A Colourful, Crazy World: King of Colour, Corbusier; hats on UK mail boxes; and murals worldwide

 I read about a woman who painted her door pink in Edinburgh, Scotland, in a conservation area. She was fined and told to repaint the door in muted colours to match the general historic colour scheme of the area.

Some people can't resist painting a door or wall in a bright jolly colour. Or even painting a scene, or a trompe l'oeuil. Or a political statement or amusing image.

Britain has Banksy in Bristol, England. More Banksy pictures appear in London, and in galleries, and on walls worldwide.

Tenby in Wales has colourful external walls. 

London has amusing and colourful knitted and crochet post box toppers.

More murals in Brixton. Others in London's East End.

Valparaiso, Chile, South America

Rio, S America

But the cold, wet and windy seasides also have colour.

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway

In Europe, after WW2 Corbusier put colour on a block of flats in Marseilles, France. Oddly, for years I knew about the colours, which were so rarely copied. But the most remarkable thing about his blocks of flats was the creation of a village in the sky with an internal street with shops and amenities.

Incidentally, a seated statue of Corbusier, who I consider the king of colour, is in Moscow, Russia.

Useful Websites

USA

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

CANADA

https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/a-little-colour-city-of-toronto-commissions-artists-to-hand-paint-designs-on-traffic-signal-boxes

UK

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

For and against a pink front door in a conservation area>

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-63426312

How the Greeks and Romans painted statues which we display as plain white

https://www.bbc.co.uk/reel/video/p0crtd9v/chromophobia-who-stole-the-colour-from-classical-art-?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=exchange&tblci=GiBp0WTFUBI3-65A4u54LMQJIAg3dAXEJn6N03WDlMTAAiCMjFQott6FnJijnNWtAQ#tblciGiBp0WTFUBI3-65A4u54LMQJIAg3dAXEJn6N03WDlMTAAiCMjFQott6FnJijnNWtAQ

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

S AMERICA

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

INDIA

https://www.livepeppy.com/chalrangde/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/584693964137505850/

Worldwide

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/colourful-towns

https://www.rd.com/list/towns-colorful-houses/

Follow me, Angela Lansbury, intrepid tourist, to see the weird and wonderful places and people, food and drink, hotels and museums, worldwide.

Please save and share links to your favourite posts.

Free to See - Exhibition of Banksy Paintings & Murals - Billionaires Welcome To Buy! And Would-be Billionaires!

Getting to Banksy via Bank Station

Directions from Bank station to the Royal Exchange. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I recommend a visit to see Banksy paintings at the Red8 Gallery in the Royal Exchange near Bank station in the historic city of London. Seeing Banksy may cost more time than you expected - firstly allow twenty minutes for the seven to ten minute walk from Bank station, Underground. I went up 14 stairs, along a corridor, an escalator, another corridor, another long escalator, past the wide entrance to the Elizabeth line, Another corridor, a circular corridor past numerous exits at which point the Royal Exchange is marked as Exit 3. Out of the exit; you are faced with a magnificent building, Britain at its best. 

The Royal Exchange

Royal Exchange, London, exterior, photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

Yes, you can enter the Royal Exchange, even if you are a mere pleb. Inside is a shopping mall, with the glamorous bar of Fortnum and Mason in the centre. 

The welcoming and helpful doorman courteously walked me to the right hand exit where I turned left, following his smiling and nodding instructions. As he had told me, only a few paces brought me to my target, the delightful Red8 gallery. 

Red 8 Gallery

The frontage is  a window, and  inside around the ground floor are sensible sized Banksy paintings which you could hang on any wall in any office or public building or home. 

For details on the red8 name see the previous post.

Prices

To find more details and prices if you are interested in buying, hold your phone up to capture the QR code by each picture. I didn't do so. I was too busy discussing the paintings.

Discussing Banksy

Upstairs is another room with framed paintings all around. You can spend an hour here, enjoying looking at each one, guessing the implications, and discussing with your spouse or companions what the symbols and absurdities signify.

Not everyone agrees with Banksy's political opinions. 'T' said, "I don't agree with all his views. He is anti war. One of his dividing wall murals, he has scrawled the word Palestine. Wars tend to have a baddie against a goody and the goodies have to fight, or the baddies take over the world. We might agree repression is bad. He is also saying which side he is on. Not everybody would agree.

"But you must admire his skill. Every picture captures your attention. They are so realistic. He captures the people."

Prices

What if you want one? I did not see any affordable postcards, unlike London's national and modern gallery shops. I discussed prices with a PR person, a visitor, who was considering buying one. He said: "I am interested purely from an investment point of view. Now that I am retired, I buy items as an investment and sell them. I bought one of the Banksy paintings and the price doubled. It was a good investment."

I went there on opening night. I was probably invited because I am a blogger and a journalist. But you could have signed up online, another guest told me. 

Banksy is not the only artist available. On their website you can see prints at three hundred pounds and up.

Banksy pictures in the gallery. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Fair Cop

Cop in London outside Banksy exhibition. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Outside was a benign British bobby. (For any American readers, a bobby is a cop.) He was happy to be photographed with me. I wasn't sure whether he was protecting the paintings, the people at the gallery, passers-by from drunks, drunks from traffic, or the passageway along the pavement. Or was he just curious to see the picture of the cop by Banksy? I didn't dare to ask.

Useful Websites

Email address: info@redeightgallery.com

The exhibition is open to the public from today until the 15th September 2022.

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

https://www.redeightgallery.com/key-reasons-why-art-prints-are-worth-your-investment/

See previous post on the Red Eight Gallery.

Please share links to your favourite posts

ANZAC Day

 

Flag of Australia, 2022.

The acronym (name you can say, from initial letters, like UNESCO) ANZAC stand for Australian and New Zealand armed forces.

It is celebrated, or perhaps I should say, observed, in Australia, New Zealand and in London, England at Whitehall.

The event takes place with wreath laying on a memorial in London, by the head of the armed forces/a member of the royal family (who may or may not be the same, depending which year and which country.

There might be visits to obelisks (upright commemoration), or gravestones or plaques.

Before, during and after that day, you might wish to visit monuments, museums and cemeteries.

In Australia I went to visit the museum at Canberra, the capital. I was impressed by a memorable and chilling painting of a parade of veteran soldiers - followed by ghostly skeletons! 

On a brighter note, I liked photos and fond stories of mascots and helpful animals in wartime.

More detail and photos will be added later when I finish work.

The Tower Of Babel in the Netherlands and Austria

 

You can visit two museums displaying the Tower of Babel. Painted by Peter Breugel the Elder. Note that in other languages Peter is written with an extra i, Pieter.  And the father and son had the same name. The father is Pieter Breugel the Elder. 

Bruegel painted three versions of the Tower of Babel. 

One is kept in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.

The second is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the capital of Austria. (In Wiki see Category:The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder).

In English the art museum of Vienna is listed as the Museum of Fine Arts. I translate it literally as Art historic, or classical paintings (as opposed to a museum of modern art). 

The location of the third version (a miniature on ivory) is unknown.

Wiki also has a fine art portal. They seem to be adding subsections constantly so you can see articles on an interest such as art, recipes, countries, news, and so on all grouped together. 

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places,  landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.

Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.

About the Author Angela Lansbury

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President, Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

BHA

Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story-telling in business, on 

bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha . 

Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is  the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.

Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)

Themes and word of the day are tentative

2021

JULY - JUBILANT JULY

Theme/WOD Jubilant

WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)

1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)

2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Wed July 7th What Your Committee Can Do For You

Saturday 17th

July 4th American Independence Day.

2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST

1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches

2 Evaluations

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER

Wed 1st

Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS

Humorous Speech Contest

Table Topics Contest

2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER

Wed 3rd

Sat 20th Wed

Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.

Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.

Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.

2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER

Wed  1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)

Sat 18th

Speech on 

JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY

Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past

Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)

2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY

Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year

Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)

Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)

Sat 19th

2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH

Theme

Wed 2nd

Sat 19

March 1st is Christian Pancake day. 

2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.

Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April

 16

2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE

Wed 1st

Sat 18th

Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

TCA (A for Advanced club) is another advanced speakers' club which meets both online for visitors from worldwide and physically for walks, meals and socials in the Tampines area. Meetings are in the TC Community Club when Covid-19 regulations in Singapore allow it, but meanwhile come along to meetings online.

TCA meetings are on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month at 7 p.m Zoom room open to check your sound and online appearance and chit-chat, ready for a 7.15 pm start. I usually manage to attend meetings whether I am in Singapore or the UK.

Another club, totally online, is Singapore Online Dynamic, meeting 9 pm Singapore time on Fridays. I am a member of this club.

I am also a member of Senja-Cashew. When it meets physically it is in a convenient large complex containing a swimming pool beside a landmark lake next to a shopping complex. Right now it is online.

Once you join a club, your club's president will give you the opportunity to be informed of Toastmasters club meetings worldwide, especially those which have interesting workshops.cAbout the Author

Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places,  landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.

Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.

About the Author Angela Lansbury

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President,  Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

BHA

Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story-telling in business, on 

bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha . 

Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is  the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.

Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)

Themes and word of the day are tentative

2021

JULY - JUBILANT JULY

Theme/WOD Jubilant

WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)

1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)

2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Wed July 7th What Your Committee Can Do For You

Saturday 17th

July 4th American Independence Day.

2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST

1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches

2 Evaluations

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER

Wed 1st

Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS

Humorous Speech Contest

Table Topics Contest

2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER

Wed 3rd

Sat 20th Wed

Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.

Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.

Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.

2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER

Wed  1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)

Sat 18th

Speech on 

JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY

Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past

Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)

2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY

Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year

Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)

Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)

Sat 19th

2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH

Theme

Wed 2nd

Sat 19

March 1st is Christian Pancake day. 

2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.

Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April

 16

2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE

Wed 1st

Sat 18th

Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

You also get access to the online magazine. And the club will appoint a mentor to guide you through your first three speeches and plan your year so you can complete a Pathway suited to your personal interests. I chose the basic Presentation mastery path to start. Next I did the Engaging Humor path. Now I am onto the leadership paths such as Visionary Communication.

I am also a coach for Nee Soon South.

All the clubs worldwide have just handed over to the new team from July 1st, all full of enthusiasm, seeking new members, sometimes with a space for a committee member if you are job-hunting, or climbing the corporate ladder, just the thing to add to your c.v.

Toastmasters has made links with the Rotary club organization. So if you are interested in Rotary clubs, you might investigate both.