Art Deco Festival in Napier, New Zealand 13-16 Feb 2025

How & When To Visit New Zealand

If you are in the northern hemisphere, you might be among the visitors to New Zealand who include many from the UK and USA. In addition to the advantage of Speaking English Most English speaking visitors, and used to driving on the left like in the UK. 

The two immediate differences in New Zealand and firstly the seasons. Escape winter in England and north America by going to New Zealand in January, or February, the last of the summer. (Schools went back in New Zealand the first week in February - leaving restaurants and hotels emptier).

Napier

 If you are in New Zealand in February, or just want to travel online, look out for information on the Art Deco Festival in Napier. We flew to Auckland on the North Island in January. We hired a car, a beat up old banger, and drive south making two overnight stops, via the Maori geysers area, over the camelback mountains, up and down twisting roads thorugh forests, out through the harbour, the industrial area of container ships, around Hawke's bay, passing many signs to well known vineyards and wineries.

Our destination was to the seafront, to our hotel, the Art Deco Masonic hotel. (The restaurant did not serve breakfast, which was available to buy from their cafe on the next corner down the art deco street.)  

News About Napier's Art Deco

Napier is known for its delightful art deco architecture. Historically, first the bad news - A dreadful earthquake devastated the buildings in Napier in early February 1931, Feb 3rd to be exact, followed by a ferocious fire. (We had noticed the Fire risk today rainbow clocks seen from the road all over the countryside.)

Art Deco Architecture

Next the good news. The undaunted citizens vowed to rebuild their buildings in the latest style, which was art deco. It's a slice of time.

You can park across the road from the seafront by the soldier's statue commemorating the soldiers, the war memorial.  Walk or drive down from the seafront along Tennyson Street towards the old Fire Station which is now a wonderful restaurant, Central Fire Station Bistrot, expensive but worth it. (Closed on National Holidays - check opening times and make a booking.) 

When the restaurant is open, when you go to the toilets, you will find historic photos and accounts of the building's and city's history.

Alas, I won't be there for the festival. I took a trip to New Zealand in January 2025 and am now reading all about it in their booklets and posters which I have saved. What are the amusing highlights of the festival?

Festival goers can hire art deco era (thirties) costumes. (Or make your own.) 

Free Events

Friday Night Royal New Zealand Navy Band. Outdoor concert Friday 14 Feb 6.30 pm to 9 pm at Napier Soundshell Marine Parade, Napier, NZ.

There is a free to view vintage car parade.

Lots of ticketed and paid for events, others for donations.

Planes

A static display of vintage arcraft (WW2).

Memorial flying displays - at set times (but weather permitting). Noisy and dramatic.

Museums and Shops

Visit the Art Deco Centre. The area is full of nooky shops.

Tractors and Transport

You can take all day coach tours, long paid for walking tours. Just about every form of historic transport is offering trips to join, or watch. Even dry boat racing on the beach. 

Sports & Deco Dog Parade

Sunday 16 Feb 9 am to 10 pm at the Soundshell, Marine Parade. 

 Free. Sponsored by ZIWI. If you are in New Zealand you can register your dog and have the chance to win a prize. Late registrations on the day only at 8 am to 8.45 am.

If you miss the festival, go into the museum, which has costumes you can wear for photos. Next to the museum is the Art Deco Centre which books tours and has a large shop.

Useful Websites

www.artdecofestival.co.nz

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Sholom Aleichem and where to see his memorials in Netanya in Israel and in the Ukraine

Sholom Aleichem created the characters such as Tevye featured in the film (movie) Fiddler on the Roof.

 USA

Ukraine

Israel

Sholom Aleichem statue in Netanya, near Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo from Wikipedia.

Sholom Aleichem memorial in Bohuslav, Kiev province, Ukraine

Netanya, near Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Picture from Wikipedia article on the man.

Sholom Aleichem In Hebrew

Sholom Aleichem was his pen name. It means peace be with you in Hebrew and Yiddish. Sholom, like salaam in Arabic, means peace. The capital city of Jerusalem also contains the word salem. The consonants are s, l, and m. The vowels change with time and place. 

The Moustache Fashion

I like to see the portrait of the man which shows the moustache which was the fashion of the day. Then clean water was not so abundant and people were poorer and could not necessarily afford to visit the barber and did not have electric razors. 

The clean shaven look came in during WWI. Then soldiers had short hair and not beards nor moustaches because they had to wear helmets or gas masks in the army. 

Later beards and moustaches became the bohemian, artistic look. Writers, songwriters, musicians, singers. Then in the nineteen sixties, the hippy look. 

Later still associated with primitives. On the one hand, this can be associated with good, simple, healthy and virtuous and honest, or uncultured. It could be associated with orthodox, traditional religious - or violent, aggressive terrorists. But in his era, it evokes a look which is artistic and romantic.  

Now let's look at the text. It is Cyrillic. Best known to most people outside Europe as Russian, which is almost the same as the lettering used in Bulgaria, I discovered on holiday in Bulgaria.

Unlike the earlier language of Hebrew, Cyrillic, named after Cyril, a priest, combines Greek and Hebrew letters. 

What looks like a W is the sound for Sh in Sholom. 

Once you recognize the Sh, it is easy to see the letters Sh-M A-L is his name, Sholom and Aleichem. 

The L looks a bit like you are starting to write a lower case l, in cursive or italic with an upward curve. Then you come down as if about to write a capital L, but you can't be bothered to finish it with the line across the bottom as you already have a line across the top, and Hebrew and Cyrillic have lots of letters which seem to be upside down or back to front or left to right. (Of course, our writing came later, so we are the ones who changed it.) 

The X is the sound like clearing your throat, like the Scottish ch in loch as in Loch Lomond.

I am a teacher of English and other languages, which I am always learning when I travel. 

Tel Aviv

Whilst I am on the subject of language, the word Tel Aviv means hill of spring, or springtime. You will see the word Tel on modern maps of the middle east. Aviv or Aviva is a girl's name. Like the word April, for the month, and the girl's name, April, for girls born in the month of April.  Tel Aviv has the old city up on the hill, and the suburbs spread along the sandy beach. The city was founded in 1909. 

Tel Aviv's Art Deco

Architecturally, many modern buildings, now historic, are from the nineteen thirties, which to me looks like art deco (deco short for decorative), but which is strictly speaking called Bauhaus. Haus is German for house.   

Netanya

Netanya is north of Tel Aviv. It is named after Nathan, the co-owner of Macys department store. Nathan's brother died on the Titanic. 

Useful Websites

Sunny Cyprus and Perfect Paphos Hotel, Casa Mespilea, meaning the Japanese medlar or loquat

 

Paphos on the west coast of Cyrus is the airport where RyanAir planes go from Stansted in the UK to smaller airports. Paphos is a small seaside town, with palm trees and art deco buildings. The town which has received a lot of money which has redeveloped it attractively. 

Casa Mespilea was ready to greet us with smiles at 1.30 a.m. The heady, sweet smell of the trees in the back courtyard wafts over you. Our room was beautifully decorated with a huge artwork over the bed. 

Next morning the buffet breakfasts was laid out under the shade of the back of the hotel. We sat under the trees having breakfast. The views in all directions were idyllic. Breakfast was not included in the hotel price but I reckoned breakfast was the best meal of the day, offering lots of variety. Apart from cereals and boiled eggs and ham, and sweet buns, and orange juice, they had tiny brown bread rolls wrapped around white cream cheese.

The manager is planning to hold wine tastings and other events. If you are interested, get on the mailing list.

Across the road is a Caffe Nero overlooking the sea. On the clifftop in front of Caffe Nero a statue sits waiting for you to take a selfie. (The two f letters in Caffe Nero are not a mistake. That is the Italian spelling.)

From the top roof of the hotel, you can look across at Caffe Nero and the sea. Paphos has half a dozen branches of Caffe Nero.

We took a drive to the harbour. Down on the harbour are cafes overlooking the yachts. Souvenir shops sell clothes including hats and attractive ladies dresses at more than 25 euros. I thought that was dear, but other shops in the major cities sell the same dresses in those styles of the same brand at identical prices. (The cheapest pretty dresses were sleeveless dresses, made in India, ten Euros, inland in the mountains at Troodos. You can also shop for cut price dresses and accessory outlet and seconds shops with lots of tee-shirts and dresses in Limasol or Lemassos in Greek.)

We took some photos, then went for a coffee away from the harbour.

Before travelling, I had ordered two useful books, a Berlitz multi-language guide, a Greek language phrase book, and a Cyprus pocket guide.

Perhaps the best thing about the garden was the aroma. Unfortunately, two sets of diners, at different times, were smoking, which must have detracted from the perfume for them as well as for us. However, the garden was big enough for me to move away and immerse myself in taking photos of the colours and shadows cast by the bright sunlight.

Useful Websites

Ryanair

https://www.ryanair.com/flights/gb/en/flights-to-cyprus

Paphos

https://www.visitpafos.org.cy/

Cyprus

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Casa Mespilea (Mespilea House hotel, Paphos, Cyprus)

https://www.casamespilea.com/

Caffe Nero (clifftop branch opposite Casa Mespilea)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g190384-d14796459-r663996151-Caffe_Nero_Kato_Paphos-Paphos_Paphos_District.html

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Photos of this idyllic location will be add later.

New and old restaurants in Hatch End, Pinner

Hatch End is a sub-division of Pinner. Hatch End's high street, the Uxbridge Road, is a just along from Pinner. Pinner had the historic black and white buildings including a couple of ancient pubs, connections with Heath Robinson, whose museum is in the Park opposite Pinner Metropolitan line station.

Hatch End station is on the Watford to Euston line. The high street has art deco buildings and its association go back to Mrs Beeton whose famous cookery book taught us all to write recipes starting with the ingredients and then listing the actions to take.

Hatch End is a hotbed of restaurants, especially Italian restaurants, started by 'Mr Fellini'.


Bandaa is urdu for servant or beloved.

Restaurants in Hatch End (alphabetically)
B & K - Jewish style

Casa Mia
On the right below.














Chingon Cocina Mexicana (Mexican Restaurant) second from left.





Dona Theresa on the left.


Coriander - Indian

Lattakia Lebanese Restaurant

Izgara Restaurant

Laboratorio (Italian) Restaurant, Hatch End




Sakonis (Vegetarian Indian) Restaurant

Sakonis, far left.


Sea Pebbles (Take away and restaurant) - fish and chips and more,


Minori restaurant and pizzeria




The Steak Restaurant (far right of photo below)


Closed Down:
Fellini; Serato;

From Hatch End station you can follow a walking route.

Useful Websites For Travellers
Hatch End Restaurants
https://www.instagram.com/chingonlondon/
https://laboratoriopasta.co.uk/menu

Hatch End
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatch_End
Lots of photos are in:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hatch_End
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:St_Anselm%27s_Church,_Hatch_End

Overground and Underground Railway
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/route/bakerloo/
https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/route/metropolitan/
https://www.gwr.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway_(train_operating_company)
TRAVEL
https://www.visitlondon.com/london-app
singaporeair.com

About The Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker, teacher of English and other languages.
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Fish and Chips, Fabulous, at Kennedy's of Streatham

We arrived in Streatham by bus via Brixton.

Brixton
I was invited to the opening of a wine bar in Streatham and travelled there via Brixton, infamous for the Brixton riots a while back. I was quite nervous about visiting Brixton. I spent part of the day on the internet reading about protective clothing, none of which could be delivered in time for my evening excursion.

I imagined Brixton to be a place where unemployed people sat around drinking on doorsteps, taking drugs, wild-eyed, talking some kind of patois like in a rap song, and eyeing you suspiciously as you walked past. Scary. Fortunately, Brixton was nothing like that, just extremely crowded. It reminding me of my recent trip to Hong Kong, but easier for me to get around, because instead of the tiny Chinese speaking incomprehensible Cantonese, Brixton was all English signs and with large numbers of multi-national but mainly mixed race and black English people - just like Harrow and the rest of London, all well built and well dressed, speaking fluent, British English.

On a Friday night it was rush hour on both the roads and pavements, everywhere busy with large numbers of people hurrying about their business. More like sales day in Oxford street, or the more affluent buildings of seafront Hong Kong, wide roads, wide pavements full of people.

We hurried along past three bus stops outside the station where the bus stop posts had numbers showing about nine buses stopped at each stop. We jumped on our bus and were lucky to get seats. The roads were four lanes wide, two lanes in either direction, widening to three lanes at junctions, then narrowing back to four lanes.

The bus filled up below and upstairs. Off we went, buses overtaking each other, giant supermarkets, stores a block long. We left behind the shops, passing housing estates and large parks which would have been lovely were it not for lots of litter. Ah, at the end of the next park, there were three lads, or down and outs, hard to tell at a distance, sitting on benches smoking. Then we passed a church the size of a cathedral. The bus was still standing room only.

On the bus, our driver shouted through the microphone instructions about moving down the bus, and letting people off. A well-dressed, loud-voiced woman, bantering constantly with her three friends, retorted loudly, "People going only three stops should not go upstairs and then rush down and have to push past everybody!"

The bus stopped at a junction, raced on and soon we were back to the next bustling high street of Streatham, which looked much the same as Brixton.

We got off and found we had made a mistake. We were in Streatham, but our wine shop was not here, because we should have been in Streatham Hill, so back we went.

I was impressed with the state of the art bus communication with passengers. At the bus stops electric signs above eye level were constantly changing, and told us which four buses were arriving in the next five minutes, and how many minutes, like on a railway station. So we knew how many minutes to wait for each bus. Then on our bus a state of the art recording told us the number of the bus and which direction it was taking.

Large and Small Evening Attractions
A giant block of art deco columns, now apparently a bingo hall, was changing colour from red to green. Opposite was our destination, a newly opened little wine bar. Cocooned in our wine bar (newly opened Streatham Wine House - see next post) we passed a pleasant evening drinking bubbly and eating nibbles of salami and cubes of cheese and pickles. We asked where we could grab a snack supper of fast food before heading home on the train.

Fish And Chips at Kennedy's
Fish and chips - by Streatham Hill Station. Kennedy's was just what we wanted. About to close. They had cod on display in the case keeping food warm. In a few seconds we had our food. Luckily another person left, vacating a bar stool by the window, so we perched at our small table for two just right for sharing, eating our filling fish and chips.

Fish
I was delighted to find that the fish seemed more like soft melt in the mouth plaice, my favourite, which is even better than chunky cod. I don't know if they made a mistake, or if what passes for cod nowadays is some hybrid fish as cod stocks are running low. Whatever. I was happy.

Chips
The chips were proper big British chips, soft potato, the thickness of thumbs. Maybe bad for a diet, but better than those pencil-thin, fat-laden, cooked to a crisp French fries which you get in hamburger bars. I love big British chips. Doesn't everybody!

Price
The price was under ten pounds. I went back to the counter to ask for the receipt. My companion had not taken it and the assistant has already thrown it away, but was able and willing to give me an address card.

Worth A Detour
If you are not visiting that area but have a travel card, you could divert to the station to get fish and chips. Only a couple of seats, probably for people waiting for food at busy times. Fast, friendly service.

Salad
The board showed a huge selection of fish, fish cakes and pies. As we tipped our debris into their bin, I saw from somebody else's leftovers that the shop also served salad. If I ever get the chance to go back, I must remember to order a salad.

Lunch
By the door a chalk board showed they served a lunch time special of lamb steak, lamb chop or rump steak. You could get a take away one course lunch, for under £5. Good value.

Leftovers
Our portion was ample. I though we'd have enough to eat for lunch next day, but it got finished off on the way home (an hour's journey by train). We kept the plastic cutlery.

Kennedy
The name Kennedy's is easy to remember because of American President Kennedy. Kennedy is an Irish name. But Kennedy's fish and chips for me fits the slogan, best of British.

Kennedy's of Streatham, 5 Leigh Court Road, Streatham Hill, London SW16 2ND. Tel 020 8769 1003 (orders taken) open 7 days a week.
www.kennedyspies.com

Photos by Angela Lansbury, copyright, 2016.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Free wine tasting at Majestic

On the corner of the road leading to the wonderfully art deco Ruislip Lido lakeside restaurant selling cheap meals and drinks is a branch of Majestic where you can try tasting some new wines and spirits for free.

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

London's railway stations, old and new, 'Elementary', as Sherlock Holmes would say

As you rush in and out of stations, stop for a moment to look, read, and perhaps if time take a photo. A trip along London's underground - or a trawl through internet pictures of stations, is a trip through time, a vivid history lesson of the architectural fashions of each era. Every station tells a different story, whether in the centre or the suburbs.

Here's Hatch End, where a little plaque tells you about the building as long ago as the middle eighteen hundreds. The plaque is set on red bricks, typical red bricks made from London clay. In London we take bricks for granted, usual, unremarkable. Until we visit the countryside and see white plaster and thatched roofs, or travel north to Scotland where houses have grey granite circular turrets.

On the Metropolitan line you will see white art deco stations such as Rayners Lane. Whole sections of the internet are devoted to text and photo of London's art deco stations and buildings. My favourite buildings are the nearby houses, white with green tiled rooftops. I have written a previous post on art deco in London.

If you are in central London keep stopping to look up at the rooftops of grand buildings. Between Charing Cross and Embankment stations are hotels and public and private structures with statues and curves along the top. Your camera zoom lens or a pair of binoculars will give you a close-up view. Or take a photo.

Even at night, this works well. You can later use your photo editing programs to lighten it and expand it to show detail. and text on inscriptions.

Across the road are statues. What are they? No time to stop. Rushing for the last train. But a photo allows me to look later on Google maps and track them down. I also have a book about London statues.

In the distance the illuminated bridge as you approach Embankment station. 

Flags all around. At one point I passed the Korean flag which alerted me to the Korean cultural centre.

Near the Embankment station is one of London's old and immortalised pubs, the Sherlock Holmes. Only four stops on the Bakerloo line from Charing Cross station to Baker Street station where you see the Sherlock Holmes statue outside the station and can visit the shop at the Sherlock Homes museum. 

See my previous post for information on the underground at Charing Cross station.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1127071-Reviews-The_Sherlock_Holmes_Public_House_Restaurant-London_England.html

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

Chiswick's art deco station and Chiswick Park Sainsbury snack

Chiswick has an art deco railway station. An odd mixture of horizontal lines and curves. Art deco era is fond of curbed buildings and windows with brick shaped panes of glass. This station has the low flat roof effect beloved of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and a tall oblong chimney.

(Another example of an art deco station in north London is Rayners Lane. You can see all of them grouped together online. On the Metropolitan line to Rayners Lane you can see the Wembley arch.

From Chiswick you can see the Shard, a modern tower building which offers great views of London from inside. Go online to buy tickets for a special occasion such as a birthday.

Snack Time At Sainsbury's

Chiswick has lots of small terraced houses. A relative of mine visiting the area looked in vain for a Starbucks or Costa for a coffee stop. Eventually they found a Sainsbury's, the Chiswick Park branch. It has a cafe area.

 I tried what looked like a yogurt or cream snack. The label said Made instore today. They have created a new fashion. Inshore. Like in-house. The yogurt or cream on top was good. The granola was a bit gritty. I munched cautiously. At the bottom was fresh fruit, red berries, in a kind of red jelly. Very good.

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

London's Suburban Architecture: See The Semis, the Thirties and more

London Suburbs

On many road, and diverting out of the Wembley traffic jams in the morning and evening rush hour, down the residential side roads, you can also see London's distinctive London red brick houses. Terraces are also built of brick.

Brick decoration

Those brick walls are built from bricks using London's clay. Sometimes the red bricks are dirtied to a grey or brown. Other times the grey or brown bricks are the original colour, deliberately, creatively mixed with orange or red or other colours to create checkerboard patterns. Occasionally the entire wall is a pattern on grand buildings. On small houses, more often on borders or friezes or across the tops of windows like eyebrows and over doorways like moustaches or noses.

Semi-detached 'semis' in mirror image

Pairs of homes are called semi-detached, pleasing mirror image twins. When first built, and in the old days they were always decorated in matching styles. Now everybody paints their front doors different colours, installs double glazed windows in assorted styles. It's a h o t c h p o t c h. (Predictive text tried to insert hitch pitch). But, when you are visiting a friend, easier to find the house with the turquoise door.

Victorian Mock Tudor

In addition to the brick semis and terraces, you will see the black beams on white (in Singapore called black and whites) which are mock-Tudor, with sharply angled triangular gables. 

Thirties Curves

My favourites are the Thirties buildings are even more distinctive and attractive with their soothing curves. Many have pretty but impractical flat rooftops, which leak and eventually sink under rain. The smarter and better kept Thirties buildings, (some in Hatch End) sometimes have delightful green tiles on sloping roofs which allow the rain to drain off. Both styles have white fascias and wide widows with horizontal top windows.

P a v e d Gardens and Parking Places

Looking for a place to pull in to let a screeching police car and ambulance pass, or for a convenient place to park, you understand why so many homes have paved in their front gardens. The advantage to visitors is that you can park on your friend's front drive, if they don't have a car for every adult resident and already overflow their own available parking. 

Read more about Wembley in a later post.

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

A Tale Of Two Cities' Architecture: Singapore and London Landmarks and Skyscrapers

Returning to London from another city, such as Paris, New York or Singapore, you are struck by the Englishness of England and the layers of history. In the centre of the city you have the Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Around Regents Park are grand terraces of houses with columns, like the Nash Terraces. But out in the suburbs the semi-detached houses from the 1930s and landmark buildings and homes are equally delightful.

Driving through Wembley and Kingsbury, you pass two grand buildings, visible from many areas of London, the Wembley Arch, with its see-through centre. Close to it, when you are close up, you will see a modern building with two spiral towers. Unlike the regimented terraces of the 1800s, and the blocks of the 1950s, this is both modern and individual, totally unlike the stepped blocks beside it (to the left of the picture) attention-getting, like so many modern skyscrapers of Singapore.

On another route, if you plan carefully using an old fashioned map, or modern Satnav, you can pass the solid white Hindu Temple, intricately adorned.

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Read more in a later post.

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

Water's Edge Restaurant, Ruislip, for the Swans, Great Views, Service and Dessert

Why We Chose This Place
The location was what drew us to this carvery. (Two other carveries are in Watford). We'd looked at other places friends recommended, such as The Hare, but we weren't that hungry having had a late Sunday lunch and tea, so we didn't want to spend £15 or £20 on a main course, then coffees, drinks, service, it soon mounts up.

The car park is huge, no trouble parking. The art deco outside is a delight. In summer you can arrive for dinner after 8 pm and still see the white swans on the lido, which looks like a lake, and green trees.

We paid for our order and took the tickets. The carver offered a choice of four meats, chicken, lamb, pork, gammon. I have to admit the carver meats were dry, the greens, a bit limp, the potatoes so-so.

The high point was the view. So delightful to sit looking out at the Lido. It reminded me of a river through the Rhine.

The service was a delight. The man on the carver told us amusing tales of his life in the army. Whilst we were collecting our food, our drinks disappeared from our table, but they were willingly and immediately replaced.

We were too full for the desserts we had ordered. They did not have tubs, only paper bags. So we changed an order from chocolate Sundae to chocolate cake.

When I got home I found my apple crumble was a delight. Very pleased with the choice, I must admit the food was disappointing. Next winter when it's too dark to see the view, I'll try another carvery.

Price
Pricewise, it's not as cheap as you might expect on a Sunday night. No special deals, which you get mid-day mid-week.
If you are watching your budget, the small carver is quite big enough. The bigger size and price gives you a sausage and a second piece of Yorkshire pudding, neither of which we needed.