Of all the Statues in London!

King Charles II by Cibber in Soho Square Gardens

In one of the twists of serendipity that make history research come alive for me, I happened on this statue of Charles II in Soho Square Gardens yesterday. It was only two days after visiting Grimsdyke Hotel in Harrow Weald where the statue once stood. You can see from the inscription that the restored statue was presented by Lady Gilbert, the widow of librettist W.S. Gilbert.

Apparently when the statue was first commissioned during the king’s lifetime, it was part of an ornate fountain which stood in the square, then called King Square. 150 years it was very much the worse for wear and removed to Grimsdyke, which was then the residence of the artist, Frederick Goodall.

A plaque in the square notes that Joseph Banks once lived at 32 Soho Square. I have a certain fascination for Banks, as he is often portrayed as the aristocratic antagonist to my hero, working class James Cook. Lets just say that his reputation was not enhanced in my eyes when I realised that he bought his home in Soho Square in 1779, at which time the notorious White House brothel was already established at 21 Soho Square.

I was also interested to read that underground the gardens are honeycombed with tunnels and air raid shelters from the Second World War.

Grim

From Harry Potter, we have become familiar with Grim, the name of a spectral black dog that portends death.

According to Wikipedia, Grim is also one of the many old names for Woden, Northern European King of the gods. It is believed that the name Grim attached to several ancient earthworks in England is to honour Woden. Similar earthworks are sometimes named for the devil, make of that what you will.

The earthwork I am particularly interested in today is Grim’s Dyke or Grim’s Ditch, which runs very close to where I am currently living, in Hatch End. It runs for a length of about 5km from Pinner Green towards Harrow Weald and was built in Roman Britain times, probably by the local Catuvellauni tribe, as a defense against the Latin invaders.

Tarantara

My peripatetic life finds me based at Hatch End, near Harrow, North London for five weeks. So I must ask…what is Hatch End famous for? 

My go-to introduction to an area, Wikipedia, mentions Mrs Beeton, dubbed the world’s first celebrity chef who lived here in the middle of the 19^th century. More on her and this quite erroneous title at a later date.

The ancient earthworks Grimsdyke also run through the area, and gives its name to W.S. Gilbert’s home, now a hotel, at which I am eagerly anticipating taking high tea at with a friend now its midterm break. This is the Gilbert whose name is now inextricably linked with Sullivan, Gilbert and Sullivan fame. He was the wordsmith of the pairing. 

My love of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas is truly lifelong. I believe the amateur production of Pirates of Penzance in Waipukurau was the first live production my parents took me to, at the age of 7 or 8. I was entranced, especially by the transformation of one of my school teachers by the simple expedient of a pretty pink dress into the heroine Mabel.

A few years later, I attended the Mikado, performed by Morrinsville College students. Fast forward a few more years, and I am cast as the Duchess of Plaza Toro in the Gondoliers in our Whangarei High School musical. Not quite the heroine of the piece, but lots of fun and hard work, led by our talented director, Michael Hainsworth aka Head of Languages.

By this time my love for G & S was sealed. (My love of G & T comes a little later). I am drawn by the mix of ludicrous plot lines and clever lyrics with hummable tunes and grand harmonies. Then of course there is the dressing up

I am surprised by the lack of publicity for the Topsy Turvey, the film based on the professional pairing of Gilbert, Sullivan and their manager, d’Oyly Carte. I managed to catch it at the Mission Bay Berkeley cinema, back in its more boutique days (c. 2000), but it seems to have died a death, despite the casting of the notable Timothy Spall. It’s a great introduction as many of the operas are showcased here.

The film Chariots of Fire made a big impression on me too, and I will always remember with pleasure the inclusion of several G and S songs into the groundbreaking film score.