Marienbad Chimney Sweep

One of my favourite black and white foreign films is "L'Année dernière à Marienbad." I confess I fall more in line with those who find the film pretentious and even incomprehensible but it stars a young Delphine Seyrig. What's not to like?

It is a gorgeous film - beautifully shot and it does justice to the famous resort, to the classic gardens and to Seyrig. She went on to work with many famous directors such as François Truffaut and Luis Buñuel. Sadly, she was only 58-years-old when she died in Paris in 1990.

The Marienbad Restaurant in downtown London takes its name from the Czech spa made world famous for many by the award winning film.

Standing on the Marienbad chimney, high above the street, is an iron sculpture of a chimney sweep wearing the traditional top hat. The art work is by Jerry Vrabec who was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia and apprenticed in the Czech capitol.

Vrabec's work appears in a number of locations in downtown London. In the windows of Garlic's on Richmond Street, at Bloomers in the Covent Garden Market and of course the chimney sweep above the Marienbad. (This links to some views of the restaurant - inside and out.)