Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Meredith’s London #1: Her Connection With This, The Coolest Part Of Town?

Posted by Peter Quennell

[click for larger images]

Appropriate to a significant life (and Meredith’s life is becoming VERY significant) she lived in three quite spectacular cities.

In London (18-plus years), in Leeds (two years), and of course in Perugia (two months).

London is evolving fast these days, and some of the developments there have a real beauty. No part of London is changing more spectacularly than the south bank of the Thames (left above).

Meredith’s main connection with this precise area? She was born here. In Southwark. Her family later moved south, but this is where she is from.

Meredith would later pass through this area a lot if she took the train to central London, just north, to get to the theaters and museums and Oxford Street stores.

She might very well have hung out here with friends. Everybody does. It is one of the number one places for walking and talking and looking in the evenings.

And we’d be surprised if Meredith never ever rode The Eye. The National Theater and the Tate Modern museum (next posts) are just a few steps from here to the east.

At night, with the parliament over there, and all the soft floodlighting, this is a place of quite haunting beauty.

She chose well… Meredith’s Leeds is here, and Meredith’s Perugia is here. More to come.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 11/19/08 at 10:17 PM in Concerning Meredith

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Comments

Hi Pete,

I love these posts where you reflect on Meredith and what her life encompassed. Your pictures are always beautiful and really tell a story of the REAL victim in this case.

Can’t say that I ever see anything similar to this storyline on those “for profit” blogs…their “victim” seems to have a different name.

Thanks again!

Posted by Tara on 11/19/08 at 11:16 PM | #

Hi Pete,

Nice article. I love the photos! Here’s a page with some letters by an American ‘tourist’ to London from 64 years ago, who saw the same sites Meredith would have visited, although ‘slightly’ different and spoke to some university student girls very much like Meredith…perhaps even one of her grandparents:

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gilondon.htm

Here is one of the most iconic photos of London’s survival of the Blitz…St Paul’s Catherdral, surrounded by flames:

http://www.worldsfamousphotos.com/st-pauls-cathedral-during-the-blitz-1940.html

Posted by Michael on 11/19/08 at 11:29 PM | #

Good references Michael! That St Paul’s still standing (love that Elton John song) is quite remarkable.

Thank-you Tara on how the pictures talk to us. Coincidence of course that I was in London and Leeds in July and got these shots. A slightly gray day above but not all were gray and the nights were something.

Getting to Perugia for those of course was quite intentional. I am very positive about the tourists in Perugia trying to associate with Meredith’s presence there. That really is a kind act of tribute.

Posted by Fast Pete on 11/20/08 at 01:28 AM | #

Those shots, although good, are more tourist photos of London than a local. For more info on where Meredith is from, wiki Coulsdon in Surrey. Awesome site apart from my small pedantic comment.

Posted by DS on 11/20/08 at 06:33 PM | #

Tourist photos? I confess…. I did confess! Right above.

Yes, Southwark is for tourists now. But it’s also for Londoners. Thousands a day pour through this area, including many school parties, visiting the museums.

More shots to come. I was not really wishing to get closer to Coulsdon than this. This was her place, too.

Posted by Fast Pete on 11/20/08 at 06:56 PM | #

Fair enough! Just thought I’d point it out before visiting pedants do ;D

Posted by DS on 11/21/08 at 06:32 PM | #

You are welcome!

We have visiting pedants?! I guess…

I love your city, if it is your city. And her city.

Thanks for looking.

Posted by Fast Pete on 11/21/08 at 06:51 PM | #

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