All Elephants come home to roost

Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3

Ranelagh Gardesn

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All elephants are for sale: this is a publicity stunt kind of "adopt an elephant" sound bite. It is initiated by a charity involved in wild life conservation and the idea is that the money received from selling these elephants will go to a good cause.

Before they were gathered here, in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea (seen in the background) these cast and highly decorated sculptures were dotted around central London with a "for sale" sign and the aim of the Charity. Now that they gathered here marks probably the grand finale of a several weeks long campaign.

The obelisk seen in some of these photos is a memorial erected to the British soldiers who fell in the Second Sikh war. Most of the names are irish and the long roll call reads like the list from an Irish parish graveyard. The great Koh-I-Noor gemstone now displayed in the British Crown was "gifted" to Queen Victoria by the (defeated) leader of the Sikhs who was recognis3ed as a "Prince of the Realm" and enjoyed the full honours of the Court.

Chelsea Physic Garden

London SW3

London Chelsea SW3

Chelsea Physic Garden

London SW3

London SW3 - Chelsea Physic Garden

Chelsea London SW3

Thames Embankment

Promenades & Streetscapes

Chelsea Physic Garden

London SW3

Burial Ground Royal Hospital Chelsea SW3

Both sides of a carving by Jacob Epstein on a site which was originally Sir Thomas More's orchard.

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London SW3 Chelsea

Sir John Soane architect

London SW3 - Chelsea Physic Garden

London SW3, Chelsea,

Promenades and streetscapes

London SW3, Chelsea,

Promenades & Streetscapes

Chrlsea Physic Garden

London SW3

Promenades: River Thames from the Chelsea Embankment & Chelsea Bridge

London SW3 - Chelsea Physic Garden

Royal Hospital Chelsea

London SW3

London SW3 - Chelsea Physic Garden

The Clock House, Norman Shaw 1880

Chelsea London SW3

Promenades & Streetscapes

The Ranelagh Gardens

Chelsea Royal Hospital

London SW3

London promenades,

Chelsea, SW3,

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Chelsea SW3

"Pont Street Dutch"

Embankment SW3

&

North Pimlico SW1 - City of Westminster

The Duke of Westminster Estate

Promenades & Streetscapes

promenades & streetscapes

Victorian architecture

Cadogan estate

London SW1 - SW3

London SW3, Chelsea,

promenades and streetscapes

Chelsea,

London SW3,

Prromenades & Streetscapes

Promenades & Streetscapes

Chelsea, London SW3

London SW3 - Chelsea Physic Garden

London SW3 - Chelsea Physic Garden

Although I like the black and white version of this, I prefer the colours in the scene.

Chelsea, London SW3, SW10

Promenades & Streetscapes

Chelsea Physic Garden,

London SW3

Chelsea

Royal Hospital Army Museum

Royal Hospital Road,

Chelsea SW3

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There are actually two separate museums - the one seen here is within the precincts of the Royal Chelsea Hospital itself , it is quite small and is limited to only three rooms, on of which displaying only medals and badges. It also reflects the history of the Hospital founded by Charles II and whose patron is HM the Queen.

Not to be confused to the other museum is called the "National Army Museum", which is separate from the perimeter but adjacent to the Royal Hospital. This is situated in a modern extensive building and covers the military history from the earliest times to the present.

London SW3, Chelsea,

Promenades &Streetscapes

London SW3 Chelsea

Promenades & Streetsapes

Chelsea SW3

"Pont Street Dutch"

Christchurch parish,

Chelsea SW3

This sunny autumn path leads on to Hampstead heath just a ten minute walk from my place last year in november this path was covered in snow that was an early winter. A country of four seasons each one has its own character I have no favourites but I must admit autumn has the edge on colour.

Chelsea SW3

25 Cheyne Place apartment block, Chelsea SW3, London.

London SW3, Chelsea,

Promenades and streetscapes

London SW3 promenades & Streetscapes,

Chelsea Physic Garden in winter

&

Chelsea stroll

Draycott Avenue, SW3

Part of my Bleeding London portfolio. For details of project, see London section of RPS website here: www.rps.org/regions-and-chapters/regions/london/blogs/201...

Chelsea Physic Garden

London SW3

July 2010