East London reborn: the ArcelorMittal Orbit and Queen Elizabeth Park

For a fascinating and very different view of the capital, head east to Stratford and the former Olympic park. In 2012 this was the focus of world attention as athletes competed for medals. Now it’s being transformed into a leisure destination for everyone to enjoy. Easy to reach by public transport, it has enough attractions to fill an action-packed day.

At the park's heart is the twisting red steel tower of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, at 114.5m Britain’s tallest sculpture. Lifts whisk you up to two observation platforms, where the view stretches for 20 miles. Interactive screens let you zoom in on landmarks and learn more about them; to the west, framed by part of the sculpture, are the distinctive skyscrapers of the City.

Looking down gives a bird's-eye view of the park and the Olympic stadium, soon to become the home of West Ham Football Club as well as an athletics centre and live music venue.

 

You can also see work progressing on the Crossrail project, which will mean even more transport links for Stratford.

While the upper platform is encircled by an open-air walkway, the lower one is enclosed and has an unusual touch - concave mirrors designed by Sir Anish Kapoor, which flip the perspective and turn the horizon on its head.

Those wanting to prolong the experience can walk down afterwards - a staircase with 455 shallow steps coils around the central structure, and is filled with sounds recorded around London.

Once down at ground level, there's plenty more to do. If you've worked up an appetite, stop at the adjacent EastTwenty Bar + Kitchen. Sit inside or relax on the terrace overlooking the Waterworks River while enjoying the great selection of food, locally-sourced and seasonal whenever possible.

A stroll along the river will take you past garden ‘rooms’ created for the Olympics, themed for different parts of the world (and still blooming in early autumn).  Behind them is the Aquatics Centre, with its swooping roof. It’s open if you fancy a dip in one of the three pools, but those who prefer to stay dry might like a 45-minute cruise through the park along the River Lea in a Lee + Stort boat, which are moored just below the adjacent bridge.

They leave on the hour from noon and take you as far as the A12 bridge and back again. Our guide, Josephine, has lived in the area all her life and was a mine of information about the transformation she has seen – from industrial wasteland to beautiful public gardens.

The once-polluted water is now a haven for wildlife. Among the reeds in the more rural north of the park we saw a heron, coots and a kingfisher. And as we ended our trip, there was a cormorant perched on one of the park's many art installations, while swans sailed serenely past.

If you're visiting with youngsters, they might like to spend some time in the Tumbling Bay playground with its rock pools, tree-houses, slides and swings. The Copper Box Arena, home for handball, fencing and modern pentathlon during the Olympics is also worth a look, as is the VeloPark where you can hire a bike and try all four Olympic forms of cycling: track, BMX, road and mountain. To round off the day (and a useful refuge if it rains), on the way back to the station you pass through the giant Westfield mall, where stores range from Swarovski and Mulberry to John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Primark  and T.K.Maxx.

Admission to the ArcelorMittal Orbit is adults £15, children £7, concessions £12. Tip: as we left the boat we were given vouchers for £2 off tickets for the Orbit, and £1 off future boat trips.

http://queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/ 

http://arcelormittalorbit.com/

Strawberry runners - success and failure

Last summer I tried growing strawberries both in a grow-bag and in a traditional pot. Both produced the same number of fruits, but the grow-bag ones were much bigger.

This year I’ve been watching for strawberry runners – the long shoots from which sprout baby plants that can be used next year. Again, the grow-bag has won. As you can see above, it’s now surrounded by more than 20 little strawberry plants, already potted up.

 By contrast, not a single runner has emerged from the traditional strawberry pot. I can only think that by the end of the season, the growbag still contained sufficient nutrients to safeguard the plants’ future, but the compost in the smaller pot was exhausted. Any thoughts, anyone???

Brilliant begonias

I’ve been bowled over by the exuberance of some outdoor begonias from the Dutch company, Beekenkamp, which I’ve been trialling this summer.  They’ve been amazing, flowering prolifically and coping with a wide variety of weather conditions, from chilly and wet to a scorching 32’+. 

I have two varieties, Waterfall (above) and Beauvilia, which arrived as good-sized plugs in May, and quickly expanded to grace pots and hanging baskets. I'll be trying to somehow keep them going  through the winter.

The Beekenkamp begonia collection is available on the internet from www.bloomingrand.com

Beam of light marks WW1 centenary

Tonight is the last chance to see spectra, a beam of light that’s been soaring up into the London sky for the past week between dusk and dawn to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The artwork, by Ryoji Ikeda, was switched on as the culmination of the August 4 Lights Out event, inspired by the comment a hundred years ago by the Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, that the lamps were going out all over Europe.

 

I was in Victoria Tower Gardens last night with hundreds of other people, drawn to the beam along with the moths whose fluttering wings were reflected in it, like dust-motes in a shaft of sunlight.

The column of light is made up of 49 powerful searchlights arranged in a grid, with seven rows of seven. Seen from a distance the effect is spectacular, but walking through them creates an entirely different experience. As you look up to where the individual lights meet, you are enclosed, as if about to be beamed up to another universe. All the while, the site hums with electronic music that changes as people pass through the sound and light waves. 

The installation has attracted all ages and nationalities. Last night one group had even organised a picnic, their seating area surrounded by candles. But all the visitors did seem to have one thing in common -  a desire to capture the event on camera.

Playtime at Buckingham Palace

 

With Prince George having just celebrated his first birthday, it’s fitting that this year’s summer exhibition in the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace is all about royal childhood.

The display covers 250 years and nine generations. There are well-loved toys, treasured family gifts, outfits and books that give an unprecedented glimpse into life as a young member of the royal family. Previously unseen happy family photographs and home movies, some shot by the Queen herself, provide the background.

There's an interesting collection of school work (left). The oldest item is the handwriting book of the future George IV, dating from 1767, when he was five. You can compare its copperplate formality to the colourful work in Prince William’s geography exercise book (centre), done at a similar same age in 1987. There are also drawings by an 8-year-old Prince Charles (top), an impressive blue glazed bowl made by Prince Harry when he was 11, and some of the Queen’s books and learning games. 

The royal family kept records of their children's growth and development.  A “progress book” sheds light on Queen Victoria’s behaviour in the schoolroom. Comments range from “Good” to “Very thoughtless and Foolish” and “Very Impertinent”. Her lessons would have included embroidery and knitting – on display is a beautiful pink and cream woollen blanket she later crafted for her great granddaughter, Princess Alice. Beside it is the modern alpaca baby blanket given to Prince George last year by President and Mrs Obama.

Of the clothing on display, most was made for special occasions, and carefully looked after.  

 These velvet walking suits date from around 1868 and were worn by the future King George V. The christening gown in which Prince George was seen last year is on show, along with the easel carrying the announcement of his birth.

  In common with all youngsters, royal children enjoyed dressing up.

This Turkish-style suit worn by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, from around 1845 is in front of a fairy costume, decorated with sequins and tinsel, that belonged to Princess Anne. 

Playthings are an essential part of childhood, and the Palace ballroom is given over to an impressive four-metre-high display of toys. There are rocking horses, train sets, a miniature caravan presented to Prince Charles and Princess Anne in 1955, a donkey-drawn barouche used by Queen Victoria’s grandchildren and, for a young Prince Andrew, a little replica of the DBS used by James Bond in Goldfinger and Thunderball. It has rotating number plates, a pop-up bullet-proof shield, working smoke screen and electric water jets hidden in the rear reflectors.

Proof that these toys were used and enjoyed comes from the many film clips and photos showing young royals at play and with their parents.  In one, Prince Philip is joining in his children's fun, pedalling hard on a little tricycle, alongside Princess Anne on her bike, closely followed by Prince Charles on an orange toy tractor.  It’s a reminder that although Buckingham Palace is the setting for the Queen's official work, it’s also a family home, and has been since bought by George III in 1762.

Royal Childhood is part of a visit to the summer opening of Buckingham Palace, which runs until September 28, 2014.

www.royalcollection.org.uk