In service for the sailor

The Mission at 747 Commercial Road, Limehouse. Built for surviving sailors from the Great War, its facade is the most dramatic thing on the A13. I sat on one of the large red granite rocks grouped on the traffic island in front, next to an extremely large anchor. On a bright day with a flask of tea and my sunglasses, it was almost like being on the beach.

In service for the sailor

Let's Draw Blackheath - Saturday 5th September

Hello everyone - here are the details for Saturday's coming sketchcrawl.

Blackheath in London

 The Start

Meet 11.30am - in the car park next to Blackheath Railway Station.

For most people, the train or car will be the best way to arrive into Blackheath, so this seems the easiest meeting spot - it's not normally too busy, but just look for the people clutching sketchbooks.
If you're coming from Central London then it will be immediately adjacent to the platform you alight from. If coming in from further South, then you'll have to go up the stairs to cross over.

What with the bank holiday weekend just gone, I'm sure I don't have to remind you to bring an umbrella, but still, this being England, it's good to expect the worst. It might be rainy, it'll probably be cold and a bit windy.

Blackheath tends to get lumped in with Greenwich because they're so close, but there's actually plenty to explore by itself. However, for those who haven't already seen it, it would be worth the walk over to Greenwich Park on the other side of the heath, for the city skyline view from the Royal Observatory, simply because it is magnificent, and if you're an animal lover, there's also the deer park.

If the weather proves too much, there's plenty of coffee shops, pubs and tea rooms to sit in and sketch some people or interiors.

Braving the elements there's the heath, with lots of interesting views, kite flying, and the dramatic solitary presence of All Saints Church. I also hope to show you some of the less obvious sights, including a few impressive vistas and intriguing architecture hidden down some of the side roads in the area.

Lunch

Lunchbreak will be at the Princess of Wales, overlooking the Heath, at 1.30pm. Family friendly and spacious, with a decent pub food menu, however don't feel obliged to eat lunch here; if you prefer you can find somewhere else or bring your own  to eat on the heath should it be sunny enough, this is merely a gathering point for those of you who want to, with outside and indoor options.

The End

We will end outside All Saints Church at 4pm,  for a chance to show sketches, catch up and take some photos.

As always, the event is FREE and open to all, don't forget your pencils!

Look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Let's Draw Blackheath - Saturday 5th September