Browse at Greenwich Printmakers

The Greenwich Printmakers Gallery is run by the Greenwich Printmakers Association, founded in 1979 and still providing a permanent gallery space in Greenwich Market to display many prints, available for sale in the gallery.


As with all these things, there are some excellent prints available and some a little more questionable in style and taste, but they will all appeal to someone, and it is at least an achievable way to buy some art. Plus it's right beside Greenwich Market which makes it a great place to browse as part of a wander around the wider market.

For more information, and full contact details, see http://www.greenwich-printmakers.org.uk/

Drink at the Plume of Feathers

A fantastic pub on the edge of Greenwich Park, the Plume of Feathers dates back as far as 1691, when kings and queens walked just over the wall in the Royal Park.


Today, it is a great little pub which attracts locals and the more discerning tourist, offering food and good ales served from an attractive central bar, by polite and friendly staff.

It all makes for a lovely atmosphere, with the one caveat that Sunday evening double G&Ts with old friends should be avoided by those looking for a quick walk home, and a productive Monday.

For more, see http://plumeoffeathers-greenwich.co.uk/

_{^Picture © Sam Kelly used under Creative Commons^}

See the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea

As your author climbed Crooms Hill in Greenwich last Saturday, he was struck by the beauty of the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea at sunset. Granted it was a beautiful day, but there was something special about it.


Originally built in 1793 and rebuilt in 1851 by W.W. Wardell, the church was designed for the Catholic seamen who were based at the Royal Hospital down the hill, attracting a mixed congregation dominated by those born in Ireland but also including sailors from Portugal, Brazil and India. Inside, the church boasts designs by A.N. Pugin.

To read the information above again, visit http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/LeisureCulture/Churches/ChurchLadyStarSea.htm, from where it came.

Buy maps from the Warwick Leadlay Gallery

Established in 1974, the Warwick Leadlay Gallery sells historical maps, images and artefacts from two twin shops in Greenwich Market's Nelson Arcade.


The rich mixture of historical maps and local images from various ages makes it an interesting place to browse, and the knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help you out if you're looking for something special.

The Warwick Leadlay Gallery is open daily and also offers an expert framing service. For more information, see http://www.warwickleadlay.com/

Visit St Alfege, Greenwich

The grand church which dominates the shopping streets of Maritime Greenwich stands on a site which has witnessed Christian worship for nearly a thousand years, since the time when viking raiders kidnapped Alfege, the Archbishop of Canterbury and murdered him on the site in 1012.


The church which stands today is by Hawksmoor, and was constructed the second, thirteenth century church, collapsed in a storm in 1710. Despite some damage during the Second World War, it is still largely intact. Memorials to a number of royal courtiers still lie beneath the floor, showing evidence of the time when Greenwich was a centre of monarchy.

For more on St Alfege, see the excellent website at http://www.st-alfege.org/

Visit the Stephen Lawrence Gallery

Established in 2000 at the University of Greenwich, and named after the former student of the university from Eltham who was stabbed to death in 1993, the Stephen Lawrence Gallery was put together by Paul Stigant, then dean of the Woolwich faculty at the University of Greenwich, in conjunction with Stephen’s mother.


The Gallery is found in a space in Queen Anne Court at the stunning Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, which is now home to the University. The aim is to showcase for contemporary art, and to promote cultural diversity in visual art, which is a fitting tribute considering Stephen's story, and the findings of the Macpherson report into the police handling the murder inquiry.

The gallery is free to enter and is open Monday - Friday from 10am until 5pm and Saturdays from 11am until 4pm. For more information, see http://www.gre.ac.uk/pr/slg/

Hire a pedalo in Greenwich Park

If you're off to support a loved-one in the marathon this morning, and looking for a quick distraction while they run the Woolwich bit, you might consider hiring a pedalo in Greenwich Park.


Sure they're a bit large for the pond, but next year the pond will become a water jump for the Olympic horse prancing which will take place in the park, and will be lost for an uncertain amount of time.

For more, click here, or to read very sketchy details about the Olympic plan for the park, click here.

Welcome HMS Bulwark

As highlighted by Ianvisits, who is always fantastic at spotting these things, the HMS Bulwark, a 176 metre, 21,500 tonne Albion-class landing platform dock amphibious assault warship, is in Greenwich this week.


The ship is one of our largest and most technologically advanced amphibious assault and command and control ships - whatever that means - and is here to show us all how brilliant it is, and to host important visitors. Sadly however, readers, we are not important enough, and will have to gaze upon it from the banks of the Thames.

Still, it's nice to see these things, and hopefully the crew will get a bit of shore leave whilst they're here. For more information, visit the Royal Navy Website.

_{^Picture © mashleymorgan used under Creative Commons^}

See Queen Elizabeth's Oak

The remains of Queen Elizabeth's Oak lie in the heart of Greenwich Park. Probably planted around the 12th century, this great old tree has an interesting history and legend has it that Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn danced around it, while the young prince Elizabeth looked on.


It has always been a key part of the park, and a plaque beneath it records that it may have once been used as a lock up for those who broke park rules. It probably died in the 19th century but remained supported by ivy until 1991, when it collapsed.

The association of the site with royal oaks was, however, maintained, when a new oak was planted beside it by Prince Phillip in 1992. For more information, see the excellent Greenwich Phantom.

Step inside the Greenwich Camera Obscura

There are only a couple more days to visit the Greenwich Royal Observatory for free, and it contains a number of interesting features apart from the magic line. One which was particularly popular when your author took a wander around yesterday was the Camera Obscura, at the Northern end of the site.


This is London's only public Camera Obscura, and though it was only installed in 1994, it is the latest in a line of such devices at the Observatory. Using a lens and rotating mirror to project a real-time image of the outside world, it presents a panorama of one of London's most celebrated views, showing Greenwich, the Thames, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval College.

The Observatory is open daily, but your author recommends that readers make their visit today or tomorrow, as the £10 fine for being interested in science comes into force on Tuesday. For more information, see http://www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/on-display/the-camera-obscura