Part 2: Bloody French Exiled in London

An Aerial View of Strawberry Hill

When I was staying with the Italian couple that I mentioned in my previous blog, Sammy and Annielo in Twickenham, (They had let me stay in their house one weekend while they went to Italy. They were so generous and left me their house key so I can enter freely without worry.That same weekend, I believe) I had gone out to see a film, and somehow had to take the last train from Waterloo to London.I remember the night as if it was yesterday, I was very late taking the train. I ended up having to take a bus part of the way, which dropped me off not in Twickenham, but Strawberry Hill, which is an affluent London area in the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames.

House in the Gothic Style Strawberry Hill

I had to walk about 5 blocks around 2 a.m in the morning in the dark all by myself.  It was in the middle of winter,and I was freezing. I steadfastedly focused on getting home and got home in a hurry. I remember walking behind a couple just so I can be partly safe and assuredly told them I was not stalking them. But, what was most fascinating about this walk in the middle of the night, was that it felt like I was not in London at all. Well, I was in Greater London,but the elegant houses that were high on this hill, Strawberry Hill with the River Thames right below made me feel like I was a heroine in an English novel that had just missed her barouche and had to walk hurriedly home under the light of the moon.It was a bit scarey,(in a good kind of England romantic spooky way, if that makes any sense,) because as I was approximating their home where the entrance was the back porch, I had to take this back street which past a children's park that had many tombstones (like many English parks do ). Mr. Twining of Twinings Tea happens to be buried there.

During my sojourn in Twickenham,at the Twickenham station there is a map and information about Orleans House. Orleans House today now is a gallery, but back in the 18th and 19th century was the home to many a Noble French men. I discovered that many French exiled to both Twickenham and Strawberry Hill during the the French Revolution. It just goes to show how interconnected we are and how History tend to overlap.(The English go to France, the French go to England, and call each other names, use each other in times of war ).The fact that the French lived in this part of London which is a famous home for Rugby  intrigued me and lends a bit of glamour and nostalgic mystery. Not to mention, the 18th Century is one of my favorite parts of World History. The grandeur and yet tulmultous lives of Queen Deficit, Queen Marie Antoinette ( Queen Deficit), and Georgiana Cavendish,Duchess of Devonshire respectively intrigue me.


At the turn of the 19th century, Twickenham became fashionable as a refuge for royalists fleeing the French Revolution and the exiled Duke of Orleans, who was later King Louis Philippe, set up home in the house,  between 1800 - 1817. He occupied the house, (1773-1850), from whom the present gallery derives it's name. Forced into exile from France in the period leading up to Napoleon's Defeat at Waterloo, Louis Philippe made this house his home between 1815 and 1817. Attracted to the tranquility of the area he wrote to a friend: "I bless heaven, noon and night that I am in my peaceful house in old Twick". In 1844 he returned to England as King of the French, and visited his former residence accompanied by Queen Victoria.

Orleans House- The Octagon Gallery

When the main building was demolished in 1926 the only feature to survive was Octagon, an eight-sided turret that had formed part of the west wing. Designed by James Gibbs in 1720, this neo-classical room has plasterwork and a black and white checked floor, now used as a giant chessboard. A gallery was later built on the site of the original house and today both this and the Octagon are used for changing exhibitions. These include local and London art, contemporary crafts and local history displays.

http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/

The Arts Service at Orleans House Gallery
Riverside,Twickenham,
TW1 3DJ
Telephone: 020 8831 6000
Fax: 020 8744 0501
Email: artsinfo@richmond.gov.uk
Web: www.richmond.gov.uk/arts


Admission free
Opening Times
Open: Apr-Sep: Tue-Sat:13:00-17:30,
Sun & Bank Holidays; 14:00-17:30,
Oct-Mar: closes at 16:30,
Tel: 020 8831 6000 for details.

French in London:
http://www.franceinlondon.co.uk/



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Part 4: Friends in London: Lady Michelle of Malta, and Drunk Parishioners at Christmas Eve Mass

When I first came to London, I met this cool young lady in her twenties who hailed from Malta, I called her Lady Michelle. She was very tall, brunette with big dark eyes and long black hair, she looked a bit like an Italian goddess. She was intelligent, well read, super independent and strong. She always had five different things going on at once, and always knew what was happening at the latest minute. I kind of felt like she was my Matesian soul mate. She spoke with a funny Maltese accent, and a bit of an Italian lilt, ( Malta was under rule of Italy for many years and most of the homes get Italian TV). She also used "you know" after every sentence, which I found rather annoying, but I tolerated it because she was so charming and fun in every other way. She would say to me, " Sabrina I have a one off ticket to a rock Concert, you know, do you want to come?" It's in Camden town and we'd have to take a bus and get back home very late you know.  I often called it to her attention and she took it well, but she kept on doing it, so I just gave up and acceepted that is how she is. Besides, it's not that bad of a habit, considering all the myriad bad habits people have that are really despicable. Also she was so sweet, fun and smart that she won me over. She was also very helpful too. She had been in London I believe 2 times before me, so she knew how to take the bus, where the nearest hospital was, how to save money. She was my first friend in London, and we ended up spending Christmas Eve together 2009. During my first winter in London, I caught the worst cold, which evolved into bad bronchitis. The fact that the youth hostel I was staying at with Michelle had the worst heating of any hostel I have ever been. ( On top of that I had to keep borrowing blankets, I ended up having about 4 blankets, when I was only supposed to have a measley one. I had one to insulate the wall because the room was facing outside, and very cold, another one for the matress and then two on top). Man, I was bloody cold. Anyway, I was coughing up big huge gobs of green London phlegm and sweating so badly that I had to go the hospital, luckily Michelle geared me to the right place.

It was my first time in a London hospital and I was happy that they didn't ask for my papers or anything. They took me in right away without any questions asked. Th ey gave me antibiotics and I recovered quite quickly after that. I am very grateful to their kindness. ( Boy, what an experience, you know, I think I'll use this dialogue for audition material,You never know !)

Once I recovered, I was back to my party self again. At the last minute, Michelle had invited me to join her for a service at Christmas Eve mass. Why not? It would be fun to go to a Christmas Eve mass in London, England. I remember it was Christmas eve and we walked and walked in the cold London winter night, from our Hostel in Hyde Park for about another 2 miles to reach the Catholic Church. I remembered some lady walking right in the middle of mass, stone drunk and sitting right next to me. She smelled of hard liquor and decided to start hugging me, and crying all over me. I don't know why I attract such weird and out people, do I have a sign on my head that says " I am counselor, pillow included?" Anyway, Only in London.  The  Priest in the mass used such powerful incense,that seemed to hail straight from the Vatican, big huge balls of Frankincesse and Myrrh, that he kept swinging around to bless everyone with, while he recited some Latin phrases, I though he was going to hit us with it. I felt like I was getting high off them, between the choir and the incense, it  was indeed a spiritually transcendent experience. After mass, I wished everyone in my way "Merry Christmas" and  stopped to chat with  the Priest who had surprisingly had a  flute of champagne in his hand, and complimented him on the nice service. Somehow, he must have liked my friend and I, because he  went out of his way to give us both  flutes of champagne( perhaps, he liked my American accent), which made us both very happy because we were both to broke to buy our own. It was nice to sip champagne with an English priest. I was also wondering if he drinks like this all the time. Anyway, after we elegantly sipped the champagne and said our adieus to the priests, we walked swiftly home in the London cold feel very warm, fuzzy and not the least bit lonely that we weren't in each other's respective homelands to celebrate the Holidays.







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