Handel's Organ and St Lawrence's Church, Edgware

Problem
What is there to see in Edgware, the end of the Northern line. Lots of famous people lived there, but there's no record of where Anne Frank's father lived. Famous people went to North London Collegiate school. How do you remember the spelling of St Lawrence? It has a w, like the word Law. What can you see?



St Lawrence's Church, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware, showing the old tower. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

St Lawrence's Church is on Whitchurch Lane. All that remains of what you can imagine was the white church is a square tower, dating back to the 13the century.  The rest of the building was added later.

Answer
St Lawrence's Church has Handel's organ which you can see on tours. You can admire the outside of the church any time.

Here's the back of the church with the graves.

The cemetery at the back of St Lawrence's Church, Edgware. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

You can see the white of the modern gravestones which are easy to read.

Modern gravestones in St Lawrence's Church, where the graveyard is still in use. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Contrast the modern graves with the much older ones.

Older gravestones leaning in St Lawrence's Church graveyard, Edgware. Photo by Angela Lansbury.


Here's a grand monument, with the lady leaning on the cross.

The grandeur of the era. St Lawrence's Church, Edgware. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 A modern gravestone with a bench so you can sit and contemplate at St Lawrence's Church. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

 A path leads you on.

Path through the cemetery surrounding St Lawrence' Church, Edgware. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

When you are ready to leave, an avenue of grand trees leads you back to the front gate. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

See my other posts on Handel and the church:

 On St Lawrence's church, Handel's organ and Edgware, N W London:

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/handels-church-in-england-st-lawrences.html

On Handel in Edgware and central London:

http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/handel-sights-in-edgware-and-england.html

 Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

George Handel Sights in Westminster Abbey, London, England and Germany

At Christmas time as well as Easter Handel's messiah is very popular. Look for performances in churches.

Here's a Handel trail for Handel enthusiasts. I suggest you play Handel music in your car or on your phone as you drive or travel to these sights. Which music? Handel's Water Music was played by the king on his boat journey along the Thames.

Handel's Messiah,
The Water Music,
The Hallelujah chorus,
The Cuckoo and the Nightingale.
The arrival of the Queen of Sheba.
See end of this post for links. You can play the music by clicking on the symbols in the Wikipedia articles on Handel, no need to download.

UK
1 Handel's organ is in St Lawrence's Church, Whitchurch Lane, Edgware (near Canons Park Station). The church is a Grade 1 listed building.
The supposed grave of a blacksmith who supposedly inspired a piece of music in in the graveyard in front of the church. Guided tours on Sunday afternoons, 2-4 in winter, until 5 in summer.
Take the tube train from Canons Park to Bond Street or Green Park to visit Handel House Museum.

2 Handel is buried in Westminster Abbey. See the statue of him writing The Messiah.
Nearest tube station is Westminster. You are only one underground train stop away from Green Park, or two from Bond Street station, all on the same line, to visit Handel House.

3 Handel House Museum in 25, Brook Street, Mayfair, London.
Opened in 2016, so it's new and your companions probably haven't yet seen it. A good place for an outing as it can be combined with a visit to the Jimmy Hendrix Museum.
Take the tube from Green park or Bond Street to Canons Park to see St Lawrence's Church.
Handy summary of Handel's life:
http://www.classicfm.com/composers/handel/
From here you are one stop away from Westminster Abbey. Alternatively, if time allows, go the other way on the same line to Canons Park to see St Lawrence's church on a Sunday afternoon.
A tourist pass will give you combined entry to both Handel House Museum and the Jimmy Hendrix Museum so check out the available multi-entry passes, tours and booking systems before setting off.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handel_House_Museum

4 St George's, Hanover Square, London
In the last years of his life, after he had gone blind, Handel was still composing and attending church. St George's was his church.
www.stgeorgeshanoversquare.org/history/handel

5 Statue of Handel which was originally in Vauxhall Gardens now in Victoria and Albert Museum, London. A model of it is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frederick_Handel_(Roubiliac)

Handel is also associated with Covent Garden. Look at The Thames river, and think about the water music. You might like to take a boat trip and play the water music.
See my previous posts on places to visit in London, and Handel.

GERMANY
5 Handel House (Haus) Museum, Halle, Germany.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187405-d1409139-Reviews-Handel_Haus-Halle_Saale_Saxony_Anhalt.html

6 Handel Statue, Halle, Germany.

(More text and photos to be added shortly. I'm having a tea break.)
The YouTube version of the Cuckoo and the Nightingale is enhanced by the picture of the bird.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW2Faes1zhs

http://thecompletepilgrim.com/george-handel-sites/ (Discusses the Xmas music, composer's life and Westminster Abbey)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Handel_-_Arrival_of_the_Queen_of_Sheba.ogg
St Lawrence's Church. Photo from Wikipedia.