Heritage & History
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High Above Kensington: The Story of Ralph Hancock’s Roof Gardens
It’s often the subjects I know the least about that end up fascinating me the most. I first came across the work of Ralph Hancock almost by accident. Living in West London, I had long been aware of the legendary Roof Gardens above Kensington High Street, but I had never stopped to think about the…
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Christmas by Candlelight
A visit to Dennis Severs’ House for their Silent Night candlelit tour was exactly what I needed to feel ready for Christmas. Moving through the rooms in silence, lit only by candles and small fires, makes you notice every detail: the scent of oranges and pine, the quiet drip of wax, the soft glow on…
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Tile Tale: The Spanish Origins of a Global Obsession
It was a summer episode of the Spanish radio program A vivir que son dos días, featuring artist Ximena Maier and art historian Alfonso Pleguezuelo, that sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole, into the history, function, and cultural poetry of tiles. Delft-inspired tiles by Ximena Maier A Spanish Beginning: From Al-Andalus to Talavera The…