IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Holland Park Road, LONDON, W14 8LZ

(Excerpt from website) Leighton House Museum is the former home of the Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896). The only purpose-built studio-house open to the public in the United Kingdom, it is one of the most remarkable buildings of the nineteenth century, containing a fascinating collection of paintings and sculpture by Leighton and his contemporaries. https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/museums/leightonhousemuseum1.aspx

The former home and studio of the nineteenth century painter Lord Leighton, hosting, at the time of this photograph, an exhibition of rarely seen paintings loaned by their owner, an extremely wealthy Mexican businessman.

As seen at Leighton House Museum: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/leighton-house "Leighton produced three sculptures for exhibition, of which this was the last. The subject is a young girl surprised by a toad, who sits alongside her feet. Leighton has shown the girl in the action of recoiling: her nude body gracefully bending away from the creature in an elegant arch as she peers down at her feet. The model for the figure was Lena Dene, who was the younger sister of actress, Dorothy Dene who modelled for Leighton on many occasions." Date: modelled 1886, cast 19th century

In Holland Park Road, he's also got a blue plaque dedicated to him.

The garden at the rear of the Leighton House Museum. The garden is now mainly grass - presumably when Lord Leighton lived in the house there would have been flower beds where there is now grass.

Designed by George Aitchison (1825-1910) who was President of the RIBA 1896-99. The house dates from 1864 but Aitchison continued to modify and extend it, in accordance with his client's wishes, until 1881. Recently restored by Purcell Miller Tritton.

View from the rear garden. The large area of glazing in the centre illuminates Leighton's studio. Leighton (1830-1896) was one of the Victorian era's most famous - and busiest - artists.

Route 9 is reinforced over a central part of its route - Kensington High Street to Trafalgar Square - by 'heritage' Routemasters. These two are waiting to start their eastbound stint. There were three here, but the middle one pulled away as I approached. The buses are RM1735 and RM1913.

Despite being officially banned by Ken Livingstone in 2005, two routes were retained in the interests of tourism, the 9 here which runs from this point to Aldwych, and the 15 from Trafalgar Square to Tower Hill on a shortened route.