park in New York you can see a statue of Alice, and two mushroom shaped stools where you and a child or an adult friend can pose for a photo.

Singapore sculpture seat

Singapore Street Sculpture. Bench. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Useful Websites About Spike Milligan

Places to See

1 Spike Statue on the bench near the Stables Cafe, Stephens House & Gardens, 17 East End Road, Finchley, London N3 3QE. Tel 020 8346  7812.

2 Plaque showing Spike and others on the outside wall of the Grafton Arms, Westminster, where Spike was barman and met up with comedy writing and performing buddies. Memorabilia of the foursome (Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine and Peter Sellars) are on the pub walls.

3 Spike's grave, Parish Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Winchelsea, East Sussex, England TN26 4EB. The church is off the High |Street.

USA Statues and Sculptures

Albert Einstein Memorial (Washington, D.C., USA): Created by sculptor Robert Berks and located at the National Academy of Sciences, this massive, 12-foot bronze statue depicts Einstein seated on a three-step granite bench with a paper displaying his equations ($E = mc^2$, the photoelectric effect, and general relativity).

University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama, USA): Features the "Einstein Bench," a bronze sculpture depicting Einstein sitting on an outdoor campus bench.

Argentina - Anne Frank

Sculpture in Cordoba, Argentina, of Anne Frank sitting on the pavement writing on a suitcase.

Child friendly bench. Kiev, Ukraine.

Websites Addresses

1

https://www.stephenshouseandgardens.com/

https://finchleycentraltowncentre.co.uk/stephens-house-gardens/

2 

https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/category/history-of-the-grafton-arms/

https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/grafton-arms

3

https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/5234/find-us/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g658258-d19795744-Reviews-Spike_Milligan_s_Gravestone-Winchelsea_Rye_East_Sussex_England.html

Useful Websites About Spike Milligan

Books about or by Spike Milligan

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=spike+millgan

Websites on statues by Angela Lansbury

See my long post about statues worldwide on lucky Sept 13th

Statues of Famous People in the UK, USA, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, HK, Australia, S Africa and more

Why Can't you Feed Birds in Britain, and Monkeys in Singapore?

 Many parks in Spain and the UK have animals which roam around, usually under the eye of a keeper, for children to admire up close and adults to photograph. The animals' owners make their money by selling you suitable feed for the animals.

You might think asking you to buy feed after enticing you in with the word free is annoying. You might think you are quite happy to buy feed as a thank you and to get good pictures, especially if the place is empty. If the place is busy, you might think that so many people are buying feed and staying long, that you can take a quick look and go without buying without doing any harm or upsetting the park and visitors who are getting along quite well without you.

Feeding wild animals is another matter. Some people think that it is okay to feed wild animals, in their own back garden or in public parks, especially in bad weather. However, parks are now full of people, and town are over run with pigeons making a mess.

Do Not Feed The Animals & Birds Notices

Singapore Bans On Feeding

I first noticed DO NOT FEED signs in Singapore on walking trails around reservoirs. I thought the idea was to keep away animals such as monkeys which otherwise come close and grab your child's food, your hat, your camera, or your bag, which the monkey thinks contains food. It also means that the animals think you are like a keeper coming at regular hours to feed, and if you arrive with a bag without food they are disappointed and angry and feel cheated and attack you, your dog, or other passers-by.

In Singapore we had trouble in the block of flats where we lived. First it was monkeys. When they got inside an empty window, they pulled down the curtains, because of their weight, tore the curtains and furniture, scratched, left nasty smells, knocked over things such as vases which broke, sending water and flowers everywhere. the same in bedrooms, corridors, public spaces. As for a kitchen and bathroom, no longer clean. 

When you chase them and try to get them out, naturally they respond to being attacked by running randomly into cupboards and corners, startle everybody, leaving everyone afariad and nervous. You might have to do a lot of cleaning, make insurance claims. Or even be fined for attracting animals which damage your neighbours' property or public property.

The same goes for larger animals. The swimming pool in Singapore became the destination for huge black creatures which looked like seals. They polluted the water, frightened people away. The swimming pool and gardens were cordoned off. The swimming teacher's livelihood was impacted. 

UK Bans On Feeding Ducks and Birds

Now in the UK in 2026 we have signs warning not to feed pigeons which nest under bridges across the road in Pinner, Middlesex, in north west London, cause costs in clean up. 

In Brighton seagulls steal sandwiches and ice creams out of the hands of adults and children who are sitting on beaches or the promenade. 

Ruislip Lido

Now signs are going up in parks. Do not feed the ducks at Ruislip Lido.

We used to be able to paddle and swim and water ski in the Lido. Now there are signs warning you to keep out. No swimming. No paddling. Even keep your dogs on leads to prevent them from bounding into the water.

The increase in the number of ducks and swans has increased the amount of their excrement in the water. This changes the nature of the water which breeds algae. 

The result is that the water causes skin rashes, irritation. Stressful. 

Using local parks & respecting PSPO (Public Space Protection Orders)

All parks with Green Flag status are managed to provide enough food to sustain the wildlife that live in them. This is done by planting of nectar-rich flowers, hedges and trees that bear berries for birds, or maintaining well-managed soils that provide a wealth of worms and other invertebrates that birds and small mammals feed on. It is vital that we maintain this balance to support biodiversity in our parks and green spaces.

Protection Order

This Protection Order prohibits the following activity: No person shall purposely deposit food or animal feed on the ground or on any structure or building in the public area to attract or feed wildlife, or vermin. In short, do not go into a local park or green space and deposit food on the ground, nor anywhere else within that public space. It is illegal! * Our parks contain enough food to support the wildlife that lives here. When we have the opportunity, our teams plant more trees, hedges and shrubs that provide the berries, nuts and seeds that animals love.

* Processed ‘human’ food is not good for wildlife. They haven’t evolved to eat the same foods as us, and so these foods can cause harm. Bread doesn’t contain much nutritional value but fills up the birds’ stomachs so that they don’t forage for foods they would normally eat, which can lead to malnutrition. *

Animals that are used to being fed by humans behave unnaturally around people, putting themselves and visitors at risk. For example, squirrels that have become too confident are more at risk of attack by a dog.

Trapped Bird

In Hatch End one of my neighbours used to put out bread for the birds. On one occasion

a pet cat had one of the birds in its mouth. My neighbour and I were very agitated and the bird seemed dead. My neighbour shouted to no avail. The cat would not release the bird. Finally, my neighbour got the garden hose and sprayed the cat. In surprise ti dropped the bird which immediately flew away. I don't know it the bird was injured, but it certainly had a very nasty fright. I remember this days, weeks, months later. If children had been around, they too would have been upset.

Feeding Birds In Back Gardens

Only when typing this article did I see the connection between putting out food for birds, and birds being attracted to the ground in gardens where cats roam. *

Food such as bread or rice left on the ground attracts rats and other vermin, which is not good for other wildlife, or local residents and businesses *

Uneaten food thrown into ponds or on dropped onto banks that has been left to rot damages the water quality. This results in more algae growing on the water, more disease and pests, causing animals and plants to become sick and die *

Encouraging large groups of birds to gather creates an excessive amount of bird droppings, which is detrimental to the health of the soil, and increases the need to clean park benches and other features *

The high numbers of squirrels encouraged by feeding damage and kill trees *

Throwing food for birds encourages them to group together, which can increase the spread of diseases, such as bird flu.

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Paddington Station's Sculptures and Secrets

 

Sculpture on the corner of Praed Street. Sculpture Called The Wild Table Of Love. 

The |Elephant on The Wild Table Of Love Sculpture. Outside Paddington Station. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Wild Table of Love sculpture by Gillie and Marc. Praed Street. Outside Paddington Station

. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The Wild Table of Love

The sculpture is nothing to do with Alice in Wonderland. It was created by two Australian artists, concerned about animals facing extinction , including the elephant. The idea is that we human are at the same table as the animals and share our world. There are two empty chairs where you can sit and be photographed with the sculpture.

Wikipedia article on Paddington station has a picture of the Paddington Bear sculpture on Platform 1.

Paddington station's official name is London Paddington which is how it is listed in Wikipedia.

The overground section built by Brunel was in his time on the west of London and ran west to Wales. 

The Paddington underground station has exits adjacent and within a complex. The station occupies the whole of a block on Praed Street, including the old station hotel.

The Big Hotel

The old railway hotel was built in grand style. It is now, in 2026, a Hilton.

 They were charging about £400 for a walk-in rate which was the price quoted to me on reception in October. But you might find it cheaper off-peak and booked through booking.com.

Toilets and Shops

The toilets are on ground floor, on platform 1 of the mainline overground station.

Upstairs, above the underground, are branches of Mango and Accessorize. Somewhere to go whilst waiting to meet a friend, or for a break before catching a second train.

Useful Websites on Paddington Station

London Museum

https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/paddington-station-bears-westward-travel/

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Paddington_station

TFL (Transport For London)

https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

I have several more blog posts on Paddington, Paddington Bear sculpture, the Paddington Clock.

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2022/09/paddington-bears-in-england-and-south.html

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUPAC/paddington-underground-station/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_art_in_Paddington

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Wild_Table_of_Love_by_Gillie_and_Marc_21.jpg

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Paddington Station, London

 

Morning outside Paddington Station, Angela Lansbury by the sculpture of what looks like Alice in Wonderland's tea party, called The Wild Table of Love. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Wikipedia article on Paddington station has a picture of the Paddington Bear sculpture on Platform 1.

Paddington station's official name is London Paddington which is how it is listed in Wikipedia.

The overground section built by Brunel was in his time on the west of London and ran west to Wales. 

The Paddington underground station has exits adjacent and within a complex. The station occupies the whole of a block on Praed Street, including the old station hotel.

The Big Hotel

The old railway hotel was built in grand style. It is now, in 2026, a Hilton. They were charging about £400 for a walk-in rate which was the price quoted to me on reception in October. But you might find it cheaper off-peak and booked through booking.com.

Useful Websites on Paddington Station

London Museum

https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/paddington-station-bears-westward-travel/

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Paddington_station

TFL (Transport For London)

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUPAC/paddington-underground-station/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_public_art_in_Paddington

Toastmasters International Contests Worldwide

 

I won first place in the Table Topics contest (impromptu 2 minute speech answering a question) at both my London clubs, HOD and Harrovians. At the Area Contest I was placed second.

Angela, second place in the Table Topics impromptu speaking Area contest at Watford

I wrote a poem to sum up the situation.

Toastmasters International

Holds contests twice a year

Clubs send best speakers to compete

At one location, very near

It's for fun, skill, not for money

One contest is impromptu

Four speakers try to be funny

Perform with props. Then interview

Judges have given in their vote

Ballot counters are counting

Interviewed speakers say things of note

While the tension's mounting

I had my moment on the night

When they asked me to recite

That welcome invitation heard

Alas, I can't recall one word!

But improvise, just like a rap

Suddenly some rhymes come back 

I've just one minute left to speak

To be remembered half a week

'Here I stand upon the stage

Helping you to turn life's page

I hope that I shall be a winner -

Then I can go home to dinner!'

I've done the best that I can do

Impromptu, though my rhymes aren't new

Rhymes climb and wave, I've not used half

At least my punchline got a laugh.

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Italian Fruit Desserts - Presented in Fruit, or Flag Colours

The Italian flag colours of green, white and red. 

If you don't want sugary desserts in an Italian restaurant what could you look for or ask for?

 In a Portuguese restaurant a fellow diner asked for a piece of fruit. I thought, that sounds dull. I could buy a piece of fruit from a supermarket. However, the presentation was impressive. The waitress began by deftly cutting off the skin in a spiral which was placed on once side of the desert plate. The core of the fruit was removed. Then the rest of it was cut into neat matching slices which were laid out in a fan shape. 

Fruit-friendly desserts in Italy in the days of the dessert trolley included fresh fruit salad, fresh sliced peaches in syrup, and whole oranges in syrup.

I would suggest

1 Fruit salad presented in a hollowed out half pineapple.

2 Or fruit salad in a hollowed out orange with or without the top half as a cap

3 Three colours of fruit on top of plain yogurt.

4 A tart with concentric circles of different colours of fruit.

5 A platter of discs of kiwi fruit, oranges, and crisp biscuits on a flat, slightly curved platter with a scattering of nuts or seeds or grapes and maybe pyramids of fruit puree or sugar free sorbet.

5 Italian flag or three colours (like tricolour starter) red white and green. For example, strawberries or raspberries or red cherries or a mixture, kiwi fruit or gooseberries or green grapes with mint, and white yogurt, or cream, or white coconut sponge cake or biscuit or white lychees or white almonds or white apple or pear added at the last moment - using lemon juice to stop it going brown, or Jersey milk

6 Three colours of ice cream, red, white, green, could be strawberry, vanilla, pistacchio.

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Italian Fruit Desserts - Classic Dishes. Post by Angela Lansbury.

In the good old days of 1950-1990 Italian restaurants and hotels had dessert trolleys which contained fruit as well as sugary desserts. You often were offered a piece of fresh fruit such as a peach, or a choice from a pyramid of fresh fruit, washed but unpeeled, in a bowl.

What else could a restaurant do for somebody who asks for no sugar, diabetic, on an anti-cancer or cancer cure diet, or simply health-conscious?

Nowadays, in 2026, if I want an Italian dessert in a restaurant with fruit rather than sugar, what should I be looking for?  Gemini tells me:

Which fruit desserts are Italian?

Italy has a rich tradition of fruit-forward desserts, ranging from rustic baked fruit tarts to refreshing frozen treats.

Fruit Cakes & Tarts

• Crostata di Frutta / Crostata di Visciole: A classic shortcrust pastry (pasta frolla) tart filled either with fruit jam (like apricot, sour cherry, or plum) or pastry cream topped with a arrangement of fresh seasonal fruits.

• Cassata Siciliana: A traditional Sicilian cake featuring sponge cake soaked in liqueur, layered with sweetened ricotta, and encased in marzipan, lavishly decorated with colorful candied fruits (frutta candita).

• Delizia al Limone: Hailing from the Amalfi Coast, this dessert features light sponge cakes filled and coated with a silky lemon-infused pastry cream and limoncello syrup.

• Torta di Mele: A humble, home-style Italian apple cake spiced with lemon zest and cinnamon, baked until tender and light.

• Crostate di Pere e Ricotta: A regional tart pairing fresh sliced pears with sweetened ricotta cheese, often seasoned with a hint of dark chocolate or cinnamon.

Frozen & Chilled Fruit Treats

• Granita: A semi-frozen dessert made from water, sugar, and fruit juices or purees. Originating in Sicily, classic fruit flavors include lemon, strawberry, mulberry (gelsi), and fig.

• Fruit Sorbetto: A dairy-free, smooth frozen treat highlighting fresh fruit purees like lemon, peach, melon, or forest berries. In Italy, it is often served served directly inside the hollowed-out fruit shell (frutti ripieni).

• Macedonia di Frutta: An Italian fruit salad tossed with fresh lemon juice, sugar, and sometimes a splash of sweet liqueur like Marsala, Maraschino, or Limoncello.

Baked & Poached Fruit

• Pesche Ripiene (Piemontese Stuffed Peaches): A Piedmontese summer staple where peach halves are hollowed out, stuffed with crushed amaretti cookies, cocoa powder, and peach pulp, then baked with sweet white wine.

• Pere al Barolo (Poached Pears): Whole pears gently poached in red wine (typically Barolo or Nebbiolo), sugar, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, served chilled or warm with cream or gelato.

• Here are some magic words in alphabetical order:

• Italian - English (the ending i for plurals)

• ending o is masculine, as in sorbetto

• ending a is feminine, as in candita, Siciliana

• ending i is masculine plural, as in amaretti, frutti

• ending e is singular masculine (as in limone) or feminine singular as in madre (mother) or plural feminine (pere for pears, pesche for peaches)

• amaretti - almond biscuits, hard

• candita - candied (in sugar, like the American word candy)

• di - of

• e - and

• frutta - fruit

• frutti - fruit (plural, some would say fruits)

• limone - lemon

• pera - pear, pere - pears

• pesca - peach, pesche peaches, plural of pesca

• Siciliana - Sicilian style

• sorbetto - sorbet

English - Italian

almond biscuits - amaretti

and - e

candied - candita

fruit - frutta

lemon - limone

of - di

peach - pesca, pesche - peaches

sorbet - sorbetto

Sicilian style - Siciliana/o

peach - pesche

pear - pere

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