Admiralty House saga, chapter 2

London

Monday 15/08/2011

I made a determined effort to find Admiralty house and see the “Australian” Westall paintings today, and to visit the National Gallery and Portrait Gallery if possible. I deliberately travelled by bus (overland) to see more of the city, despite the ease and convenience of the Underground. The connectivity and scheduling of the Bus system is not as integrated as the Underground, some buses and bus-lines appear to be missing when you use the on-line Web timetables; i.e., you get to the Stop but there is no bus nor a posted time-table for that bus. It seems there is a “virtual London bus world” on-line that does not quite map the real world. With more time it would be interesting to explore (despite the over-crowding) but with only two days left I reverted to the Underground to get me home.

I went back to Whitehall and this time asked “silly” questions of security people and doormen. I found the old Admiralty Buildings (signposted as such) and was directed to the “building next door to Admiralty House”, Number 22 not Number 26. In 22 there was a full security set-up with front-desk, guards, and a walk-through metal detector. They directed me next-door to the “black gate” that led into the court-yard of Admiralty House (which I could see through the bars, and, although not obvious from the street, was as in the photographs on the web). I had finally found it but the gate-guards would not let me in. They sent me back “next door” to talk to the security people, who said no! Admiralty House is a working MoD facility and does not allow tourists; no entry without official permission and escort. Close but no brass ring.

When I got back to my flat that evening I found an email from the MoD Art curator, Ms Charlotte Henwood, saying that there were renovations being carried out at Admiralty House and it would not be possible to view the paintings in any case.

Given “no entry” to Admiralty House I moved on to a tour of the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, which took up the rest of the day.