So, to get back to that bird....

So to get back to the little bird in my last post.  Many people guessed a bird of prey, some a kestrel, and Graham got into the whole puzzle, realising that the bird was very unusual. It's one of the rarest birds in the world, a Mauritius Kestrel.   It lives only in a few small areas of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, and catches its prey by darting through the forest at high speeds - rather like an English sparrowhawk. 

My project will involve the Mauritius kestrel, and as part of this I went to Wales last week and interviewed an eminent biologist. I loved the trip. I didn't just hear his views but he also showed me his remarkable home. Among other large birds, he owns two gigantic Andean Condors, with wingspans of around 9 feet.  He's built them a vast aviary outside, and I wish I could show you some photos that do them justice, but unfortunately it was almost sunset, and my photos are all terrible. They sort of reminded me of 19th century clerics, with the smooth,  matt black jackets, flowing white tailfeathers like robes, and pure white collars.  

His house was crammed with thousands of specimens and books, a wonderland for anyone fascinated by the natural world.  You must imagine my favourite specimens - the three stuffed giant tortoises who took up a large part of his office. They died of old age and since tortoises live for ages, they might have met Charles Darwin. What a pity they wouldn't have realised who he was.

The stuffed Mauritius kestrel in my photo is in the Tring Natural History museum, unexpectedly situated in a small town in Hertfordshire, outside London.  This view conveys the Victorian atmosphere of the place.

This was originally the private museum of Walter Rothschild (of the famous banking family), and his mum and dad gave him the museum as a birthday present. (I love that idea.  Birthday gift ideas for the billionaires in your life....) 

Walter was a passionate, and decidedly eccentric naturalist and collector of stuffed animals, and after his death he left his magnificent collection to the nation on condition that it became an offshoot of the main Natural History Museum in London.  It now houses their collection of stuffed birds, which includes some spectacular specimens. The iridiscent-feathered ocellated turkey looks as if it's in fancy dress, doesn't it? Or at least I can see it strutting around at one of those decadent  parties rich folk had in the 1930s.  

  

The aptly named ruffs, a type of sandpiper,  have an extraordinary mating display.

So, I have been thinking about birds a lot, and will tell you more about the project as it develops. Right now, I'm having a job just keeping on top of the paperwork.  And we've had houseguests for three days, which was a welcome diversion. 

 I know some of you read Jeanie's blog The Marmelade Gypsy - if not, do take a look.  I've followed and corresponded with Jeanie for years and, when she and her partner Rick were visiting London, we had them here for a few nights and took them to see places we thought they might like.  One was Gunnersbury Park. I visited a year ago and wrote about it here, but now the restorations are complete and the park's Large Mansion (which by coincidence, also belonged to the Rothschilds) was open for business - well, not business, since it is completely free.   It serves as the local museum and is hired out for private events. What a space to decorate for your own reception!

Chandeliers....

I was blown away by a fireplace which features glass columns; something I've never seen before in a fireplace. Have you? 

Here is a close up.  Imagine the firelight glittering in the glass.

The costume room of the museum contains some dressing up outfits. I'll spare you T., me and Rick in our hats, but Jeanie looked great in hers.

The only let down in the park was the restaurant, which looks nice but was disorganised and had run out of sandwiches!  But bring your own food and don't let it put you off visiting Gunnersbury.

We also went to the Musical Museum at Brentford, a collection of mechanical musical instruments from 1830s musical boxes to the modern day, all of which they will play for you.  It's fun to hear the juke boxes, orchestrions, pianolas, polyphons and even the splendid reproducing piano, which copied tempo and touch accurately but was "minded" by a human player who interpreted the recorded music.

Few people have heard of reproducing pianos, so I looked for one on Youtube. I found a video from at least 25 years ago, taken in the days when the museum's instruments were housed in an atmospheric abandoned church. (The collection is now in a new purpose built museum)

This video interested me, because I knew Frank Holland, the museum's founder, and visited him in this very church a couple of times. He lived in the vestry, in truly Gothic discomfort, but he was delighted to be surrounded by his instruments,  nearly all of which he had rescued from destruction, and cherished almost as if they were his own family.  I still remember him coaxing them into life as if they were shy kids.  You might be able to get an impression of what it was like there in those days from the video, with the instruments all grouped around as if part of the audience!

The museum runs lots of events, many of them featuring its Mighty Wurlitzer . The great Chris Barber explained the instrument and played for about fifteen minutes. I learned that the illuminated panels (which change colour) around the console are a particularly British thing- American Wurlitzers don't have them.

I am not a huge fan of the cinema organ or of its repertoire, but I really admired Chris's skill, and I think this would be an appropriate way to close this post - so here you are!