The Heart of a Garden

London Calling

This collection is a paean to our capital city. London: diverse, vibrant, multicultural, never less than fascinating. As Samuel Johnson famously commented, “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”

Eco-friendly cards: Card from responsibly managed forests (FSC^®), vegetable-based inks, recycled paper envelopes, compostable outer slips.

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Designs U121 to U128 avaliable from late June 2011
Card size: 160x160mm. Blank inside. Photography: Andy McGowan, Rey Martin (U103, U119), Rich Lewis (U104), Martin Hoare (U106), Peter Davy (U107-108), Yvonne Booth (U109), Kit Downey (U110), Michael Chan (U113), Tara Moayed (U117) & Aidan O'Rourke (U120), Nick Haigh (U121, U128), Joshua Atticks (U122-123, U126), Claudio Sampietro (U124), Edwin Halliday (U125), Matt Seymour (U129), Craig Richardson (U130)

Text on Reverse of Card
Code: U101	Sunsets rarely fail to strike a chord, and somehow in this most urban of landscapes it seems to strike all the harder. In 1967 The Kinks released a song written by lead singer Ray Davies – ‘Waterloo Sunset’. In this song we hear how gazing upon a Waterloo sunset evokes a feeling as if being in paradise. It is almost impossible to look at this picture without hearing Ray’s haunting, melodic voice rippling over the water – as it keeps rolling by. If you don’t know the song you should.

Code: U102	Canary Wharf is one of London’s two main financial centres and contains many of the UK’s tallest buildings, including One Canada Square that reaches a height of 235 metres. Canary Wharf is the home of the headquarters of numerous major banks, professional service companies and media groups, and around 90,000 people work here. This recent development is located in the West India Docks region on the Isle of Dogs, Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. In medieval times, the Isle of Dogs was known as Stepney Marsh, and in the 13th century was drained to support meadows and to provide pasture land. The name Isle of Dogs supposedly comes from the fact that there were once royal kennels located in the area.

Code: U103	Little Venice is at the point where the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal meets the Regent’s Canal; however, the name attributed to Robert Browning has come to signify a wider area within the district of Maida Vale. This mainly residential area is also well known as the site of the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios used since 1946 to record many classical and popular music sessions for radio broadcast. Just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Paddington Station – the famous London railway terminus and site of the world’s first ever underground railway – this is a leafy oasis with a thriving café culture. It’s a great place for a walk along the towpath: perhaps for the whole 2.5 miles to Camden Lock and its markets, passing Regent’s Park and London Zoo, or a visit to the London Canal Museum beside the Battlebridge Basin.

Code: U104	This, the oldest Royal Park in London, was originally created by Henry VIII as a deer park and was later redesigned in the 17th century to provide a formal park for King Charles II. Its present Romantic style was moulded by John Nash in the 1820s – an architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency London. The park has an enviable position surrounded by three palaces: the most ancient being Westminster, now the Houses of Parliament; St James’s Palace, the birthplace of Charles II; and, probably the best known, Buckingham Palace – which has served as the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since 1837. This view looks towards the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Whitehall, which is often considered the heart of London. The park itself is undoubtedly one of the most romantic and vibrant urban landscapes in Europe. It is teeming full of wildlife – including a resident group of pelicans that you can watch being fed between 2.30 and 3.00 pm every day.

Code: U105	Although it’s difficult to miss on a trip to London, for those in doubt the London Eye is situated at the western end of Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank of the River Thames. At a height of 135 metres you would have to pile approximately 63 red telephone boxes on top of each other to reach the top. Alternatively, you could use 75 London black cabs (depending on their tyre pressure). Surely it’s easier to just buy a ticket to fly the Eye!

Code: U106	Chinatown occupies an area in and around Gerrard Street in Soho, City of Westminster. However, the first area known in London as Chinatown was at Limehouse in the east of London. Here, at the start of the 20th century, London’s Chinese residents congregated to set up businesses catering for Chinese sailors visiting the Docklands. That original area developed an association with the sort of ‘hedonistic’ activities that Sherlock Holmes was often thought to have enjoyed. Bombing during the Second World War badly damaged this original Chinatown and the current one is more about Chinese restaurants and specialist food shops – all set within a Far Eastern theme. Great for a stop before or after a West End visit, and if you’re lucky you might just find a restaurant with one of the legendary rude waiters who sadly seem to be in decline. There was a time when part of the eating experience was said to be enhanced by the no-nonsense style of waiters – but don’t be disappointed if all you get nowadays is good food!

Code: U107	Originally Covent Garden was just an open-air fruit and vegetable market, which started around 1654 and continued in one form or another until the 1970s when traffic congestion necessitated a move. As early as the 18th century the market area had earned a reputation for disreputable behaviour – possibly encouraged by the number of taverns, theatres and coffee houses that had sprung up. A certain type of lady became associated with the area and some became very well known. Betty Careless was an established courtesan by the 1720s. Initially sponsored by the barrister Robert Henley, later to be the Lord Chancellor, she opened her own business in Tavistock Row and introduced much of London society to the wonders of Careless’s house. Modern-day Covent Garden has undergone an impressive redevelopment programme but retains much of its original edgy feel and great architecture. It is still a place best known for entertainment, supplying a healthy dash of culture: impressive street performers, great restaurants and curiosity shops are complemented by the Royal Opera House, The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and not forgetting the London Transport Museum!

Code: U108	Most of us know this world-famous clock tower as Big Ben. It is, however, the north end of The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace. This is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Actually, it is the great bell within this 96.3-metre tall clock tower that is called Big Ben. The original bell weighed 16.3 tonnes and was cast in 1856. It is thought that the bell was named Big Ben in honour of Sir Benjamin Hall, a revered politician responsible for overseeing the later stages of rebuilding. He also campaigned against the abuse of parliamentary election expenses – some things never change!

Code: U109	This may be a bike, but it’s not a biker’s bike, it is definitely a mod’s scooter of the Italian variety, and most likely parked in the Carnaby Street area. The mod was a very British phenomenon, influences for which can be traced back to post-war aspirational Britain. As a recognised sub-culture it gained momentum in the late 1950s and peaked in the early to mid 1960s. The mod was interested in fashion – a youth culture that wore tailor-made suits (or something similar). And for some reason, they also favoured the ‘parker’ coat. More understandable was their desire to party, and their music choice was key: British beat music, R&B, African–American soul and Jamaican ska. In the swinging 1960s, the mods led the way from London and we still see revivals almost every decade – and no longer just in England!

Code: U110	In the foreground of this picture you see the Millennium Bridge – officially called the London Millennium Footbridge. Londoners nicknamed it the ‘Wobbly Bridge’ after pedestrians on a charity walk to open the bridge felt an unexpected, and slightly unnerving, swaying action. The bridge was subsequently closed for almost two years while modifications were made. I’m told it’s all good now! Perfectly set in the centre of the image is St Paul’s Cathedral. St Paul’s Cathedral sits on the highest point in the City of London, and is the seat of the Bishop of London. This building dates from the 17th century and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It is generally thought to be London’s fourth St Paul’s Cathedral, built on the same site – the first possibly dating back to AD 604.

Code: U111	‘But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.’ Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81)

Code: U112	This square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) in which the British fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson smashed the French fleet. Nelson was hit by French musket fire and died during the battle; some of his last words were famously reported as ‘Kiss me, Hardy’ – Hardy being Thomas Hardy, a naval captain. This Hardy did, before seeing the dead Nelson pickled in a barrel of brandy to preserve his body. On the north side of the square, to the left of the fountain in this picture, is the National Gallery, home to the national collection of Western European painting from the 13th to the 19th centuries. These are on display 361 days a year, free of charge. To the east lies St Martin-in-the-Fields church.

Code: U113	By the 1960s, Carnaby Street had become the centre for mod fashion with a cluster of independent boutiques and designers – including the likes of John Stephen, a founding father of the mod fashion revolution, and Mary Quant, more famously associated with the swinging 60s, the miniskirt and a new female confidence. A number of underground music bars attracted musicians and bands such as The Small Faces, The Who and many others. Nearby The Rolling Stones would play their first live gig at the legendary Marquee Club.

Code: U114	Baker Street is so synonymous with the exploits of Sherlock Holmes it seems only right to let him have his say: ‘It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys of London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.’ Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)

Code: U115	Named in honour of Queen Victoria’s husband, the Prince Regent, and built in 1864, this busy pub has survived the Blitz of the Second World War and the surrounding regeneration. Just like a glimpse of an unexpected oasis or a mirage, you can’t help but resort to rubbing your eyes and checking if what you are seeing really exists! Well it does, and what’s more the pub was here first, even if it now looks like it has been dropped on this spot by some form of time-travelling crane. Long live the British pub!

Code: U116	Two iconic London sights: the red telephone box that we just refuse to give up and the architectural masterpiece designed by Sir Christopher Wren. St Paul’s Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was lost to the Great Fire of London. As befitting such an important landmark, St Paul’s Cathedral has seen many a historic celebration or commemoration. Funeral services have been held here for some of Britain’s most venerated national heroes including Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.

Code: U117	Camden Markets consist of a number of adjoining markets in Camden Town based near the Hampstead Road Lock on the Regent’s Canal, an area also known as Camden Lock. The original craft market was established in 1971 and soon grew to include antiques, clothing and a scattering of food stalls. It was this artisan beginning that gives the area the credibility that it retains. The markets have continued to grow and more specialist shops have opened, favouring a location visited by a more discerning customer. Now a top tourist attraction, it is not unusual for more than 100,000 people to visit the area on any one day. With good music, fashion and art all to be found here, Camden is more than just a visitor destination – it’s the place to be!

Code: U118	The River Thames is England’s greatest river, and its existence has helped shape English history – making London one of the most influential capitals of the world. Therefore, it is only fitting that Tower Bridge (as seen in the background) is one of the world’s most famous bridges. Construction of this bridge started in 1886 and it took eight years to complete. As we all know, the lower road level of this bridge can open, allowing larger ships to pass under the upper walkway that connects the two towers. To the far right of the picture you can see the gherkin-shaped 190 metre-tall skyscraper that is 30 St Mary Axe, located in London’s main financial centre – the City of London.

Code: U119	Since 1066, Westminster Abbey has been the church where all British kings and queens have been crowned. It is also the final resting place of 17 monarchs. Westminster Abbey, formally known as, the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, is a ‘Royal Peculiar’. This means it is a free chapel of the sovereign, exempt from any ecclesiastical jurisdiction other than that of the sovereign. The present building was begun in 1245 by Henry III and remains one of the most adored Gothic buildings in the country – and the chosen church for the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton.

Code: U120	This iconic Routemaster double decker-bus is sadly no longer in official use, even on the almost as equally recognisable No. 13 route. Developed between 1947 and 1956, the design was built on lessons learnt from aircraft production during the Second World War, to produce a lighter and more efficient bus for London. The engineering advantages were many: hydraulic braking, independent front suspension, power steering and a fully automatic gearbox being just some of the new features. It was, and still is, a brilliant bus, and that is why they were kept in service for so long. Almost more importantly it is a beautiful bus – one that remarkably just keeps looking better the older it gets!

Code: U121	In the 19th century, the East End of London was a vital port, and the area became increasingly hectic and densely populated. A new crossing downstream from London Bridge was urgently needed, but a traditional fixed bridge would have disrupted river traffic, cutting off access by tall-masted ships to the port facilities in the Pool of London. The solution was Tower Bridge, completed in 1894. A combination of a bascule bridge (‘bascule’ being derived from the French word for ‘see-saw’) and a suspension bridge, it was instantly hailed as an icon. It has seen its fair share of incidents since it was built. In 1952, due to a mistake by a relief watchman, the bridge began to open with a number 78 London bus still on it! The driver made a split-second decision to accelerate the bus, clearing a 1 metre (3 foot) drop on to the north bascule; luckily, no one was seriously hurt. Today, Tower Bridge is an essential crossing over the Thames, used by over 40,000 people on an average day. Although river traffic has declined, it still takes precedence over road traffic – the bascules lifting around 1,000 times a year.

Code: U122	Originally known as the Millennium Wheel, the London Eye opened in March 2000, quickly gaining iconic landmark status as the UK’s most visited paid-for tourist attraction. An astonishing feat of design and engineering, the Eye’s capsules can carry around 800 passengers per revolution, offering them the opportunity to see the city from above, with breathtaking vistas of up to 40 kilometres (25 miles) in all directions on a clear day.

Code: U123	Mysterious, spooky and shrouded in fog, this London walkway can’t help but evoke visions of a bygone era. From the novels of Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of Sherlock Holmes, to Bram Stoker’s depiction of Dracula hanging out in Highgate Cemetery, London has often been at the centre of classic fiction – almost as a character in its own right. This is a city that is alive with ghostly legends, and when night falls, the more macabre moments of the city’s past spring to mind, such as the murders by Jack the Ripper. The infamous perpetrator of 11 murders was never caught, and remains an elusive figure of speculation to this day. Walking down the cobbled streets and alleyways of London on a foggy, quiet night, you might well imagine yourself transported back in time.

Code: U124	The BT Tower was built in 1963, commissioned by the General Post Office primarily to transmit high-frequency radio waves, to carry telecommunications traffic from London to the rest of the country. Weirdly, the building was officially a secret until the mid-1990s when, in what must have been an astounding revelation, it was referred to by Kate Hoey MP with these words: ‘Hon. Members have given examples of seemingly trivial information that remains officially secret. An example that has not been mentioned, but which is so trivial that it is worth mentioning, is the absence of the British Telecom tower from Ordnance Survey maps. I hope that I am covered by parliamentary privilege when I reveal that the British Telecom Tower does exist and that its address is 60 Cleveland Street, London.’ Today, the tower continues to be a major UK communications hub – and also a star of literature, television and film. With appearances in the BBC’s adaptation of The Day of the Triffids, Doctor Who, Alan Moore’s graphic novel, V for Vendetta, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Bourne Ultimatum movie, the tower is a modern cultural icon.

Code: U125	An endangered species nowadays, with most people having mobile phones, the red phone box is nevertheless fondly regarded and comfortably familiar – a design classic, intrinsically linked with our nation’s identity. Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the style that we all know is actually the sixth version of the phone box – known as K6 (Kiosk 6). It made its debut in 1921 and at the height of its reign there were around 75,000 kiosks on the streets of Great Britain. In the 1960s, the high cost of maintenance led to the commissioning of a more accessible, and arguably more boring-looking, type of phone box. These dominated until a campaign in the 1990s persuaded BT to renovate and even reinstall some of the old K6s, in the name of conservation. For many, the red K6 phone box is simply irreplaceable.

Code: U126	Located on the south bank of the River Thames, this decommissioned coal-fired power station was built in two stages, the first in the 1930s and the second in the 1950s. Giles Gilbert Scott, the man responsible for designing the traditional red phone box, was also instrumental in the design of the station. It had controversial beginnings: its cutting-edge design caused uproar among Londoners who declared it an eyesore and who were also worried about the ensuing pollution. Over the past 50 years, however, the station – the largest brick building in Europe and famed for its lavish Art Deco interiors – has become one of the best-loved landmarks in London. Its celebrity has been boosted by its image adorning the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals and appearances in the sci-fi series Doctor Who, as well as The Beatles’ film Help! and Alfred Hitchcock’s Sabotage. More recently, the station was used as a filming location for the Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

Code: U127	Originally built in 1615, and situated on the south bank of the Thames near the Globe Theatre and between London Bridge and the Tate Modern, this atmospheric public house has a lively history. One regular was Samuel Johnson, the lexicographer and writer, who reportedly wrote part of his dictionary here. It is also believed that this is the ‘little alehouse on bankside’ described by the diarist, Samuel Pepys, as the place where he sat and ‘watched the fire grow’ – the fire being the Great Fire of London in 1666. Yet another fire devastated the area in 1676 and the pub was rebuilt, with further additions over the centuries creating a maze of rooms with low-beamed ceilings and a great ambiance.

Code: U128	The O₂ has its origins in the ill-fated Millennium Dome. Politically controversial, the dome featured an exhibition celebrating the third millennium. Despite the hype, it failed to attract the anticipated numbers of visitors and, after seemingly endless financial problems, the original exhibition was disbanded and demolished. The dome, however, arose phoenix-like from the ashes to become the key component of The O₂ – a state-of-the art venue primarily used for live music, and the joint-largest indoor arena in Europe.

Code: U129	London, quite literally, lights up to celebrate the Christmas festival with an astounding array of decorations chasing away the gloom of bleak winter months. Oxford Street and Regent Street are worth heading to for sheer extravagance and, unsurprisingly, swinging Carnaby Street always delights with what is often the most distinctive display in London. This is a magical time to visit the capital city with never-ending shopping opportunities, tempting Christmas markets and fairs, open-air ice rinks and all sorts of suitably festive events, from ballet performances of The Nutcracker to fun-filled pantomimes.

Code: U130	There’s no doubt that London is truly multicultural, but it is not just diverse in terms of the species Homo sapiens! We are not the only animal to have adapted to city life, as the resident red foxes, grey squirrels and peregrine falcons (at the Tate Modern Gallery) prove. It’s a misconception that a bustling urban metropolis can’t live side by side with the natural world. London is actually a very green city – with one-third of the capital made up of open or green space. The River Thames is an obvious haven for a variety of wildlife, as are the royal parks and the reserves offered by The London Wildlife Trust and The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

Life is Sweet \| Viva La Diva \| Wild at Heart \| Where on Earth The Good Life \| London Calling International Animal Rescue \| British Divers Marine Life Rescue \| Surfers Against Sewage \| Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust \| Woodland Trust Cards with Stories to Tell \| Timeless Treasures \| Nearer to Nature \| Barnaby's Bugs \| Designed by Nature Celtic Cornwall \| Celtic Ireland \| Celtic Scotland \| Celtic Wales