Flânerie in London

My journey of learning how to be a “flâneur” or a “flâneuse” to use the correct French feminine noun, didn’t end on the rooftop garden of the Hermès building on rue de Fauborg Saint–Honoré but carried on into my own city.  I’ll readily admit that there are layers upon layers of London that I’ve never had the chance to discover or know about.  And it so it seems pertinent that Hermès decided to carry on their celebration of the flâneur in lieu of their Wanderland exhibition opening at the Saatchi Gallery, by gathering up a esteemed group of luminary Londoners, a ton of character actors and blue jacketed-guides as well as a global group of journalists to organise what has to be the most complex orchestration of flânerie walks in London.  

Yesterday over 250 journalists were split up into eleven groups and dropped off at various parts of London to be guided by the likes of chef Giorgio Locatelli, Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes and blogger behind The Gentle Author.  They were the knowledgeable gatekeepers to take us through the hidden spots and stories embedded into the higgelty piggelty make-up of this great city, that are currently under threat from what is a damaging process of rising rents, unimaginative skyscraper developments and takeovers from faceless chains.  For non-Londoners they might have thought they were seeing a quintessential London.  For Londoners like myself there was something bittersweet about peering inside gems like the K.C. Continential store on Caledonia Road knowing that in a few years time, independent store owners like Leo Giordani will find it difficult to make things work in what is seen to be real estate gold.  It was a prescient opportunity to a) appreciate how gloriously idiosyncratic and storied this city can be and b) how important it is that these facets are retained, protected.  Madame Jojo’s could easily have been a part of Rhodes’ tour of Soho (the lucky group that went with him got to record an album in the infamous Dean Street studios) but sadly that’s no longer a reality.  

The preserved warehouse buildings of Goods Way contrasted with newly planted greenery

Bill Cunningham-esque jacketed stewards at St Pancras station ensuring journalists met their right guides 

Alexandra Golovanoff holding the map of our day of flânerie in King’s Cross

But as my particular flanerie walk in Kings Cross revealed, when regeneration is done well in London, it can be exciting.  Our meeting place was the platform of St. Pancras station where Sir John Betjeman’s sculpture of The Lovers looms over us.  Led by the legendary photographer Liz Collins, who curated our day of flanerie, we pick up the essentials – map, brolly and water – and venture up into the clock tower of the beautifully restored St. Pancras Renaissance hotel – formerly the Midland Grand Hotel and St. Pancras Chambers.  I used to love the contrast between the grotty bit of Euston Road and looking up to see this imposing sweep of red-bricked revivalist Gothic architecture.  Now of course Kings Cross is the very opposite of grotty thanks to a decade’s worth of redevelopment that has now resulting in a slew of addresses and postcode – N1C – that didn’t even exist ten years ago.

Mary Poppins greeted us at Jacques Rival’s IFO (Identified Flying Object) cage at Battle Bridge Place and told us to run along up King’s Boulevard – spit spot.  It’s a walk that I’m more than familiar with having frequented Central Saint Martins‘ not-so-new new campus on Granary Square.  Its move in 2011 from the Charing Cross site seems like an age ago as the number of dissenting voices have now been well and truly hushed in admiration for what is a monumental learning environment for students of CSM.  Nostalgia for Charing Cross might reign on in some quarters but it’s hard to deny the accessibility of the college now with its warehouse space, ground fountains and a buzzy street food scene spilling out in front.

I was resigned to the fact that I knew this area like the back of my hand and that I wasn’t going to discover anything, until I got pointed in the direction of the House of Illustration, which only opened last summer.  Tucked at the side and slightly obscured by the ongoing building work of this area is a permanent homage to illustrators worldwide.  At the moment it’s exhibiting the work of New York ad illustrating king Mac Connor.

A very convincing Eliza Doolittle assured us that horse and carriage would be on its way, whilst handing out bunches of lavender and camomile flowers.

It wouldn’t be an Hermès journey without this mode of transport which the French house is indebted to.  Two carriages took us down the road to yet another hidden spot, which I hadn’t been to.  Overlooked by glass and steel office buildings and railway lines is Camley Street Natural Park.  Small but perfectly formed, it is a tranquil little spot by the canal where you’re still reminded that this area is full of industry and in-progress work as you see and hear builders and cranes everywhere.

The rest of the notable spots on our flânerie tour were again both familiar and unfamiliar.  The Henry Moore’s sculpture ‘Large Spindle Piece’ in front of Kings Cross Station is a frequented spot but it was a treat to see architect John Pawson’s office by the Guardian/Observer building up on York Way.  I had also never peered into Keystone Crescent, supposedly the inspiration behind Cherry Tree Lane in the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers.

‘Large Spindle Piece’ by Henry Moore 

Inside the office of architect John Pawson

The curve of Keystone Crescent

Old signage on K.C. Continental Stores on Caledonia Road

Our last stop was Big Sky studios, where we met back up with Collins, who very magnanimously took our portraits.  May I run around in black and white with perfect lighting hitting the angles on my face – all the time please?  We also meet Phyllis Broadbent, the Pearly Queen of Islington who’s a true class act of a lady.  She’s been a pearly forever and is part of a charitable tradition of the working class that is slowly dying out.  Mary Poppins and Eliza Doolitle may be fictional but people like Phyllis are real and ought to be valued and celebrated.  She noted sadly that people often give her funny looks on the street when she’s walking around in her pearly queen ensembles.  Back in the day, people would doff their caps and say “Alright pearly?”

After lunch we zoomed down to the Saatchi Gallery where I got to finally see the Hermès Wanderland exhibition as I was away for the opening last week.  As all the journalist flâneurs began to culminate here after their adventures around town, we were greeted by a cacophony of characters that whilst are bygone oldies are always welcome goldies.  Loutish punks having their shoes polished, a Georgian pickpocket and a Victorian bobby policing the flow of tea and cakes were just some of the Londoners that popped up.  It was reminiscent of the sort of whimsicality that Hermès displayed when together we hosted a silk ball last year in Camden.  Whilst they’re serious about their craftsmanship and what they make as a house, on the other hand they’re not scared to turn up the theatrics and irreverence, when required.

Upstairs, the Wanderland exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery was alive and kicking and thousands of people have already flâneur-ed their way through what is an inimitable feat of set design, interactive display between Hermès objects as well as numerous treasures from the Émile Hermès collection, created by curator Bruno Gaudichon and set designer Hubert le Gall.  It was lovely to see certain pieces like the pheasant feathered umbrella pop up (or rather suspended) in a completely different context.  This is where you get to see a different side to the role of Menehould de Bazelaire, as director of the patrimony of culture at Hermès, as she picked out items to be used in the spectacularly themed exhibits such as the Cafe of Forgotten Objects, where little trinkets are illuminated and embedded into cafe tables or as part of a fantastical garde-robe wardrobe.  I especially loved the recreation of a Parisian passage with wittily executed shops that feature an elephant crashing through a china shop.  It was also as much an homage to the new as it was the old as technology was put to good use with a movement-sensitive installations where you’d hear the thoughts of passers-by on the street as you walked with their footsteps.  Topsy turvy, ambitiously magical and exceedingly well put together – no wonder visitors have been raving.  Oh, and errr…. it’s FREE!  Go, go go!

The physical souvenirs of my day of flânerie in London are precious – like the print of my portrait by Liz Collins (would hanging it up be odd?) – what’s even better is the impetus to see more in London and beyond.  I’m currently badgering Hermès for the maps of the other areas in London that were explored.   If walking around Kings Cross, an area I purportedly know well revealed some hidden spots then who knows what the likes of Chelsea or Mayfair might throw up.  Thanks to Hermès I’m now resolved to allow myself to wander more.

Hermès Wanderland exhibition open until the 2nd May at Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY.  Open 10am-6pm daily.  Free entrance.