C.S. Lewis’s 50th – A Fireside View – Part 1

This blog is going to be something of a departure for me. Today I am going to launch a few posts for a specific circle of people – friends and family who for a variety of reasons were not able to attend the events in London, Oxford and Cambridge commemorating C.S. Lewis’s Memorial in Poets’ Corner.

This blog is especially dedicated to:

Carolyn Curtis, Devin Brown, Sheila Swartz, Mary Mueller, Mary Tabb, Dianne Mosely, Jill Fort, Mary Key, Kirk Manton, Rebekah Choat, and Richard Platt; with a special nod to Lynn Severance, Sierra Glyer, Lanier Ivester, and Lael Arrington. And I will say for the record  – Pahtyana, Clinton, Elly and Jolie Moore, and Jordanna James – that I missed you in a distinct way and would have loved to have had you there with us seeing all this wonder.

However, even if I missed your name, if you love Lewis and wanted to go, this series is for you. Pull up your chair. Close your eyes for a moment. Rest your heart. Imagine that you are sitting with me in my office looking at a slide show of my favourite images from this trip. Here’s what it looked like through my eyes. This is your heritage, too.

Entering London. Day 1 and 2. 

Richard Coeur de Lion / Richard the Lion-hearted statue

in front of the Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament, late afternoon.

The Parliament Building.

An allee of lights up to the Parliament building.

The London Eye as seen from part of St. James Park

Traffic near St. James Park.

St. James Park swan. Sigh.

Window box garden over Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey.

Architectural Details – Arches and Lamp

Magnificent Gothic Door at Westminster Abbey.

The front view of St. Margaret’s.

Sign for the Sanctuary House Hotel.

If you ever need to stay in London near the Abbey, this is a lovely place to rest your head. The staff at the Sanctuary House Hotel are the kindest, most attentive I have ever met. Anywhere. Thank you, Carolyn, for letting us take your room over when you could not be here. I was conscious of your absence every day and missed you.

Fuller’s is the restaurant for Sanctuary House Hotel.

We had many meetings there and some lovely breakfasts.

Westminster Abbey looking like a castle.

My first view of Big Ben!

London, like so many cities in England, is replete with sculpture and beautiful architectural embellishment. I felt overwhelmed with the poverty of America in terms of our urban landscapes and environment of history.

This beautiful figure of a woman is carved into enduring stone – an ever-faithful witness and pilgrim.

London Frieze Detail

Lamps are everywhere and in a beautiful array of styles. It is not remotely difficult to see where Lewis might have drawn on that image for the lamp springing up in Narnia. You all will be seeing this image as well as many others used as e-cards and quotes.

Inspiration is everywhere!

All this set the stage and backdrop for the events of Thursday through Saturday, in London, Oxford and Cambridge.

Much more to come – so stay tuned!

Click here for Part 2 in this series.

Click here for Part 3 of this series.

Click here for Part 4 – Tea at the Kilns. 

The images featured here are by me, Lancia E. Smith, and used with my permission for Cultivating. 

Many blessings to you and yours!

Lancia E. Smith

Lancia E. Smith is an author, photographer, business owner, and publisher. She is the founder and publisher of Cultivating Oaks Press, LLC, and the Executive Director of The Cultivating Project, the fellowship who create content for Cultivating Magazine. She has been honoured to serve in executive management, church leadership, school boards, and Art & Faith organizations over 35 years.

Now empty nesters, Lancia & her husband Peter make their home in the Black Forest of Colorado, keeping company with 200 Ponderosa Pine trees,  a herd of mule deer, an ever expanding library, and two beautiful black cats. Lancia loves land reclamation, website and print design, beautiful typography, road trips, being read aloud to by Peter, and cherishes the works of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and George MacDonald. She lives with daily wonder of the mercies of the Triune God and constant gratitude for the beloved company of Cultivators.

thecultivatingproject.com/