A Bedouin Tent in West London

The Roman Catholic Church of Saint Mary Magdalen is down a long lane near the railway tracks in the London suburb of Mortlake. Built in 1846, it served a community of mostly Irish immigrants fleeing starvation and poverty in their homeland. There are a number of interesting graves in the churchyard, including John Bentley, the architect of Westminster Cathedral, and the Prince of Paris, Pretender to the throne of France.

The gravestones and monument are dwarfed by one surprising feature - a large tomb in the shape of an Arab tent - the last resting place of Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRCS (1821-1890) and his wife Isabel Arundell (1831-1896). Burton was an explorer, scholar, diplomat, soldier, linguist, poet and orientalist. Among his many achievements were: travelling in Arabia to Mecca, a city closed to all except Muslims, and making the Hajj disguised as a Muslim. He explored in Africa with Speke, investigating the great lakes area: Tanganiyka, Victoria, and Albert, partly hoping to find the source of the Nile.

His military career was in the army of the East India Company, and later, in the Crimean War.

Burton was an early anti-imperialist who wrote against colonial policy publicly and privately, a position which probably damaged his diplomatic career.

He was a prolific author, best known for his translations of erotic classics such as the Kama Sutra and the Book of a Thousand and One Nights and The Perfumed Garden. He also published on his travels in equatorial Africa, on swords and swordsmanship, and on his travels in Arabia.

He died on his last diplomatic posting, in Trieste. His distraught wife who had followed him on many of his travels to hostile and unhealthy climates built the remarkable mausoleum to house him, and eventually, herself.

The tomb is a square stone tent, carved to show the folds and drapes of the original it is modelled on. Inside are the two coffins, and, in keeping with the bedouin tent theme, strings of camel bells and hanging glass lanterns. At the rear of the tomb is a short ladder leading up to a viewing window.

There are two stone plaques on one side. The first is a simple memorial with the names and dates of Burton and Isabel. The second is a valedictory poem by Justin Huntley McCarthy, describing in a rather overwrought fashion, the loss to the world.

“Oh last and noblest of the errant knights,

The English Soldier or the Arab Sheik”

may well be one of the best descriptions of the turbulent and divided nature of Richard Burton.

The tomb of Richard and Isabel BurtonInside the tomb

The Churchyard 

Falkiner Fine Paper

Located in the heart of Bloomsbury, Falkiner Fine Paper has a huge range of paper and bookbinding products, including blank journals and albums for covering. The main shop on the ground floor has decorative papers, pens, and the main paper store, along with an original range of gifts items like leather-bound diaries and notebooks, and storage boxes covered in decorative papers from their extensive stock. Downstairs is the more technical range, including tools, cutting boards, glues, dyes and blank books and albums.

They also stock sketch books, fine leathers, inks, quills and pens, and every type of paper imaginable from humble blank newsprint to exquisite Japanese Chiyogami with real gold accents. Whether you are looking for a beautiful and unusual gift wrapping, or a gilding press, Falkiners will have it in stock, or they will order it for you. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable and can advise on the correct equipment or material. You don’t have to be a master bookbinder or a calligrapher to shop at Falkiners, anyone who loves paper, books, cards and all things stationery, will enjoy poking around this lovely old shop.

Falkiners is part of the Shepherd’s Group, a family-owned firm which includes the traditional bindery, Sangorski and Sutcliffe, and the shop is in the process of changing name to Shepherd’s Bookbinders Ltd.

They also have a great website which not only offers the vast range found in the bricks and mortar shop, there is also information on their conservation and bookbinding services, with photographs of fine bindings.

Have a look at this short tutorial on how to make a book - fascinating!

Falkiner Fine Paper

76 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4AR

020 7831 1151

The Horniman Museum

One of my first major discoveries in London. The Horniman Museum is one of the most eclectic and strangest museums in London - and this is a fairly crowded field!

The Museum was built by a wealthy tea merchant, John Horniman, and opened its doors in 1901. The building is in the Arts and Crafts style and has a large garden attached. With typical Quaker philanthropy, Horniman dedicated the museum and gardens free to the people of London.

Is there any other museum where you can move from a collection of stuffed animals to a large statue of the Hindu goddess Kali, then on to some live rare fish, and a collection of baroque viols? Or perhaps an authentic Navaho sand painting? Have you ever seen the masterpieces of bronze casting from Benin metalsmiths? If you’re not completely exhausted at this point, you can sit in the beautiful Victorian conservatory and listen to some live jazz while drinking a cup of tea. That’s pretty close to my definition of a perfect Saturday afternoon.