Arts and Culture
Hidden in the beautiful, undulating countryside of Surrey, south of London much of it ruined, though, by the hideousness of post–Great War suburbia is the Watts Gallery, a museum devoted to the work of the Victorian painter George Frederic Watts, once known (it is impossible to suppress a smile) as England’s Michelangelo. Watts (1817–1904) was the son of an impoverished but ambitious piano tuner, and he owed his rapid ascent up the social scale to the swift recognition of his talents by people in the upper reaches of society. Though somewhat lacking in humor, he was charming and good company. When, as a very young man, he went to Italy to study at the font of Western art, the British ambassador to the Duchy of Florence, Lord Holland, and his wife were so taken with him that they asked him to stay. “We have plenty of room,” said Lady Holland, which was no more than the truth: their residence had 100 rooms. He stayed for years.
Right up our alley! From the street that inspired Harry Potter to a home for a king s mistress, London s alleyways harbour a sensational secret history of the capital
Goodwin s Court in Covent Garden is rumoured to have inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films
Angel Place in Borough touched sides with notorious Marshalsea prison where Charles Dickens s father went
Pickering Place in St James s leads to the smallest public square in London - the site of the last duel in capital