Last summer, I received an email asking if I would like to be an Afternoon Tea Awards judge. I hope you can imagine my delight that knowing all my years of drinking tea and eating cake had been recognised. I, obviously, accepted immediately.

Why Me?

I began reviewing afternoon tea offerings when I started writing about London nearly twenty years ago. When I was pregnant it was a meal I could still enjoy with friends at a time that meant I didn’t have to stay up late for a dinner review. And it didn’t need alcohol so I could happily indulge my tea addiction with a clear head the next day.

In my days of reviewing the best meal of the day, I went to nearly all of the luxury afternoon teas in London. While many people get to enjoy the meal once, I was able to compare and consider what makes a really good afternoon tea. I spoke to pastry chefs, tea sommeliers and hotel owners and I learned from them all. Over time I was able to add afternoon tea knowledge as one of my ‘specialist subjects’ (along with free things to do in London and things to do with children in London).

Afternoon Tea Awards

The team behind the website afternoontea.co.uk organise the annual Afternoon Tea Awards. They too, realised that a booking for afternoon tea at a luxury London hotel gives diners the opportunity to enjoy the same service as guests who are staying but at a fraction of the cost. 

The Afternoon Tea Awards recognise the best in afternoon tea service and creativity. Receiving an award is prestigious and most venues list their awards on their menu.

There are winners for the best traditional afternoon tea and the best contemporary/themed afternoon tea, plus further accolades for Highly Commended and Commended.

Venues want feedback from ‘experts’ so as well as giving scores for the judging process, I needed to write comments that would help them improve (or to praise more if they were doing really well already).

What is Afternoon Tea?

Afternoon tea is a delicate meal generally consisting of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam/preserves, plus cakes. It is usual to eat it as three courses ending with the cakes/sweet treats. The classic afternoon tea presentation is on a three-tier cake stand with sandwiches at the bottom, scones in the middle and cakes on the top. The most common time for this meal is 3-5pm.

High tea is not the same as afternoon tea. High tea is a more hearty meal usually served later in the day. While both meals have cups of tea, high tea includes more substantive fare such as meat/fish and potatoes. 

The Judging Process

I bet you’re wondering how we decided which afternoon tea was best. What if the judge had a bad experience but most people enjoy the venue? The scoring criteria covered many categories and each venue was visited by more than one judge. All attend anonymously and the venue only knows at the end of the meal when the server is given a letter of authorisation to cover the payment. 

There are a lot of London afternoon tea venues so there was a team of independent judges. Some were food writers, some were pastry chefs or restaurant managers and others with the appropriate expertise to critique the meal. Each venue had a visit from a judge with a different specialism. We were looking for a quality meal but also for something that makes it memorable and stand out from the crowd.

While the food and drink are the focus of the judging, we also looked at the whole experience. If the food looks amazing and tastes great, but the venue is cold and there’s construction work in the next room then your overall opinion won’t be good. 

I was impressed to see the judging covered everything from arrival (first impressions of the venue before even entering, how the table looked when you were seated, etc) through the meal and even included the other hotel facilities used by diners (reception area, lavatories, etc). We also commented on the value for money without reflecting on the location. There is no reason a Knightsbridge afternoon tea should cost more just because it is near Harrods. But if it was an incredible meal in a wonderful venue with the best service you’ve ever had, then a high price tag is absolutely worth it.

It was a very detailed process so I couldn’t just note the table was set for the meal. I needed to consider the crockery, cutlery (often too big), the menu (clean, attractive, prices clear), the napkins, etc. A common problem for afternoon tea is the space available on the table. While for lunch or dinner, room for plates, cutlery and a glass are sufficient. For afternoon tea there needs to be room for all this plus a teacup and saucer, milk jug, sugar bowl, teapot – usually one per person – a cake stand or sometimes one each. It takes a sizeable table to accommodate it all.

This is a slow three-course meal so you need to be comfortable as you’ll be here for 1–2 hours. If you are at a dining table it needs to have seating that is both relaxing and suitable for the length of time you’ll be sitting down. A cushion is usually appreciated. Or you might be seated at a sofa and coffee table and, again, cushions are needed to ensure you can sit upright enough to eat and drink while still able to relax. 

The staff you meet also have a huge impact on your overall experience. From the Maître d’ at the door, the person who takes your coat, and the server/s you meet, all affect your visit. For me, I was looking for extra knowledge about the meal. If you are serving tea you need to know about brewing times and tasting recommendations. You need to know about the ingredients of the cake stand too. Saying it’s a coronation chicken sandwich might be understood by some diners but others won’t know what flavour to expect. 

Artistry

Pastry chefs care passionately about how afternoon tea looks. The top layer of the cake stand is usually full of mini works of art. 

A ball/dome ‘cake’ appeared on many cake stands as it is a skill to keep that sphere shape. It was rather like a mark of their ability that they wanted all to see. The drawback to this was that so many were offering the ‘ball cake’ that it stopped standing out as exceptional. Also, many glazed these balls in gelatine so, as a vegetarian, I couldn’t try them. (All venues were informed of dietary requirements well in advance at the time of reservation and at the booking confirmation.) I’m generally a bit wary when a cake looks too shiny as there’s likely to be gelatine involved. What was more concerning was the number of times I was told that a vegetarian could have fish. Once when I questioned this I was told no, it’s vegans who don’t eat fish. As someone who has been a vegetarian for nearly 40 years, I feel pretty confident about what I do and don’t eat.

Sometimes the focus on the beauty can make these delights hard to eat. They might be stuck to the cake stand which is fine for keeping the cake stand looking good but not for actually picking them up and eating. Or they might be shaped in a way that makes biting them a bit of a challenge too. The balance between eating with your eyes and eating with your actual mouth is not always simple. 

I would prefer it if all of the sweet treats could be picked up but there has been a trend towards mousse-like items this year that required a knife and fork to eat. Lately, pastry chefs have moved away from actual cake. And I really missed it. This was discussed on my Facebook Page and many felt the same. I’m all for improvements and progress but it does seem strange to remove a staple part of this special meal. It seems to be about showing off skills and not being “old fashioned”. But traditional is good for this meal. It’s what people want and expect. And cakes don’t melt under the restaurant lights in the way many of these sweet treats do.

Savoury Course

I saw many variations on the finger sandwiches. Some included mini brioche rolls and others used different bread to add colour and flavour. A mini quiche is quite common but I was surprised to receive a small buttered potato at one venue. 

Scones

I took a friend with me each time so I didn’t dine alone. All commented on how pernickety I am about a good scone. What may look like a simple baked item needs to be a certain way to please me. When you look at the scone, it needs to have an obvious ‘baking crease’ (line around the middle). When this is right, the scone can be magically pulled in half without needing to cut with a knife. If the bake is right, there won’t be any crumbs.

To me, it’s not so important whether the clotted cream is applied before the traditional strawberry preserve. But the cream should be thick and cold although not so cold it can’t be spread. 

Tea Selection

I mentioned earlier speaking to tea sommeliers. In the same way that a wine sommelier can make recommendations and explain more about the wine menu, a tea sommelier does that for the tea selection. Not all venues have someone in this role so it was a delight to meet a few of these experts who willingly shared their knowledge.

It was also good to often see a ‘signature tea’ on the menu which meant the venue had worked with their tea supplier to create a special blend. If it was a themed afternoon tea, it was important to see tea blends that continued that theme. I’m not drinking caffeine these days so I was interested in the decaf and herbal tisanes. (Don’t worry, I always took someone with me who could try the teas with caffeine.)

Time Limits

Time limits on tables rather detract from this relaxing experience. If afternoon tea is managed well, diners will have finished their meal within the table time limit without feeling rushed. I had one venue where the service was so behind that I had the restaurant manager and Maître d’ looking and pointing at my table during their panicked discussion about table management. That got included in my judging comments as it made us feel quite unwelcome and we were still waiting on the final course of the meal. There was another location when I got up and asked for the final course after waiting 15 minutes. And at another venue, where we were told about the table time limit and then didn’t see any food until an hour after arrival.

Many Venues

I judged fifteen London afternoon teas in three months. Some weeks were busier than others with one week having four venues that needed to be visited. It took me a while to realise I didn’t have to eat everything on the cake stand every time.

I had some exceptional afternoon teas – I hope I tried the winning ones – and I had some terrible meals too. The bad ones included filthy teapots and crockery as well as items that didn’t look or taste great. I also didn’t enjoy the banging about of tables being set for the dinner service all around us when we had only been there for an hour.

Some five star hotels surprised me by not being as good as I hoped and others amazed me by being truly marvellous. It was certainly clear that five star luxury is not the same at all establishments. 

My Perfect Afternoon Tea

I love the wonder of a proper tearoom, not a dining room, where drinking tea and eating from a cake stand is the only meal you’ll see. (You don’t want to smell burgers and chips in the same room.) I’m always thrilled when I meet staff who know about the meal and can share their knowledge. I want my couple of hours to feel like a pampering experience – give me afternoon tea over a spa visit any day.

I love a venue that has something unique whether that’s an amazing view, a fountain in the middle of the room or a peacock in the garden (I didn’t actually see that in London but it would be marvellous, wouldn’t it?) The music should be appropriate; a piano player is always a treat performing a combination of classics and contemporary tunes.

I like servers who have friendly confidence. I like the theatrics of having the contents of a three-tier cake stand described well as afternoon tea needs a sense of occasion. If I’m still telling friends about a meal a week later, I know that it’s been memorable. 

Small cutlery and pretty crockery make me happy. Plates should be changed between each course, if possible. You wouldn’t eat your dinner’s starter and main meal on the same plate so this shouldn’t be an issue. It’s all about the room’s staff anticipating needs. The best venues give you the opportunity to change your tea for each course and use the right amount of loose leaf tea in the pot.

Staff should ask if the diners are celebrating as, while it is nice chit-chat, it also gives them the opportunity to offer good wishes. They could even present a small birthday cake or celebration plate later in the meal.

While chocolate is great, I don’t want three chocolate sweet treats. Oh, and cake. After so many afternoon teas I miss cake. I’d like to see a mini Battenburg, Victoria slice, carrot cake or lemon drizzle cake. But actual – pick it up with your fingers and it holds its shape – cake. 

Winners?

The winners of the Afternoon Tea Awards will be announced March 27th, 2023.

The post I Was An Afternoon Tea Awards Judge appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Many National Trust properties have benefitted from remaining in the custody of one family, but Rainham Hall has had nearly 50 different occupants throughout its 300 years. It has been home to a diverse cast of characters from merchants to artists, the children of a day nursery, a young gentlemen’s finishing school, a society photographer, and a cycling scientist vicar. This does also mean the building does not have an indigenous collection of furniture or objects. But this elegant Georgian house has a diverse history and a peaceful community garden.

John Harle

Rainham Hall was built by John Harle (1688–1742) in 1729. John (and his five brothers) shipped coal to London from South Shields, a north-eastern coastal town on the mouth of the River Tyne. The South Shields area was particularly famous for shipping coal to London, which depended on the fuel. It’s thought that by 1700 about 500 collier ships – John’s father’s among them – were carrying nearly a million tons of coal to the capital every year.

While some ships were devoted to the coal run, the Harles began to concentrate on the Baltic trade and, later, the Mediterranean. By the 1720s, John Harle commanded the ship Mary, named after his wife, who he married in 1718. Along with his brothers Richard, captain of the Harle, and William, of the Mediterranean, they were taking cargoes from Lisbon, Leghorn, Messina, Venice, Zante, as well as Amsterdam and Hamburg, to Sweden and Russia. They carried wheat, salt, fish, wine, dried fruit, Russian leather, wax, and even caviar.

All shipments to London at the time had to go to the Pool of London, where it could take days to unload due to the river traffic congestion. John looked for an alternative location and chose Rainham (then) in Essex and now on the eastern fringe of Greater London. The land at Rainham is now all silted over, and there is no longer a port.

Rainham

Mary had been a wealthy widow, so it was with the help of her money that John bought Rainham Wharf. He had the River Ingrebourne dredged, allowing trading vessels to sail up the river from the Thames, unloading their goods at his wharf.

John acquired the land for the house in 1728 and moved into Rainham Hall in 1729. From his first floor rooms, Harle could see his ships moored at the quay he built. He embraced village life and was elected to Rainham’s parish council and attended the parish church next door.

There are no records of the Hall’s architect or builder, but it can be dated as a lead rainwater hopper shows ‘1729’. Harle’s Hall looks more like a London merchant’s townhouse than a country villa. The large entrance hall was used for public-facing events, and the smaller parlors to the side of the Hall were for family and close friends.

Look closely, and how many windows do you see on this side of the building? Five are actually false windows, and it’s not because of the window tax. This style of architecture is known for its symmetry, so the false windows simply balance out the true ones.

You can tell it’s a Queen Anne-style building because of the curved top to the windows compared to the straight-topped windows on the coach house (seen on the left in the photo below).

The house was partly built as a show home for the high-quality building supplies Harle imported. The central staircase is made of Honduran mahogany and Baltic pine. This was one of the first times mahogany had been used in a domestic building. Delft tiles decorate most of the room’s fireplaces and the Italian marble tiles you see today in the entrance hall is the original flooring. Interestingly, the columns of the classical portico entrance are not actually made of stone but are painted wood.

The intricate wrought-iron railings outside the house depict the intertwined initials of John Harle and his wife Mary (Tebbington). The quality of workmanship is remarkable, leading one guidebook to suggest that they were crafted by Jean Tijou, a blacksmith who is famous for the ironwork he designed at Hampton Court Palace.

When the Hall was built, the interior decoration comprised of five colors on the wall paneling; a blueish-grey, stone, blue, cool grey, and dark olive green. Many of the doors and much of the skirting was a reddish-brown.

Second Wife

Mary died in 1739, and John married his second wife, Sarah Gregory, soon after. Their only child, John junior, was born in 1740. Sadly, John (senior) died in 1742. He is buried in the family crypt inside Rainham Parish Church (next door to Rainham Hall). Left with a young son to care for, Sarah advertised Rainham Hall and Wharf to let in 1743. It seems she may have rented out the wharf but continued to live in the Hall. Her god-daughter, Sarah Green, and widowed sister, Jane Vincent, joined her there.

When Sarah Harle died in 1749, orphaned John junior was left in Jane’s care. Jane died in 1751, and it is thought that John then went to live with his uncle, Joshua Harle, a London grocer. Shortly after Jane’s death, the contents of Rainham Hall were auctioned (the Hall itself was rented out). So, all the things that John Harle senior had collected during his life were dispersed.

Trompe L’oeil Frescoes

Originally the walls on either side of the main staircase were painted with a pale Prussian blue oil paint. During the first redecoration of the building, a thick layer of varnish was applied to these walls, implying the presence of a decoration scheme. By the late 1780s, the Hall was occupied by Sarah Chambers, the former widow of John Harle’s only son. It was during Sarah’s time that the Trompe l’oeil painting we see today on the staircase walls was added. It is highly decorative, featuring floral flourishes and a Vitruvian scroll pattern. It is the same finish as used in the interior of the dome at St Paul’s Cathedral. Today, the plaster has clearly blown behind the decoration, but it is stable for now.

Redecoration

The rooms were repainted a further two to three times during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Pale greys and greyed whites were used for the paneling and window sashes. Episodes of decoration appear to have encompassed the whole building with the same paints used throughout.

From the late nineteenth century to the 1920s, many of the paneled rooms appear to have received three putty or buff-colored paint redecorations. It’s during this time that certain areas were redecorated more frequently than others.

End of an Era

The Harle family held Rainham Hall until 1895. After the last Harle owner died, the house fell into disrepair.

Incredibly, a Rainham resident found an original copy of John Harle’s will, written in 1741, at a car boot sale (similar to a flea market or garage sale). She donated it to Rainham Hall in 2014, and an electronic scanned copy of the will is available to access via the National Archives website.

Antiques Showroom

Around 1920, Rainham Hall was bought by Colonel Herbert Hall Mulliner. He was an interior decorator, historian, fine art specialist, and controversial restoration enthusiast. Mulliner modernized the house by converting some bedrooms into bathrooms, moving the kitchen into the cellar, making the original kitchen into a study, and modifying the Stables so it could accommodate motor cars. He added railings, gates, and even the Harle coat of arms over the fireplace in the entrance hall.

Mulliner used the house to display his collection of English pottery and furniture as his antiques showroom.

The entire house was (rather crudely) painted in a grained scheme, replicating the look of wood grain. Some examples of the graining still remain today, hidden away inside cupboards.

Day Nursery

Rainham Hall was requisitioned by the military and the local council during the Second World War. From 1943 to 1954, it served as the home of the Rainham Day Nursery so local mothers could go out to work.

National Trust

Rainham Hall was given to the National Trust in 1949, in the middle of the nursery’s tenancy, in lieu of death duties of the last private owner, a solicitor named William Sturges.

When the nursery’s lease expired, the Hall was let out to tenants until 2010. There was limited public access as the Hall was only open one afternoon per week throughout that time.

Anthony Denney

From 1964 to 1969, Anthony Denney (1913-90) was the Hall’s glamorous resident. Denney was an influential photographer for House & Garden magazine and Decorations Editor for British Vogue. He was also an interior designer, art collector, and a socialite. Princess Margaret said that Anthony Denney held “some of the best parties in London.” So while we can’t confirm that royalty has visited, it would seem likely.

In 1964 the Trust was seeking a new tenant of Rainham Hall, who would be able to bring in high-quality furniture and furnishings and respect the historic interiors. Denney came highly recommended by his friend Robin Fedden, then Deputy Director of the National Trust.

When Denney became the tenant, he took on the job of renovating in a style in keeping with the age of the property but with his own interior design flair. Denney installed his Polish butler, Tadeo Smythinski, to supervise the day-to-day running of the Hall and a team of specialist workers. The Hall was restored according to his own interpretation of eighteenth-century style. These old-fashioned interiors would often be strikingly dressed alongside the bold surrealist art Denney had collected, combining objects from the 18th century to the present day. Within five years, all of the rooms were decorated.

After the Butler died in 1969, Denney left Rainham Hall and moved to the ruined 12th-century castle of Salvatierra de los Barros in Spain, which he was in the process of restoring.

Today only some of Denney’s paint schemes still remain, particularly the entrance hall’s gilding and marbled paintwork. Do look at the marble effect painted skirting boards as the plug sockets have also been disguised.

The Blue Room

Later, tenants of the National Trust continued to redecorate the Hall in a variety of colors and styles. Many neutral tones were used, with the exception of a room known since the 1960s as ‘the Blue Room.’ Located at the back of the house on the first floor, this room has been decorated blue since Denney’s time, but a more vivid paint scheme was introduced later.

Portrait artist David Atack, and his family moved in during the late 1990s. It is thought that they introduced the rag-rolled acid blue paint scheme in this room as part of their own ‘interpretation and restoration’ project at the Hall inspired by the Changing Rooms TV series. It’s certainly a reminder of how the Georgian period has been reinterpreted by subsequent eras.

Outbuildings

After 2010, the National Trust stopped renting out the Hall as it needed to renovate the Stable Block. It was in such a state of disrepair it was considered unsafe to continue letting the Hall.

The Stable Block is now a cafe with a ‘hay loft’ space above used for private events.

Next door to that is the Brewhouse which was a standard addition to a home this size as in Georgian times the water was too filthy to drink, so weak beer was preferred. This building has also been renovated and has a beer barrel-shaped lift!

Next along is what would have been the bakehouse for all the baking needs of such a large house.

And the final outbuilding was the coach house which is now used for educational visits.

Conservation

With no more tenants, it was time to prepare Rainham Hall to become a visitor attraction. It is not a stately home like many popular National Trust properties but a comfortable Georgian residence. Rather than a straightforward Georgian restoration project, the Rainham Hall team decided to return each room to the décor scheme of the inhabitant that had the most profound impact on it. This has meant restoring a variety of paint schemes dating from the 1720s, 1920s, 1960s, 2000s, and many more eras in between.

After two years and £2.5m-worth of renovation work, Rainham Hall opened fully to the public for the first time in October 2015. Here’s a video from then.

Your Visit

You get to enter through the main entrance and can explore three floors of the house. The rooms are actually quite small as they are all square and the same size. The entrance hall has an impact, and the wood-paneled walls of each room remind you of the era of the property.

As Rainham Hall doesn’t have its own collection, it has become a storage area for many National Trust pieces, including a couple of sculptural busts. The bust halfway up the stairs is called ‘Autumn,’ and the other is ‘Spring’ and is in the entrance hall. They were on display at the Great Exhibition of 1851 (held in Hyde Park) but do not have a connection to the building (other than looking lovely).

In a nod to John Harle’s coal trade days, there are sculptures made of coal and a model of one of Harle’s ships made by the Romford Model Engineering Club, known as The Material Boys.

Community

Since opening to the public, Rainham Hall, Garden, and the Stables Café have become a focal point of the vibrant local community. The Hall hosts exhibitions showcasing different former residents and ensures a minimum of 60% of all exhibits are created in partnership with local makers and groups.

Community Gardens

You exit the Hall into the three-acre community gardens. It’s a lovely space that has been cared for by the community (before the pandemic). There’s an orchard with 35 apple trees and a mulberry tree that is at least 150 years old.

Visitor Information

Address: The Broadway, Rainham, Havering, Greater London RM13 9YN

Travel: Around 20 minutes by rail from London Fenchurch station. Rainham Hall is almost opposite Rainham railway station.

Many still think of Rainham as part of Essex (I certainty did!) The town was historically within Essex but has been in Greater London since 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Havering. To avoid further confusion, don’t confuse this Rainham with the town of Rainham in Kent, near Gillingham.

Tickets: Free for NT members and under 5s. Adult: £5.00, Child: £2.50, Family: £12.50, One adult family with up to three 5-17 year olds: £7.50.

Official Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/rainham-hall

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The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth has added a new immersive experience. 1545 – When Their World Ended is available for all to enjoy from Monday 26 July 2021.

As I last visited the Mary Rose Museum back in 2013, just before it opened, this was a great reason to return.

What Is The Mary Rose?

The Mary Rose is the world’s only surviving sixteenth-century warship. She was built in Portsmouth dockyard and launched in 1511. The Mary Rose was one of the first ships to be able to fire broadside and was a firm favorite of Henry VIII. She was also one of the last ships to have archers shooting longbows.

Lying undiscovered for hundreds of years, entombed within the seabed, the wreck was finally located by divers in 1971. It took over ten years of excavation before the hull could be raised.

Why Did The Mary Rose Sink?

Contrary to popular belief, Mary Rose did not sink on her maiden voyage. She actually saw 34 year’s service as a king’s warship. She had traveled hundreds of miles during her career, from Scotland in the north to the Atlantic coast of France in the south.

On 19 July 1545, while Henry VIII watched from the mainland, the Mary Rose sank in the Solent, between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. She was part of an English fleet trying to stop the French ships landing on the Isle of Wight but sank before firing a single shot.

An eyewitness account of Mary Rose’s sinking says that she had fired all of her guns on one side and was turning when she was caught in a strong gust of wind. Other accounts agree that she was turning, but there could be a number of reasons why she sank during this maneuver.

Was it human error? Was it a shipbuilding design fault? Was she overloaded? Was it the French? Without a time machine, we’ll never know for certain.

1545 – When Their World Ended

As we told you recently, Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench is the voice of the introduction to this immersive experience. She offers some background and reminisces about watching the ship being raised out of the water.

I remember watching too on 11 October 1982 as there was a global TV audience of 60 million. Did you watch it? Do you remember when it slipped, and we thought it was going to fall back to the seabed?

This is immersive, so you move through to another room, and Henry VIII is there explaining his use of the ship. Projections on both sides show you his history and his naval battles.

Then you move through to the last room, and the projections give the impression you are on board the Tudor warship on that fateful day. You get to (safely) re-live the final moments as she sinks during the Battle of the Solent on 19 July 1545. You can see the English on one side and the French on the other.

Cannons are firing, and then cannonballs start rolling across the deck and crashing through the side as the ship. And finally, she sinks, and the films make you feel as if you are going down (the room doesn’t move, don’t worry). The shock even made me feel cold when it happened. It’s all very dramatic and an excellent addition to the museum.

Portsmouth’s Top Visitor Attraction

For some visitors, having on display, the largest underwater archaeological excavation ever undertaken might not be enough. The Mary Rose Museum has the remains of the ship plus the world’s largest collection of Tudor objects. Do note; this is a low-level lighting museum to avoid damage to the rare artifacts.

The museum receives no government funding, so it has to find innovative ways to enhance the visitor experience. Adding the 1545 immersive experience is just another way the museum has adapted since its opening in 2013.

While the Mary Rose was one of Henry VIII’s warships, The Mary Rose Museum is not the story of a king or even of the warship. It’s about the people who were on the ship and sank with it. (At least 500 men died when the ship went down. Only 35 survived.)

Continuing Your Visit

After the new immersive experience, the doors open, and you reach an exhibition about the 34 years of service the Mary Rose completed as a king’s ship. And you get your first glimpse of the famous salvaged ship through the glass.

How Did Only Half of the Mary Rose Survive?

The Mary Rose sank on her starboard side, leaving the port side to be slowly destroyed by erosion and by marine animals, fungi, and bacteria.

The starboard side survived because it became buried in the mud, which protected it from the underwater currents and from destructive organisms.

The water in the Solent contains large quantities of silt, which is built up both inside and around the hull. This smothered the remains of the ship, keeping out the oxygen that the wood-attacking creatures needed to live.

The Displays Are the Other Half

As there is roughly half of the ship left, the museum has been laid out, so the displays are on the other side of each deck level. You walk along a central walkway which appears to be down the middle of the ship. It’s a clever design, and there are atmospheric sounds added too.

Three Levels

There are three levels to see with galleries at each end. The end galleries have brighter lighting, so there is plenty of information about the artifacts, plus there are touch screens too.

There are cutaway diagrams of the ship on display to show you which corresponding deck you are on. I also loved the ‘look inside’ maps of the ship, which point out different uses. They reminded me of the Dorling Kindersley cross-section books.

The route starts on the main gun deck, and then you go down a level before getting a lift up to the top deck. There is a reason for that, as the top deck is the only area where you can see the Mary Rose without the glass wall. There’s an airlock at either end of the viewing gallery. From this Upper Deck, I watched a new short film displayed behind the Mary Rose, which brought it to life.

Brought To Life

While you spend time looking at the objects opposite the ship, there are films projected onto the Mary Rose so you can see people working on board.

As there is low lighting, there are not a lot of captions to read. But there are Gallery Attendants, so do ask questions. I was very impressed with their knowledge. One fact I discovered was that all boys and men were legally required to learn how to use a bow and arrow and to practice using them.

Teeth

I also discovered that the water you drank as a child contains a chemical record of three forms of oxygen. These have different ratios depending on latitude, temperature, and distance from the coast. So your teeth can be used to identify where you grew up. Science is amazing, isn’t it?

From some skulls found on board, there has been research done into the reconstruction of the faces. It really is quite something to see these 500-year-old sailors looking back at you.

What Else Can You See?

I was pleased to see that the skeleton of Hatch, the ship’s dog, is still on display. The dog would have been there as a rat catcher and a companion.

I mentioned that the museum is about the people. You can see the carpenter’s tools, the surgeon’s chest, and a gunner’s uniform. These are not reproductions; these are the real objects saved from the seabed.

The display of nit combs (for removing headlice) always makes me feel itchy but does normalize the sailors for family visitors.

Honesty

You may remember when museums would try to ‘repair’ their objects, so you were no longer sure what was original. What I liked here was the way clear perspex has been used to fill the missing parts but not causing any confusion as to what has survived and what’s missing. The perspex simply completes the reconstruction.

Gift Shop

There’s a really good museum shop, and you can shop online too. After a couple of glasses during my preview visit, I can definitely recommend the Tudor gin created by the Portsmouth Distillery. It is flavored with botanicals found on the wreck of the Mary Rose, including dandelion, hazelnut, hemp seeds, and cherry. Every bottle sold contributes to the Mary Rose Trust.

Anniversary Next Year

2022 is the 40th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose, so I look forward to seeing how the museum celebrates.

Visitor Information

Address: Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Main Road, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3PY

Tickets: Adult £24, Senior £23, Child (age 4-15) £19

You can also buy an explorer ticket that includes up to three attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (HMS Victory, the Mary Rose, and HMS Warrior)
Adult £34, Senior £33, Child (age 4-15) £24

Official Website: maryrose.org

The post Exhibition Report: Portsmouth – The Mary Rose Museum – New 1545 Experience And So Much To See appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Anglotopia Print Magazine last year. It is now the year of Mayflower 400. 

Known as Britain’s Ocean City, Plymouth has a stunning waterfront position. It’s an enviable location with clean air, easy access to coast and country, and a vibrant cultural scene.

LOCATION & TRAVEL

Plymouth is a proud naval city in southwest England. It’s one of the largest cities on the south coast and the fifteenth largest city in the UK. Plymouth is in Devon and is connected to Cornwall via the Tamar Bridge.

The nearest airport is in Exeter, or you can catch a ferry directly here from Roscoff in France or Santander in Spain. From London, it’s about a 3-hour train journey. This would be my recommended mode of transport as the train goes along the coast sidetrack in Dawlish that is literally right next to the sea!

The city neighborhoods break down from east to west as Royal William Yard, Millbay and West Hoe, The Hoe, Barbican and Sutton Harbour. The city center area is to the north of The Hoe.

THE BLITZ

Plymouth’s docks and naval base made it a major target in WWII. There were 59 bombing raids in Plymouth in 1940 and 1941. The shell of Charles Cross Church has been kept as a reminder.

Because of this devastation, Plymouth has the highest number of post-war listed buildings outside London. I was told that Plymouth would have looked more like Edinburgh before the need for fast rebuilding in the 1950s and ‘60s.

But it’s not all new as there are over 750 listed buildings in Plymouth and over 100 can be found around Plymouth’s Barbican where you’ll find the highest concentration of cobbled streets in England.

THE MAYFLOWER

More than 30 million US citizens can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers, plus the crew, who sailed on the Mayflower for a fresh start in the New World. 2020 will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s pioneering voyage.

The Head of Heritage, Art, and Film at Plymouth City Council said, “2020 gives us the opportunity to re-examine our past and to genuinely reflect on the English colonization of America and its consequences.”

When King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church to divorce Catherine of Aragon, this brought the start of the English Reformation in 1533. Unhappy with the English church, a group of religious separatists planned to escape to Holland. Following failed attempts and time in prison, the group eventually made it to Leiden, Holland in 1608 and lived there for 12 years.

In August 1620, an agreement was made with the Virginia Company to travel to the New World and create a new community. The Leiden separatists set sail on the Speedwell for England to meet the Mayflower – a vessel previously used for shipping wine, tar, herring, and timber.

Those separatists who had remained in England boarded the Mayflower in London, including Captain Christopher Jones and his crew plus non-pilgrim ‘strangers’ who were going to America to work.

The Speedwell soon because unfit for purpose, so everyone had to travel on the Mayflower. Of the 102 passengers, 41 were from the original Leiden community, and there were 61 migrants from England, plus 20–30 crew. Amongst the passengers, there were three pregnant women onboard.

The Mayflower left Plymouth on 16 September 1620 for what was to become one of the most influential journeys in global history and a defining moment in the shared history of Britain, the US and the Netherlands.

During a storm, John Howland fell overboard and was almost lost at sea but managed to grab the topsail halyards, giving the crew enough time to rescue him with a boat hook. His descendants include Franklin D Roosevelt, George H W Bush, George W Bush, the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson and Humphrey Bogart.

By mid-November 1620 they had arrived in Cape Cod, but it took until 26 December 1620 for the Mayflower finally to arrive in what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts.

To ensure the survivors of the arduous journey worked together, they drew up the Mayflower Compact – an agreement for how their lives would be governed. This pioneering document that would go on to inspire the Constitution of the United States of America.

The Mayflower passengers did not, of course, land in a place devoid of people or culture. During the 1600s, the native Wampanoag population encountered European seafarers. In 1614, an English captain captured 20 Wampanoag men, sailed them to Spain and sold them as slaves. Between 1616 and 1619, three epidemics of European diseases decimated the Wampanoag population. When the passengers of the Mayflower arrived in the winter of 1620, they saw the impact of the loss. Settling in the abandoned village of Patuxet, the colonists brought new challenges to the Wampanoag people. Over 400 years, there has been co-operation, co-existence, and conflict.

The relationship with the native Wampanoag people would be key to the Mayflower passengers’ survival, as they would learn to hunt and grow crops. A bountiful harvest in the autumn of 1621 would be celebrated in prayer and become known as the first Thanksgiving.

MAYFLOWER 400 COMMEMORATIONS

Starting from Thanksgiving 2019, there are twelve months of commemorations taking place at landmark locations in the UK, Netherlands and the US.

Even though the Mayflower passengers were only in Plymouth for a few days, as it was their departure point from Britain, there are lots of festivities planned including:

The Mayflower Ocean Festival is on 4–10 May 2020, and Mayflower Week is 14–20 September 2020. The Mayflower Ceremony – a four-national civic ceremony commemorating the Mayflower’s journey – will be on the 400th anniversary of the sailing date, 16 September 2020.

The Illuminate Light Festival will formally open and close the commemorations in Plymouth in November 2019 and 2020 with buildings across the waterfront featuring a myriad of digital lighting effects.

If you can’t time your visit for one of these events, there are three trails being written to help you explore the Mayflower heritage in the area.

FAMOUS NAMES

Elizabeth I’s privateer Sir Francis Drake (1563–1596) was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. He was one of the most celebrated and respected seamen of his time and became Mayor of Plymouth in September 1581. He then went on to become a member of parliament in 1581, 1584 and 1593.

It’s said Drake played bowls at The Hoe as he received news of the Spanish Armada’s arrival on 20 July 1588. He concluded his game which appeared to be an act of heroism, but he probably knew full well that the wind and tide conditions at that particular moment precluded the English Fleet from putting to sea immediately from Plymouth. When he eventually went out to sea, he defeated the Spanish Armada.

Plymouth has been a gateway for centuries. Pocahontas arrived in Plymouth on 3 June 1616 with her husband John Rolfe, their 1-year-old son Thomas, governor Sir Thomas Dale and an entourage to emphasize her importance as the daughter of the chief of the Pamunkey tribe.

Captain James Cook (1728–1779) set sail on the first voyage of discovery on The Endeavour from Plymouth in 1768. It was the first ship to reach Australia, and he set foot at Botany Bay in 1770.

Plymouth-born portrait artist Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) was the founding President of the Royal Academy and Painter to the King.

When French Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821) was held captive on HMS Bellerophon in Plymouth Sound in 1815, thousands of people wanted to catch sight of him. On the day it was reported that some 8,000 people took to the water in small boats to get a better view.

Plymouth-born Royal Navy officer Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912), best known as Scott of Antarctica, became world-famous after a successful first exploration of Antarctica on the Discovery Expedition (1901–1904).

The Beatles visited Plymouth to take a famous photo in 1967 during the filming of the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ movie. You can see the backside copper casts known as the ‘Beatles bums’ on The Hoe, marking the site where John, Paul, George and Ringo sat to enjoy the view.

Lady Nancy Astor (1879–1964), the first female MP in 1919, lived on Elliot Terrace. There’s a campaign to get a statue of her erected at The Hoe.

And, bringing us right up to date, the British diving champion Tom Daley (1994–) is also from Plymouth.

ATTRACTIONS

The Hoe & Smeaton’s Tower

The Hoe is a green-lawned public space in the heart of Plymouth overlooking Plymouth Sound – a bay on the English Channel creating a natural harbor. The park has war memorials and statues, including one of Sir Francis Drake. And at the eastern end, you’ll find the seventeenth-century fortress, The Royal Citadel, still in use today. Look down from the park to see the Grade II listed Art Deco Tinside Lido, open to the public for bathing during the summer months.

Smeaton’s Tower is the iconic red and white striped lighthouse landmark you see on all of the Plymouth postcards. Named after civil engineer John Smeaton, this was in use on the Eddystone Reef from 1759 to 1877 until the rocks it was built upon eroded too far, and it was deemed unsafe. The original plinth can still be seen next to the new lighthouse, and the rest was dismantled and rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe.

At 72 foot high, Smeaton’s Tower offers fantastic views. Visitors can climb the 93 steps to the lantern room by fixed central ladders to reach each level.

Mayflower Museum

Opposite the Mayflower Steps, the family-friendly Mayflower Museum in the Barbican explores the story of the Mayflower and the pilgrims’ journey to the New World. Set over three floors, a visit starts at the top stepping out onto a balcony to see the panoramic views.

The Mayflower Pilgrims Remembered Gallery explains the story of the passengers who made the courageous journey in 1620. And the final gallery features a model of the Mayflower Ship. It’s only a few pounds to visit, and you won’t need long, but if you’re interested in the story, it does help to bring it to life.

Royal William Yard

Designed by Sir John Rennie (1794–1874) for the Royal Navy, Royal William Yard was constructed between 1826 and 1835. It is on a peninsula at Devil’s Point on the east of the city. Royal William Yard is considered to be one of the most important groups of historic military buildings in Britain and the largest collection of Grade I listed military buildings in Europe.

The original purpose of the Yard was to supply victuals – food, drink, and provisions – for the Royal Navy. In 1992 the Navy gave up ownership of the land and buildings, and it now houses restaurants, bars, galleries, shops as well as luxury accommodation. The names of the buildings – Mills Bakery, Brewhouse, Slaughterhouse – reflect their historic uses.

It’s well worth spending a day here as you reach Royal William Yard via Durnsford Street so stop to admire the stunning Georgian townhouses. Then enter the Yard under the twice lifesize statue of William IV and stroll around the cobbled streets.

Go wine tasting at Le Vignoble or have dinner at Bistrot Pierre. Have a coffee at The Hutong Cafe by the Yard entrance, or relax at Column Bakehouse and try learning something new at Ocean Studios. Their shop is also a must-see as the handmade goods (perfect for buying unique gifts) are so well-priced. Walk the South West Coastal Path through the Yard as it’s connected by the ‘Stairway to Devon’ or catch a ferry to the Barbican area or over to Cornwall (it only takes minutes). And you don’t have to leave as the gorgeous Rooms by Bistrot Pierre mean you can stay in the old naval officers’ building.

National Marine Aquarium

The award-winning National Marine Aquarium has the largest and deepest tank in the UK. There are four zones with over 4,000 marine animals, including sharks, jellyfish and Friday, the Green Turtle. There are hosts (staff) in each zone, and they are very knowledgeable, so do have a chat. Because of them, I got to see a shark that was only one week old and a shark embryo that still had many months to grow inside a ‘mermaid’s purse.’ There are lots of regular talks and feeding times, and it is very family-friendly. Tickets are valid for a year, and I’d definitely recommend adding on a VIP Behind the Scenes tour as it was fascinating.

The Box

Opening in April 2020, The Box is a new flagship cultural attraction including the city museum, art gallery, and archives. It’s a symbol for Plymouth’s current regeneration and will have gallery displays, art exhibitions from high profile artists as well as events and performances that take visitors on a journey from pre-history to the present and beyond.

When it opens, ‘Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy’ will be the national commemorative exhibition for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower journey.

Barbican

The historic Barbican harbor is one of the largest areas of cobbled streets in the UK with more than 200 listed buildings, many of them Tudor and Jacobean. The main street is Southside Street, but it’s also worth exploring the narrow lanes too.

You’ll want to go to the Plymouth Gin Distillery where you can take a tour and even create your own gin. The building dates from the early 1400s and was a former monastery. But don’t spend all day there (even though the Refectory Bar and Barbican Kitchen restaurant are both brilliant) as Southside Street has some lovely boutique shops, art galleries, and eateries.

Opposite Plymouth Gin is The House That Jack Built – a collection of independent traders. My favorite was ‘Rockpool Trading’ at the front that promotes and sells handmade items from designers based in Devon and Cornwall, making it a perfect place to buy gifts and souvenirs.

There are lots of places to eat, including the award-winning Harbourside Fish and Chips where I can recommend the pea fritters. Jacka Bakery is Britain’s oldest commercially working bakery dating back to 1597, and it’s claimed they supplied biscuits to the Mayflower voyage to the New World. Pilgrims Ice Cream is also in a historic building although I don’t think the separatists bought a mint choc chip cone for the journey. But you can see the Mayflower Steps from where the passengers set sail.

Plymouth Gin Distillery Tour

There are three tours on offer here, and now I’ve tried the 40-minute distillery tour I plan to return to try another. Some of the Mayflower passengers are said to have spent their last night in England at Plymouth’s Black Friars building on the Barbican where Plymouth Gin is located today. Plymouth Gin has been around since 1793 and is still produced in the same distillery using a blend of seven botanicals and Dartmouth spring water. Take a tour of England’s oldest working gin distillery, and you’ll get to try Winston Church’s favorite tipple in the bar afterwards. If drinking in the morning is a bit hardcore for you, do visit the gift shop as that’s the oldest part of the building.

Elizabethan Gardens and Elizabethan House

This lovely garden is a peaceful spot with low box hedges containing beds of colorful flowers and fragrant herbs in an Elizabethan style although it was actually built in 1970. It’s four gardens linked together looking as they might have done around 400 years ago.

Also on New Street, the Elizabethan House is a rare surviving example of its time and still retains many of its original features. There are seven rooms across three floors with white lime-washed plaster walls, bare wooden floors and oak beams which may have been salvaged from a ship and a central newel post which was once a ship’s mast.

Plymouth Boat Trips

Plymouth Boat Trips offer harbor cruises as well as Fish ‘n’ Trips. You can then ‘cook your catch’ at The Boathouse Café. The Cremyll Ferry links Devon and Cornwall, and they run the ferry service from Royal William Yard to Barbican too.

Try paddleboarding to get closer to the water, or dive right in at the Tinside Lido.

EAT AND DRINK

When in Devon, you’ve got to have a cream tea (it’s cream before jam on scones here). The hotels have afternoon tea so try the Duke of Cornwall in Millbay, the Crown Plaza in the Hoe or Boringdon Hall for that country manor style. The Flower Café on Southside Street has a unicorn afternoon tea that seems perfect for children, and The Tudor Rose Tearooms on New Street look particularly lovely.

I wish I’d been able to try Plymouth Tea as they’ve recently opened their own tea plantation – the first in Devon and only the second in England.

Who can resist chips at the seaside? Harbourside Fish & Chips has a restaurant and two takeaway shops in the Barbican. There’s also the excellent Rockfish seafood restaurant next to the aquarium in Sutton Harbour.

There’s a Marco Pierre White restaurant on the top floor of the Crowne Plaza hotel that gives great views over The Hoe. And The Greedy Goose has a contemporary seasonal menu in Plymouth’s oldest building, dating back to 1487.

The best pizza in town is from Knead Pizza in Plymouth Market. It’s sourdough bases with vegan options, and it’s all delicious. Eat-in or delivery is available.

If you’re catching a ferry, The Dock restaurant comes recommended. But if you prefer watching yachts, you need to go to Honky Tony Wine Library. It’s a deli and wine shop that also serves delicious platters to share while looking out at Sutton Harbour.

When it’s gin time you could go to the Refectory Bar at Plymouth Gin distillery, but the gin flight at Barbican Botanicals Gin Room is also recommended. And the best tip for a ‘secret’ bar is Tigermilk at the Duke – an underground 1920s speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar below the Duke of Cornwall Hotel. It’s got board games so come with friends as it’s open late.

SHOPPING

Drake Circus is a modern mall in the city center with over 70 well-known shops and restaurants. There are more shops and banks in the pedestrianized shopping area on the way to Plymouth Market. This covered market is open six days a week and has been here since 1959. It’s a great place for a bargain or to stop for coffee, and there are lovely craft stalls around the edge.

My best tips for more unusual gift shopping would be Column Bakehouse at Royal William Yard and the independent shops along Southside Street in the Barbican (both mentioned above).

NIGHTLIFE

Theatre Royal Plymouth is the best attended and largest regional producing theatre in the UK and launches many major productions bound for London’s West End. For a more intimate experience, the Barbican Theatre has comedy nights plus jazz and soul music in the bar.

For big-name music acts, Plymouth Pavilions has performances throughout the year. It’s also home to the Plymouth Raiders basketball team, and there’s an ice rink here too.

ACCOMMODATION

I was fortunate enough to stay in three very different hotels to give you a better insight into the accommodation in Plymouth.

At Royal William Yard, I stayed at Residence One – Rooms by Bistrot Pierre, which is a collection of 14 stylish rooms that were once naval officers’ homes. The Georgian building has large rooms full of periodic architectural charm including cast iron fireplaces and radiators plus wooden window shutters that fold away into the wall. The Reception is across the green in the Bistrot Pierre restaurant, so it doesn’t necessarily feel like you’re staying in a hotel. It’s a really quiet location and a perfect base to explore the South West Coastal Path.

At the Crowne Plaza in the Hoe, I had a room overlooking Hoe Park and the sea beyond, and I could see Smeaton’s Tower from my window. It’s a really nice modern four-star hotel with everything you would expect in the room plus fantastic facilities such as a swimming pool and the Marco Pierre White restaurant. It’s a short walk away from the Barbican and a fantastic central base.

Created as the city’s first luxury hotel in 1863, Sir John Betjeman described the Duke of Cornwall Hotel as “one the finest examples of Victorian gothic architecture he had ever seen.” This is the kind of place where everyone remembers your name and staff do all they can to ensure your stay is enjoyable. I had the Shackleton room, named after the celebrated explorer Ernest Shackleton as he stayed at the Duke before setting out on his infamous Antarctic expedition on the Endurance. This is an excellent central location next to Plymouth Pavilions.

Plymouth also has lots of B&Bs, and there’s a Premier Inn near the aquarium. (Great for families as kids stay free and get a free breakfast.) There are also some impressive apartments to rent across the city. And for when only luxury will do, Boringdon Hall is the impressive country house hotel and spa a few miles outside of the city.

ANNUAL EVENTS

Plymouth is a year-round destination, but there are some really good annual events to be aware of. Pirates Weekend is in May, and it’s not just the kids who dress up. The fun takes place around the Barbican, Sutton Harbican, and West Hoe Park. Also in May, the Lord Mayor’s Festival welcomes in the new Lord Mayor with lots of celebrations.

The British Fireworks Championships are on The Hoe in August. And the town lights up again in November for Illuminate – the south west’s largest free light show. For 2019 and 2020 it will also mark the beginning and end of 12 months of Mayflower commemorations.

FURTHER AFIELD

Renting a car will make further explorations easier although there is a ‘Devon Day’ bus ticket available that covers all the local buses across the county for under £10.

Dartmoor National Park is just a few miles from Plymouth city center. It’s the same size as London but with more sheep than people. You’ll be rewarded with views from heather-covered moorland and will hopefully see the Dartmoor ponies. You could also stop at Dartmoor Prison Museum that tells the story of French prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars, Americans from the War of 1812 and convicts from 1850.

There are plenty of National Trust locations close to Plymouth and across Devon. Saltram is a magnificent mansion on the banks of the River Plym. This Georgian villa featured in the 1995 adaptation of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ as Norland Park, the home of the Dashwoods. And over in Cornwall, Antony House was the garden setting for Tim Burton’s 2010 ‘Alice in Wonderland.’

You can find quieter beaches in neighboring villages Kingsand and Cawsand which both are historical fishing and smuggling villages, and both have stunning views across Plymouth Sound.

WOULD I GO BACK?

I really enjoyed my visit to Plymouth. It was an easy journey from London, and I was impressed by how much there is do in the city. Royal William Yard is simply stunning, and I was soon thinking about the many reasons to return such as a trip to Mount Edgcumbe on the Cremyll Ferry, as well as to go gift shopping at Column Bakehouse or to learn a new skill at Ocean Studios.

The Box is also going to be a great reason to return to Plymouth as it should be outstanding. And to see the Elizabethan House and Elizabethan Gardens goes on the list too. I reckon a whole weekend could be planned around doing a Master Distiller’s Tour at Plymouth Gin as you get to create your own gin blend. I’d also spend every weekend lunchtime at the Honky Tonk Wine Library if I could as it was such a relaxed and welcoming environment with great food and drink.

The behind-the-scenes tour at the National Marine Aquarium was brilliant, and if I lived nearer, I would definitely sign up my 12-year-old daughter for Ocean Squad. All in all, I was in no rush to leave Plymouth and now have some understanding of how much Britain’s Ocean City has to offer. And, of course, there’s all the fun coming for Mayflower 400 throughout 2020 so, yes, I’m looking forward to returning soon.

The post CREATIVE, CULTURAL AND COASTAL: Exploring Plymouth As We Approach Mayflower 400 appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

When it was suggested I should write a feature about somewhere in The Midlands, I could have kept it simple and gone to Birmingham. But I opted for the less obvious choice of Coventry (and not only so I could say I was ‘sent to Coventry’!)

If you’ve heard anything about the city, it’s most likely the damage caused during the Blitz in 1940. I was told ‘You won’t find any old buildings there’ so I wanted to prove the naysayers wrong. What I actually found was a city growing in both size and pride. The mix of old and new buildings and the amount of construction work going on brought lots of comparisons to London for me.

And that pride is well-placed as Coventry has won the accolade of UK City of Culture 2021.

UK CITY OF CULTURE 2021

In late 2017, Coventry was announced as the third city to hold this title. The judges unanimously agreed that awarding Coventry would have the most significant impact on the rest of the UK. It is a young, diverse, modern city which is reimagining the role culture can play in bringing people together.

Coventry is a city of peace and reconciliation, a city of innovation and invention, and a true city of culture from music, the arts, heritage and more.

While the locals love their city, they don’t sing it loudly enough yet so civic pride is going to have to grow over the next few years. What they have here is good, and well worth visiting, but Coventry has to compete with Birmingham and ‘Shakespeare-land’ in nearby Stratford-upon-Avon, plus Kenilworth, Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa too.

LOCATION

In The Midlands, Coventry is England’s ninth-largest city and is about 100 miles north-west of London. It’s really easy to reach by train from London, and the journey takes around an hour.

THE BLITZ

Before we go any further, we need to acknowledge the major devastation caused by WWII bombing on Coventry city center.

On the evening of 14 November 1940, more than 500 German planes rained bombs onto the city in a bid to destroy its munitions factories. It was the most concentrated air raid of the Second World War, and hundreds died. Two-thirds of the city center was destroyed and, yes, the city lost its medieval cathedral. Its ruins are now an iconic reminder.

After the war ended, Coventry worked hard to build a city of peace. It was first twinned with Stalingrad (now called Volgograd), in Russia, then later with Dresden, in Germany, two cities which also know the horrors of war (allied troops dropped more bombs on Dresden than fell on Coventry). The new Coventry Cathedral, built alongside the ruins of its predecessor, is a world center for reconciliation, and Coventry is now twinned with 26 cities around the world.

While the 1960s post-war city center is often maligned, it should be remembered that there had already been a lot of clearance in the 1930s in preparation for new town planning. And it is certainly not a ‘concrete jungle’ as I could hardly turn a corner without finding more heritage architecture.

LADY GODIVA

A well-known name associated with the city is Lady Godiva. Yes, she is the English noblewoman who rode naked on horseback through the city on market day, covered only by her long hair.

The legend dates back to the 11th century when this pious medieval streaker argued with her husband, who wanted the people of Coventry to pay high taxes. He said, “You will have to ride naked through Coventry before I change my ways,” so she called his bluff.

She is remembered in the city today with a 1949 statue in Broadgate and the entertaining Lady Godiva Clock. On the hour she rides out and is watched by a cheeky ‘Peeping Tom’ above. There’s also the annual Godiva Festival – the UK’s biggest free family music festival.

SENT TO COVENTRY

To ignore and alienate someone is to be sent to Coventry. But where does this phrase of derision come from?

The strongest theory is that it originates from the English Civil War in the 1640s when Parliamentarian supporters would take Royalist prisoners of war to Coventry, where they would be shunned by its inhabitants.

ARCHITECTURE

Aside from the heritage attractions, there is still plenty of medieval architecture in Coventry. So much that I’m surprised it isn’t mentioned more often. It’s worth noting that, in medieval times, Coventry was one of the largest cities in England. There are gatehouses from the city walls and medieval ruins that everyone just walks past because there is just so much to see here. The three spires, which have dominated the city skyline since the 14th century, are from the ruined cathedral, Christ Church (Greyfriars) – only the spire remains – and Holy Trinity Church – the only one still in use.

Some buildings are in use such as the former gatehouse to Cheylesmore Manor which is now the local Register Office (for recording births, deaths, and a wedding venue). Parts of the building dates to 1250, making this the oldest building in the country to hold that function. Edward, the Black Prince and Henry VI are among the royals who lived there. The refurbished 12th century Old Grammar School, that was the former Hospital of St John, is also in use as a wedding venue.

Next to Holy Trinity Church, Lychgate Cottages is a lovely timber-framed building and the only surviving part of St Mary’s Priory. While these were used as church offices, there are now plans to turn them into holiday accommodation. There’s a Wetherspoons pub connected on the left, but you can see the old church site in a garden to the right of the cottages.

And next to the old Cathedral and St Mary’s Guildhall are more timber-framed cottages at 22 and 23 Bayley Lane built around 1500. The decorative woodwork is probably 17th century and the windows date from the 19th century. Do also look at the 20th-century red sandstone Council House around the corner and notice the elephant and castle above the entrance. Once you’ve spotted it, you’ll start noticing elephants all across the city used as symbols of strength and loyalty.

To allow the post-war building of the city, a collection of medieval buildings were removed and rebuilt on Spon Street. Most are used as pubs, restaurants, takeaways, and hairdressers as far as I could see. While the street is a nice grouping of heritage buildings, it could be improved by not having cars parks down both sides, and then having cafes and craft stores added. Carry on to Upper Spon Street, and there’s The Weaver’s House – a restored medieval working man’s house and garden showing how John Clarke the weaver would have lived in 1540.

Although it was being renovated when I visited, it’s worth looking out for Ford’s Hospital. It’s a row of almshouses endowed in 1509 by William Ford and built around a courtyard. You can’t go into the courtyard, but you can peer through the gate, and you may recognize the filming location in the Doctor Who story, The Shakespeare Code.

ATTRACTIONS

Coventry has a very walkable city centre, and there are Uber taxis available.

Coventry Cathedral

Coventry’s medieval cathedral was lost during the WWII bombing, but the ruins can still be seen, along with St Michael’s Tower. You can climb the 181 steep, spiral steps to get panoramic views across the city. But goodness my legs wobbled when I came down!

After the war, there was a design competition for a new cathedral. Out of 219 entries, only one wanted to keep the ruins. And so, Basil Spence became the architect for this iconic modern building that has a strong focus on reconciliation.

Unusually, it faces north-south rather than east-west. This was so the old and new cathedrals could be connected via a porch above St Michael’s Lane. The huge glass screen at the entrance has alternate lines of saints and dancing angels. It took John Hutton two years to finish the 91 panels, and his ashes are interred just outside. The cathedral was 11 years in construction and opened in 1962. It is free to visit.

Behind the altar is a huge and austere tapestry of Christ in Glory by Graham Sutherland. It’s nearly the size of a tennis court! If it’s hard to grasp the scale, the figure standing between the feet, which looks tiny from the cathedral entrance, is actually 4ft 6in. Come to the front to look more closely, and you can then also take a seat in the Queen’s chair. Designed by Anthony Blee, it was based on the comfy bar stools in the Canonbury Tavern in London.

The curved stained glass Baptistry window by John Piper is fabulous. In front of it is the Bethlehem font – that is a boulder hewn from a Bethlehem hillside. And opposite is The Chapel of Unity. Look closely on the ‘fins’ on this connecting structure as they have pieces of glass that were given as a gift from the Church of Germany.

Do admire the 4975 organ pipes that rise up in levels on both sides of the nave to reach the high, undulating diamond ceiling. And look down in the aisle to see old pennies embedded in the floor to keep the choir boys (and girls) in line.

A lovely little aside is that the tapestry kneeling cushions (hassocks) were completed as kits and many were done by the cast of My Fair Lady in London in their downtime at the theatre.

Don’t miss the Jacob Epstein sculpture of St Michael and The Devil on the outside of the building. And look closely at the entrance door handle as it is Epstein’s grand-daughter (and Lucian Freud’s daughter), Ann Freud.

St. Mary’s Guildhall

One of the many places where Mary, Queen of Scots, was held during her long imprisonment (for her own protection), St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry’s Cathedral Quarter, has some fine medieval interiors and striking artworks. First built in the 1340s for the merchant guild of St Mary, it grew between 1394 and 1414 and was extensively embellished at the end of the 15th century.

The building served as the center of King Henry VI’s court during the War of the Roses (1455-1485), and it is thought that Shakespeare staged plays here. George Eliot also featured the building in her writing.

The main attraction is the magnificent Great Hall, with a ceiling of carved angels and heraldic bosses. And dominating an entire wall is one of the rarest and most important tapestries in the country. The Coventry Tapestry was made in 1500-1510 and is particularly unusual because it is still in place for where it was made.

Open from March to October, entry is free and the Undercroft Café is accessible from the courtyard on the cobbled Bayley Lane. Do look over the entrance to see the 14th-century wooden carved heads in the vaulted stone ceiling.

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum

Another attraction in the area with free admission, The Herbert is the city museum on the ground floor and the art gallery on the first floor. (Even the temporary exhibitions are free.) It’s a good place to come on your first day as the Tourist Information Centre is in the lobby along with a really good gift shop too.

The museum opened in 1960 and is named after Sir Alfred Herbert, a Coventry industrialist and philanthropist. It had a multi-million-pound refurbishment in 2008, making it great for families.

The museum tells the story of Coventry’s history from medieval times, through Victorian and onto the 20th century, and there’s a whole gallery dedicated to the Lady Godiva story. As George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) lived in Coventry during her formative twenties, the museum has on display her writing cabinet and desk. And with the bicentenary of her birth in 2019, more will be added.

There’s a gallery dedicated to Peace and Reconciliation with John Piper’s painting of the cathedral in ruins, and Matthew Picton’s poignant burnt paper sculptures showing the extensive bombing in Coventry and Dresden.

Don’t miss the What’s in Store gallery with wonderfully random items from the museum’s collections that wouldn’t be on display otherwise. Stuffed animals, clocks, artworks and (my favorite find) a bingo machine from the Massey Ferguson social club at the agricultural equipment factory.

Coventry Transport Museum

Also in the city center, this is a huge modern museum and, again, it’s free. The motor and cycle industries have shaped the last 150 years of Coventry’s history. The museum’s current collection of vehicles is acknowledged as being one of the finest in the world, and the largest in public ownership, including the two fastest cars in the world. Don’t miss the simulator where you can see what it feels like to achieve the land speed record (763 mph)!

This isn’t just for transport enthusiasts as the exhibits range from the London black cab (as they have always been made in Coventry) to Queen Mary’s Daimler and the earliest bicycles. It has the stories about the people in the industries for that human perspective too.

The museum is chronological so starts with bicycles – did you know a Penny Farthing had to be made to your leg length? – before reaching the first cars in the late 19th century. I saw wooden frame cars covered only in leatherette that were popular after WWI for the low cost but not for safety. By the Blitz Experience, there’s an armored car that looks like a tank, and I found out SS Cars was the pre-war name for Jaguar. The museum has Field Marshal Montgomery’s iconic Victory car and George VI’s car that collected Princess Elizabeth when she returned from her trip to Africa when her father died making her the new Queen (the car was used in the movie The King’s Speech.)

The UK motor industry’s inexorable rise and fall are very well told, and there’s a magnificent model collection that all came from one man (and only half is on display). There’s an excellent café on-site, and you can look out at the Whittle Arch and the statue of Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the turbojet engine, who was born in Coventry.

If you do like transport, the Lanchester Interactive Library at Coventry University comes recommended and is only a 15-minute walk away. And the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport has a collection of military aircraft and is a 15-minute bus ride away.

Holy Trinity Church

Close to the cathedral, Holy Trinity dates back to the 12th century (although most was rebuilt during the 1300s). It’s incredible it survived the Blitz – the only damage was the loss of two stained glass windows at the East and West ends, but this was the only building left standing on Broadgate (and the only large historic building in Coventry left intact after WWII). As this is a crown church, do look in the Marler’s Chapel to see a section of the 1953 gold coronation carpet.

Most visitors come to see the Coventry Doom painting of the Last Judgement – an impressive medieval painting created in the 1430s on the chancel wall. (There had been an earthquake in Coventry in 1426, and the townspeople believed it was God’s wrath for their sins.) The painting was rediscovered in the 1830s but the varnish to preserve it turned black, so it was soon hidden again. In 2004 it was unveiled after nearly 20 years of conservation and restoration.

It’s very high up so you may prefer to buy the guidebook to study in detail as it is a remarkable painting. Christ is in the center with the dead rising from graves on the left. Look closely, and you should spot the three Coventry alewives on the right, chained and being led to the mouth of Hell. These women represented the damnation of those who sold watered-down beer. (It wasn’t the weakened beer so much that was the problem as the fact the water was so contaminated which was why people drank beer instead.)

Coventry Music Museum

While the museum came from a need to recognize Coventry as the home of 2-Tone music – a fusion of ska and punk popular in the 70s and 80s – it actually covers the city’s musical heritage from the Roman occupation to today.

It’s a small, volunteer-run museum with a collection that’s grown with donations from the bands themselves. The Specials, the Anglo-Caribbean originators of 2-tone music, obviously feature here but there’s also The Enemy (Coventry’s most recent famous group) and the Radiophonic Workshop goddess, Delia Derbyshire, who came up with the electronic arrangement of the Doctor Who theme music.

A surprise find is the Lennon Bench commemorating the ‘Acorns for Peace’ event on 15 June 1968 when John and Yoko planted two acorns at the cathedral garden. The acorns were moved and then stolen, so Lennon took back the original bench. In 2004 a replica bench was made for a play, and it was used when Yoko Ono revisited the city to plant oak trees. So Lennon hasn’t sat on this actual bench, but Yoko has.

I’ll admit, the 80s section brought back a lot of memories for me (when I was 13 years old, King was my favorite band.) And the bedroom of an 18-year-old ‘rude boy’ has so many clever details including posters, cigarette cards, and even an old crisps packet.

Most of the artefacts are in glass cabinets, but there’s a strong sense of being part of something fun here as you can use props (inflatable guitars, wigs, etc.) for photo opportunities and there’s a weekly top 5 chosen by visitors from the Wall of Hits. Then head downstairs to the music studio and make some noise before checking out the rest of the ‘2-Tone Village’ as there’s a café that serves ‘skapuccinos,’ a retro clothes shop, a memorabilia shop and a Caribbean restaurant.

The museum has been open for five years and is consistently the no.1 attraction in Coventry on TripAdvisor. It’s open from Thursday to Sunday and is about a mile from the city center. As 2019 is the 40th anniversary of 2-tone, I’m sure this will remain popular.

INSIDER TIP

The Herbert closes at 4 pm, and most other attractions close by 5 pm so plan to eat early.

EAT AND DRINK

There are a number of restaurants overlooking Broadgate, the pedestrianized shopping area.

Bistrot Pierre has lovely modern French cuisine, and the Ramen at Wagamama is always good. Zizzi has Italian and Mediterranean dishes, and Nando’s is all about the chicken. Cozy Club has an eclectic style in the food and decor that made for a funky, relaxed vibe with delicious meals and excellent service. And if you’d prefer the food brought to you, I saw lots of cycle deliveries from Deliveroo and Uber Eats from the city center restaurants.

Coventry has some great historic pubs and restaurants including the Golden Cross pub near the Cathedral and Turmeric Gold, a popular Indian restaurant on Spon Street. And if you’re going to The Belgrade Theatre, there are decent restaurants in Belgrade Plaza.

I have to try afternoon tea wherever I go, and on this trip I found two to recommend. When you’re in the city center, the Rising Café in the undercroft at the cathedral has afternoon tea for just £11 (or £19 for 2), and it’s amazing! The café has a WWII vibe with music, bunting and mismatched crockery. The scones and cakes are made in-house, so this really showcases their talents. I wish I was nearer as I’ve been dreaming about their gorgeous heart-shaped mini chocolate brownie. The café is also a charity with 100% of its profits going to improving the lives of those suffering drug and alcohol addictions.

If you’re looking for the country house hotel version, then Coombe Abbey Hotel is the place for you. Afternoon tea is served in the elegant garden room on the side of the 12th-century building. The abbey was surrendered to King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries, and the future Queen Elizabeth I even lived there as a child. There are Newby loose leaf teas, and I can confirm the scone separated in half perfectly. And if you feel you should be good and take a stroll afterwards, then Coombe Abbey Park is right outside.

There’s also afternoon tea available at the Castle Yard Tea Rooms and The Undercroft at St Mary’s Guildhall. And you can even have Cocktails and Cakes at the Slug and Lettuce pub on Bayley Lane.

SHOPPING

As well as the post-war pedestrianized shopping area in the city center (the first to be built in the country) the place you really want to go shopping is FarGo Village, the creative quarter just 15 minutes walk away. This former industrial space is now really vibrant with small, independent shops, artists’ studios, cafés, an entertainment space and a brewery with a taproom.

It really reminded me of Shoreditch in London, and they have events such as soul food and music nights.

Highlights here include The Sgt Bilko’s Vintage Emporium that specializes in vintage and modern film, stage and television memorabilia, and has The Phil Silvers Archival Museum inside. And don’t miss the lovely Big Comfy Bookshop – a secondhand bookshop that has author visits, papercraft workshops and a decent café inside with relaxing armchairs.

SPORT

Both Wasps Rugby Club and Coventry City Football Club are based at the Ricoh Arena 32,609-seater stadium.

NIGHTLIFE

As well as the music shows at the Ricoh Arena, there’s regular live music at The Tin Music and Arts Centre in the Canal Basin and The Empire on Far Gosford Street, co-run by Tom of The Enemy. The Kasbah nightclub has live music and club nights too.

The Belgrade Theatre was the UK’s first civic theatre to open after WWII in 1958. It is one of the largest regional producing theatres and stages touring shows too. The Albany Theatre is an Art Deco theatre that stages in-house and professional touring dance, drama, music and comedy productions.

Don’t be confused by the name as Warwick Arts Centre is actually in Coventry. It’s on the Warwick University campus (yes, Warwick University is in Coventry) and has an excellent programme of music, comedy, dance and more.

ACCOMMODATION

There are the usual hotel names you would expect to find in a city (Hilton, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, Travelodge, etc.). I stayed at the Ramada, and while it is next to the ring road, it was clean and comfortable, and I slept well there.

I didn’t find any boutique hotels, but there are some great Airbnb properties in the area.

Of course, you could treat yourself and stay at the opulent Coombe Abbey Hotel with its four-poster beds and that very good afternoon tea.

LAURA’S COVENTRY TOP 10

1. Coventry Cathedral
2. Coventry Transport Museum
3. Coventry Music Museum
4. Holy Trinity Church
5. St Mary’s Guildhall
6. Lady Godiva clock
7. Fargo Village
8. Belgrade Theatre
9. Medieval architecture
10. Coombe Abbey

The post EXPLORING COVENTRY: Your Complete Guide to This Jewel of the Midlands appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Civic Hall and Millennium Square Leeds

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Issue #10 of the Anglotopia Print Magazine in 2018. Support great long-form writing about British History, Culture, and travel by subscribing to the Anglotopia Magazine. Every subscription helps keep Anglotopia running and provides us to the opportunity to produce articles like this. You can subscribe here.

INTRODUCTION

This West Yorkshire city is well worth a visit. Located in the eastern foothills of the Pennines and less than 20 miles from the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Leeds is that sought-after combination of a modern city close to stunning English countryside.

Leeds is the UK’s third-largest city and is about 190 miles north of London, so it can be reached by train in a little more than two hours. They take shopping seriously here as it is the principal regional shopping center for the whole of Yorkshire. And once you’ve bought the perfect outfit, there’s plenty of nightlife too.

HISTORY

Many have heard of Leeds for its woolen cloth industry. When Kirkstall Abbey was built in the 12th century, the monks kept sheep, and by 1290 they owned 11,000. The land offered plenty of space to feed and breed the animals, and the soft, pure water of the area was ideal for washing wool. The river could also be used to move goods to and from ports such as Hull, on the east coast of England.

Home manufacture of cloth and woolen cloth trading was known in the area from the 14th century. ‘Yorkshire Broadcloths’ – cheap, good quality cloths produced in the surrounding areas – helped the growth of Leeds in the late 16th and early 17th century.

The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries brought about the biggest growth for Leeds with the building of cloth mills with new machinery making mass production possible. This major industrial city became known as ‘the city that made everything.’

In 1880, the population had reached 100,000, and there were more than 100 coal mines in and around Leeds. This proximity of cheap coal made Leeds into a powerful industrial and manufacturing center. Coal was extracted on a large scale and the still-functioning Middleton Railway, which opened in 1812, was the first successful commercial steam locomotive railway in the world.

While the Middleton Railway was for moving coal, the first passenger railway in Leeds opened in 1834. Both the waterways and the railways meant that Leeds had good transport links to bring in coal and other raw materials cheaply and easily and to export manufactured goods to all parts of the world.

Although it was the largest city in Yorkshire by 1890, Leeds did not officially become a city until 1893.

While Leeds is no longer a centre for manufacturing, its contemporary economy has been shaped by Leeds City Council’s vision of building a ‘24-hour European city’ and ‘capital of the north’.

ARCHITECTURE

Shopping in the Corn Exchange, Leeds

There are more listed buildings in Leeds than in any other city outside London, so this is definitely a ‘look up’ city as the Victorian architecture is fantastic. As well as the shops and theatres, the civic buildings are outstanding.

A favorite is the Central Library and connected Leeds Art Gallery gothic masterpiece with its spectacular staircases and archways, stone beasts and mosaic tiling designed by George Corson and opened in 1884 as the Leeds Municipal buildings.

Yorkshireman Cuthbert Brodrick is an architect forever associated with Leeds. His greatest career break was in 1853 when he won a competition for the design of Leeds Town Hall. The competition was judged by Charles Barry – the English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament in London during the mid-19th century. The Town Hall was opened in September 1858 by Queen Victoria, the first time a reigning monarch had visited Leeds. To get to see inside, book for one of the really good selection of shows on from classical music and opera to comedians and evenings with well-known personalities.

Brodrick had visited France and Italy in 1844, and this influenced his architectural styles. He built the Corn Exchange next which opened in 1864. Still considered to be one of Britain’s finest Victorian buildings, its ingenious roof gave an even northern light for the careful inspection of grain by merchants. The Grade I listed building was imaginatively remodeled and reopened in 1990 as a place for independent boutiques and quirky cafés.

His Leeds trio was completed with the Leeds Institute in 1868, now the home of Leeds City Museum. And his name is remembered in a more modern way with a large Wetherspoons pub called the ‘Cuthbert Brodrick’ in Millennium Square.

Other notable landmarks include the Civic Hall in Millennium Square, with golden owls adorning the tops of the twin spires. There are also four golden owl sculptures in front of the building which were added in 2000. Do look out for owls all across the city as there are 25 owl locations and a trail to follow to see them all.

And the shopping structures are not all new as the Victorian arcades are beautiful. While the high-end stores may mean you only visit for window shopping, it’s certainly worth taking a stroll through the Victoria Quarter to admire the elaborate architecture and decoration including the dramatic stained glass roof and paneled mosaic floors.

SHOPPING

Florists stall at Kirkgate Market

Leeds is the shopping capital of the north. The city is very compact and walkable with a large pedestrian zone. Briggate is the main shopping street and is one of the oldest streets in Leeds dating back to the 13th century. There was a market held here and shops built in the 19th century along with arcades and theatres. Fans of the High Street should head to Trinity Leeds, while if you are after something more high end, go to the Victoria Leeds.

Trinity Leeds

With 120 High Street shops including M&S, Superdry, River Island, and Hollister, plus eateries and a cinema, this is a popular destination. It feels like an out-of-town shopping center but is still in the city center. Even those who don’t enjoy shopping are grateful to have it here as it brings people to the city every day.

There’s a stylish glass roof over the whole centre, but it’s not a closed environment so it can still be cool on a cold weather day.

Even if you’re not looking to shop, the top floor Trinity Kitchen is a fantastic place to grab a bite to eat. Possibly the UK’s coolest food court, there are neon signs and lights and a unique mix of temporary food vans and permanent restaurants offering a variety of exotic cuisines. It’s quite loud here but the food is good, and the shoppers love it.

Victoria Leeds

The city’s most recent retail addition is the impressive Victoria Gate which houses one of the largest John Lewis stores in the UK as well as other desirable brands. It’s a stunning building although it doesn’t gel with the surrounding architecture.

The Victoria Quarter is notable for its high-end luxury retailers and impressive architecture. Retailers here include Mulberry, Jo Malone, LK Bennett and Louis Vuitton and sitting in the heart of the center is department store Harvey Nichols, which chose Leeds for the site of its first store outside London back in 1996.

The Victoria Quarter was built in 1900 by theatrical architect Frank Matcham who was also responsible for the London Coliseum. Its gilded mosaics, marble floors, ornate wrought-iron metalwork and polished mahogany, make the area a real delight. In the 1990s, Queen Victoria Street was covered with Britain’s largest stained glass roof to make a new arcade forming the Victoria Quarter along with the restored County Arcade and Cross Arcade.

More Arcades

Thornton’s Arcade was the first to open in 1878. Named after Charles Thornton, who had the ingenious idea of covering up the shopping alleys that connected Briggate to its side streets. He also owned the Old White Swan in Swan Street where in 1865 he opened the music hall that is now the City Varieties Music Hall. Today, the arcade has cool shops such as the Welcome Skate Shop and OK Comics.

Queen’s Arcade opened in 1889 and has stores such as Levi’s, Office shoes, American Apparel, and Jones the Bootmaker, as well as independents like Accent Clothing, Aladdin’s Cave Jewellery and Mary Shortle – a doll shop that probably delights and scares in equal measure.

Near to the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, Grand Arcade opened in 1897. It has become my favourite of the great eateries (see below) and Our Handmade Collective – a lovely shop offering gift ideas from more than 60 designer-makers. They even have craft evenings with the makers so you can learn something new.

Corn Exchange

This iconic rotunda has more than 30 creative, independent retailers and salons along with food outlets. If you are looking for something quirky and individual, then this is where you need to come shopping.

My favorite store was The Great Yorkshire Shop where you’ll find rhubarb blend tea and rhubarb chocolate, plus prints, bags, cards, and gifts. (Yorkshire is known for early forced rhubarb.)

And if you’re looking for locally-made treats, I can also recommend The Yorkshire Soap Company on Albion Street where the soaps look like cakes. You can’t miss the shop as they have bubbles coming out of a window above the shop.

Kirkgate Market

And finally, do allow time to meander through the maze of one of Europe’s largest indoor markets. Open since 1857; it was designed by the celebrated architect Joseph Paxton who was responsible for the iconic Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London. The market today sells well-priced fresh meat, fish, fruit, veg, and flowers, plus street food to eat now. There are vintage fairs here on the first Saturday of the month.

Did you know the very first M&S goods were sold in Leeds from a 6’ by 4’ trestle table? From a humble market stall to one of Britain’s most successful retailers, M&S started at Kirkgate Market.

Back in 1884, Polish immigrant Michael Marks opened his penny bazaar stall in Leeds Market before forming a partnership with Tom Spencer a decade later. There’s a replica of the Penny Bazaar inside the market selling M&S goods.

MUSEUMS

Royal Armouries

The one place everyone told me I had to visit was the Royal Armouries. You can catch a free water taxi from Granary Wharf, behind the train station, or walk for 15 minutes from the city center.

This free museum opened in 1996 on the south bank of the River Aire as Britain’s national museum of arms and armor. It’s set out across two connected buildings with four floors of exhibits. There are more than 8,500 objects including an armoured elephant, Samurai disemboweling weapons, and Henry VIII’s horned helmet.

Inside you can try the crossbow range for a small fee, and it stages regular displays of jousting, falconry, and sword-making outside.

Sadly, I found the museum quite dated and there are no interactives with the displays so I’m not sure how entertaining families would find it. As an adult, I found it quite dry and in need of modernisation. While historic exhibits won’t change, how you present them can affect the visitor experience.

The Tetley

In the same part of town is The Tetley – a center for contemporary art located in the Art Deco headquarters of the former Tetley Brewery. It’s more of a ‘project space’ than an art gallery but most visit for a meal and to enjoy a pint of Tetley’s in this historic setting.

Leeds Art Gallery

Keeping with the free contemporary art theme, Leeds Art Gallery is said to have the best 20th-century collection outside London. The gallery reopened in 2017 after renovations with a vibrant wall-painting by Lothar Götz by the staircase.

It’s not all modern though as I found a lovely gallery with an 1847 painting by John Everett Millais and a centerpiece of marble busts. These paintings and busts were acquired in the first 12 years of the gallery’s life (1888-1900).

You won’t need long to visit the gallery so do stop at the Tiled Hall Cafe, shared with the adjoining Central Library. It has a beautiful ceiling that is worth admiring with a cuppa.

Henry Moore Institute

On the other side of Leeds Art Gallery is the Henry Moore Institute, connected inside via a bridge. This sculpture research center and gallery only needs a quick visit as it seems to be aimed at academics more than visitors. But you can see Henry Moore’s ‘Reclining Woman’ outside the Leeds Art Gallery.

Leeds City Museum

While the previous galleries had been quite uninspiring, Leeds City Museum was much better than expected. The Cuthbert Brodrick-designed building is striking from the outside, and inside there are four floors of galleries with simple interactives.

The curators here have struck the right level of information on the walls and an excellent range of exhibits from an Egyptian mummy and Roman stones in the ‘Ancient Worlds’ gallery to impressive stuffed animals in the ‘Life on Earth’ section. ‘The Leeds Story’ takes up most of one floor and really brings to life the history of the city.

By the entrance to the café, you’ll find the Leeds Tiger. It was shot in the Himalayas in 1860 and was displayed as a rug before being presented to the museum in the 19th century. The pelt was then combined with one or more other tigerskins and rather inexpertly stuffed with straw. While it’s a saggy specimen, it is well-loved locally so the museum won’t change him.

Museums Outside of the City Centre

Kirkstall Abbey is one of the best-preserved Cistercian monasteries in Britain, and you can explore the ruins set within parkland. At the same location is Abbey House Museum with three recreated Victorian streets, and toys and games from years gone by.

Leeds Industrial Museum is at Armley Mills, once the world’s largest woolen mill. There is industrial machinery, railway locomotives, Victorian workers’ cottages, and one of the UK’s smallest cinemas.

At Lotherton Hall, you can explore a fine Edwardian country home with extensive grounds, red deer park, and gardens, plus Wildlife World with penguins, flamingoes and more.

Temple Newsam is four miles from the city centre. It’s a country mansion set within 1,500 acres of parkland, complete with a rare breed farm too.

Feel the force and power of a fully restored 1820s water-powered mill and explore the beautiful and tranquil island rich in wildlife at Thwaite Mills.

Based in an old workhouse at St James’s Hospital, the Thackray Medical Museum has displays featuring gruesome twists, and it plays up to its reputation with exhibitions on the history of leeching, and a recreated Victorian street that comes complete with authentic smells.

SPORT

No article on Leeds could miss Headingley Stadium, just 10 minutes from the city center. Home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Headingley is a famous Test match venue which also stages one-day internationals. Rugby League fans will know Headingley is also home to Leeds Rhinos. And football supporters can see Leeds United FC at the 40,000 capacity Elland Road Football Stadium.

EAT AND DRINK

Eating out is a popular pastime in Leeds, and there’s a huge choice of dining opportunities. As Yorkshire tea is the local drink, the first meal I wanted to try here was afternoon tea. I know I’m used to London prices, but I was amazed at the posh tea and cake bargains in Leeds.

Just Grand! Vintage Tearoom in Grand Arcade is a lovely venue. Drinks are served in mismatched crockery, and the menus are on old LPs. There’s a huge choice of teas and a really well-priced afternoon tea (just £13.50!) with sandwiches, a scone with cream and jam, and a slice of fruit cake with local Wensleydale cheese on top of the cake stand. If the tables are taken inside, there are colorful Granny-crocheted blankets on the seats outside to keep you warm.

Other afternoon tea locations include the 13th floor Sky Lounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Granary Wharf, although the modern twist menu doesn’t include scones. The Tetley has an afternoon tea menu with a beer fruit scone included (£14), and the Fourth Floor Café at Harvey Nichols has a small outdoor terrace that overlooks Briggate and afternoon tea for just £20. The staff here is lovely, and this is a great place for breakfast, lunch or a glass of wine too.

Head back to Grand Arcade for lunch or dinner as there are some further excellent options including Roots and Fruits vegetarian café that’s been in Leeds for more than 20 years, the wonderful Casa Colombiana restaurant and Latin cocktail bar, and Zaap Thai street food on the corner of Vicar Lane – popular with families for the fun atmosphere.

If you’d like a full Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings, there are traditional pubs in the city center. John Betjeman described Whitelocks as “the very heart of Leeds.” Dating back to 1715 and owned by the Whitelock family since around 1880, the pub has a ceramic-tiled bar, old woodwork, and stained glass windows. Leeds Brewery’s The White Swan, adjoining City Varieties theatre, is a gastropub and does a popular Sunday roast too.

The city seems to have really embraced the idea of rooftop dining. Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen offers music, art, film, and food on three floors, including the roof terrace. And East 59th is a Manhattan-style rooftop bar with contemporary American dining in the day then cocktails and DJs to dance the night away.

For Michelin-starred, ultra-modern dining, book a table at The Man Behind the Curtain to try chef Michael O’Hare’s tasting menu. It’s all rather avant-garde, but you’re paying for the experience as well as the food. Home also specialise in tasting menus so you can ‘taste the season’ and pair wines.

The glamorous Restaurant Bar and Grill is in the old General Post Office in City Square and is loved for steaks and evening cocktails. And French eatery Brasserie Blanc is housed in a converted Victorian warehouse by the canal. The vaulted brick ceilings, cast iron pillars, and candlelight make for a relaxed evening out with friends and family.

For quick eats, the Trinity Kitchen’s street food market is recommended. Five different trailers are winched up to an upper floor every six weeks, and the rotating vendors trade alongside permanent outlets. Or stop in the Corn Exchange at Humpit for deliciously creamy hummus with fluffy pita bread to wipe it up. The Old Red Bus Station on Vicar Lane is a bar, music club, and canteen that has a £2.50 coffee and cake deal, making it a great place to stop.

Fuji Hiro was the first Japanese restaurant in Leeds. It’s a family-owned restaurant serving Japanese staples such as fried noodles and steaming bowls of ramen. It’s at the back of the Merrion Centre, so near to the First Direct Arena.

NIGHTLIFE

Theatres

Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House was built in 1878 and has been Opera North’s home since 1978. Known as “the Drury Lane of the North,” the idea to build the theatre began when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert came to Leeds to officially open the Town Hall in 1858. It is alleged that Prince Albert commented that “Leeds seemed in need of a good theatre, and that nothing was more calculated to promote the culture and raise the tone of the people.”

The Grand is where you can see the plays and musicals from London’s West End, but do beware when booking as the theatre is said to be haunted by the friendly ‘Lavender Lady’ who visits Box D in the Dress Circle.

The Swann Inn (now The White Swan) had a singing room added in 1766, and this is now the City Varieties Music Hall. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harry Houdini are among the entertainment greats to have trodden the boards at this Victorian theatre, and it’s still pretty much as it was in 1865 although it has been restored. As well as a fun pantomime in the winter, you can enjoy music hall evenings here throughout the year.

West Yorkshire Playhouse has plays, dance, comedy, and West End transfers. While the theatre is about to undergo major redevelopment, they have transformed one of the workshop spaces to create a 350-seat theatre to continue running a full and varied programme. Leeds College of Music, close to the Playhouse, has a packed concert schedule too.

Carriageworks Theatre in Millennium Square has a good range of shows, events, and activities including plenty for families.

Music

Leeds has one of the most vibrant live music scenes in the UK. Not only is Leeds home to the 13,500-capacity First Direct Arena with live music, comedy and more, but you can also enjoy regular gigs at The O2 Academy, The Wardrobe, Brudenell Social Club, Headrow House, and Belgrave Music Hall. The Domino Club has live jazz but is a particularly cool venue as you enter through Lord’s Barbering in Grand Arcade and head downstairs to a darkened room with candles, dimmed lights and a fantastic atmosphere.

ASK A LOCAL

To get an insider’s tips on the best nightlife in Leeds, I had a chat with Alex Simmons; a man brimming over with confidence and a big love of his city. Alex was a world-renowned DJ and now runs Rugby AM.

Mojo on Merrion Street is a small cocktail and rum bar with a great vibe. It gets louder throughout the evening and dancing is encouraged. Regulars have seats with their names on them, so look out for the plaque for popular radio DJ Chris Moyles.

For slow-cooked meats and the hottest sauces, Red’s True Barbecue on Call Lane is a favorite. Run by two guys from Leeds, Alex told me they went to the US and came in fourth in the world in a hot sauce competition.

There’s no bouncer outside The Maven Bar, so you just have to look for the door with an M on it on Call Lane. Head upstairs to a real hidden gem cocktail bar with darkened windows and subdued lighting. Based on a 1920s US Prohibition speakeasy but with its own style too, creative cocktails are served in teacups.

Bar Fibre is a four-floor super bar on Lower Briggate. Owned by local legend Terry George, the bar has just celebrated its 17th birthday. It’s a gay bar that’s straight-friendly and plays good local sounds. On Bank Holidays they have a courtyard party with the next door bar and it can get packed with thousands of people.

Legendary dance club reunions in Leeds to look out for including Back to Basics which is the longest-running house night in the UK. It launched the careers of artists such as Daft Punk and Groove Armada. SpeedQueen offers one of the best straight-friendly dance nights in the UK. And Habit, where Alex was the resident DJ up to 2011, has regular reunions.

FURTHER AFIELD

If you are fortunate enough to be here longer than just a weekend, Leeds provides the perfect base to explore the incredible landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire Moors, and dramatic Yorkshire coastline.

Just 10 miles south of Leeds is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at West Bretton. It’s home to works by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Anthony Gormley in 500 acres of 18th-century parkland.

Open from April to October, Harewood House is a Georgian property 7 miles from Leeds that sits within a Capability Brown-designed landscape. The House has incredible art collections and rare Chippendale furniture.

Roundhay Park is one of the biggest city parks in Europe and is just 3 miles from the city center. It’s more than 700 acres of greenery wrapped around a couple of lakes and a handful of cafés, plus an indoor wildlife park called Tropical World making Roundhay Park the most visited family attraction in Leeds.

TV soap fans will love The Emmerdale Studio Experience where you can see set reconstructions, preserved props, and costumes and discover the secrets behind stunts and special effects.

ACCOMMODATION

There are some excellent hotels in Leeds City Centre. I stayed at the Leeds Marriott which is in a quiet courtyard; just a few minutes walk from the train station. The rooms are impressively spacious, the on-site (including in-room) dining was above expectations and the staff is wonderfully welcoming and friendly. There’s a Leisure Club with a pool and free use of an app for newspapers and magazines.

Other good choices are the stylish Malmaison or Dakota. The Radisson Blu is almost next to Leeds Art Gallery, and the independently-run Quebecs is in one of the most distinctive terracotta brickwork buildings in Leeds.

If you’d like a spa break, Chevin Country Park Hotel & Spa is about 10 miles from Leeds in Otley and has spa day options if you prefer to stay in the city.

LAURA’S INSIDER TIPS

• Museums are closed on Mondays.
• Free water taxi to Royal Armouries from behind the train station.
• Knowledgeable staff in the Visitor Centre under Leeds Art Gallery.
• Easy access to Leeds from London by direct trains from King’s Cross – takes a little more than 2 hours.

Laura’s Leeds Top 10

• Shopping!
• Visit Leeds City Museum
• Admire the Victorian Architecture
• See a show at The Grand
• Have a drink on Call Lane
• Do the owl trail
• See live music
• Enjoy afternoon tea at Just Grand! Vintage Tearoom
• Chat to a local – everyone’s really friendly!
• Book tickets for the Millennium Square Summer Series (especially ‘The Symphonic Sounds of Back to Basics’)

The post EXPLORING LEEDS: Laura Porter’s Complete Travel Guide to This Yorkshire Hotspot appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

I was brought up near to Colchester so I did visit the Castle when I was a child. I remember it as a cold shell of a Norman castle which seemed much more fun from the outside that it was when you went inside. Thankfully it’s a true visitor attraction now explaining the incredible history of this Essex town.

I had a great excuse to stop in Colchester recently as I spent a few nights in Harwich on the Essex coast to research a feature for the Autumn/Fall 2019 issue of Anglotopia print magazine (that gives you time to subscribe!) and this was a great place to break-up the return journey to London.

Britain’s Oldest Recorded Town

A thousand years ago people already considered Colchester an ancient place. The town’s many historic sites remain a source of local pride to this day.

Colchester’s military connections are an important part of its identity. The town began as an Iron Age fortress over 2,000 years ago. Since then it has been a base for a Roman legion, Viking raiders, French knights and the British Army.

Colchester considers itself to be the ‘cultural capital of Essex’ and there certainly is a lot of history here.

Colchester Castle is the largest Norman keep ever built and sits directly on the foundations of the Temple of Claudius, the most important religious building in Roman Britain. (You can see the steps leading down to the foundations of the Temple near the Castle entrance.)

Over the years it has been a royal palace, prison, garden feature, air raid shelter and museum.

The Museum

Colchester Museum began in 1846 when a room was provided in the old Town Hall.

In 1860 the Museum moved to Colchester Castle which was then owned by the Round family. At first, the museum occupied just a small part of the first floor of the building but over time it has grown to fill the entire Castle.

The Castle’s open courtyard was roofed over in 1935 creating substantial new space on two floors.

Today the Castle contains one of the finest collections of Iron Age and Roman archaeology in Europe.

The Birth of Colchester

A settlement at Colchester was formed in the Iron Age, over 2,000 years ago.

Most people in Iron Age Essex were directly involved in farming and communities were mostly self-sufficient.

Trade also took place, sometimes over long distances. For example, salt, produced from seawater on the Essex coast, was traded with communities elsewhere in Britain in exchange for materials, such as iron and bronze, not found in Essex.

A series of rulers emerged from the dominating warrior class of whom the most famous and powerful was Cunobelin. He was described by the Romans as “King of the Britons” and ruled from Colchester. This made the settlement Britain’s first capital.

This chart below is helpful to remind us of the layers of history.

Trade with Rome

From around 100 BC the leaders of Iron Age communities in Essex began to import goods from the Roman world.

At first, Italian wine was the most important item of trade. Later, fish sauces, olive oil and grape syrups reached Essex from Spain, as well as silver, glass and pottery vessels from other parts of the Roman Empire.

Tribal warfare was a regular feature of everyday life in Essex in the century before the Roman invasion. One of the main reasons for conflict was the need to acquire slaves to use as payment for Roman imports such as Italian wine.

Cunobelin and Camulodunum

Before the Roman invasion, Colchester was called Camulodunum, meaning ‘the fortress of Camulos’ who was a native war god.

From about 50 BC it was the tribal capital of the Trinovantes tribe. It became firmly established as the capital of a new kingdom under a king called Cunobelin who united the Trinovantes with the Catuvellauni tribe of Hertfordshire.

Cunobelin ruled approx AD 10-40. He was the most famous and most powerful of the kings of late Iron Age Britain.

Claudius and the Roman Invasion of Britain

“Taking over command, Claudius crossed the river and engaged the natives who gathered at his approach, defeated them and took Camuldonum, the capital of Cunobelin.”
Cassius Dio, c. AD 225

Claudius became Roman emperor in AD 41. This was a surprise to many people, even though he was a member of the imperial family. His health was poor, he limped and he had a stammer, all of which kept him out of public view. Powerful people doubted his ability to rule and wanted to return Rome to a republic.

Invading Britain gave Claudius the spectacular military victory that he needed to win public support. He received the surrender of British chieftains at Colchester before returning to Rome in triumph.

The Roman Legions

The strength of the Roman army lay in its foot soldiers called legionaries. At full strength a legion consisted of 5,200 soldiers. Four legions with over 20,000 men formed the backbone of the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43.

The military tombstones on display at Colchester Castle are unrivalled in Britain, being two of the earliest and most detailed ever found.

The Legionary Fortress at Colchester

When Colchester was captured in AD 43, the Romans built a fortress for the Twentieth Legion to control the native people. The fortress covered twenty hectares in the town centre from the area which is now the Mercury Theatre to Lion Walk.

The fortress was rectangular-shaped, defended by a ditch and bank which was topped by a wall of wooden stakes.

The army was only based in Colchester for six years. In AD 49 the town was considered safe and the Twentieth Legion left to continue its military campaign to the west. The terrible treatment and conditions of many ordinary native Britons increased popular resentment towards the Roman rulers which would lead to revolt.

The Temple of Claudius

The Temple was built for the worship of the Imperial families and dedicated to Emperor Claudius after his death in AD 54.

It was the most famous building in Roman Britain. The Romans took refuge in the Temple when Colchester was attacked by Boudica.

Colchester Destroyed

The Romans in newly conquered Britain worked with the local elite, rewarding with status and wealth those who co-operated.

However, the majority of the people in Colchester were forced to work on building the new Roman town including the Temple of Claudius. This resentment became open rebellion in AD 60 when Boudica led a huge army against the Romans. Colchester was attacked by the Iceni tribe of Norfolk and Suffolk led by Queen Boudica, and joined by the Trinovantes tribe of Essex. Colchester was burnt to the ground and the very survival of Roman Britain hung in the balance. No prisoners were taken and everyone who lived in Colchester was killed. Buildings were looted and then set fire to destroy all trace of the Roman town.

Roman Colchester Reborn

When Colchester was reoccupied by the Romans after the Boudican revolt the town was rebuilt. It was called Colonia Victricensis, ‘the colony of the victorious’. The following two hundred years brought peace and prosperity to Colchester and saw Roman culture and technology flourish.

The Temple of Claudius was rebuilt and it remained a symbol of Roman power and authority for the next 350 years.

The Romans learnt from their mistakes and built a town wall to defend the new colony from future attacks. Life was harsh for the natives as slavery was central to the success of the Roman economy.

The slave population was vast and conditions for slaves varied enormously. It was common for a master to reward a slave with their freedom. The hope of eventual freedom encouraged many slaves to be obedient and loyal.

Roman Religion

Colchester ceased to the capital of Roman Britain but it remained the main religious centre.

The Romans worshipped many gods and goddesses. Some had only a local significance, others were worshipped across the Empire. The Roman state tolerated this religious diversity unless a cult was thought to pose a threat to the established order.

The Roman Kitchen

Cooking in early Roman Colchester was done on hearths or in ovens set in the dirt floors of houses. One kitchen discovered at Lion Walk had six ovens.

Scorch marks and soot on the outside of these vessels show those pots that were used for cookery. Pottery was also used to store food and drink.

For most Roman people, meals consisted of bread and porridge. But for the wealthy, dinner was a great occasion with several different courses to entertain guests.

Roman Empire

As the navy and army helped to suppress piracy and highway robbery, imports from across the Roman Empire could reach Colchester. Roman Colchester was a wealthy town and trade peaked in the second century AD at the high point of the Empire, but declined in the centuries that followed.

The Colchester Vase

Colchester was one of the major potteries of Roman Britain. Over 40 pottery kilns have been discovered in the town. The industry peaked in the town in the second century when potters won army contracts to supply forts on the northern frontier.

The Colchester Vase is the most famous pot from Roman Britain. It was found in a grave between AD 175 and AD 200 at West Lodge in Colchester.

The pot is decorated with detailed scenes showing a fight between two gladiators, a man beating a bear with a whip and a hunting dog in pursuit of two stags and a hare.

Colchester Samian Ware

Colchester is the only place in Britain where the distinctive Roman pottery called Samian was made. However, it was not very successful, possibly because of the quality of local clay used.

Public Entertainment

Roman Colchester had two theatres, one near the Temple of Claudius and the other in the countryside at Gosbecks.

The popularity of gladiator fights can be seen by the many images of gladiators excavated in the town. The fights took place in an amphitheatre which is yet to found in Colchester.

The Colchester circus is of major importance because it is the only one known in Britain. It was identified as a circus in 2006 following excavations to the south of the town centre.

The circus was a race track for chariots built in the second century AD. It attracted large crowds with enough seating for 16,000 spectators. The races would have been an exciting spectacle with as many as eight chariots competing in each race.

The circus continued in use until the end of the third century AD, after which it fell into ruin.

The Middleborough Mosaic

This mosaic floor was one of several laid in a house built just outside the town walls of Colchester at Middleborough.

It was created by a team of master craftsmen at work in the town just after the middle of the second century AD. The house was demolished in about AD 300.

Christianity in Roman Colchester

In AD 313 Emperor Constantine granted Christians freedom to worship. It was not long before many citizens of Roman Colchester converted to Christianity and built a stone church just outside the town wall at Butt Road. Worship at Butt Road ended in the fifth century.

By AD 370 Colchester was a largely Christan community and had become a very different place to the earlier Roman town.

The strength, influence and power of the Roman Empire were fading. The town was much smaller than in earlier years, visibly decayed and under fear of attack.

Less than one hundred years later Colchester and the Roman way of life had come to an end.

The Arrival of the Anglo-Saxons

By AD 410 the Roman troops had departed from Britain and it left the area defenceless.

Incoming people from north Germany and Denmark called Angles, Saxons and Jutes started to settle in what became known as England. This was not an organised conquest of the country but was a gradual settlement of small groups of people.

In Colchester, there is evidence of settlers from Germany arriving early in the fifth century.

Colchester Reborn

The surviving Roman walls around the ruins of Colchester offered a safe base for Viking armies that attacked Britain in the 800s. In AD 917 the Saxon king, Edward the Elder, threw the Vikings out and refortified Colchester. After centuries of neglect, Colchester started to function as a town again.

Following William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Colchester soon prospered under Norman rule. The Normans were great builders. The Castle and St Botolph’s Priory are evidence of their skills.

At one and a half times the size of the ground plan of the White Tower at the Tower of London, Colchester’s keep of 152 by 112 feet (46 m × 34 m) has the largest area of any medieval tower built in Britain or in Europe.

Colchester Gaol

Colchester Castle was used as a gaol for over 600 years. People were punished and imprisoned in the Castle for a variety of offences, some of which would not be considered crimes today.

In the 1500s people were put to death for following their personal faith rather than official religious practice.

In 1645, during the troubled times of the English Civil War, the notorious Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, used Colchester Castle as a base for his interrogations.

In the Castle grounds, there is a garden in memory of the victims of the Essex Witch Hunts.

Over the years thousands of convicted criminals and prisoners of war have been held here. The first record of Colchester Castle being used as a prison dates from 1226.

The Castle was also used as a place to hold people before they went to trail or until they had paid their fines. Prisoners had to pay the gaoler for their food and drink. When the gaoler was corrupt, this left prisoners at his mercy.

“Wee are crediblie informed that the miseries of the poor prisoners are soe great and lameentable partlie by reason of the crueltie of the gaoler”
Report on Colchester Castle Gaol, 1631

The Castle gaol closed in 1885, by which date it was completely unfit for purpose.

The Siege of Colchester

The English Civil War, fought between the Royalists and Parliamentarians, centred on Colchester in the summer of 1648.

Royalist troops occupied Colchester. A Parliamentarian army failed to storm the town and settled in for a siege. When the food ran out people were reduced to eating dogs, cats, rats and candles made from animal fat.

After eleven weeks the Royalists surrendered. Two of their commanders, Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, were executed by firing squad outside the Castle. Scars of the Siege can still be seen on some buildings in the town.

The Town Charter

Colchester gained rights and privileges through royal charters, issued by a series of monarchs, which allowed the town to prosper. Colchester received its first charter in 1189 from Richard I. Privileges included holding markets and local courts and exemption from paying various taxes. The fishing rights on the River Colne were another important benefit.

Charters were particularly significant in the Middle Ages as they gave Colchester more control over its own affairs and opportunities for increasing the wealth and status of the town and its leading people.

The charter issued by Henry V in 1413 is the first to show the Borough Arms. The Arms make reference to the town’s Roman past and show that the townspeople were proud of Colchester’s long history.

You exit through the gift shop which has some fun gift ideas.

Contact Information

As a visitor, I found the layout confusing even with the map that was provided. You start upstairs with the Iron Age and Roman displays and then the ground floor has Saxon/Norman, Medieval, the English Civil War Siege and the prison.

You need 1.5-2 hours to visit. There isn’t a cafe but there are cafes, pubs and restaurants in the local area.

It’s a family-friendly attraction with trails for the kids to follow, dressing up clothes and lots of ‘Please Touch’ displays.

Address: Colchester, Essex CO1 1TJ

Nearest Station: Colchester Town railway station is about an hour away from London Liverpool Street station.

Official Website: colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/colchester-castle

The post Laura’s Britain: Exploring History at Colchester Castle in Essex appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Bletchley Park is the home of British codebreaking and a birthplace of modern information technology. It played a major role in World War Two, producing secret intelligence which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the conflict.

Due to its exceptional historical importance, this nineteenth-century mansion and estate in Buckinghamshire is open to visitors throughout the year. It is an accredited museum dedicated to telling the story of Bletchley Park, its achievements and the people who worked there during World War Two.

You can reach Bletchley Park by train from London in under an hour, and it’s a fantastic day out. I’ll be writing a more in-depth look at BP for the summer issue of Anglotopia magazine which gives you time to subscribe.

D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion

D-Day is the day in the Second World War (6 June 1944) when Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy. The invasion marked the beginning of the final phase of World War II in Europe, which ended with the surrender of Germany the following May.

Previewing at Bletchley Park from 11 April 2019 (and fully open by May 2019), D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion is an immersive cinematic experience. Timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of D-Day, this specially-commissioned film is projected on a 22m screen in the newly restored Teleprinter Building. This was where hundreds of thousands of intercepted messages first arrived at Bletchley Park from secret listening posts across the UK, and Ultra intelligence was transmitted to Allied headquarters.

BT (formerly British Telecom and General Post Office before that) is the corporate partner connected to the restoration of Teleprinter Building and this new exhibition. It was General Post Office engineers who managed Bletchley Park’s secure communications network and delivered innovative information technology such as Colossus, the world’s first electronic digital computer.

No single operation of World War Two was so dependent on Bletchley Park as the Normandy landings. Seventy-five years on, D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion is revealing the full scale of Bletchley Park’s top-secret impact on the planning and implementation of D-Day.

The Teleprinter Building

This recently restored building was constructed in 1941 in brick with a steel frame and no windows to provide blast-proof protection for the teleprinter equipment and their operators.

Teleprinters were used by Bletchley Park both to receive intercepted Enigma messages for decoding and to distribute information from the decoded messages to Allied command centers across the world.

After the war, the General Post Office used the site as a residential regional training center for clerical, engineering and telecommunications work. The Teleprinter Building was used as a cinema and for training and entertainment. It was substantially rebuilt in 1957 (the higher level and windows added) as an assembly hall for Bletchley Teacher Training College.

The Exhibition

When you enter the building, you first see the new exhibition. It has spotlights on key people and clearly-presented information on how their skills were used at Bletchley Park. The colored lines show how information was brought together from many sources.

The exhibition includes direct examples of when Bletchley Park intelligence altered the Allies invasion plans and helped to save lives.

The D-Day landings were the largest amphibious operation in history. The intelligence plan leading up to 6 June 1944 took two years to prepare. Even on the day, coded messages were still being decrypted, translated and sent on as intelligence reports in under three hours. This gave the Allied Commanders invaluable insights into how the Germans were responding to the invasion.

While visiting Bletchley Park, you start to understand the size of the operation here. The exhibition explains that by 1944 BP, and its Outstations, had grown from an organization employing around 100 people in 1939 to an intelligence factory employing over 9,000 men and women working on three eight-hour shifts to keep the Park running all day and all night. As you might expect for home front work, women outnumbered men at Bletchley Park around three to one.

Huts were paired with Codebreakers and Translators working separately and never entering the other’s building. This was as much for security as for the production line process that needed certain workers at each stage.

I read about the existence of the top-secret Western Front Committee at Bletchley Park, formed in October 1942, who week by week patiently accrued intelligence on the German defenses in France which directly impacted on the invasion plans. Their remit was to intercept, decipher, analyze and organize the intelligence necessary to make the storming of ‘Fortress Europe’ a success.

And while many of us have heard about the importance of the Codebreakers’ breakthroughs with the Enigma machine, there were more machines that they had to crack. The Lorenz machine coded the top level German messages (Hitler’s own correspondence and those working most closely with him). This brought the need to build machinery to help decipher Lorenz messages that led to the development of Colossus, the world’s first large scale electronic digital computer. Details of the Lorenz machine – and Bletchley Park’s role in breaking it – were only completely declassified in 2002.

There were Japanese ciphers too, and along with the Lorenz messages this gave the Allies a unique insight into Hitler’s strategy for dealing with the ‘Second Front’. It was a fortunate interception of the Japanese reports on meetings with Hitler that brought the coded messages to Bletchley Park. And, the skills of the people working here that meant that intelligence could be understood and used.

The Film

The 12 minute film is based on recently declassified information. It has direct examples of how intelligence produced at Bletchley Park helped troops on the ground.

The huge 22-meter curved screen has sections, so there are multiple images telling a story at the same time. There is an English narration and on-screen text too.

While war is brutal and shocking, the film doesn’t glorify the grotesque side of battle.

The film explains about ‘Fortress Europe’ being Hitler’s huge chain of coastal defenses designed to keep the Allies out of Western Europe.

And you learn about the Enigma machine used by the German military to scramble messages into unintelligible cipher text. There was always a quick deadline as the machine’s settings were changed every 24 hours.

Decyphering these messages wasn’t where things ended. As I noted above, it took two years of information gathering leading up to D-Day. Fake news played its part as the Germans were fed a diet of deception and time was needed to assess if the misinformation was believed.

During each passing month leading up to June 1944, the intelligence gathered by the Codebreakers painted a picture of an increasingly formidable enemy.

On the day, none of the troops who gathered for their pre-invasion briefings knew anything about Bletchley Park. Yet the knowledge BP offered allowed them to know where the enemy was, the weapons and the numbers to expect.

The beaches to the west, Utah and Omaha, were assigned to the US 4th Infantry, 29th Infantry and 1st Infantry Divisions. This was almost 60,000 men between them and they were scheduled to begin their assault at 6.30am. Almost 25,000 men of the British 50th Division were to land at Gold beach at 7.25am. Juno was to see an assault by the 21,500 men of the Canadian 3rd Division at 7.45am. And also at 7.25am, Sword would come under attack by the British 3rd Division, numbering close to 30,000 men.

On 6 June 1944, at 00.07 hours, six Horsa gliders crossed the Normandy coastline at an altitude of close to 2,135 meters (7,000ft). Detaching themselves from the Halifax bombers that had towed them across the Channel, they began a stealthy descent.

At 00.16 hours the 181 men of D Company, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry hit the ground. One glider was blown off course but the other five landed close to the two bridges the men were responsible for taking. Ten minutes later bridges Pegasus and Horsa were in Britsh hands.

The success of this first engagement with the enemy on D-Day rested on a combination of intelligence, planning, training, skill, bravery, good fortune and surprise.

Operation Fortitude – the deception campaign partly enabled by the Codebreakers – had achieved its goal. Convinced that the invasion would strike in the Pas de Calais, the Germans had not committed sufficient troops to Normandy to prevent the Allied forces from forcing a bridgehead.

But the intelligence provided to the invading troops was not infallible. There were some gaps in Allied knowledge. By far the worst of the fighting was endured by the US 1st Infantry on Omaha beach. They suffered a loss of 2,499 men. The total Allied casualties on D-Day were around 10,000 with over 4,000 killed.

The campaign for the soldiers, sailors and airmen on D-Day began with 130 staff at Bletchley Park in August 1939 facing the seemingly impenetrable wall of Germany’s military communications encryption.

More Anniversaries

2019 also sees the opening of a new display of items from the museum’s archive, showcasing rarely seen cartoons and sketches of people and places associated with Bletchley Park.

The eightieth anniversary of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) will be marked by a special display opening in summer 2019. Visitors can also enjoy Bletchley Park’s popular vintage 1940s weekends, Museums at Night events, as well as lectures, workshops and activities throughout the year.

Contact Information

Address: The Mansion, Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 6EB

Nearest Train Station: Bletchley (approx. 40 minutes from London Euston)

Tickets: £20 (D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion is included in the admission price)

Visit Duration: It is recommended to allow 4 to 5 hours for your visit but you could easily spend a full day here. Your ticket becomes an annual pass so you can return for unlimited visits throughout the year.

You will need a map to explore the site as it is spread across many buildings (main mansion and the huts).

There are one-hour guided outdoor walking tours available. There’s no extra cost for these but you can’t book in advance so check times when you arrive and sign-up as there are limited numbers. There is a multimedia guide available too.

Official Website: bletchleypark.org.uk

The post Bletchley Park: New Exhibition Report – D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The Bodleian Library in Oxford – the library of the prestigious University of Oxford – is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. In Britain, it is second in size only to the British Library in London.

The Bodleian first opened to scholars in 1602. Its incomparable collections of books, papers and manuscripts are housed in buildings in the city center, and you can book a guided tour. I was fortunate enough to know a tour guide, so I was taken on a private tour to see behind the scenes of this distinguished establishment.

Not One Library

The Bodleian is not just one library in one building. It’s now known as the Bodleian Libraries as it includes major research libraries, libraries attached to faculties, departments and other institutions of the University as well as the principal University library – the Bodleian Library. Together, the Bodleian Libraries hold over 13 million printed items.

It’s a reference library that’s very much still in use. There are currently 50,000 valid reader tickets for scholars and students who can request books from the collection. I call it a reference library as books cannot be borrowed – even King Charles I was refused permission to borrow a book in 1645. (Some of the faculty libraries do lend books now, but you can’t take a book home from the main collection.)

Pronunciation

And before we go any further, how do you say Bodleian? It’s a good question. Bod-lee-en is the nearest way I can write it to help, but you can hear it said here.

Legal Depository

In 1610 Thomas Bodley (more about him later) entered into an agreement with the Stationers’ Company of London on behalf of the library. He agreed that a copy of every book published in England and registered at Stationers’ Hall would be deposited in the new library.

There are six legal deposit libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland: The British Library (London), National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh), Bodleian Library (Oxford), Cambridge University Library (Cambridge), Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) and the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth).

The five libraries in Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, and Aberystwyth are entitled to request free of charge a copy of everything published in the United Kingdom, providing they make a request in writing within a year of the date of publication.

Essentially this means, the Bodleian Libraries collections are growing by 1,000 books a day or 5,000 a week! As the collections are now so immense not all are in these city center buildings. The University has a storage facility 30 miles away in Swindon that has 9 million items.

Bodleian Libraries Guided Tours

There are 30-minute, 60-minute and 90-minute guided tours available. The tour I did is most similar to the 90-minute tour where you get to visit both the Bodleian Library’s historic rooms and the modern underground reading room.

The tour guides do not use scripts so they can tailor the tour to the group. Some guides know more about the architecture, and some specialize in dates and people, for example.

You get issued with a headset, so the guide doesn’t have to raise their voice as this is a working library. This means you can still hear them clearly even if they whisper.

Not a Book Tour

Just to be clear, the tours do not include seeing old manuscripts or time to get medieval books off the shelves. The tours are more about the history of the library and the opportunity to see some stunning heritage architecture and learn about the University’s history.

The Beginning

The university has been in existence since the 11th century, but it had no purpose-built building for 200 years.

The University’s first purpose-built library was begun around 1320 in the University Church. St Mary the Virgin church is on the High Street and is free to visit. (There’s a popular cafe there too.) The library was in a room which still exists as a vestry and a meeting room for the church. It was more of a book storage room than a library you could visit.

Divinity School

Built in 1423-1428, the Divinity School is magnificent. This medieval room is the oldest school of the University. (‘Schools’ in Oxford means teaching/lecture halls.) This is the earliest examination hall of the University where oral exams took place. All classes were taught via oral lectures too as books were so expensive.

You may well recognize the room from the Harry Potter film series as this was the Infirmary in the first movie and the dancing school in the third film.

There are 455 bosses on the ceiling including many for the Bishop of London. (Back then, all education was governed by the church. Apparently, you actually had to take holy orders to receive a degree from Oxford.)

Over the windows on one side of the room, (the left in the picture below) the stonemason’s work is more elaborate. But on the right, the work is plainer as things were taking too long and the costs were high for such detailed work.

When Sir Christoper Wren designed and built the Sheldonian Theatre (1664-1669) – the official ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford – a door was added on the side of the Divinity School so the degree procession could pass through. Wren’s initials are over the door. (It’s the door on the left in the photo above.)

At the time it was discovered that the walls were failing from the heavy library above (see more about the library below) so stone buttresses were added. Following a structural report in the 1960s, these were removed, and less obtrusive concrete and steel reinforcements were used. If you look up at the ceiling, you may be able to notice the steel rivets.

Duke Humfrey

Having a library space was more of an afterthought but when the University was given a priceless collection a new library was needed. The Duke Humfrey’s Library is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library.

Duke Humfrey was Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, son of Henry IV and younger brother of Henry V. He commissioned translations of classical works from Greek into Latin and, when he died in 1447, he donated his collection to the University.

At the time, the University only had 20 books as books were handwritten so extremely expensive. The Duke donated more than 281 manuscripts, including several important classical texts.

The Duke Humfrey’s Library is on the second story above the Divinity School. It was begun in 1478 and finally opened in 1488. It has exposed painted beams with stencils on the ceiling and portraits of the University founders along the walls. There’s a bust of Thomas Bodley and Charles I too. The books are accommodated in oak bookcases which are at right angles to the walls on either side with integral readers’ desks. The ceiling consists of panels painted with the arms of the University.

This is another filming location, so you may recognize it from the TV series A Discovery of Witches (2018) or the restricted area of the Hogwarts school library in the Harry Potter films.

This stunning medieval library is still used as a reading room so you can request a book from the Bodleian collections and have it delivered here to read in this atmospheric location.

English Reformation

The library only lasted for 60 years as the English Reformation meant all traces of Catholicism including ‘superstitious books and images’ were removed from the library in 1550. In 1556 the furniture was removed by the University, and the room was taken over by the Faculty of Medicine.

Thomas Bodley

The Duke Humphrey’s Library was refitted and restored from 1598 by Sir Thomas Bodley (1545–1613). He was a Fellow of Merton College and a diplomat in Queen Elizabeth I’s court. He married a rich widow and started on the library project in his retirement as his legacy. It is he who The Bodleian is named after.

Remember that point earlier about the weight of the books above the Divinity School affecting the strength of the walls? The refurbished library housed a new collection of some 2,500 books, some of them given by Bodley himself. A librarian, Thomas James, was appointed, and the library finally opened on 8 November 1602.

Arts End Extension

The building had an east wing added in 1610-12. Bodley planned and financed this first extension to the medieval building, known as Arts End. The ground floor is now the foyer for starting guided tours, and the first floor is in Duke Humphrey’s Library. This has the first mezzanine in a library in Britain.

This library extension has exposed painted oak beams too, but oil-based paints were used, so the colors are darker. And there’s an example of a chained book as books were so valuable there couldn’t be a risk they might be damaged by readers. These books are stored on the shelves backward so the spines don’t get damaged.

You can also see here the old pneumatic tube book ordering system. Readers used to put a request slip in a cylindrical container, and it was transported through a tube to the librarians. Now you order online, receive an email when your book is ready, and then you collect it in your designated reading room.

While there aren’t any photos of the pneumatic system, here’s the underground book conveyor with the tubes on the right.

Quadrangle

Bodley died in 1613, but shortly after work started on his planned Schools Quadrangle for improved lecture and examination rooms. The quadrangle was structurally complete by 1619, though work continued until at least 1624.

The Tower of the Five Orders forms the main entrance to the Library. It has the columns of each of the five orders of classical architecture: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite, in ascending order.

Headington stone was used for the buildings from the Headington quarry in Oxford. While it initially looked good, it’s a porous limestone and has weathered badly.

While walking through do look for the modern heads over one archway. The previous faces had completely deteriorated.

There’s a bronze statue of the Earl of Pembroke (1580-1630) that are often confused with Oliver Cromwell, apparently.

By 1859 the whole of the Schools Quadrangle was used by the library.

Selden End Extension

The last addition to Bodley’s buildings came 20 years after the Arts End in 1634–7. The west wing extension to Duke Humfrey’s Library is still known as Selden End, after the lawyer John Selden (1584–1654) who made a gift of 8,000 books.

Convocation House

On the ground floor of the Selden End is the Convocation House. Built 200 years after the Divinity School, it is just as stunning. (Note, the ceiling was redone in 1750.) This oak-paneled room is so named because it’s where people convocated (i.e., a large formal assembly of people).

The University’s Convocation used to meet in this room for matters of University business. It has also hosted sittings of Parliament during the reign of Charles II, both in 1665 and 1681, when the chamber served as home for the Royalist Members of Parliament during the Civil War.

It is regularly used as a filming location. You may recognize it from The Favourite (2018) or The Madness of King George (1994).

At the far end of the room, in this picture, is the Chancellor’s chair. It looks like a throne and has a lecturn attached in front. To allow someone to sit in the chair, the lecturn can be pulled forward on a pivot and then springs back to position. Clever, eh?

Chancellor’s Court

A small room next to the Convocation House is the Chancellor’s Court. This was the University’s courtroom for dealing with common law issues. It was a debtor’s court too and had to deal with Oscar Wilde in the 1870s after he didn’t pay his bills to local suppliers. The Bodleian has the invoice in their Treasures Collection which included packs of playing cards, poker chips, and Venetian glassware.

Gladstone Link

Connecting the old Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera is the Gladstone Link. It’s a tunnel that was previously used for transporting books on a 1940s conveyor from the New Bodleian to the Old Bodleian, and for transporting books by trolley to the Radcliffe Camera.

Now, readers (and those on the 90-minute guided tour) can walk through. It looks somewhat ‘sci-fi’ and connects to an informal study space.

It is named after Prime Minister Gladstone as he sketched out an idea for library shelves on ceiling tracks that are used in the reading room.

Radcliffe Camera

First things first, a ‘camera’ is a room in Latin, so that explains the name.

John Radcliffe (1650–1714) left his trustees a large sum of money with which to purchase both the land for the new building and an endowment to pay a librarian and purchase books. Dr. Radcliffe (you can see a portrait of him over the Upper Reading Room entrance) was Queen Anne’s physician, but when she didn’t follow his advice, he refused to treat her again.

Oxford’s most impressive piece of classical architecture was built between 1737 and 1748 based on the designs of James Gibbs, and it was finally opened in 1749. (James Gibb was a big name architect of the day. He also designed St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London.)

For many years the Radcliffe Science Library, as it was called until 1860, was completely independent of the Bodleian. (The science library still exists and is next to the Pitt Rivers Museum.)

The Bodleian leased the monumental circular domed building, and it became the first Bodleian library with artificial light (gas light). There are two floors with reading rooms on both. I was told the geometric staircase between the floors was outside the main building but, thankfully, it’s now inside.

It’s a treat to see the inside of the dome from the Upper Reading Room, but I also liked the Lower Reading Room’s central circular shelves where books that had been ordered were awaiting collecting. From academic tomes, there was also a copy of The Great Gatsby Penguin Classic paperback.

When you exit the building, do walk around the side and look up as there are grotesques (the correct word for what we usually call gargoyles) that were added in 2000. These were designed by Oxford schoolchildren and include three men in a boat, a lion’s head, and a boar, plus a dodo and Tweedledee and Tweedledum from the Alice in Wonderland stories.

Weston Library

In 1931, with both readers and books increasing, the decision was taken to build a new library. A row of old timber houses on the north side of Broad Street was demolished for The New Bodleian, as it was known then. The architect was Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (yes, he who designed the red telephone box) and it was constructed in 1937–40.

The New Bodleian building was completely renovated and reopened with large public and new academic spaces as the Weston Library in 2015.

The tour doesn’t really cover the Weston Library but do visit as there is a free exhibition space and the Treasures Gallery too. There’s also a decent cafe and free public toilets.

How To Visit

A regular programme of guided tours of the Old Bodleian Library allows visitors to see inside its historic rooms including the 15th-century Divinity School, medieval Duke Humfrey’s Library and the impressive Radcliffe Camera.

Guided tours are only available in English, and there is a maximum of 13 people on each tour. All tours include a number of stairs and some walking.

Do note, no bags (even purses) are allowed on the tours, so everyone has to leave them in secure lockers.

Tours do sell out each day, so it is always worth booking in advance. But, if you find yourself in Oxford and haven’t booked, you can ask at Information at the main entrance in case there are spaces.

Official Website: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whatson/visit/tours

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Oxford University’s Bodleian Library recently launched a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition dedicated to J.R.R. Tolkien and his connection to Oxford. Many authors have strong connections to Oxford: Lewis Carroll who wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia and, of course, J.R.R. Tolkien who brought us The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This exhibition brings together rare items from various archives together into one place to showcase the breadth of Tolkien’s works. Jonathan, the publisher of Anglotopia, sent me up to Oxford to have a look.

Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892 – 1973) is one of the world’s best-loved authors, with his works regularly appearing in polls of the top 100 greatest British novels of all time. The Hobbit (1937) has sold over 100 million copies worldwide while The Lord of the Rings (1954-5) has sold over 150 million copies, and both works have been translated into over fifty languages.

Bodleian Libraries

The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford is the largest university library system in the United Kingdom. The collection, begun in 1602, contains a copy of every book printed in Great Britain and it grows by 5,000 items every week.

Bodleian Libraries has the largest collection of original Tolkien manuscripts and drawings in the world. And The Tolkien Archive has been kept at the Bodleian since 1979.

The archive has been added to often, the latest addition was acquired in May 2016: a recently discovered map of Middle-earth annotated by J.R.R. Tolkien.

New Exhibition

Many of the objects on display here have not been seen in Oxford since Tolkien’s death in 1973 so this exhibition is being billed as a “once in a generation” opportunity.

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth opened at The Weston Library at Bodleian Libraries this month and it is completely free (although it is recommended to pre-book as it is so popular).

This is a chance to explore the legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s vast creative genius with not just the Bodleian Libraries extensive collection but also many items from private collections.

There are around 200 items in the exhibition and around half have never been displayed before. The various manuscripts, artworks, maps, letters and artefacts have been gathered from the UK, the US and France.

J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reul Tolkien was born in 1892 in Bloemfontein in South Africa.

His mother, Mabel, took her two young sons to England in 1895 for an extended stay but got news that their father, Arthur, had died so they stayed in Birmingham.

His mother taught him to draw and throughout his life he used drawing and painting as a form of relaxation.

Tolkien started inventing languages when he was a young boy and he wanted a world for the languages to be used. For almost 70 years Tolkien spent his free time creating the language, scripts, races, legends and history of Middle-earth. He was sociable at school and had a group of friends in the T.C.B.S. (Tea Club and Barrovian Society).

Trained as a linguist, Tolkien felt that a believable language needed a detailed mythology to go along with it. His high fantasy tales of wizards, hobbits, dwarfs, and orcs functioned in-part as vehicles for his invented Elvish languages.

Tolkien spent most of his adult life in Oxford, first as a student of classics at Exeter College in 1911, aged 19, but switched to English part-way through, graduating with a first class degree.

After serving in France during World War One, he returned to Oxford to work on the New English Dictionary (later the Oxford English Dictionary), whilst also tutoring in English for various colleges.

After five years at Leeds University as Reader and then Professor of English Language, he returned to Oxford in 1925 and remained there for the rest of his working life, firstly as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, 1925-1945, and secondly as the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, 1945-1959.

It is inconceivable that he would have written The Lord of the Rings without being a Professor of Anglo-Saxon as he took some themes from Beowulf, the Old English epic poem, that he taught as an Oxford Academic for over twenty years.

Apart from three years in Bournemouth, Tolkien spent his retirement in Oxford working on the legends and stories of The Silmarillion, which were published posthumously in 1977 in an edition prepared by his son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien (see more below).

He died in 1973 whilst visiting friends in Bournemouth and is buried with his wife, Edith, in Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford.

Essentially, he was an Oxford Don who wrote and told stories to his children that became some of the most popular in western literature.

Family

Tolkien met Edith Bratt while at school and they were married in March 1916, in the middle of World War One. He was one of the few soldiers to return from the Battle of The Somme.

By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.

The couple went on to have four children together and each year, for 23 years, Tolkien sent illustrated letters to his children in the guise of Father Christmas.

I made up and even wrote lots of things (especially for my children).

One of those stories was Roveranddom, a bedtime story about a dog who was changed into a toy by a passing wizard and went on to have marvellous adventures. Tolkien came up with the idea to calm the children during a particularly stormy night in their cliff-top lodgings on a family holiday in Filey, North Yorkshire, as his son Michael had lost his black and white toy dog while playing on the beach.

Roveranddom was offered to his publisher but he was encouraged to write more books about hobbits.

The Hobbit

The story goes, one day he was marking examination papers in his home study at 20 Northmoor Road (his chair is on display here) and discovered that a candidate had left one page of an answer book blank. On this page he wrote, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”.

I did not and do not know why.

He may not be able to explain it but the tale of The Hobbit commenced here.

On display are plan notes for The Hobbit from the early 1930s.

Change name of Bladorthin > Gandalf
Gandalf > Thorin (Oakenshield)
Medwed > to Beorn

I worked for a publisher for many years and it amused me to see Tolkien sent a typed manuscript for The Hobbit to a publisher and forgot to put his name on the cover (this was added in pencil by the publisher). You would be surprised to know how often this oversight occurs.

The publisher, George Allen & Unwin, published little fiction and even fewer books for children, but they accepted The Hobbit.

‘There and Back Again’ as the sub-title is important as it arouses interest, points to a journey and reassures younger readers (spoiler alert) that there will be a safe return.

The Exhibition

Curated by Bodleian’s Tolkien Archivist Catherine McIlwaine, the exhibition examines the full breadth of the unique literary imagination of this extraordinary cultural figure.

From his creation of Middle-earth – the imagined world where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are set – to his life and work as an artist, poet, medievalist and scholar of languages.

The numerous items exploring the vast spectrum of Tolkien’s creative and scholarly output range from his early abstract paintings in The Book of Ishness to the touching tales he wrote for his children.

Original manuscripts of his popular classics sit alongside lesser-known and posthumous works and materials, some of which are on public display for the very first time.

The range of objects on display navigates visitors around Tolkien’s creation of language, his childhood and student days, his career as a scholar of literature, and his family life as a husband and father.

Maps

Once your timed ticket has been scanned (and you’ve been reminded there’s no eating, drinking or photography inside) you enter the exhibition by walking over a projected map of Middle-earth.

I wisely started with a map and made the story fit.

I discovered in the exhibition that Hobbiton is approximately at the latitude of Oxford.

I never made anyone go farther than he could go on a given day.

Tolkien’s attention to detail ensured that the reader remained immersed in the virtual reality of Middle-earth. He even invented a system of measurements for hobbits (based on a hobbit’s toe-nail) to estimate the maximum distance a halfling could walk in a day.

The Room

This is a one-room exhibition with displays around the edge, four further glass cabinets and a 3D map with projections in the centre of the room.

There are a couple of ‘Test your Elvish’ interactive posts and a touchscreen interactive map (which seemed to be already losing its sensitivity just a few weeks into the exhibition’s run).

The room is dark with lighting only focused on the exhibits. There is a Security Guard in the room enforcing the no photography rule.

In a glass cabinet displaying his desk with a partially completed illustration alongside colouring pencils and his glasses, there are more personal objects such his wartime identity card (notable features ‘cauliflower ear’) and family photographs.

It was interesting to see draft manuscripts of The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit showing the evolution of the story (editing process) displayed alongside Tolkien’s watercolours, dust jacket designs, line drawings and maps too.

There’s a lovely cabinet dedicated to fan mail. It includes a note from Arthur Ransome (the author of the Swallows and Amazons series), Iris Murdoch and other authors.

I particularly liked the note from a man called Sam Gangee from London who wrote in 1956 as he had been listening to The Lord of the Rings on the radio and wanted to ask how a character name had his name.

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion is the history of the War of the Exiled Elves against the Enemy…

Tolkien’s very earliest work on the legends of the elves was The Silmarillion. It was unfinished during his lifetime and then published posthumously by his son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien. Original manuscripts on are on display here.

It includes descriptions of the desolation following the battles in the Silmarillion that probably owe much to his wartime experiences, in particular, the devastating effect of Morgoth’s monstrous iron dragons, which perhaps owe homage to the use of tanks for the first time during the Battle of the Somme.

The publication of The Silmarillion has always been my chief [literary] ambition

His friend C.S. Lewis read it and loved it but his publisher didn’t agree. The Reader’s Report noted: “Would there be any market for a long, involved romantic verse-tale of Celtic elves and mortals? I think not.”

An Artist Too

Tolkien didn’t just produce the words for his books, he also painted beautiful watercolours to illustrate the tales. The style reminded me in some ways of Finnish author and artist Tove Jannson’s illustrations of The Moomins.

He designed the cover for the first edition of The Hobbit, which the Tolkien Estate describes as “one of the most distinguished British dust-jackets of the 20th century.” This is a design classic and is still in use today.

He was also keen on cryptic crosswords. While solving the puzzles he often added beautiful doodles to the newspaper pages, and some are on display here.

The Lord of The Rings

The final cabinet in the room is about The Lord of the Rings. Following The Hobbit, his publisher had encouraged him to write a sequel. But as he wrote the story it became longer and much darker.

This story was written between 1937 and 1949. Yes, it took 12 years.

It was published in three volumes, for practical reasons, in 1954 and 1955 as it was 1,000 pages long.

His publisher recognised it as a work of genius but foresaw difficulties in selling a long fantasy novel for adults.

Exhibition Book

There is an exhibition written by Tolkien archivist Catherine McIlwaine priced at £40, hardback. A paperback edition is available only at Bodleian Library Shops, priced at £25. The book brings together the largest collection of original Tolkien material ever assembled in a single volume.

About Tolkien and his connections with Oxford

After you have seen the exhibition you may wish to see some of the locations in Oxford connected with the author.

Radcliffe Camera is actually a Library and a landmark building in Oxford (built in 1737-49). Tolkien decided that this building would be the inspiration for Sauron’s temple to Morgoth on Nümenor.

He enjoyed The Botanic Garden and his favourite tree was a large Austrian black pine. In Lord of the Rings, the tree comes alive as the Ents, the walking, talking trees of Middle Earth.

Tolkien was a professor of English language and literature at Merton College in 1945 to 1959. He would often write outdoors at an old stone table in the gardens that might be the inspiration for the setting he envisaged for Elrond’s conference where four hobbits, two men, and one each of wizard/elf/dwarf pledge their faith to a fellowship of the One Ring.

(Tolkien would also meet with C.S. Lewis here and he used the stone table as inspiration for Narnia.)

If you visit Merton College then do go next door to Exeter College where Tolkien was an undergraduate from 1911 until the start of WWI. The college is the home to a rather committed branch of the Tolkien Society, which meet at the Pippa Langston Room, Cornwall House, every Thursday evening at 7pm.

At the Ashmolean Museum look out for the posie rings – gold finger rings with a short inscription on their surface.

Eagle & Child was the pub where Tolkien, Lewis and other members of The Inklings literary group used to meet, enjoy a pint and discuss their works between 1933 and 1962 (though Tolkien stopped attending in the 1950s).

The Inklings meetings were convivial and an opportunity for each member to read their latest literary works to a welcoming audience. They met once or twice a week at the pub and the meetings were fuelled by beer and banter.

There is a handwritten note to the landlord, pinned up above the fireplace that reads ‘The undersigned, having just partaken of your ham, have drunk to your health’, and is signed by the group.

Tolkien’s home has a blue plaque as 20 Northmoor Road in north Oxford is where Tolkien penned his famous works.

Exhibition on Tour

Following its inauguration in Oxford, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth travels to the Morgan Library, New York, from 25 January to 12 May 2019.

In late 2019, the Bodleian Libraries and Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF), Paris will collaborate on the largest Tolkien exhibition ever to be held in France.

Oxonmoot

One of the busiest weekend for the exhibition will be in September for the Tolkien Society’s Oxonmoot. It’s an annual event that brings together over 200 Tolkien fans, scholars, students and Society members from across the world. It has been held annually in Oxford since 1974 on a weekend close to Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday (22nd September) and is the key event in the Society’s annual calendar.

The weekend celebration is a mix of talks, exhibitions, shows and a masque ball held in the evening where everyone dresses up as their favourite Lord of The Rings characters.

Exhibition Information

Name: Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth

Location: The Weston Library, Bodleian Libraries, Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BG
(15 minutes walk from Oxford railway station)

Dates: 1 June – 28 October 2018

Opening Hours: 10am to 5pm daily

Cost: Free admission. Booking necessary at tolkien.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Each online transaction is subject to a £1 booking fee. There are a limited number of tickets available on the day on a first come, first served basis.

Do note, photography is not allowed in this exhibition.

There is a children’s trail available.

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15 June 1215 was when the barons of England got together and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is known as the first charter to limit the power of the monarchy and to uphold the rights of the individual going on to form the foundations of democracy as we know it today.

800 years on, Lincoln has one of the four surviving copies of this document, and the city had a weekend of celebrations for the anniversary including storytelling, festivals, and a real party atmosphere. I can’t say no to a good party so I took my 9 year old daughter to Lincoln for the weekend to join in.

Lincoln is also the only place in the world where you can find an original copy of the Magna Carta together with the Charter of the Forest, issued in 1217 to amplify the document and one of only two surviving copies. The two charters are housed in Lincoln Castle, a seat for justice from its beginnings.

Getting to Lincoln

Virgin Trains East Coast were able to run some direct trains from London to Lincoln for this special weekend which made travel super easy. (You usually have to change at Newark North Gate station for an East Midlands train to Lincoln.)

From the moment we arrived the fun started as were greeted off the train by a huge King John puppet – at least 12 ft high! – and puppeteer wolves too.

Lincoln Castle

I visited Lincoln Castle last year before the £22 million redevelopment was complete and I thought it was good then but, my word, it’s great now!

There is 1,000 years of history here and I really enjoyed the Medieval Wall Walk where you can walk all the way around the castle perimeter along the high walkway so we had some amazing views of the city. There’s a new audio guide too and we learned facts while exploring. I almost resisted climbing up in The Observatory Tower but my daughter’s cries of what she could see had me dashing up to enjoy the sights too.

Another newly opened area is the Victorian Prison where you can visit the cells and find out the stories behind the walls. There are touchscreen tables and specially commissioned films to bring the tales to life.

And, of course, there’s the new gallery built to house Lincoln’s copy of the Magna Carta. It’s a surprisingly small document with very neat Latin handwriting.

All of this would have been enough but as this was the Great Magna Carta Weekend there was a large stage set up in the castle grounds for a spectacular show by Diversity on Saturday night and Horrible Histories Barmy Britain on Sunday.

Lincoln Castle has an extensive events programme every summer which this year includes music, open-air cinema and theatre, learning traditional crafts in the Heritage Skills Centre, history events and the famous Lincoln Steampunk Festival.

Lincoln Cathedral

It would be wrong to not visit the second largest Gothic cathedral in England. While exploring Lincoln Cathedral you have to try and spot the Lincoln Imp in the Angel Choir (St Hugh’s Choir). The legend says he was playing in the cathedral and angels turned him stone. He can be hard to find but there is a light (that can be activated by a 20p coin) to help. We put a coin in and then everyone in the choir pointed as they had been searching without any luck until then.

Steep Hill Stories

To bring the history and impact of Magna Carta alive, six storytellers were performing over the weekend. We saw a story that included a bird of prey so a real falcon was there too.

We also stayed for a debate afterwards to get thinking about rules and laws.

Lincoln Barons’ Charter Trail

A wonderful addition to the city were the 25 painted barons that arrived at the weekend. We grabbed a booklet with a map to find the hidden letter on each baron to complete a sentence and claim some of King John’s gold (chocolate coins).

The barons are staying for three months before being auctioned to raise funds for charity.

Carnival

Just as we were walking to the train station to return to London we met this amazing carnival who were dancing down the High Street and interacting with the audience. They popped into shops and got everyone out dancing which really made my day.

You can see a short video clip of the fun here.

More Reasons to Come to Lincoln

So if you’re thinking, ‘that’s nice, she had a good weekend and I missed it so no point going to Lincoln now’ you would be wrong as Lincoln has lots of events for 2015.

The Lincolnshire Show is on 24-25 June and has animals, food and children’s fun – everything you would hope for from a county show.

25-28 June is the Lincoln Grand Prix and National Cycling Championships. I can hardly walk up Steep Hill so I’ve no idea how they cycle up it!

26 June to 27 September is Lincolnshire’s Great Exhibition to celebrate 800 years of the Magna Carta. There are lots of venues involved so this is worth returning for.

As I mentioned earlier, Lincoln’s Steampunk Festival is world famous and it’s a real treat to see the neo-Victorian costumes.

October has the Frequency Festival, Comedy Festival and Sausage Festival. And I expect you already know about the wonderful Lincoln Christmas Market which is the biggest in Europe.

Dining Recommendations

As Burton Road Chippy is the 2015 winner of the Best Independent Fish & Chips Restaurant we had to go there for lunch. Sadly, I have no photos to show you of our meals but that’s because we didn’t pause before eating as it was all so good!

The restaurant (and take-away) is near to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life (free entry) and the Tour Lincoln Hop-On-Hop-Off City Sightseeing Bus (kids go free) stops nearby.

If you’re looking for afternoon tea, Lincoln has lots of tea rooms but The Bishops Old Palace is the place with the best views.

If you want to stop on Steep Hill – and, quite frankly, that’s a good idea as it is steep! – I can recommend Bunty’s Tea Room for their lovely homemade cakes and The Book Stop Cafe where you can read books by local authors while enjoying lunch (and they do sell books too).

Hotel Recommendation

We stayed at The Lincoln Hotel which is just behind the cathedral so has amazing views from the restaurant. Our room at the back of the hotel was very quiet and opened onto a private garden.

Trip Thanks

I’m grateful to Visit Lincoln for helping me plan my itinerary and to Virgin Trains East Coast for the travel tickets to enjoy the special direct service.

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I’ve been to Edinburgh many times and, unusually, many of those visits over the years have been during August so you might expect that I’ve seen a lot of the Festival offerings. But, even though I found myself in Edinburgh again this August I’ve actually never been to a Festival show. It’s not that I have anything against the Festival but I’ve always had so much else to do. I spent 2-3 days exploring with a friend and here are my recommendations.

Day 1

While everyone will tell you Edinburgh Castle is a ‘must see’ I already had such a long list of places to visit I didn’t get there. I did watch the fireworks (seen from across the city) each night from the Tattoo. If you plan to visit the Castle do allow half a day.

Near the Castle is Camera Obscura where there is a lot more to do than I was expecting. I knew I’d enjoy the camera obscura show on the top floor but this historic tower has five floors of additional interactive fun. The 15 minute show is worth the climb as there are fantastic rooftop views. The other floors had lots of optical illusion fun and we stayed for 1.5 hours. Do be aware there is no lift/elevator so you need to be able to climb the stairs.

If you’re looking for a lunch or dinner recommendation, The Witchery is opposite and has excellent food, plus it is said to be haunted.

After lunch, head to the National Museum of Scotland which has free admission and there’s so much to see. I had heard it was good but it kept us busy for over 2 hours and we didn’t get to see it all.

Opposite the museum is the bronze statue of Greyfriar’s Bobby at the corner of Candlemaker’s Row and St George’s Bridge. It’s considered good luck to rub the dog’s nose so you’ll see it’s quite shiny. The story is of a small Skye Terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, when he died in 1853. It’s a lovely story but not all believe it.

Head into Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, the graveyard, where there are quite a few large tombs and graves including some that inspired JK Rowling for character names in the Harry Potter stories, in particular (Professor) McGonagall and Tom Riddle – so that means Voldemort is buried here. (HP fans, note he’s not real so do respect the graves.)

If you are a Harry Potter fan, head to TheElephant House Cafe nearby as it’s famed as “the birthplace of Harry Potter”. This is where JK Rowling sat to write a lot of her first Harry Potter book. I wondered if the queues to get in were justified but was pleasantly surprised by the wide range of delicious gluten-free cakes, quality tea and coffee and the relaxed back room overlooking the graveyard. It gets busy here at lunchtime but I’d definitely go back as the food was excellent although I was a bit shocked to see the level of graffiti in the toilets.

Day 2

Edinburgh has a lot of free museums so we spent a day exploring as many as we could, plus a trip underground.

Start your day at Museum on the Mound and you’ll find out about Scottish banking and more about Edinburgh too. Plus you’ll get to see what £1 million in banknotes looks like. Or, if you visit in the afternoon, there’s coin striking from 2.30pm to 4pm each day. (You get to strike a replica medieval Scottish coin and then take it home with you.)

Nearby is The Writer’s Museum which I had great hopes for considering what I do for a living and the enormous amount of respected writers from Scotland. Sadly, I found the museum was lacking and only focuses on Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, and nothing really stood out.

All of the rest of the day was spent on The Royal Mile which has plenty of cafes and restaurants.

Book ahead for The Real Mary King’s Close which is a popular 1 hour tour of some of the underground city beneath Edinburgh. The tour takes you down to the 17th century dwellings along this lane (close) where your costumed tour guide will tell you haunted tales plus you’ll see talking portraits to meet the residents of the street. Do note, no-one lived underground; these buildings were open to the skies with a huge population living and working on the many floors.

Do mind your head in the low doorways and mind your step on the uneven ground. It can get warm down there and there are a few opportunities to sit down but you’re mostly moving to each room and discovering stories about the occupants. I really enjoyed this attraction as the guide (Andrew) made it fun and informative. And all of the stories we heard were true.

From here, I strolled down to the Museum of Childhood which has two floors of toys and games to see. It’s a fabulous nostalgia trip for the adults and entertainment for the kids. I loved the piano playing itself and the kids seemed to enjoy admiring the doll’s houses.

A short walk further down The Royal Mile and we reached The People’s Story Museum about the working lives of the everyday people of Edinburgh from the 18th century onwards. The building also has plenty of history as it dates back to 1591 and has been a courthouse and prison – there’s a jail cell to see inside.

Cross the road and The Museum of Edinburgh is well worth the time. Kids will love the family activities room and dressing up opportunities and adults will enjoy the history of this fascinating city.

There’s a handy laminated guide to help you navigate the galleries with suggestions on the star exhibits in each room. I liked finding a framed oat cake made by the wife of Robert Burns and a cannonball from the 16th century Siege of Leith. The most outstanding collection I was surprised to see was of Field Marshall Haig including his dress tunic, photographs, etc. He was born in Edinburgh and led the British Army during the First World War.

Day 3

I wanted to see a neighbourhood outside of the city centre so we chose the upmarket area of Morningside.

An unusual find off Morningside Road (at Springvalley Gardens) is Edinburgh’s own Wild West! This odd Western frontage was added about 10 years ago to promote a business that has long since gone. It looks like a small section of a film set and is a quirky find if you’re nearby but probably not worth a special trip.

If you walk up Morningside Road from here you’ll pass lots of charity shops (thrift stores) which are always good for an unexpected bargain. There are also some nice cafes and restaurants including Nonna’s Kitchen and a lovely German Bakery called Falko Konditorei.

I chose to carry on further towards the city centre to the Cameo Cinema which opened in 1914 making it one of Scotland’s oldest cinemas to still be in use. There’s a lovely relaxed cafe/bar there and a great choice of new and classic movies.

Getting Around Edinburgh

It was really easy to navigate the city by bus. I used Google maps on my phone to plan a route and then at the bus stop there are digital displays of the waiting times. You need the exact money to buy a ticket: £1.50 for a single or £3.50 for a day ticket. Both are available from any bus – just ask the driver. There’s also a family ticket available too.

How To Get to Edinburgh from London

Edinburgh is over 400 miles away from London so driving would take around 7-8 hours. The flight time is 1.5 hours but once you’ve factored in travel to and from airports the best way is to get the train from London King’s Cross which takes 4.5 hours. Book with East Coast in advance for the best travel deals.

Trip Credits & Disclosure

My thanks to East Coast for providing train tickets to make this trip possible. And thank you to Camera Obscura and The Real Mary King’s Close for providing tickets to try the attractions.

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LEGOLAND Windsor Resort opened in 1996 and is a children’s theme park for 2 to 12 year olds. It’s only a few miles from Windsor Castle and is just 8 miles from London Heathrow Airport.

As it’s aimed at younger children it’s not all about looping roller coasters and sheer drop rides but there is a good mix for the age range. Adults also love the Viking River Splash where you get completely soaked but scream with joy.

There are over 55 interactive rides, live shows, building workshops, driving schools and attractions, including the much-loved Miniland so there’s no way to see everything in one day meaning it’s always worth coming back again.

It’s no great surprise if I tell you the Park is immensely popular – especially on a sunny day and during UK school holidays. (See below for dates.)

Not Open All Year Round

While the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort Hotel (more below) is open all year round, the Park is open March to November only.

Some Rides Specify Height

More than age restrictions or guidelines, the rides have height restrictions so some riders must be over 0.9m to ride on their own, 1m, 1.1m and some rides in Knight’s Kingdom need riders to be 1.3m.

You Won’t Get Wet On All Rides

I’ll admit I was concerned about being soaked and cold all day but we were there on a gloriously sunny day and, in the end, didn’t go on the wetter rides as the queues were long and we could see other places to play which were just as much fun. There are stand-up driers (coin-operated) so you can get soaked and then dry again in minutes. Bring waterproofs if you’re worried and ponchos are on sale in the shops. Consider bringing a towel and a spare set of clothes just in case. And definitely bring your swimming costume if you want to play at the DUPLO Valley Splash Park.

Duplo Valley

In May 2013 a whole new themed land opened as DUPLO Valley became the pre-school splash play paradise. The lower level has the DUPLO Splash Safari with a menagerie of DUPLO animal friends including lions, giraffes and elephants for little ones. The animals look great but don’t let children climb on them. Older children (over 1.1m height) should head up to the top of the Valley for DUPLO Drench Towers, the largest water structure in the UK where 1200 litres of water floods down guaranteeing a soaking for all below.

If you are at the park on a hot day it’s definitely worth going here first as it gets very busy later on and they have to keep a limit on the number of guests who can play. There are lots of lifeguards on duty but parents of younger children should go barefoot and stand at the side to look after their children. While I was there one mum and dad went in fully dressed and were having a lot of fun!

There’s a dry area too with Brickville designed for exploring and imaginative play with climbing frames and slides plus DUPLO buildings. We took a ride on the gentle Brickville Express DUPLO train and joined the short queue for the simple ‘up and down’ helicopter ride. We also saw a show at the DUPLO Puppet Theatre.

Another popular attraction for younger visitors is Fairy Tale Brook which is one of the resort’s original attractions and has been improved for 2013. It’s a toddler friendly boat ride that journeys through a magical LEGO world created with around 5 million LEGO bricks. Meet Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves and Cinderella with her stunning princess carriage and LEGO glass slipper made from 250 transparent bricks.

Anything Indoors?

As English weather is not always sunny it’s good to know which attractions are indoors (but all rides continue running even if it’s raining).

• LEGO Legends of Chima has a 12 minute 4D movie.
• LEGO Star Wars Miniland Model Display opened in March 2012 and depicts famous scenes from the film series with more galleries added for 2013. This is right near the main Park entrance, at the top of the hill.
• Atlantis Submarine Voyage opened in 2011 and this year welcomed a new family of Bamboo sharks and a collection of infant rays. When you come off the world’s first submerged underwater LEGO ride there is an area where guests can climb under the tanks and pop-up within glass domes to see the fish swimming past their nose.

QBot

You can rent a QBot to save on time waiting in line. There are different levels of QBot which reserve you a place for a ride starting from the standard level but you have to wait as long as the queue time. For example, if the current queue time is 60 minutes you can reserve a place but don’t have to be there and can go and do other things and simply turn up and use a dedicated short cut at the ride. That costs £15 per person. After that you can get a QBot that halves the wait time (£30 per person) and another that means no wait but the price (£70 per person), I think, makes it somewhat prohibitive.

LEGOLAND Windsor Resort Hotel

If you have so much fun and don’t want to go home you’ll be pleased to know about this wonderland. The hotel opened on 17 March 2012 and was the first totally LEGO-themed hotel in the world. While the Park closes from November to March the hotel is open all year round.

There are 150 imaginatively themed Pirate, Kingdom and Adventure bedrooms and a host of premium facilities with LEGO inspired twists. Guests are in LEGO heaven with an indoor and outdoor play area, a LEGO Pirates-themed splash pool and LEGO on every table in the Brick Pit restaurant.

The hotel is priced from £247 low season to £337 high season for a themed family room (2 adults/up to 3 children) including breakfast and park tickets for two days, plus special LEGOLAND benefits such as Early Ride Time on selected rides. The hotel opens directly onto the bottom of the Park meaning guests can reach the popular rides there first.

There are conference facilities at the hotel and a hotel bar which quietens down by 10pm as everyone is too tired after a day at the Park.

Legoland Windsor Park Tips

1. Download the free Legoland Windsor Resort app to help with planning before your visit although be aware there is no wifi (and hardly any 3G signal) at the park so it won’t be much use when you’re there.
2. Buy your tickets in advance and get there early. The Park has been known to close the gates to guests when it gets too busy inside.
3. Although the rides open at 10am the turnstiles open at 9.30am.
4. Start at the back of the Park for shorter queues as we all get overwhelmed when we arrive and rush for the fun stuff near the entrance.
5. Playgrounds are still enjoyed and there’s no wait to use them. The Pirates Training Camp is exceptionally good.
6. Dress the kids in bright clothes, if possible, and add your phone number on them in a pocket or on a sticker too. Always tell your child where you are and where you want to meet as it is an exciting place and easy to get separated. My seven year old ran off before we had this discussion.
7. Go straight to the popular rides that you really want to go on.
8. The big shop near the entrance/exit gets very busy near closing time.
9. Don’t overlook Miniland as just LEGO. That’s what makes it so wonderful!
10. If you can, and you have the energy, stay for the whole day as the rides get quieter towards the end of the day. It also means you won’t have such long queues to leave as the car park is full every day.
11. There are lots of food outlets but you’ll save money if you bring a picnic.

Key Information About Legoland Windsor Resort

Address: Winkfield Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 4AY

Opening Times: March to November from 10am daily. Closing varies through the season from 5pm to 7pm.

You may want to try and avoid UK school holiday dates as these are definitely the busiest days. School dates can vary but are roughly: September to December with one week holiday at end of October and two weeks over Christmas; January to Easter with one week holiday in mid-February and two weeks at Easter; April to July with one week off in late May and six week of holiday from last week of July to early September. Schools have other closures too for staff training (known as INSET Days) and these days often extend a school holiday by a day so try to avoid Mondays and Fridays near UK holidays.

One parent told me they managed only one ride by 1pm during the school holidays and all the rides suitable for her two year old by 1pm in term time.

Official Website: www.legoland.co.uk

Tickets: Adults from £34.20 / Children (3-15) from £27.45 / Under 3s free

Discounts available when booking online, seven days in advance. Advance booking recommended.

Directions: You can get the train from London to Windsor & Eton (or Slough) in around half an hour and then catch the Legoland Shuttle Bus or grab a taxi from the station. You can also drive to the Park (£3 car park charge). If you are driving from London, take Junction 6 off the M4 and follow the brown signs.

Deals: The best deals for UK residents seem to be via Tesco Clubcard vouchers where you can buy a day pass, annual pass or even a Merlin Annual Pass for all of the Merlin Entertainment attractions.

Don’t forget: Raincoat/poncho (good for water rides), sun lotion as there’s little shade, towel and swimming costume to play at DUPLO Valley, snacks and bottles of water.

All images © Laura Porter.

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Doctor Who is the world’s longest running sci-fi drama and I watched the show when I was a child. While I was often hiding behind the sofa back then I still love it so was thrilled to head to Cardiff to visit the Doctor Who Experience.

The last time I visited Cardiff (over twenty years ago) it was not a pretty place and was generally somewhere you just passed through. But the transformation here is incredible and the Cardiff Bay area is a real destination these days. BBC Roath Lock Studios are here and is where the TV show is now filmed, as well as at many outdoor locations in the city and across Wales (see below).

Read about Laura’s entire adventure over at our sister site Tardistopia.net.

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The Mary Rose is the world’s only surviving sixteenth century warship. This £35 million project reunites the hull of the Mary Rose with many of the 19,000 Tudor artefacts recovered from the seabed providing an unrivalled perspective of life on board the sixteenth century ship. The Mary Rose Museum opens to the public on 31 May 2013. I went for a preview about a month before opening.

What is the Mary Rose?

Built in Portsmouth dockyard and launched in 1511, the Mary Rose was one of the first ships to be able to fire broadside and was a firm favourite of Henry VIII. She was also one of the last ships to have archers shooting longbows.

Contrary to popular belief, she did not sink on her maiden voyage and actually saw 34 year’s service as a king’s warship.

Battle of The Solent

The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. This 1545 battle played out in Portsmouth harbour when French ships arrived – twice as many as in the Spanish Armada.

No-one knows exactly why the Mary Rose sank but she took part in the battle and sank on 19 July 1545, going down 50 feet to the seabed taking most of the crew with her. King Henry VIII saw the Mary Rose go down as he was watching from Portsmouth’s Southsea Castle. The starboard side stuck in the mud on the seabed and there she stayed for over 400 years.

Excavation

In 1971 the Mary Rose was found by scuba divers and so begun the largest underwater excavation and recovery ever undertaken in the world.

Between 1979 and 1982 there were over 28,000 dives involving over 500 volunteer divers.

On 11 October 1982 she was lifted out of the water. The event was televised and watched by 60+ million viewers. And probably all of them gasped as the ship slipped and we all worried she would fall back into the water.

Conservation

When the hull was raised she was sprayed with recycled, fresh water at a temperature of less than 5ºC to stop the wood drying out and to inhibit bacterial activity. In 1985 the ship was turned upright and a series of titanium props were installed to support the internal structure.

Since 1993/4 she has been sprayed in the “hotbox” with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) which is a water soluble polymer. (The hotbox is probably the largest environmentally controlled case in the world.) The sprays were switched off at 7.27am on 29 April 2013 (and I visited on 30 April so was one of the first to see the ship without the sprays!)

She must now be air dried evenly to remove up to 100 tons of water from the ship’s timbers using fabric ducts in a highly sophisticated pattern. 55% relative humidity and 20ºC is considered favourable and it’s going to take 4 to 5 years.

Even when the drying comes to an end the building’s temperature, light and humidity will be very carefully controlled. The hull will remain on its original recovery cradle and will not be moved from its current position in dry dock.

Upon completion of the air-drying phase of the hull conservation, the hotbox enclosure will be removed allowing visitors to fully appreciate new and dramatic views of the Mary Rose’s original timbers.

The Museum

The Mary Rose Museum is a Tudor time capsule with 1700m² of gallery space across three floors. The new Museum has been built around the hull of the ship and has been conceived as a finely crafted, wooden jewellery box. It is clad in timber planks and painted black, and is located next to HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – only 20 yards away from where it was built over 500 years ago.

As there is roughly half of the ship left the missing side of the hull is the museum with displays of what would have been on each deck in context, like a virtual hull. There is a central walkway which appears to be down the middle of the ship with windows available to see the ship in its “hotbox”. After the drying phase this will be changed to sheet glass.

This is a low-light museum to protect the delicate artefacts, and there are atmospheric sounds of water.

There are three floors: Upper Deck (Castle Deck), Main Deck and Lower Deck (Hold), connected by stairs or a large lift/elevator. The lift has a glass side so you can see the Mary Rose while travelling between the floors.

The Costs

Creating a brand new museum around the hull of the Mary Rose, while conservation continues, has not been a cheap process. £27 million was needed for the design, build and construction, and a further £8 million for the final phase of conservation. Rear-Admiral John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust declared, “The Heritage Lottery Fund are the saviours of this project” as without them the conservation would never have been possible.

There are 8 million Mary Rose £2 coins in circulation. If you find one do consider sending it to the Mary Rose Museum for their ongoing fundraising.

Artefacts

So much can be learned from the recovered items. There are 19,000 in total and as many as possible are going on display. For example, it was thought the Gimbal compass wasn’t invented until 100 years later but three were found on the Mary Rose. The earliest fiddles to exist anywhere are on display with other musical instruments, along with the greatest collection of archery equipment in the world.

Everything that is on display behind glass is real and original. There are a few items made of Perspex that are simply used to complete the reconstruction.

The “aah” factor comes when you see the skeleton of Hatch, the ship’s dog who was there to catch the rats on board. Many will be pleased to know there are cuddly version of Hatch available in the gift shop.

Rosary beads are on display and evidence of up to 10 paternosters were found in the wreck. The Mary Rose was built and crewed during the time of the dissolution of the monasteries and the banning of Catholicism in the UK by Henry VIII.

“When their world ended, our story began…”

Nearly all of the crew drowned when the Mary Rose went down. The Museum is dedicated to those who lost their lives when the Mary Rose sank on 19 July 1545. There are human remains on display and the Bishop of Portsmouth will bless the Museum before it opens. Historian Dan Snow described the Mary Rose as “this country’s Pompeii”.

The Mary Rose did not carry a list of crew members, just a list of numbers. There were 415 crew and the only names known are Vice Admiral, Sir George Carew and the Master – Roger Grenville.

Through incredible facial reconstructions of seven members of the crew, that have been created using forensic science and osteoarchaeology, six themed galleries tell the personal stories and working lives of the crew on board such as the carpenter, cook and an archer.

There are profession possessions, such as carpentry tools, and personal possessions, such as pocket compasses and ‘nit combs’, on display. Some head lice combs found in crew members pockets still had head lice on them!

Gift shop

The ground floor gift shop is large and bright, and some exclusive items have been produced just for the Museum such as a cuddly version of Hatch the ship’s dog.

Visitor Information

On 30 May 2013 there will be a day of celebration and ceremonies involving elements of the Royal Navy and well known historians. The day will be based around the journey of the Mary Rose’s ship’s bell into the museum. This symbolic journey will begin at sea, over the wreck site, and end in the Museum.

Travel: The Mary Rose Museum is within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which is a few minutes’ walk from Portsmouth Harbour train station. Trains from London take under 2 hours.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: This is the leading attraction on the south coast. The site is home to The Mary Rose, HMS Warrior 1860, HMS Victory, National Museum of the Royal Navy, Action Stations and Harbour Tours, providing 800 years of the British naval story.

Opening Times: Open to the public from 31 May 2013.
April to October: 10am-5.30pm. November to March: 10am-5pm.

Recommended Visit Duration: They are still monitoring this but I would say plan for 2 hours as there is so much to see.

Admission: £17 for the Museum and £26 for the entire Dockyard. Discounts are available for booking online in advance and all tickets are valid for one year with unlimited visits. Tickets are issued for half hour time slots for entry but you can stay as long as you like. All tickets are valid for one year.

Official Website: www.historicdockyard.co.uk/maryrose/

The Museum is hoping for 250,000-300,000 visitors for the remainder of this year and then half a million in 2014.

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David Bowie is one of the most influential artists of our time. He has been at the forefront of the world of popular music for nearly 50 years and his immense creativity positions him as one of the most innovative performers of all time.

For the exhibition, the V&A’s curators, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, were given unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archive. They set out to create an exhibition that was unlike anything they had ever seen in a museum before.

There are over 300 objects and costumes from the David Bowie Archive with high-quality sound and video to create a seamless evocation of Bowie’s career over five decades. They include handwritten lyrics, original costumes, fashion photography, film, music videos, set designs, Bowie’s own instruments and album artwork.

There are 60 stage costumes including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) and the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the Earthling album cover (1997). The curators openly admitted that rather than choosing what to include it was much harder deciding what to leave out.

Many of the more personal items have never been displayed before including storyboards, handwritten set lists, Bowie’s own sketches and diary entries.

Personal Audio

This is the first major UK exhibition where sound is an integral part of the interpretation. The exhibition uses leading edge tools to blend sound and vision. The audio guides automatically provide the music and soundtrack when visitors approach the exhibits and screens. The visitors’ receiver downloads the audio when they pass by the corresponding antenna units, just like an indoor GPS. This is a fully automated yet entirely personal tour.

Two Galleries

The exhibition is divided into two galleries: the first details Bowie’s early years, his formation as an artist and his collaborations with others. The second gallery focuses on Bowie as a performer – both on stage and off, culminating in a large scale video projection display of rare and unseen footage where some of Bowie’s iconic costumes are on show.

The exhibition looks at his London life and influences and then his creative processes from song writing, recording and producing, costumes, stage, set and album artwork. Iconic costumes sit beside press cuttings and fan material, while you can view footage of David Bowie performing live concerts and recordings filmed for TV.

Martin Roth, Director of the V&A, said, “David Bowie Is….not here yet but maybe he will be one day.” I find it hard to believe that the great man won’t visit the exhibition and really doesn’t want to see how he has been represented but the V&A gave the impression he was not planning to attend. Maybe he’ll just come along during the normal opening hours and watch the visitors’ reactions.

Bowie is clearly a cultural icon and this is a passionate exhibition that will be loved by his die-hard fans. But even if you haven’t followed his music the exhibition can still inform and inspire. At times it’s a visual overload and at others the personal audio changing as you move around the room can feel disorientating but, as ever, the V&A have put together something incredibly special that will be talked about for years to come. The exhibition title opens the statement “David Bowie Is…” but there is no single answer.

Key Information

Dates: 23 March to 11 August 2013

Tickets: £14. Advance booking essential: www.vam.ac.uk/davidbowieis

Hours: Daily, 10am-5.45pm (and until 10pm every Friday)

Following its run at the V&A, the exhibition will tour internationally starting with the Museum of Image and Sound in Sao Paulo.

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This famous scare attraction had been on Tooley Street in London Bridge for nearly 40 years but closed at the end of January 2013 to move to its new home on the Southbank.

From Friday 1 March 2013, The London Dungeon is at County Hall, right next door to the London Aquarium and by the London Eye, which makes sense when you know these three major attractions are all operated by Merlin Entertainments.

They haven’t simply closed at one location and reopened exactly the same on the new site as over 300 props were sold at a Carnage Car Boot Sale in February (raising nearly £3,000 for charity) and the Southbank venue has undergone a £20 million transformation.

Bigger

The new venue is a third bigger and is spread over three floors. I went to a preview event this week to try the all new London Dungeon and can report that the basic format of moving through in groups of about 20 people and meeting different characters from 1,000 years of London history is as before but the way it’s all presented is greatly improved. A visit takes around 90 minutes and you’ll laugh and scream at the theatre, special effects and rides.

Meet Rats and Cockroaches

Firstly, you need to be aware it’s really dark inside. As you wait in line in the Corridor of Misdemeanours there are live cockroaches you need to walk pass – 11 giant cockroaches to be precise – and more active, and possibly more worrying for many, there are also 38 live rats. There’s even a glass dome where you can pop your head inside one of the rat enclosures. The Black Jester will dance around to entertain and the atmospheric sounds get you prepared for what’s ahead.

Highly Entertaining

But do remember there is no real danger here. It’s all about scaring us in a safe environment, and it’s really good fun. There have been script writers and comedy consultants involved to get double entendres in place to make the grownups giggle such as the talk of Little Willy and Big Dick.

The Boat Ride

Once you’ve get through the dark corridor you start your journey in a lift down to the first ride. There are two rides incorporated into the route and both were at the old London Dungeon just with different names.

Henry’s Wrath is the name of the boat ride which needed 20,000 litres of recycled water from the River Thames to be brought inside. Look out for Henry VIII with the face of actor Brian Blessed projected on but sadly you pass it within seconds which was disappointing as he is being used in a lot of the attraction’s promotions.

The ride itself seems very tame and then you stop. The boat goes up. And then it gets more exciting! I won’t give the game away too much but you may want to pull your coat over your head for the splash.

The Journey Continues

As you get off the boat you meet a Gong Farmer – the name for a medieval poo collector. He calls down from the city gates and tells toilet tales but you may miss some of his spiel depending on the order of the boats as you have to wait for the entire group to arrive.

Guy Fawkes is a new character, although a very well-known one in England, and you learn about his failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. There’s an actor interacting with the projected face of Guy Fawkes so you can’t interrupt but you will hear about a lot of torture.

Speaking of torture, the next room is the Torture Chamber. Volunteers are taken from the audience and the torturer explains the tools of his trade.

It’s more projected faces, this time on plague victims in coffins telling us what happened before you visit the Plague Doctor whose realistic cadaver in the surgeon’s operating theatre cost over £10,000. Sit still as there are some surprises in store.

Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett

Next you get to visit Mrs Lovett’s pie shop and hear about her secret ingredients before meeting her meat supplier, Sweeney Todd, and taking a seat in his barber’s shop. Again, sit still as there are some surprises in the dark.

Jack the Ripper

No tale of London’s gruesome history would be complete without the Jack the Ripper murders in Whitechapel, east London. Meet Mary Jane Kelly before she became the fifth and final victim and then find your way through the mirror maze knowing there’s a killer on the loose. Finally, seek sanctuary in the Ten Bells pub while Peggy Waldron, the landlady, tells spooky tales. I have to admit this is the section that had most of us talking afterwards as the landlady has superb comedy timing in the dark and then when we saw the ghost of Jack the Ripper we were truly terrified!

Thankfully there’s some more humour to follow after that fright as you enter a courtroom and some of the group have to stand trial for some hilarious crimes.

The journey ends with another ride, the Drop Ride to Doom. You literally plummet down three storeys and scream at the top of your voice! If you really don’t want to do this there is an ‘escape to freedom’ – yes, that does mean the exit.

Anything else?

There are souvenir photos to buy and a large well-stocked shop for gifts. The toilets have more spooky sounds and voices so don’t visit alone.

I did wonder if they had imported the ‘dank basement’ smell and it turns out they have with 26 different scents including ‘rotten food’ and ‘dirty Thames water’. There are also dripping ceilings to walk under so expect to get a bit wet, and the floors are ‘cobbled’ so flat shoes would be best. The whole journey takes around 90 minutes.

Who’s it for?

I wouldn’t bring younger children here and would aim for ten years and older, if possible. Teenagers will love being frightened by the actors jumping out and families will have fun together. Sure, it’s light on historical accuracy but it’s not a museum and it is really good fun.

Key Info about The London Dungeon

Website: www.thedungeons.com/london

Time: Open from 10am each day except on Thursdays, when King Henry sleeps in until 11am.

Costs: From £18 for adults and £13 for under 15 year olds. The best prices are for online booking in advance.

Getting there: The London Dungeon is next to the London Aquarium and right by the London Eye. The nearest tube station is Waterloo.
Address: County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB.

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Tickets went on sale last summer for The View From The Shard and it opens on 1 February 2013. As you would expect, I’ve had a preview already.

What is The View from The Shard?

This is the new premium visitor attraction at the pinnacle of The Shard, London’s newest landmark. It offers the highest vantage point from any building in Western Europe and almost twice as high as any other viewing point in London. There are 360 degree views to see as far away as 40 miles (64km) from 800ft (244m) above the city.

About The Shard

The Shard is a landmark building on the London skyline, designed by architect Renzo Piano.  At a height of 1,016ft (310m) the building is the UK’s first vertical city. Located next to London Bridge station in what is now being called London Bridge Quarter, The Shard sits centrally between the West End, Westminster, the South Bank, the City and Canary Wharf.

What’s a vertical city, I hear you ask? It’s a mixed use building including offices, restaurants, exclusive residences, the 5-star Shangri-La hotel as well as the visitor attraction, The View From The Shard. It was always planned that the building would open to the public.

The name ‘Shard’ comes from its sculpted design, which consists of glass facets that incline inwards but do not meet at the top, but instead open to the sky to allow the building to breathe naturally. Inspiration was taken from London church spires and the masts of ships which once anchored on the River Thames nearby.

What to expect when you visit

From the ground level entrance you go up the stairs to the Foyer where you’ll find ticket sales and some quirky illustrations of famous Londoners. Look out for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as Pearly King and Queen, and Kate Moss marrying Henry VIII. Here’s an example:

Quirky images of famous people associated with London
© Laura Porter (taken at View From The Shard)

You can even have your photo taken against a green screen and be added to the wall gallery, like this:

Your time in the Foyer is accompanied by the “Sound of the Shard” – especially commissioned music to start getting you excited about going up. The galleries mentioned above are seen as you make your way through security checks and to the super-fast lifts.

The first lift takes you up to level 33. This journey takes only 30 seconds. Inside the lift there are screens on the ceiling and mirrored walls. At level 33 you have to change lifts to carry on up. (Note, there is no viewing platform at level 33.) You’ll find a graffiti map of London on the floor describing different areas of the city. This is it:

While waiting to catch the next lift you can test your London knowledge with the clues scrawled on the floor. The next lift takes you from level 33 to level 68 in just 30 seconds and is accompanied by a soundtrack performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Level 68 is known as the ‘Cloudscape’ as it prepares you for the viewing platforms above. The windows have opaque film explaining the types of clouds but you can start to see through to acclimatise yourself to the high height.

Also, on this floor is the Sky Boutique the highest shop in London. The hardback souvenir guidebook is £9.95 and they stock cuddly foxes called Romeo as a witty reminder of the urban fox that was found living on level 72 during construction.

Level 69

Walk up one more floor (or use the lift) and you are at the level 69 viewing platform which is going to be the most popular floor of the building.

Level 69 has a viewing platform on all four sides and is triple-height so it feels very spacious.

Even on a day with low visibility (as it was when I first visited) the views are still breathtaking. It’s not scary being up so high as you can see so far away. Obviously, looking straight down may not be good for someone with concerns (so look away now) as this gives you an idea of what that feels like.

I returned a few days later for another preview to try to get better weather. Initially the raindrop covered windows were an issue for photographs:

But then we met the window cleaners who wipe the windows every day, we were told.

I stayed to let the sun reach us and is was magical watching London come to life with the light. We could literally see the sunlight moving towards us. (This was at midday on a January weekday so don’t think we were there for an early visit.) I loved the shadow of The Shard seen pointing across the Thames:

Tell:scopes

There are 12 of these digital telescopes that provide information about 200 landmarks and places of interest in 10 languages. They have large touchscreens and you can choose ‘Live’ to move it around and see closer what’s out there or Sunrise/Day/Sunset/Night for pre-recorded versions of the view you are seeing. I found this really helpful on a day with low visibility. By the way, if you visit ona day when the visibility isn’t as good as it could be you are entitled to re-book. Top tip, eh?

There’s a countdown on the screen as you have three minutes before the Tell:scope resets itself and is available for another visitor. Of course, you can use it again, if available.

Level 72

A short walk (or take the lift) and you’ll reach level 72, the partially outdoors viewing platform. At 800ft/244m, it is the highest vantage point from any building in Western Europe. There is a partial cover but if it rains you may well get wet yet it is exhilarating to feel the air on your face so high up.

You are perfectly safe as the lowest glass wall is still higher than visitors. You may not get as nice photos from up here but the views are worth seeing.

Level 72 is not the top of The Shard, as you can see in the photo above looking up at the pinnacle from Level 72, but it is the highest floor the public can reach.

There isn’t a cafe yet but the public cafes, bars and restaurants will be on levels 31-33 and will open during 2013.

Key info about The View From The Shard

Website: www.theviewfromtheshard.com

Opening Hours: Opens on 1 February 2013. Open daily from 9am to 10pm (not Christmas Day).

Box Office Tel: +44 (0)844 499 7111. (A handling fee applies for telephone bookings only).

Costs: Adults £24.95 / Children £18.95 / 0-3 years Free.

Tickets must be pre-booked as numbers are managed to ensure no crowds or queuing. Gift Certificates are available to allow the recipient to choose when they would like to visit.

Entrance Location: Joiner Street, London, SE1.

View From The Shard Photo Gallery

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Jacob Marley’s ghost in A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’s presence stays with us 142 years after his death. (Dickens is even referenced in Fifty Shades of Grey!) 2012 has been the bicentenary year of his birth and while the Charles Dickens Museum has been closed this year there has been a major legacy project for the bicentenary, aptly named the Great Expectations Project.

Great Expectations Project

The £3.1 million refurbishment project started in 2007 and has been completed on budget and on time. The museum wanted to make Dickens relevant to today yet preserve the heritage. Prince Charles, who visited earlier this year, had asked that the building shouldn’t be made to look too new.

Disabled access has been improved with a lift/elevator at the rear of no.49 making the museum now 90% accessible from only 10% (a virtual tour brings it up to 100%). Education and study areas are a great addition, and the kitchen is restored plus the attic is open for the first time. And all visitors will enjoy the cafe too.

The building is much more historically accurate now and the rooms are decorated as Dickens would have known them.

While the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were the dominating event of the year for Londoners, I was surprised to hear that internationally Dickens was often even more influential throughout 2012. I was even more surprised to hear that Indian schoolchildren have to read two Dickens books during their education – English schoolchildren don’t actually have to read one!

The Charles Dickens Museum reopens on Monday 10 December 2012 and, as well as lots of Christmas events, it will continue its tradition of opening on Christmas Day. I was lucky enough to get a preview and went on the first tour of the building with the Museum Director, Dr Florian Schweizer.

History of the Building

48 Doughty Street was built around 1805. Although Dickens had lived at many addresses, this was his first proper home in London. He lived here for two years in 1837-39 and moved in with his wife Catherine and their first son, Charles Junior. Catherine gave birth to two daughters here. They moved in with a three year lease on the property at £80 a year.

It should be remembered they were in their twenties and the building was only 30 years old. The couple were young and fashionable and loved vibrant garish colours as this was the Regency period and Dickens embraced the dandy look and theatrical interior design. He never really toned down his love of bright colours even into the gloomy Victorian era when many because more sombre.

48 Doughty Street – pronounced ‘dow’ as in Dow Jones not ‘dough’ as in bread – was Dickens’s home at the start of his career and where he wrote Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. This is where he started publishing under his own name and not his pen-name, Boz, he used as a journalist.

The museum opened here in 1925 and has welcomed more than one million visitors over 80 years.

Temporary Exhibition

The first display is of costumes from Mike Newell’s film adaptation of Great Expectations, just released in the UK including Helena Bonham Carter’s Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes’ Magwitch costumes.

Your Visit

Visitors now enter at no.49 Doughty Street where there’s the desk to buy tickets, the shop and cafe. You then take a side route into no.48 to the Entrance Hall Dickens’s would have known so well. The door on no.48 is the original and this slight adaptation of the entry route is simply to preserve the door and to give an accessible entry point for disabled visitors too.

Everyone is given a Plan and Visitor Guide produced in the style of Dickens’s “monthly parts” which was how he first published his novels. Sadly this lovely booklet must be handed back at the end of your visit but it is needed as you tour the building as there are no labels in the rooms. This was on purpose so as not to detract from the room sets.

Visitors had described the museum previously as atmospheric but tired and shabby. The Ground Floor is now light and bright and much more welcoming.

In the Dining Room a dining table is set with plates for a fictional dinner party for William C Macready, William M Thackeray, William H Ainsworth, John Forster, Daniel Maclise and, of course, Charles Dickens. The place cards explain their significance and visitors will hear ambient background noises such as servants bringing food and sounds of crockery and cutlery in use.

You may recognise this room as it was used in Hereafter, a 2010 American supernatural drama fantasy film directed by Clint Eastwood.

Next door, the Morning Room was Catherine’s room for writing letters and greeting guests. She wrote a lot as Charles Dickens was often travelling. It’s a light and bright room and the portraits above the fireplace show them as a beautiful young couple. Their marriage licence is also on display.

As you walk around the house you will see many paintings of Dickens making this the largest collection of paintings of the great author.

Young Dickens Guides You

While there are no labels or directions there are these silhouettes of a young Dickens to point the way.

Take a quick trip down to the cold basement and there are new education rooms so schools can now visit and try hands-on activities. Hopefully they’ll be able to try using some of Catherine Dickens’s recipes in the Kitchen. All visitors can go down to the Kitchen and look out for Bill Spikes, the resident (stuffed) hedgehog, who would have been a good ‘pet’ for catching beetles.

First Floor

Upstairs is the largest room in the house, the Drawing Room, which was used for entertaining. Dickens loved to perform and he cherished the direct contact with an audience these intimate performances at his home could offer. Visitors can sit in this room and listen to an audio of readings while enjoying the atmosphere it evokes. On display is his reading desk which he designed and used in the UK and the US.

Next door is his Study where his writing desk is on display. He had a strict self-imposed writing schedule and wrote every morning in this east-facing room. There are also bookcases to the ceiling filled with books by Dickens and from his own collection.

Second Floor

The rooms are noticeably darker up here. Visitors had asked for a bedroom to look like a bedroom so that’s what you’ll find now. Charles and Catherine’s bedroom has a four poster bed and his original wardrobe from Gad’s Hill Place is on display here for the first time. (Gad’s Hill Place was his Kent home and is now a school.)

Next door is the Mary Hogarth Room, a room that has been dedicated to Dickens’s mild obsession with death. This is where his 17 year old sister-in-law died while living with them and a sketch of Dickens on his death bed by Millais will be on display here soon.

Third Floor

Previously not open to the public, the attic has been renovated so visitors can see the Nursery and the Servant’s Room. The Nursery has a Marshalsea Prison Grille from the debtor’s prison where Dickens’s father was held. Beds were being added when I visited.

While I thought the infamous letter painting person who has had so much work in London heritage properties lately (Kensington Palace is the epitome) had been kept at bay, when we got to the last room on the tour, the Servant’s Room, the lettering was on overload with the walls covered in quotes. Ah well, such is the style these days.

To exit, you need to go down to the second floor and into no.49 which has a very different feel to the Grade 1 listed heritage building. This is where the extension has been built to house the accessible lift/elevator and there’s a fabulous timeline around the walls of Dickens’s life.

At the preview I attended the cafe was not yet open but I’ll definitely be going back soon to see the house full of visitors and to enjoy a pot of tea in such an historic literary location.

Visitor Information

Address: 48 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LX

Nearest Tube Station: Russell Square

Tel: 020 7405 2126

Opening Times: Mon-Sun: 10am-5pm. The Museum is open on Christmas Day but closed on New Year’s Day.

Admission: Adult: £8, Concession: £6, Child 6-16: £4, Children under 6: free. (Different rates apply for Christmas events)

Official Website: www.dickensmuseum.com

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Jason Hawkes is the most successful aerial photographer in the UK and one of the world’s most respected photographers. He has specialised in aerial photography for over 20 years and has produced more than 40 books.

Fortunately for me, a chance ‘meeting’ on twitter led to the opportunity to chat to Jason about his work as he wasn’t flying for a few days and was instead at his studio editing. As he often flies 4 or 5 times a week and shoots 4-5,000 images a month there is a lot of post production time needed.

He only ever flies on commission because of the high costs involved. An average shoot is 2-3 hours costing £1,200 per hour for the helicopter. But once he has got the images for the job he can use others for his stock image library and sell separately.

Nice Equipment

I asked if he needed good equipment for post production work and he confirmed he had recently upgraded the studio computers. He uses Nikon camera equipment and I read a fascinating fact that the Nikon’s D3S’s low noise is what has made his night photography possible. Previously he would have taken daytime shots and edited them to look like night.

How did he get started?

I asked if other members of his family have creative backgrounds but while his brothers now both work in film industries his father was a banker. Jason reckons his father had recognised he wasn’t going into the same line of work so was willing to encourage him by giving him a camera and a book called “Design & Art Courses in Britain” when he was around 15 years old.

Jason did a photography degree in London and then got a job as a photographer’s assistant in Covent Garden after graduating as he intended to become a studio photographer.

When he was 21, on a last minute decision he went flying with friends in a microlight which is like a motorbike with a hand-glider wing. He immediately knew he wanted to do aerial photography from then on and handed in his notice at his job the very next day. He also decided immediately to buy a microlight and, with a couple of friends, he got a bank loan and bought one for £20-30,000. “It was easier to get a bank loan in those days,” Jason explained.

A microlight flies at around 500ft which is pretty low and it goes very slowly which gave Jason an opportunity to build a portfolio. He explained it packed down small and could be stored in a garage and then all you needed was an accommodating farmer to let you use their land for takeoff and landing.

Jason approached Photographer magazine and was given an 8-page feature so his career started to take off. Then a trip with the Capital Radio “eye-in-the-sky” traffic helicopter got him a book commission a week later.

He shot his first book, London from the Air, for Random House aged just 23 which went on to sell over 160,000 copies. Once the commissions started coming in he switched to helicopters and has used them ever since.

Where has he been recently?

When I spoke to Jason his last flight had been over London at night but he had also recently been to Malta, Prague and Budapest. He was planning a trip to Tripoli which was proving complex as the visa hadn’t come through and he would need to use a military helicopter.

As he is based in Berkshire, just outside of London, he knows most of the helicopter pilots in the capital and can book a helicopter here as easily as booking a taxi. Only sometimes is there a problem, for example when the pilot doesn’t know London well which makes explaining the required route more difficult. As he shoots on commission he plans the route and altitude in advance and has not come up against many issues with getting clearance to fly and photograph over the UK except over military no-fly zones and directly over Buckingham Palace.

Jason always sits behind the pilot so they have the same view and they communicate via a 2-way radio. He works with the helicopter door removed and has a safety harness so he can literally hang out the side to get the shots he wants.

London 2012 Olympics

He was incredibly busy during the preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games but has been photographing the Olympic Park since the work started. (He has a couple of great contrast photos taken in 2007 and 2012.)

I was in the Olympics Opening Ceremony and once rehearsals started at the Olympic Stadium there were always plenty of helicopters overhead trying to spoil the big surprise. Jason photographed the rehearsals regularly and after constant harassment from a press agency gave them some photos which ended up on the Daily Mail website within hours. As there was such secrecy about the Opening Ceremony this caused a temporary no-fly zone over the Stadium and he hadn’t realised the problems this had created until he tried to book a helicopter for a job and was told that no-one was allowed over the area because of him!

As he was incredibly busy before the Olympics when the Games started he took a break with his family. Jason has 3 children aged between 6 and 10 years old and they ask constantly to go up in the air with him.

Jason’s job may be unusual but it actually gives him more time with the family as his studio is near home and he may only be out for 2 or 3 shoots in a week so has more time with the children that many other working fathers.

The Weather

The biggest problem for aerial photography in the UK is the weather. As he flies with the helicopter door off he can be really cold but he explained when it’s windy it’s really no fun at all. He doesn’t get booked as much in the winter and he doesn’t mind.

London’s Tall Attractions

Interestingly, and this may be hard to believe, Jason doesn’t like heights and explained it is possible to get a feeling of vertigo even on the ground.

When the London Eye opened in 2000, he was commissioned to take photographs from the height of the top of the Eye for a Harper Collins books and he had no problems completing the work. But on the book launch night he knew there would be a trip on the London Eye involved so he purposely arrived late to miss it.

Jason has no plans to go up View From The Shard but has photographed the building many times. He has hovered close to the workmen dangling on the sides of The Shard during construction and thought about how dangerous that looked yet the inherent dangers of his job do not worry him.

Favourite Locations

As most of Jason’s work is in the UK I asked him where he really enjoys photographing in the London area and he chose around City Airport in the east of London as he loves the weird abstract patterns that urban and semi-industrial areas can offer. He was also enthusiast about the Essex coastline and seeing it from the air had made him interested in seeing it at ground level.

Digital Technology

Only the night before our interview, Jason had been discussing with another photographer how accessible photography is to all now and how technology can allow someone with less photography skills to create a fantastic image. He had no strong opinion on whether that is good or bad but he enjoys trying out the latest equipment.

Camera Phones

This got us talking about the photo effects from apps such as Instagram and Jason told me about a job he had for Nokia testing the capabilities of a camera phone. His brief was to go wherever he liked and take photos, which was great, but he found as the shoots needed to be on sunny days as he took the photos all he could see was his reflection in the phone screen because of the glare.

Incredibly Generous

Jason is simply a really nice chap. He offered the photographs for this article and willingly gave his time for an interview. He earns his living from his photography but if someone says they were at a location when he took a photograph he often sends them a copy of the image. Even though his images are so unique some people do still steal them and he often finds them appearing on other websites with no credit which is frustrating but he clearly doesn’t let it get him down as he was a pleasure to talk to and still has immense enthusiasm for his art. You can see more images and find out more about Jason Hawkes at www.jasonhawkes.com.

Full Size Gallery – Click for Full Size Images

Jason’s Books

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[amazon-product alink=”0000FF” bordercolor=”000000″ height=”240″]1858945178[/amazon-product]

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Suffolk in East Anglia is surprisingly close to London (you can get a train from Sudbury to Stratford London in around an hour) but it feels a million miles away when you are faced with half-timbered medieval houses, like I saw in Lavenham, and the winding, quiet country roads.

I used The Swan Hotel in Lavenham as my base for a few nights to explore this picturesque county.

Bury St Edmunds

The town’s name comes from St Edmund who was a king of East Anglia who was killed by invading Danes in 869 AD. A fortified town or ‘burgh’ gave the name ‘Bury’ part of the name. Just so you know, St Edmund’s Day is celebrated on 20 November.

I visited this market town to see Moyse’s Hall Museum which is on the Market Square in a building dating back to the 12th century. Displays cover local history, crime and punishment including superstitions and witchcraft, the Suffolk Regiment Gallery plus a temporary exhibition which is what convinced me to visit as it was Dr Who week! I saw the various Doctor’s outfits plus K-9, a Cyberman, a weeping angel and, of course, a dalek. It’s not a big museum but if it has specials like this in the school holidays it’s definitely one to watch.

Associated with Moyse’s Hall, the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village would have made another good stop, as would the Bury St Edmunds Cathedral and Abbey Gardens, but I had already planned my next stop in Stowmarket.

Museum of East Anglian Life

The MEAL was much bigger than I expected with many buildings and lots of outdoor time needed. There’s also a woodland nature trail and farmyard animals to meet.

Inside we learnt about the history of working and domestic life in the region – my daughter through the toys, and I enjoyed the period room sets although they didn’t come to life in the same way as a visit to Blists Hill does in Shropshire.

Even though the 1950s brought the fridge, washing machine, cooker and other labour saving devices many villages in the region didn’t get electricity until the early 1960s.

As it was getting cold I was pleased to discover the newly opened Abbot’s Hall which was a warm haven on an autumnal day in the country, Built in 1709, Abbot’s Hall has a variety of displays and it was clear how up-to-date everything was as there are QR codes scattered throughout each room.

One of my favourite rooms had a Come Dine With Me special dinner party where visitors could suggest who they would invite to dinner. With guests as diverse as Winston Churchill and Bart Simpson, Prince Charles and Spiderman I wouldn’t mind joining that dinner party myself!

Sutton Hoo

Amazingly missed by grave robbers for 1,300 years, Sutton Hoo provides clues to what has been called ‘page one of English history’. Archaeologists investigating the mound in 1939 made a most spectacular discovery. Under a high mound a 27 metre long ship had been buried with a huge hoard of treasure and weapons, and this is considered to be a ship-burial of a pagan Anglo-Saxon warrior king. Sutton Hoo is set in a 99 hectare (245 acre) estate and you can go to see the burial mounds but there’s not a lot to see in all honesty.

The Exhibition Hall tells the Sutton Hoo story and, as with all National Trust locations, the staff and volunteers are excellent and there are always plenty of children’s activities laid on too.

Jimmy’s Farm

This farm made it’s name following a BBC TV show about Essex boy Jimmy Doherty who bought a derelict farm without any agricultural experience to follow his dream to be a pig farmer. His rare breed pig farm now supplies big supermarkets and Jimmy’s Farm is a popular visitor attraction. It costs nothing to park and visit the farm shops, restaurant, and kitchen and herb garden but there’s an admission charge to enjoy the Nature Trail and meet some animals.

I got a tour of the farm from Dave Finkle, the Farm Manager, who is also a TV presenter, who hopes to encourage the public to engage more with our agricultural roots. It’s why the clocks change twice a year, and the reason for the timing of the school holidays which many have forgotten.

On the natural trail you can see – and feed – pigs, ferrets, goats, alpacas, guinea pigs, chickens, plus the 600 rare breed pigs that the farm is famous for. The different breeds include the Gloucester Old Spots, Tamworth, Middle White, Large Black, Berkshire and lots of black and white Saddleback pigs.

We also took the Woodland Trail and spent time ‘den building’. I was lucky with the weather as it had rained the night before but was bright when I visited. Dave explained, being an outdoor attraction, it can be a continual challenge to get visitors to come if the sun isn’t shining or if there’s dew on the grass.

Just 1.5 miles down the road is the Suffolk Food Hall. When Jimmy opened his farm there were mixed opinions locally with some unimpressed by his lack of farming skills and others who applauded his entrepreneurial skills. I visited the Suffolk Food Hall, a place not known for its love of Jimmy, to attempt to have lunch but the only restaurant was fully booked, and too fancy for dining with a child in reality, and there was only tea and cake on offer in the tiny cafe. I wish we’d stayed at Jimmy’s for the rest of the day.

Thanks

I’d like to thank Best Loved Hotels for arranging my stay at The Swan at Lavenham, carrentals.co.uk for arranging the car hire and Visit Suffolk for suggesting attractions to visit and for arranging for admission to each location.

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Lavenham is considered by many to be the finest medieval village in England. It’s also the food capital of Suffolk so you can come for the peace and rural charm but still dine well every night. The half-timbered houses here help create a quintessential English village.

There are over 320 listed buildings in Lavenham and I stayed at The Swan Hotel, well loved for its 15th century architecture and excellent service.

Many of the buildings in Lavenham date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It was during King Henry VIII’s reign that Lavenham was declared the fourteenth most prosperous town in England because of the wool trade and cloth-making.

One of the last buildings to be built before the wool economy collapsed was the lime-washed Lavenham Guildhall of Corpus Christi, built in 1529. Another was the parish church of St Peter and St Paul which is excessively large for the size of the village – its tower is 141 ft (43 m) high.

Lavenham Guildhall is in the centre of the village in the Market Square and is now managed by the National Trust. There are local history exhibits inside plus a couple of reminders of our more superstitious times such as the ‘daisy wheel’ protective mark on the chimney lintel and the mummified cat, known locally as Rameses. During the 17th and 18th centuries cats were often placed in roofs near chimney stacks to prevent evil spirits from using the otherwise unprotected flue to enter the house. The sign informed us that many remain in local buildings, and most, if not all appear to have died before they were laid in place. Well, that’s good to hear.

Speaking of superstitions and fears, during the English Civil War of the 1600s, ‘witches’ were executed in Lavenham by the order of Matthew Hopkins Witchfinder General who charged the town for his services. (I found out more about Matthew Hopkins when I visited Lancashire for the Pendle Witches Trail 400th anniversary.)

The village was used as a film location for possibly English cinema’s best ever horror: The Witchfinder General (1968), starring Vincent Price. The burning of a witch in the Market Place was one of several scenes filmed in Lavenham.

A more recent film location was De Vere House, used in the last two instalments of the Harry Potter film series as Godric’s Hollow: the place of Harry’s birth, where his parents were killed by Voldemort and where Harry got his characteristic scar. The ‘cottage’ on Water Street was recently up for sale for nearly £1 million.

Back to the Guildhall, outside there’s a walled garden where there are traditional dye plants which produce colours that are bright even for today. There’s also Bug-ingham Palace, a wildlife stack for common garden insects. The top 10 to look out for are: ground beetle, ladybird, snail, slug, centipede, worm, woodlouse, caterpillar, ant and spider.

At the Guildhall I read about the Lavenham Railway Walk which is a 1.5 mile walk along a disused section of the old railway line that once linked Sudbury to Bury St Edmunds but sadly it was too wet and muddy when I was there. Locals tell me it’s a lovely area to see cowslips in spring. (Hat tip to Wikipedia for having the origin of the flower’s name as being from the Old English for cowshit meaning “cow dung”, probably because the plant was often found growing amongst the manure in cow pastures.)

I mentioned that Lavenham is the food capital of the county so I was surprised to see most of the tea rooms were shut by 5pm and I wondered where everyone went out to eat in the evening. It turned out I was staying in one of the best locations as The Swan has fine dining in the Gallery restaurant, a more contemporary menu in the Brasserie and for an evening drink the Airmen’s Bar has plenty of memorabilia of the American airmen who were stationed in Lavenham in the Second World War. This tiny village also has a Marco Pierre White restaurant in the Market Square at Wheeler’s at The Angel Hotel.

For such a small place Lavenham is a real treat to visit. There are cute gift shops and tea rooms for the daytime visitors and the Lavenham Pharmacy & Perfumery has a 1.5 hour audio tour you can enjoy for just £4. It’s abundantly clear why people love to live in the area and why visitors come every day for the picturesque setting.

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The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington has an incredible new blockbuster exhibition: Hollywood Costume. The costume designer can often be overlooked with all the other more high profile names involved with a movie but if the costumes are right then you truly believe that actor is the film character and then the costume designer has done their job well.

There are many iconic costumes that have started worldwide fashion trends and influenced global culture. But fashion and costume design are not the same thing. Costume design is a distinct art form creating what is to be worn by a particular person, in a particular story, at a particular moment and this exhibition celebrates the costume designer’s work.

Hollywood Costume has been in planning for five years. The V&A have brought together over 100 of the most beloved and iconic costumes that have never been seen together before, from over 100 years of cinematic history including the Silent era, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and modern digital productions. Not only have these costumes never been seen together but many have never been on public display ever!

This is the first time the V&A has devoted an exhibition to film design and they didn’t want to show “frocks on dummies”. We will hopefully have more exhibitions like this in the future as the night before the Press View, the BFI (British Film Institute) donated 700 costumes to the V&A so they now hold the national collection of film costumes.

Hollywood Costume explores the most beloved characters in Hollywood history and gives an insight to the role of the costume designer and their vital contribution to cinema storytelling. The exhibition includes costumes from many of the greatest films of all time including The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Singin’ in the Rain, Vertigo, Taxi Driver, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, plus recent releases including Pirates of the Caribbean, Spider-Man, Sherlock Holmes and The Iron Lady.

Major Sponsor

The major sponsor is Harry Winston, who the V&A asked everyone to thank as without their support we wouldn’t have this exhibition to enjoy. Harry Winston chose to be involved to “pay homage to the legacy of our founder, Mr Harry Winston, who was the first jeweller to loan diamonds to a celebrity on the red carpet.” This was Jennifer Jones in 1944, and they have since worked with huge names from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna.

The Exhibition

This is a three-gallery journey of the costume designer’s role and their vital contribution to cinema storytelling. The three rooms are very dark but house a staggering collection. There are film scores playing in each room to help to heighten your emotions. (There was an enormous turn out for the Press View and, this usually cynical bunch, were smiling for once.)

You enter to see a big screen showing excerpts of films. Stay a while to get acclimatised to the low lighting as it’s dark throughout the three rooms.

Act 1: Deconstruction

Costume designers are storytellers, historians, social commentators and anthropologists. Movies are about people, and costume design plays a pivotal role creating characters and in bringing these people to life. In every movie the audience is asked to believe that the people in the film are real and that they had a life prior to the start of the movie and authenticity is key.

This room helps us to understand how a costume designer works so case studies such as Fight Club (Costume Designer Michael Kaplan, 1999) show costumes hanging as individual items, with sketches and explanations, and we soon discover every item of clothing is deliberate.

Raider’s of the Lost Ark gets a lot of attention in Act I but as the film’s costume designer was Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the Senior Guest Curator of the exhibition it makes sense. She has an incredible resume including costume credits for The Blues Brothers and Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Even so, to give it as much space as twelve period drama costumes seemed an imbalance.

Act 2: Dialogue

To show the creative collaboration, there are four pairs of especially commissioned on-camera interviews with great filmmakers and their costume designers. There are also two case studies with Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep celebrated for their transformative skills. You can see interviews and five costumes chosen from their most memorable roles. Meryl Streep’s costume designer, Ann Roth, said “we wait for the third person to arrive” in the fitting room.

Act 3: Finale

Billed as “the most glamorous Hollywood nightclub in the world” this room offers an overwhelming number of iconic costumes shown on dummies but brought to life with screens for the actors’ faces. Some are stills but some are videos so really do come to life!

Exhibition Highlights

The red beaded dress worn by Joan Crawford in The Bride Wore Red was never seen in colour as it was a black and white movie.

The floor length black dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is just as striking today as it was when the film was released in 1961. Designed by the French couturier Hubert De Givenchy it is displayed with the pearls, tiara, and yes, that cigarette holder.

The iconic white three-piece suit worn by John Travolta, as Tony Manero on the disco dance floor in the classic 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, was discovered in London after an international search to bring it to this exhibition. The London owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought the white polyester two-button single-breasted suit with wide jacket lapels, matching waistcoat, and 28-inch waist white flared trousers to accompany the original black single-cuff shirt with pointed collar at a 1995 Christie’s auction. I wish this costume had more prominence but we will all have our favourites.

You’ll also see Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from Seven Year Itch, Borat’s suit, and costumes from Austin Powers, Kill Bill, and Terminator III. There’s Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale, and Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) and Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) from My Fair Lady.

Don’t forget to look up and you’ll see Batman, Spiderman, Superman and Cat Woman.

The Wizard of Oz

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Dorothy’s blue and white gingham pinafore from The Wizard of Oz is faded but, in my eyes, still utterly wonderful. I had no idea that the cotton dress had been made on a treadle sewing machine in the MGM costume workroom to give the impression it had been sewn by “Auntie Em”. I’ve loved the story all of my life and the dress has never been on display in the UK before.

Nor have the ruby slippers! You need to be quick as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington DC have given a four-week loan only as they need the shoes back on display before the film is shown, as it always is, at Thanksgiving. These slippers alone attract millions of visitors every year so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them outside of the US so make sure you get to this exhibition by 18 November.

Professor Deborah Nadoolman Landis said, “The Ruby Slippers transcend Hollywood costume design and have the power to transport us to the limits of our imagination. These precious shoes exemplify the best of cinema storytelling because they evoke memory and emotion.” And boy, is she right.

Conclusion

Seriously wow. I left with crazy adrenalin and wild emotions as if I’d just seen all of my favourite movies on the same day. Hollywood Costume really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the clothes worn by our heroes and idols.

Key Info about the Hollywood Costume Exhibition

Website: www.vam.ac.uk

Dates: 20 October 2012–27 January 2013

Time: Daily 10.00–17.30 / Friday 10.00–21.30
N.B. The Museum will be closed from 24–26 December 2012

Costs: £14. Concessions available.

Getting there: South Kensington tube station

Photo Gallery

You can’t take photographs in the Hollywood Costume exhibition so I took as many as  I could to show you what to expect.

That’s all folks!

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For my summer holiday this year I wanted to find somewhere unusual, exotic and yet not too far away. The Isles of Scilly fitted the bill perfectly as did the Hell Bay Hotel which has been described as New England meets the Caribbean, meets Cornwall which is pretty accurate.

Where Are the Isles of Scilly?

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago of about 150 islands and rocks some 28 miles (45km) off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain with dramatic rugged coastlines and a population of about 2,200.

How To Get There

My daughter and I felt like intrepid explorers as we took a tube, train, plane, taxi, boat and taxi. Yep, ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ had nothing on us. But thankfully each stage of the journey was quite short and we left London at breakfast time and were on the beach at our hotel by mid-afternoon.

The Train

We flew from Southampton Airport which was a completely different experience than the huge London airports I’m used to. Southampton Airport is easy to reach from London with South West Trains operating a regular service from Waterloo to Southampton Airport Parkway taking just over an hour and then you simply cross the road from the train station and you’re in the airport! This friendly airport has no long queues at check-in and I’m definitely going to consider flying from here again.

(We booked to fly back to Bristol Airport and to get a First Great Western train from Bristol back to London as flights were so busy this summer. In reality we flew to Land’s End and went to Bristol by road but that’s a story for another day. By the way, on 15 September 2012, it is the 75th anniversary of fixed wing flying from Land’s End Airport. See, I made good use of my time there.)

The Flight

There are flights to the Isles of Scilly from five UK airports six days a week (not Sundays). (They also run the ferry service Monday to Saturday too.)

The Skybus planes are small – we flew out in a 19-seater and back in a 8-seater! You can’t stand upright inside, there’s no toilet or refreshments, you can only take a very small bag as hand luggage and it’s a bit noisy onboard but it’s also pretty exciting flying in such a small plane. There’s no door to the cockpit so we could watch the pilots at work.

The Taxi

The Isles of Scilly airport is on St Mary’s, the largest of the islands, and there are always minibus taxis waiting to collect new arrivals. The taxis have set prices and the drivers are wonderfully friendly.

The Boat

We got dropped off at the quay but then had no idea how to get to Bryher, the island where we were staying. This is when we discovered that everyone here is really friendly and regulars helped us check the time of the next boat. There’s no need to get tickets in advance as you pay on the boat so we had time to get snacks at the cafe.

We were planning to catch the ‘Firethorn‘, the regular passenger boat, but the Cyclone had space for two more so we zoomed over on a jet boat. The trip was exhilarating and the look on my daughter’s face was priceless: a mix of ‘get me off of here!’ and ‘Woohoo!’ It was more like a fun fair ride than transport and we both giggled as we got off and found ourselves on the beach on Bryher within 15 minutes.

The Taxi

The lovely hotel sent a taxi to collect us and we found ourselves on an island with no other transport. With less than 100 people living here, Bryher is the smallest of the inhabited islands and at just 1.5 miles long by 0.5 mile wide it is definitely a place for walking.

Hell Bay Hotel

Situated right on the edge of the the Atlantic, in a secluded cove, Hell Bay is idyllically remote. It’s the only hotel on Bryher and has just 25 rooms so they can provide excellent service while giving you also plenty of freedom.

The room was gorgeous with a balcony and a stunning view towards the Atlantic Ocean. I would honestly never tire of waking up to that! We admired it with bright sunshine, as the sun set, at sunrise, and even during a wild storm. It truly is a captivating landscape with so many light variations for the amateur photographer to attempt to capture.

We had a TV and DVD player, plus a music system to entertain us if the weather turned and the room was large enough for a lounge area too. With such great in-room facilities we didn’t get to try the croquet, tennis courts, golf, steam room or the games room, but we did enjoy the heated outdoor swimming pool. Other guests went swimming and snorkelling in the sea each day but the pool was fine for us.

My daughter was thrilled when we heard that Hell Bay guests can collect their own eggs for breakfast from the hotel’s chickens. We wandered over early and I thought we were out of luck when a squeal of excitement rang out as we checked again and an egg had just been laid. We carried it over to the hotel kitchen as if was the most precious prize ever.

Hell Bay has been a beloved family destination since the 1950s but is it also popular with couples looking to relax and get away from it all and the peace on the island makes it a perfect place to unwind.

Tresco

As well as exploring Bryher, we had a day trip to Tresco, the nearest island. I planned to see the Abbey Gardens and King Charles’ Castle but instead we made it to the Ruin Beach Cafe for a leisurely lunch and played on the beach all afternoon.

If you’d like to stay on Tresco, the Sea Garden Cottages are recommended and they are right by the cafe and beach. The Sea Garden Cottages are built on the footprint of Tresco’s Island Hotel which opened in 1961. The man behind the hotel was Commander Tom Dorrien Smith who now owns the island, plus Hell Bay on Bryher.

Did you know? During the spring tide it’s possible to walk between Bryher, Tresco and Samson – while wearing wellies, of course.

More About the Isles of Scilly

I mentioned at the start that the Isles of Scilly are made up of about 150 islands and rocks but there are five main islands to know about. St Mary’s is the largest island at 3 x 2 miles and has the airport so most people’s Isles of Scilly adventures start there. Tresco is the second largest and under 200 people live there. The Abbey Gardens are full of exotic plants and it is quite the tropical paradise. St Martin’s has white beaches and clear waters, while St Agnes is the most south-westerly community in the British Isles. Bryher, where I stayed, is the smallest inhabited island and has a timeless serenity.

It felt very safe on Bryher. Not safe because there’s CCTV watching you like in a big city but safe because there’s limited danger. There’s no litter and very limited crime. (A neighbour in London knows the one policeman on the Isles of Scilly which is a highly sort after position.)

There’s lots to do on the Isles of Scilly if relaxing is too much for you. You can try scuba diving with seals, dolphins or basking sharks, or explore sea wrecks. Try surfing or sailing, or just play on the clean beaches. Find out more at: www.simplyscilly.co.uk. It really is a totally unique destination.

Transport Concerns

Helicopter transport is stopping at the end of October 2012 so the small planes and ferry will be the only transport to the Isles of Scilly. The locals would like to see this as the time for a subsidised transport service to be considered by the UK government and many told me of their frustration when comparing prices with trips from mainland Scotland to the Scottish islands which are considerably cheaper. It’s a dilemma between keeping the islands peaceful and having good access.

My only criticism of my time on the Isles of Scilly would be that the food was too good and I didn’t manage to have chips by the sea from a chippy but that’s hardly going to stop me going back there again. And that I didn’t use the opportunity to write the headline “Being Silly in Scilly”. Next time.

Photo Gallery

Credits: Hell Bay kindly provided accommodation and meals. Train tickets were provided by First Great Western and South West Trains, and Isles of Scilly Travel provided my flight.

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When you think of Nottinghamshire, in the heart of the England, it’s very likely you will think of its legendary son Robin Hood. I went to the annual Robin Hood Festival to try archery and to see a skirmish between Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham next to the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest – the hideout of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. And then I went on a walking tour of Nottingham with Robin Hood himself.

Who was Robin Hood?

It’s not a simple question to answer as there were no eyewitnesses and no-one wrote about meeting him but we do know he was a devout Christian and visited St Mary’s Church in Nottingham. Yet he was an outlaw and the name may have come from “Rob-in-the-hood” meaning a thief wearing a hood to look like a Franciscan friar. He was always a symbol of hope for downtrodden Saxons but as reports mention Robin Hood over many hundreds of years I think we have to accept there was not only one Robin Hood but many creating the legend.

Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest was established as a royal hunting preserve in the 10th century and it became home for Robin Hood and his Merry Men in the 1500s. VisitEngland’s Fan in a Van came earlier this year to try archery and the Olympics Torch Relay stopped at the Major Oak on 28 June 2012.

During the Robin Hood Festival I watched Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham fighting, had lunch at the hog roast, listened to traditional musicians, enjoyed jesters and other entertainers, as well as trying archery.

Nottingham

I did a walking tour of Nottingham with Robin Hood and learnt more about the legend and the city. (And that consonants do not feature highly in the local dialect so the city’s name is “No’ing’em”.) From seeing Kevin Costner in the Prince of Thieves you may expect Nottingham Castle to look different than it does but there is another anniversary to celebrate as the Robin Hood statue outside Nottingham Castle reached its 60th birthday in 2012, coinciding with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

There is some stunning architecture as the city’s industrial revolution made it the centre of the world’s lace industry so Victorian buildings were ornate to impress the lace buyers. Sadly though, later architectural development has not been so sympathetic and the city’s nickname, The Queen of The Midlands, is not mentioned as often as it once was. A lot of buildings are boarded up and the main leisure pursuits here are shopping and nights out.

But that doesn’t mean the city has nothing to offer these days, far from it. As well as the Robin Hood connections attracting visitors every year, The Council House at the Market Square is worth seeing as it is constructed of Portland Stone from the same quarry used by Christopher Wren for St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Stop for a drink at the Pitcher & Piano bar and you’ll be in a deconsecrated church with a William Morris stained glass window. The Galleries of Justice Museum in the old courthouse looks interesting and I never knew Nottingham has trams. I also didn’t know Boots the Chemist started in Nottingham, as did John Player Tobacconists and Raleigh bicycles.

Old Pubs

England’s oldest pub seems to be a title bandied around far too freely in Nottingham as three pubs try to claim the title. The Bell Inn in the Market Square dates back to 1437, Ye Olde Salutation Inn has 1240 on the wall and Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem displays the date 1189 outside. You would think that made the decision on which was the oldest quite straightforward but ‘Robin Hood’ told us it’s actually the Bell Inn which is on the site of a Carmelite Friary. The Trip, as it’s known locally, is definitely worth a visit though as it’s built into the caves beneath Nottingham Castle. And the local Olde Trip Ale is the drink of choice here.

Photo Gallery

Reasons to Visit Nottingham Soon

You can meet Robin Hood for walking tours in the city all year round or you might like to follow the Robin Hood Audio Trail, linking 12 locations around Nottinghamshire.

On 6-9 September 2012 there are Heritage Open Days when historic buildings open their doors for behind the scenes tours. 11-13 October 2012 brings the Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival to Nottingham Castle. The Robin Hood Game & Country Show is 13-14 October 2012 and 27-28 October 2012 is the Robin Hood Pageant at Nottingham Castle.

Getting There: The train from London to Nottingham is around 2 hours and you can drive from London to Nottingham in around 3 hours.

To help you plan a visit to the area do see the official tourism website: www.experiencenottinghamshire.com.

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Bond in Motion

2012 marks the 50th anniversary since the first James Bond movie, Dr No, in 1962. England’s best loved spy has featured in 22 films, with the 23rd, Skyfall, due to be released (in the UK) on 26 October 2012.

This is the largest official collection of original Bond vehicles the world has ever seen and includes a range of vehicles from cars, boats, motorbikes, sleds and jets. The exhibition of 50 vehicles is spread over two floors and you can hear Bond theme music and film action all around you helping to immerse you and get the adrenalin going. This is a one-off exhibition as this collection won’t be together again until the next major anniversary so this is a rare opportunity for Bond fans. When I visited the National Motor Museum it was busy with families and everyone was enjoying the opportunity to get close to these vehicles and to take plenty of photographs.

Beaulieu National Motor Museum

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2012. There are over 250 vehicles and it tells the story of motoring in Britain. Look out for the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car, land speed record holders, vintage vehicles and modern F1 racing cars, plus dressing up as a Victorian motorist for a photo.

Beaulieu is so much more than just the National Motor Museum. You can visit the Palace House which has been home to the Montagu family since 1538, as well as the Palace Gardens. The Beaulieu Abbey, founded by Cistercian monks, is a good spot for some quiet time then head over to the rides and drives and do some go-karting or try a simulator.

I really enjoyed the ten minute monorail ride as it brought back happy childhood memories of holiday parks with these high railways. There’s also a replica 1912 open-topped London bus that takes you around Beaulieu’s sights.

If you have more time to explore the area, do head to Buckler’s Hard, a nearby 18th century village next to the river. There’s an excellent hotel there too.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about Bond in Motion Exhibition

Website: www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions/national-motor-museum

Time: October-May: 10am-5pm / June-September: 10am-6pm

Bond in Motion exhibition on until 6 January 2013.

Address: Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire SO42 7ZN

Phone: +44 (0)1590 612345

Costs: Adult £20.00 / Senior: £18.50 / Youth (13-17 years) £12 / Child £9.95 (aged 5-12 years) / Family ticket: £52.50

(Covers all the attractions at Beaulieu)

Getting there: Train from London to Brockenhurst is about 1.5 hours, then taxi to Beaulieu for £20 approx. Driving from London will take around 2 hours.

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The children’s author Enid Blyton was born in south London and holidayed in Dorset three times a year for about twenty years. These happy trips inspired the ‘Famous Five’ series about siblings Julian, Dick and Ann, plus George (a tomboy who refused to be known as Georgina) and her dog, Timmy.

The series is sometimes criticised as escapism and for portraying a safe, middle-class world but as 3 million children were evacuated from London during the war, times were tough and children needed stories like these. Enid Blyton died in 1968 but affection for her stories has not waned, especially as nowadays it is no longer possible to allow children to go exploring on their own but when the books were written this was commonplace.

Enid Blyton’s 115th Birthday Party

I visited Dorset for an Enid Blyton birthday celebration at Corfe Castle. There was storytelling in the castle grounds, children’s activities and fairground music in the background. There were families everywhere – outdoorsy, barefoot-on-the-grass, unbrushed hair, homemade-picnic type families and not the supermarket-bought-sandwiches, expensive brand name picnic blankets and fear-of-dirt urban families I know well in London.

Corfe Castle is a 21 metre (69ft) high ruined Norman castle perched on top of a 55 metre (180ft) mound. (For a London connection, the Tower of London is the only surviving Norman castle in London). Corfe Castle was destroyed in 1646 and many of the surrounding buildings were built from the stone. Corfe Castle is now managed by the National Trust and was the inspiration for Kirrin Castle in the Famous Five series.

The 70th anniversary of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books has brought the launch of The Famous Five Adventure Trail which includes locations she knew well such as Swanage Pier, Swanage Steam Railway and Blue Pool. The trail is an extension of the 1948 book Five on Kirrin Island Again.

Swanage Pier was built at the end of the 19th century and has been voted Pier of the Year 2012. This English seaside town with a sandy beach and Punch & Judy is where Enid Blyton liked to holiday with her family and the sleepy town is still in a happy time warp. (Photo credit: jackharrybill)

Swanage Railway opened in 1885 and closed in 1972. Since then it has been restored by enthusiasts and a steam train connects six miles of beautiful countryside from Swanage to Norden, passing Corfe Castle.

The Ginger Pop Shop in The Square at Corfe Castle village is a small but well-stocked shop for Enid Blyton fans and lovers of English nostalgia.

The lovely lady at The Blue Pool & Tearoom is in her 80s and bakes hundreds of scones every day. She estimates she makes 10,000 scones a year and all are mixed by hand as she doesn’t like the sound of a food mixer. We enjoyed a Dorset cream tea with her misshapen scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam (preserve) in the Tearoom before a walk around the Blue Pool which is a lovely location for some quiet time with nature that has been popular for generations. It was a hand-dug clay pit but is now full of rainwater which is a stunning deep turquoise.

Dorset is a wonderful part of the world (I know Jonathan and Jackie will agree!) and I hope to return again soon for more lashings of ginger beer and nostalgia.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about Corfe Castle

Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfecastle

Time: March: 10am-5pm / April to Sept: 10am-6pm /
Oct: 10am-5pm / Nov to Feb: 10am-4pm

Address: Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5EZ

Phone: +44 (0)1929 481294

Costs: Adult £7.72 /child £3.86 / Family ticket: £19.31 / Family (1 adult): £11.59

Getting there: Train from London Waterloo to Wareham is under 2.5 hours, then get a cab for the last 4.5 miles. If you choose to drive, there’s a park and ride at Norden station then you can catch the Swanage Steam Railway for 5 minutes to Corfe Castle station.

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2012 marks the 400th anniversary of the famous Pendle Witch Trials in Lancashire. On 20 August 1612, ten people were executed on the moors above Lancaster, having been found guilty of witchcraft at Lancaster Castle. The story has many similarities with the Salem Witch Trials in the US in the 1690s during a time when nonconformity and religious freedom became synonymous with paranoia and injustice. I visited Lancashire to find out more.

Overview of the Pendle Witches Story

These most famous witches from English history were persecuted when James I was King. The king imposed harsh penalties for anyone keeping the Catholic faith and his suspicious nature led to an obsession with witchcraft. Local magistrates looking to find favour with the King became zealous in their pursuit of witches. Indeed, Matthew Hopkin – the English “Witchfinder General” – was responsible for the hanging of 68 witches.

The story starts in March 1612 when a young girl, Alizon Device, was begging from John Law, a pedlar from Halifax. She asked for some pins and he wouldn’t give them to her as she didn’t have any money. She then cursed him and he had what we now suspect to be a stroke but at the time his collapse coincided with the supposed curse. She felt terrible and apologised but the incident led to investigations, trials and executions in August 1612. You can find out more on visitlancashire.com.

This area of Lancashire has long been rife with nonconformist religions. George Fox, the founder of the Quakers, is reported to have had a vision on top of Pendle Hill in 1652.

Were the Pendle Witches malevolent people possessed by supernatural powers or innocent victims of a time obsessed with the pursuit and punishment of witchcraft? Sadly, the young and old in our society are often scapegoats. It is hoped a story of tolerance can be learnt from this historic religious persecution.

Pendle Heritage Centre

I started my visit to the area at the Pendle Heritage Centre which has a display about the witches including The Dauber’s Charm, a written spell. The building itself is worth exploring as it’s a 15th century Lancashire farmhouse with a delightful recreated 19th century walled garden. It can also claim a connection to Roger Bannister, the first man to run the four minute mile in 1954, as the Bannister family once lived at the building, many hundreds of years ago.

Sculpture Trail

Nearby, in Aitken Wood, Barley, beneath Pendle Hill, there is a new permanent sculpture trail which includes Pendle Witch references such as the life-size solid oak sculpture of Matthew Hopkins, the “Witchfinder General” by Martyn Bednarczuk, and ten stone plaques by Sarah McDade representing each of the ten Pendle Witches. I had a tour of the sculpture trail with Philippe Handford, the lead artist who said, “There are some intriguing shapes in Aitken Wood and we’ve all been touched by a sense of Pendle’s history.”

There is a Walking With Witches Trail you can explore and if you want to see more of the area, the annual Pendle Walking Festival is on in early September.

Lancashire Witches Driving Trail

I opted to do 45 mile Lancashire Witches Driving Trail which stretches between Pendle and Lancaster and is the route taken by the Pendle Witches (although they travelled by horse and cart). It includes Samlesbury Hall where three more women were accused of practicing witchcraft at the same time as the Pendle Witches (yet they were found not guilty and were acquitted), plus Lancaster Castle where the Pendle Witches were held, tried and executed.

Along the way you can stop at Dunsop Bridge which is the geographical centre of the British Isles and may have inspired “Middle Earth” in the Lord of the Rings stories by J.R. Tolkien as he knew the area well.

The route goes through the Forest of Bowland and is a good reminder that Lancashire is 80% rural. The Forest of Bowland is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster which is one of the titles belonging to The Queen and her biographer has said that if the Queen could ever retire this is where she would retire to. Since 1399, every King or Queen has also owned Lancaster Castle.

Lancaster Castle

Although visitors are welcome this is still a working castle. It is a Crown Court (and was a working prison until 2011) so it is therefore illegal to take photos inside the courtrooms. I visited during the court’s summer recess and no trials take place in August. This is not a place of ceremonial use and only the Old Bailey in London has sentenced more to death.

The Crown Court was built in 1795 and is a neo-gothic style. We saw a branding iron which would be used straight after a guilty sentence was passed to brand the letter M, for Malefactor – the Latin for “evil do-er” – onto the left hand. In countries with an English influence on their legal system, we still raise our left hand and swear an oath when giving evidence in court. (Yes, I know it’s the right hand in the US but it still originates from this hand branding.)

Hangings at Lancaster Castle were incredibly popular with around 8,000 spectators attending and school children would get the day off to watch. The condemned would be hanged and then left for an hour as strangulation was the more likely cause of death than a broken neck. This was because it was only a short drop as they stood on a bucket which was then kicked away. This is the origin of the phrase “to kick the bucket” meaning to die.

The last hanging at Lancaster Castle was in 1865 and the death penalty was abolished in England in 1965.

The castle Keep dates back to 1150 and has a display of shackles, leg irons, handcuffs, etc. It was also the county asylum as authorities didn’t know what to do with people with mental illnesses so imprisoned them.

There are remand cells dating back to 1780 and I tried being locked inside one. It was pitch black and instead of being cold, it got warmer and warmer inside.

What is now the Castle Library was the courtroom where the Lancashire Witches, including the Pendle Witches, were tried. Most trials would last only half an hour so this was a highly unusual case lasting days. There were many witnesses and they were accused of other unexplained deaths before 1612.

Pendle Witches’ Dungeon

As Lancaster Prison is now closed we were able to get access to the actual castle dungeon where the Pendle Witches were held. This area is not normally open to the public and the underground room where all 20 were kept was cold, dark and damp with rings on the floor to attach prisoner’s chains. One of the witches died here even before the trial started.

We asked about supernatural activity and a rational prison guard and the Castle Manager, Colin Penny, both told of tales that they couldn’t explain and were aware of more incidents in other rooms in the castle.

The fantastic Pendle Witches story, and its shocking outcome, continues to enthrall and the 400th anniversary is bound to bring new interest to the area.

Photo Gallery

Getting There

The Witch Way bus runs up to every 30 minutes from Manchester to Pendle. Train journeys from London to Manchester are around 2 hours.

If you decide to drive and want to stay over in the area I can totally recommend Mytton Fold Hotel where the family welcome, beautiful setting and peaceful night’s sleep will have me returning again and again.

The post Laura’s London: Pendle Witch Trials 400th Anniversary in Lancashire appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Windsor Castle is The Queen’s favourite weekend retreat and a perfect day trip from London as it’s under an hour away by train. Highlights of a visit include The State Apartments, Changing of the Guard, Queen Mary’s Dolls House – which even has miniature crown jewels – and St George’s Chapel – a beautiful ecclesiastical building and the burial place of ten British Sovereigns.

Round Tower

Windsor Castle’s world-famous round tower closed to visitors in 1975 for major construction work, including concrete underpinning, but reopened in 2011. Conquer the Tower tours are now available during the summer months for an additional fee (adults £8.50/children over 1.3m £5.65) and must be pre-booked.

Inside there are 200 steps to climb (in two stages) but the views from the top (130ft/40m) are worth it as you can see central London and Wembley Stadium on a clear day. Most days you can see the control towers for Heathrow Airport, the green-roofed Royal Mausoleum where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are buried (currently not open to the public but may be in the future) and Frogmore House which is a royal retreat bought for Queen Charlotte and her six daughters who lived there when King George III’s ‘madness’ (actually misdiagnosed porphyria) was too bad to be around. There are also views of Windsor Great Park and the three mile ‘Long Walk’ which Charles II started and George IV finished. Long Walk is lined with Horse Chestnut and London Plane trees and there is a statue of George III at the far end, known locally as the Copper Horse. It was commissioned by his son George IV and was built from melted down cannons. The father and son did not get on well which may explain the distance for the statue from the Castle.

The Round Tower was built by Henry II in 1170 with heath stone from nearby Bagshot. Each stone cost 4 pence when the average wage at the time was 1 pence. The Tower replaced a wooden Norman keep which was part of the Windsor Castle constructed by William the Conqueror from 1070-86. The tower sits on an artificial chalk mound (motte) made from the spoil thrown up when a ditch was dug around the fortress. The Tower has always had a dry moat and in summer months you can pay a small fee (adult £2/child £1) to visit the Moat Gardens. The Round Tower, which interestingly isn’t actually round, had major remodelling work in the 1820s as George IV wanted to make it even taller so 9 metres (29.5ft) were added along with gothic-style battlements.

Another reason to climb to the top is to see the flag and flagpole which was added in 1892. The 15m (49ft) flagpole is made from a US Douglas Fir tree and the normal flag size is about 6ft long but on special occasions, such as The Queen’s birthday, a flag the size of a double decker bus is used! To know if The Queen is in residence check whether the Union Flag or the Royal Standard is out. The Royal Standard means she is here.

State Apartments

A Monarch has never lived in the Round Tower regularly; instead they have chosen the State Apartments. This is where The Queen hosts State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents.

I felt many comparisons with my visit to Goodwood House even though it is a country house and this is a royal castle. Both have French Gobelin tapestries, Sevre porcelain, royal portraits, silk-lined walls and gold gilt decor. I would actually say the Sevres collection at Goodwood House is more impressive and the tapestries better displayed there too but Windsor Castle has larger, more imposing rooms including the Waterloo Chamber, designed to display paintings of those important in defeat of Napoleon. All the portraits are by the same artist, Sir Thomas Lawrence, and all from live sittings.

Antonio Verrio’s painted ceilings are wonderful in the King’s Drawing Room, Queen’s Audience Chamber and Queen’s Presence Chamber. And the Queen’s Guard Chamber certainly shows the Queen is well guarded with a “temple to military fame” and a kind of ‘weapons as art’ display with crossed rifles and swords adorning the walls, along with circles of pistols and armour.

St George’s Hall is used for banquets and has a new ceiling following the fire on 20 November 1992. The fire started in the small adjoining room, the Lantern Lobby, and spread at roof level. This new small room is now a connecting link for the Private and State Apartments.

The Castle reopened after 5 years in November 1997 and the restoration and repairs cost £37.5 million and came in under budget. The vast majority of the money came from opening Buckingham Palace to the public each summer.

During the winter months an additional five rooms, the Semi-State Rooms, are included in the visitor route but were not open when I was there.

 St George’s Chapel

The Chapel is not actually part of Windsor Castle even though it is on the castle grounds. It is completely independent and is not funded by the State or the Church of England. It is a place of worship for the Royal Family and the burial place of ten British Sovereigns. Everyone is welcome to visit the Chapel and there are three services every day of the year with the choir singing six days a week. The choir is made up of 12 men and 23 boys up to the age of 13 who receive a full bursary for their schooling.

In 1348, Edward III started the Order of the Garter as an ethical and loyal ‘club’ and in 1475, Edward IV decided he wanted to give it a spiritual home so St George’s Chapel was started. It took 50 years to build and was completed during Henry VIII’s reign.

The Queen’s parents, George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, are buried here, as are her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary. While there is a very formal memorial with stone carvings of the couple, Queen Mary’s hands are carved just as she held them in prayer which is the kind of formality and personal touch that sums up St George’s Chapel.

Another important memorial is for Princess Charlotte who died in childbirth. It is because she died that Queen Victoria took the throne. Princess Charlotte was incredibly popular and there was a similar outpouring of public grief as when Diana died. Public subscription – in lots of small contributions, not major donations – paid for the memorial.

In the vault, under the Quire, Charles I and Henry VIII are actually buried together. Charles I was executed and his body was brought to Windsor, his head sewn back on and they were buried together as nothing was prepared for an unexpected death.

Changing of the Guard at Windsor Castle

The Guard marches through Windsor so from outside the castle, the best viewing point is the Corn Exchange at Windsor Guildhall. From inside the castle grounds you can watch, and listen to the military band, outside the Guards Room in the Lower Ward by St George’s Chapel. Changing of the Guard takes place at 11am from April to July and on alternate days for the rest of the year.

It’s a much more intimate ceremony than outside Buckingham Palace and when the old Guard leave you can go around the barrier and stand next to the new Guard. Here’s a photo of me with a soldier from the Coldstream Guards who came on duty that morning. I know he’s from the Coldstream Guards because he has a red plume on the right side of his bearskin; Garter star badge on his collar; and the buttons on his tunic are positioned in pairs.

Next Time

There’s lots more to do in the Windsor area than just the Castle and a beautiful place to stay is Coworth Park, the Dorchester Collection’s country house which opened in 2010. Set in 240 acres of picturesque Berkshire parkland and just 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport. The estate includes a luxury spa, three restaurants and it is the only UK hotel to feature its own polo fields.

I managed a quick visit to The Savill Garden, within Windsor Great Park which is made up of lots of smaller gardens with the planting best reflecting the micro climates. The New Zealand Garden has the biggest collection of native NZ plants in the UK. There is a summer sculpture display throughout the garden in August and September each year but I’d like to go back in October and November when the carriage rides are available.

I also want to return to see Eton which has been popular this summer as Eton Dorney has been the London 2012 Olympics canoe sprint and rowing venue. Both Prince William and Harry went to school at Eton College and it can be visited from April to October. Eton High Street is also worth a stroll as it has plenty of independent shops plus the only 1908 Olympic marathon route market still in existence. The marathon started at Windsor Castle and just past the Post Office and before the Eton College shop it reads “25 miles to go“.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about Windsor Castle

Website: www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/windsorcastle

Time: Mar to Oct: 9.45am-5.15pm / Nov to Feb: 9.45am-4.15pm
A typical visit lasts between 2 and 3 hours.

Address: Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1NJ

Phone: +44 (0)20 7766 7304

Costs: Adult £17.00 / Over 60 or Student £15.50 /child £10.20 (under 17) / under 5s free / Family ticket: 2 adult & 3 children £44.75

Getting there: Train from London Paddington or London Waterloo in under an hour. Windsor Castle is a ten minute walk from the train station.

The post Laura’s London: Exploring Windsor Castle – The Queen’s Favorite Home – London Day Trip appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

While London is gripped with Olympics fever I thought I’d step out of the city (just for a few hours) to the tranquility of the Sussex countryside and the Goodwood Estate to take a tour of Goodwood House, a 17th century English country house, and partake of a cream tea.

You definitely need to take a house tour to fully appreciate the State Apartments, the paintings, and the fine English and French furniture acquired over centuries. The Tour Guides are theatrical and knowledgeable and will include lots of fun asides to make the visit seem less overwhelming.

And why would you not stop for tea when it is served in the Ballroom with homemade scones accompanied by Goodwood cream and fruit preserve (jam) made from Estate fruit with prices starting from only £4.

About Goodwood House

Goodwood is one of the truly spectacular English country estates, set within the Sussex Downs. The 1st Duke of Richmond bought Goodwood House in 1697 as a hunting lodge and a country retreat away from Richmond House,  his town house in London. With a long heritage as an aristocratic family home, Goodwood also welcomes guests to enjoy the House for tours, weddings and other special occasions, plus award‐winning dining and a range of sporting activities from golf to world class vintage car and horse racing.

Goodwood House combines the opulent grandeur of a great English country house with the warmth of a family home. The Earl and Countess of March live in this elegant Sussex house that provides a dramatic setting for one of the most significant private art collections in the country.

The Family

I’ll admit, I found following the aristocratic titles somewhat confusing during the house tour, especially as many of the family have had more than one title. Thankfully, the official website has explanations of the family line and I’m going to have a go at summarising it here.

The key thing to know is that it all started with an English king and his French mistress in the 17th century. King Charles II had no legitimate children but did have many descendants from his multiple mistresses. The French mistress was Louise de Keouralle and their son, Charles Lennox, was made Duke of Richmond (in Yorkshire, not London) and Duke of Lennox (the family name), as well as Seigneurie of Aubigny, a title bestowed by Louis XIV of France on Louise de Keroualle. Not to be outdone, King Charles II also bestowed on his son the titles of Earl of March and Baron Settrington, Earl of Darnley and Lord of Torbolton in Scotland.

This many titled chap married Anne, daughter of Lord Brudenell and granddaughter of the Earl of Cardigan and they produced Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond, Lennox and Aubigny (1701-50).

The 3rd Duke (1735-1806) had an incredible list of achievements including founding the Royal Ordnance Survey, to map the whole of Britain at one inch to the mile. He had no legitimate children and was succeeded by his nephew. In 1789, the  4th Duke (1764-1819) married Charlotte, eldest daughter of Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon which is how, in 1856, the 5th Duke (1791-1860) inherited the vast Gordon estates in Scotland, and why in 1876 Queen Victoria bestowed the Dukedom of Gordon, by now extinct, on the 6th Duke (1818-1903).

The 7th Duke (1845-1928) – we’re now talking about: Charles, 7th Duke of Richmond, Lennox, Gordon and Aubigny (just checking you are keeping up) –  gave great house parties at Goodwood for the races, and every year insisted on travelling to Gordon Castle in Scotland on a private train with all his family, the day after Glorious Goodwood ended.

The 8th Duke (1870-1935) followed the family’s military traditions but contracted polio so couldn’t serve in WWI. The 9th Duke (1904-1989) was the only Duke not to be called Charles as his first Christian name (but it was his second), and he inherited the title following the tragic death of his brother, then Lord Settrington, in WWI in 1919.

The 10th Duke now lives at Molecomb, a house on the estate, with The Duchess. They have five children, including one son, the Earl of March, who has managed the Goodwood Estate since 1994. Lord March is the founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed (1993) and reopened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in September 1998 – the only circuit in the world dedicated to historic motor racing. In 2010, he organised the first ever celebration of British design, music and fashion festival, Vintage at Goodwood.

What a family, eh?

The House Tour

The 1st Duke of Richmond purchased this Jacobean house in 1697. The section at the back is referred to as the ‘old house’ and Roger Morris, the same architect who worked on Chichester Assembly Rooms, redesigned the Main Hall in 1730. This is the room where you will see two Canaletto paintings of London, produced in 1747. Young aristocrats would go on their Grand Tour of Europe and Canaletto realised they regularly bought Italian paintings with the incredible detail that he could create so he came to London to increase his sales. The 2nd Duke gave Canaletto his first commission outside of Italy when he painted the view from the family’s London residence, Richmond House, on Whitehall. The scene is busy and our Guide politely told us that at the time if ladies were not escorted then they were not ladies.

There is also an unusual painting of King Charles II in Whitehall Palace, by Henri Gascar (1635-1701)  that shows his French mistress, Louise de Keroualle, in the background. It is clear they were very much in love but it’s still not common to have such an open record of their unmarried relationship.

Richmond House in London burned down in 1791 and the art collection with brought to Goodwood House. The building has had additions and renovations and now looks like three sides of an octagon. The Regency State Apartments were added for entertaining from 1800 by the architect James Wyatt who also designed The Kennels, the building to house the Duke’s hunting hounds that became the first building on the Estate to have central heating. The Kennels have recently been restored to form the clubhouse for members of the various Goodwood sporting clubs. As you look across the grounds you may well spot a family member whizzing past in a sports car, or riding a thoroughbred horse, but do look at the trees which were a passion for the 2nd and 4rd Dukes, especially cedars and oaks and by the 1700s there were 10,000 cedar trees and 40 different oaks. The 12,000 acres Estate is maintained by a team of 20 gardeners and groundsmen.

Even when you arrive in the Entrance Hall you can feel the grandeur from the Guernsey granite columns and hunting scenes by the artist George Stubbs who was introduced to the family by Sir Joshua Reynolds. He stayed at Goodwood for nine months and produced paintings of the hounds, servants and horses before he produced the book: Anatomy of the Horse.

The royal connections are on display throughout the House. In the Music Room you can see a lock of Charles I’s hair and a piece of his coffin and the room opposite has a letter written by Charles II to his French mistress. (See ‘Royal Goodwood: The Summer Exhibition’ below.)

The 3rd Duke got a bargain when he bought the enormous Gobelins French tapestries when the King somewhat over-ordered for his needs. As it took a year to produce 2-3 sqm the size of these tapestries is even more magnificent. The Tapestry Room has also seen the most Royal Privy Council meetings of any private house.

The Egyptian Dining Room was restored just before the millennium as fortunately aristocrats do not throw anything out so the family could piece it all back together although the mummy case is now in the Sir John Soane Museum in London as it’s no longer the done thing to have a mummy in your dining room. Amongst the overt Egyptian imagery there is a large unassuming piece of granite that dates from before when King Tutankhamen took to the throne, used as a plant stand.

The Yellow Drawing Room reminded me the most of Buckingham Palace with its silk lined walls and royal portraits including one of Lady Charles Spencer by Sir Joshua Reynolds, an ancestor of Lady Diana Spencer aka Diana, Princess of Wales. (Did you know? When Prince William becomes king, he will be the first descendant of Charles II to occupy the British throne.)

The 5th Duke returned home from the Battle of Waterloo with Napoleon’s campaign chair and subsequent generations have enjoyed using it at their writing desk in this room.

The circular Card Room, so named because Edward VII loved playing cards here, houses a collection of Sevres porcelain that many suggest is the finest in the world. The 3rd Duke visited the French Sevres factory in 1765 on his Grand Tour and showed them his book of bird illustrations. This was the first time a client had visited the factory to place an order and the first time a service featured real representations of birds from nature onto porcelain rather than the fantastical creations, which were the norm.

The tour ends in the Ballroom and the paintings hang (where each painting should be on the walls) was sketched by the 3rd Duke and hasn’t been altered. Do note the huge painting of King Charles I and family by Sir Anthony Van Dyk as the same painting hangs at Buckingham Palace. There is also a painting  of the beautiful French mistress, Louise de Keroualle, which brought the response at the time that she was “mostly in her undress all day”.

The Ballroom is now the Tea Room (dancing still happens regularly; they just use a different room)  and is a wonderful setting to rest and take in the splendour all around you.

Royal Goodwood: The Summer Exhibition

To celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the summer exhibition, Royal Goodwood, looks at Goodwood’s royal heritage and how it is represented in the art collection as well as through royal visits, photographs, letters and royal gifts. It runs from 6 August to 15 October 2012.

The 1st Duke of Richmond was the natural son of King Charles II by his beautiful French mistress Louise de Keroualle and he bought Goodwood in 1697 as a hunting lodge.

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were both regular visitors for the annual Glorious Goodwood Race week. The house is currently managed by the Earl of March and he remembers these royal visits from his childhood:

‘It was a very exciting experience having the Royal Family to stay. Enormous energy went into the preparations and staff numbers seemed to zoom from three to thirty‐three. There was bustle and busyness everywhere, with everyone single‐mindedly trying to attain absolute perfection in whatever they did – nothing less would do. I saw most of the visit from the top of the stairs. There were red coats, white gloves and black shiny shoes everywhere. It was very exhilarating – even the helicopter was red. One of my earliest memories was my whole family standing in the Front Hall waiting for the great noise of the rotors, which signified the Royal arrival. For a small child the feeling of anticipation was overwhelming.’

More Than Just a Grand House

The Goodwood Estate has a lot to offer and you would do well to spend a few days in the area just to take it all in. There is the Goodwood Hotel, The Waterbeach luxury health spa, the restaurants, golf courses, Goodwood Motor Circuit (the only classic motor circuit in the world to remain entirely in its original form), the aerodrome for flying lessons or flight experiences, the Sculpture Park and the organic farm, before I even mention the list of annual events such as Glorious Goodwood or the Goodwood Festival of Speed. When based at the Goodwood Hotel, you could explore West Sussex and neighbouring Hampshire further with these suggestions as well as visiting Chichester and Brighton.

If all of that sounds like too much time for your first visit then, after the House Tour, go to the farm shop. The Goodwood Estate organic farm and kitchen gardens supply the chefs of Goodwood House with fresh seasonal produce all year round and you can buy produce in the farm shop. As well as fruit and vegetables they also nurture rare and native breeds of cows, pigs and sheep.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about Goodwood House

Website: www.goodwood.co.uk

Time: Goodwood House is open for tours from March to October each year, generally from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday and Monday.  From 5 to 30 August, the house is open Sunday to Thursday for the summer exhibition.

Address: Goodwood House, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0PX

Phone: +44 (0)1243 755 000

Costs: Adult £9.50 / Student £4 /child £4 (aged 12-18 years) / under 12s free
Family ticket: 2 adult & 2 children (children 12-18 years) £22

Getting there: Train to Chichester (1.5 hours from London) and a short taxi ride (but too far to walk).

No Photography: No photography allowed inside the house, or of the front of the house.

The post Laura’s London: Exploring Goodwood House in Sussex appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

A trip to St Paul’s Cathedral is on most visitor’s “must see” list and as it is only five tube stops away from the Olympic Park in Stratford it is likely to be popular this summer too. I was lucky enough to get a private tour and was taken to areas that are not open to the public every day. I also tried the Multimedia tour, which is included in the entrance fee for every visitor. But first, let’s get past those age old questions:

Why is there an entrance fee?

St Paul’s Cathedral’s main purpose is for the worship of God and they never charge people who want to come in to pray. St Dunstan’s Chapel is always available to visit with no charge and all services are free to attend (Evensong is the service to note if you’d like to hear the choirboys at their best). Be aware, there is no sightseeing here on Sundays.This is a heritage building with high maintenance costs (see conservation cleaning below) that receives little funding from the Crown, Church or the State and therefore relies on the income generated by tourism. As you could easily spend a full day here I do feel the admission rate is perfectly reasonable.

Why can’t I take photos inside the cathedral?

I’ll refer back to the cathedral’s main purpose: not as a tourist attraction but as a place of worship. They did allow photography in the past but the combination of camera flashes and groups lining up to pose for photographs under the dome led to the conclusion that allowing photography was too distracting. Yes, they sell some excellent postcards and books in the gift shop but no-one is making you buy them.

Conservation Cleaning

Right now is one of the few times in recent history that the cathedral has not had scaffolding up outside. The exterior was cleaned with air blasts and took eight years to complete and the interior cleaning lasted from 2001 to 2005 with just ten Conservators doing all the work. Once you come inside and see the height of the building you’ll be impressed by this incredible feat. Next to the Great West Doors they have left a panel uncleaned so we can remember how dirty the stonework had got. They used a type of ‘facepack’ for stonework and then toothbrushes for the fine detail.

Doors Still Open

The doors have often been kept open to the cathedral for added light and at one time horses and dogs were even allowed inside. In 1648-49 horses were stabled inside during the Civil War. It had become such a mess that the king had already asked Sir Christopher Wren to submit plans for a new St Paul’s Cathedral even before the Great Fire of London in 1666. Today, there is a viewing area on the South Transept where you can go outside and see the view across the Millennium Bridge to Tate Modern. You are welcome to take photos when outside.

Cathedral Floor

The building truly has a ‘wow factor’ and there’s plenty to see. Some of my highlights included:

• The Wellington Monument in the North Nave which is topped with a bronze statue of the Duke of Wellington on his horse, Copenhagen. This enormous monument actually took longer to build that the whole cathedral.
• Ceiling Mosaics: St Paul’s was the first cathedral to be built after the Reformation in 1534 and there are Sir James Thornhill paintings in the dome as at the time mosaics were considered too ‘Popish’/catholic. Mosaics were added to the ceiling at Queen Victoria’s request as she found the building too dark and there are 6 million pieces of coloured glass.
• The Tijou Gates at the High Altar were designed by Jean Tijou, the greatest ironworker of the time, who also created the screens and grilles at Hampton Court Palace.
• Along the South Quire Aisle there is a marble effigy of John Donne which is the only statue that survived the Great Fire of London. He was a Dean of the cathedral and one of Britain’s finest metaphysical poets, who died in 1631.

The Crypt

The crypt is the largest in Europe and Nelson’s Tomb is directly under the dome but the casket wasn’t made especially for him. It was made for Cardinal Thomas Wolseley who fell from favour when he couldn’t get Henry VIII a divorce from The Pope so the casket was kept in storage for over 200 years. Nelson is buried in the base of the monument. Following his funeral at St Paul’s on 9 January 1806, Nelson was the first person of national importance to be buried here, hence the central location. Near the Wellington and Nelson Tombs there is an impressive mosaic floor that was laid by women prisoners from Woking Jail (near London) during their rehabilitation. While Westminster Abbey has Poet’s Corner, St Paul’s Cathedral has Artist’s Corner with Millais, Turner, Joshua Reynolds and William Holman Hunt (see his ‘The Light of the World’ on the Cathedral Floor), many with a strong connection to the Royal Academy of Arts. Oculus is a 270 degree film experience which makes you feel as if you are exploring the cathedral. An excellent option for those who can’t make the climb to the higher galleries.

Where’s Sir Christopher Wren’s Memorial?

The simple black slab next to Artist’s Corner is for Sir Christopher Wren and what seems unimpressive corresponds to his modesty. His son wanted to ensure he was remembered (like the City of London could forget!) and there is a Latin inscription on the wall which translates as: Underneath lies buried Christopher Wren, the builder of this church and city, who lived beyond the age of 90 years, not for himself but for public good. Reader, if you seek his monument look about you.

American Connections

St Paul’s Cathedral is the focus for many American commemorations including the annual Thanksgiving service and the 9/11 remembrance. The Jesus Chapel, commonly known as the American Chapel, is behind the High Altar and was built after the war as this section of the building did get bombed. The roll of honour contains the names of more than 28,000 Americans who gave their lives while on their way to, or stationed in, the United Kingdom during World War II. One page is turned every day. The limewood panelling is of American flora and fauna but look to the far right and there’s a rocket as a tribute to America’s achievements in space. This chapel has the only stained glass in the cathedral and the three windows represent Service, Sacrifice and Resurrection. Downstairs in the Crypt there is a bust of George Washington near the Nelson’s Tomb and a poignant memorial for Pilot Officer William Meade Lindsley Fiske III, an American who pretended to be Canadian so he could serve in the RAF (Royal Air Force) and became the first American to die in the Battle of Britain on 18 August 1940. Fiske was also an Olympic champion as he had led the USA bobsleigh team to victory at the St Moritz Winter Olympics in 1928 becoming the youngest man to win a Winter Olympic gold. During the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, Fiske was selected to carry the US flag during the opening ceremony and his team went on to win gold again. The plaque reads: “An American citizen who died that England might live”.

Triforium Level

This is the level that is not open to all visitors but I have since discovered you can book a tour. You’ll see stones from the old cathedral with simple labels: Norman, Gothic, etc. (this is the fifth cathedral on this site) and the Geometric Staircase that is the Hogwart’s staircase in the Harry Potter movies. (Note, no-one is allowed to walk up or down the stairs as the railings are not suitable for ‘health and safety regulations.) I stood on the West Balcony and had the view that the TV cameras use for important services and the biggest treat was entering the Trophy Room which houses Wren’s Great Model, built by Sir Christopher Wren for Charles II. It’s large enough for the king to go inside and sit under the huge dome and contemplate whether this was the cathedral he wanted built. Thankfully he liked it and royal approval was given in 1675.

Climb those stairs

I did climb the steps to the Whispering Gallery (257 steps), then to the Stone Gallery (another 119 steps), and to the Golden Gallery at the top (another 152 steps). The staircases get narrow at points towards the end but the views of the City, and across the River Thames are fantastic.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about St Paul’s Cathedral

Website: www.stpauls.co.uk Time: Mondayto Sunday: 08:30-16:00 (worship only on Sundays) Phone: +44 (0)20 7246 8348 Costs: Adult £15 / Concession £14 /child £ (aged 6-17 years) Family ticket: 2 adult & 2 children (children 6-18 years) £36 Getting there: St Paul’s is the nearest tube station (Central Line). Mansion House, Cannon Street and Blackfriars stations on the District and Circle Lines are also within walking distance.

The post Laura’s London: A Tour Behind the Scenes of St Paul’s Cathedral appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

We’ve all tried bus tours of London but, while I enjoy those too, I fancied seeing London from above. I love the view as you fly back to London and see the River Thames and start to pick out the landmarks but I have no plans to leave London in the near future so how can I get this beloved view?

Thankfully, Jonathan came up with the idea of trying a London helicopter tour. The 30 minute flight promises to show you all the famous monuments and iconic buildings, with the opportunity to get much closer than in an aeroplane, and take loads of photos. How could I refuse?

Heliport Locations

There are two options for flights over London: Stapleford in Essex and Redhill in Surrey. Both take a while to get to so plan your journey well.

Stapleford Aerodrome, Stapleford, Tawney, Essex RM4 1SJ
The tube to Debden or Theydon Bois (Central line) from central London is about 45 minutes and then it’s a 10 minute taxi ride. When you book your tour you will be given some taxi company numbers so you can book a car to pick you up from the station. (I walked from Theydon Bois but wouldn’t recommend it as it’s 3.6 miles along fast traffic country roads with no pavement/sidewalk. And it took over an hour each way.)

Redhill Aerodrome, Redhill, Surrey RH1 5YP
This is not near the underground train system so you’ll need to get a mainline train from London Victoria to Redhill, Nutfield, Salfords or Gatwick Airport (40-60 minutes) and then get a taxi as it’s too far to walk.

Upon Arrival

I did my helicopter tour from Stapleford and was greeted with a smile at the Welcome Desk when I arrived 30 minutes before my flight, as instructed. This is where you present all of your documentation to be checked before being invited to enjoy the cafe and return to the desk 15 minutes before your flight.

Stapleford is a popular flight training centre so you can watch the light aircraft and there’s a decent cafe so you can have a cuppa while waiting.

At your assigned time, the group gets a safety briefing and then you go in a London taxi to the airfield. (You don’t leave the Aerodrome but it’s much safer to transport you by car as it’s a busy place.)

The Flight

The helicopter has a passenger seat in the front and four passenger seats in the back. Staff help you board and check everyone’s seat belts and headphones are fitted before the pilot arrives and prepares the helicopter for departure. I smiled as he brought an iPad and set it to Google Earth. Oh yes, and just as you’d hope, our pilot looked incredibly British and had one of those middle class accents that British pilots do so well.

As the helicopter rotor blades started to spin the sound reminded me of the Tardis in Doctor Who and I wished Jonathan could have been there to share the joke.

Within minutes we lifted straight up and were soon on our way! I was amazed at how many back garden swimming pools we saw in this part of Essex, but it is an area with large houses and gated entrances. And the luscious green countryside looked even better for the sun shining that day.

It actually was a really warm day in London and very bright so my pink skirt reflected in the window and appeared in lots of my photos but I’ve tried to crop it out and give you the best shots here.

The headphones have a microphone and for most flights it’s 2-way so your pilot can point things out and you can ask questions. Unfortunately, during our flight the air space over central London was very busy and the pilot was in constant contact with air traffic control. We were all Londoners in the helicopter so knew what we were looking at anyway but we couldn’t work out how to speak to each other but did nudge each other excitedly and point when something came into view.

The first landmark we reached was the Olympic Park and I was thrilled to see into the Olympic Stadium as I’m performing in the Olympics Opening Ceremony on 27 July and the show is going to look best from above.

From here we got to Greenwich in seconds and saw The O2 and the new London cable car looked so small from the air. I tried to see if anyone was climbing over The O2, as I did recently, but couldn’t see that closely.

We followed The Thames and all the iconic central London landmarks came into sight within minutes: Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the City skyscrapers, St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Pretty much, you name it, we saw it.

At Vauxhall Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament, we turned around to head back and we were 15 minutes into our flight. I was amazed how much we’d seen in such a short amount of time and it was great to have the return for any views we’d missed on the way.

It was over all too quickly and it wasn’t until I removed my headphones, when we landed, that I discovered how noisy it actually was inside.

Everyone on the tour was thrilled and we smiled as the taxi took us back to the car park. I couldn’t wait to get home and look at the photos and I hope you’ll agree I got a few good shots from up there.

Photo Gallery

Important Information

• Helicopter flights are available at weekends throughout the year but not every weekend.
• Flights may be cancelled if the weather conditions would make it unsafe.
• There may be up to five other people in the helicopter with you.
• If you want to sit in the front seat there is a £20 upgrade fee.
• Minimum age is 14 years.
• Maximum height is 6ft 6in.
• Minimum height is 5ft.
• Maximum weight is 230lbs, however do ask the flight company if you are slightly more than this as they may still be able to help.
• My Boarding Pass stated we couldn’t take bags but there was no problem with me storing my handbag under the seat.
• Cameras are absolutely fine and taking photos is encouraged.

 Must Bring on the Day

• Your gift voucher (that’s how most people order the tour).
• The emailed boarding pass with confirmation details.
• Photo ID AND proof of address for security reasons.

Disclaimer: The tour was provided by http://www.experiencemad.co.uk and aside from flying experiences UK, there are many more exciting gift options to choose from! While the writer was provided with a complimentary tour for the purpose of writing this article it has not influenced the review.

The post Laura’s London: Laura Takes a London Helicopter Tour – Great Aerial Photos of London appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

This is the 23rd year of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. It’s the largest garden and flower show in the world and covers 34 acres of the Hampton Court Palace grounds. It takes just three weeks to build a show garden and all come apart in just three days. The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is not like the RHS Chelsea Flower Show; it’s more relaxed here and children of all ages are welcome. Tickets are usually available on the door (Chelsea sells out months before), and visitors don’t dress up here as much as it feels like real gardeners’ territory and the gardens feel more obtainable.

The gardens on display for 2012 are:

• 11 Show Gardens, including 4 World of Gardens
• 5 Show Features
• 15 Summer Gardens (replacing Small Gardens)
• 4 Low Cost, High Impact Gardens
• 8 Conceptual Gardens

As well as the Show Gardens, there are 600 exhibitors at this year’s show, supplying all you need for your home garden.

Show Features

This year, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is also championing Community Gardening to raise awareness of the great difference community gardeners are making to Britain today. Landscape designer and broadcaster, Chris Beardshaw, has designed the biggest feature at the Show to champion the impact of this work. Urban Oasis shows that green space can be created in the most uncompromising locations and can be a lifeline for people from all walks of life. After the Show, the projects will be relocated to community neighbourhoods.

This feature was inspired by the UK summer riots in 2011 and is about reclaiming neglected spaces for the benefit of the whole community.

Show Gardens

The Badger Beer Show Garden is the first garden in the show’s history sponsored by a brewery.

“A Very Victorian Fancy” for Bournemouth Borough Council was my favourite garden this year. The two contrasting halves of the garden’s design draws inspiration from the Gothic works of Mary Shelley and Robert Louis Stevenson with dark subtropical planting, while the drift-like planting of the lighter side brings to mind the Art Nouveau works of Aubrey Beardsley.

Summer Gardens

The Summer Gardens category is new for 2012 and should encourage aspiring gardens with practical ideas to try at home. ‘Celebration & Jubilation’ designed by Jayne Thomas embraced the Diamond Jubilee festivities with red, white and blue planting and a space for refreshments.

Low Cost, High Impact Gardens

There are four Low Cost, High Impact Gardens which were chosen from a competition of submissions with a budget of £7k, £10k and £13k. (There are two with a £13k budget). The ideas incorporate relaxing, socialising and entertaining, as well as clever ideas for drought resistant planting.

Conceptual Gardens

The Conceptual Gardens bring together a fusion of art and horticulture. The eight gardens are about garden designer’s wild imagination as well as being a platform for challenging subjects such as mental health issues and terrorism.

One of the most outstanding Conceptual Gardens this year includes hundreds of tropical butterflies with the concept to highlight the plight of women in Nicaragua. The garden is called ‘Las Mariposas’ (Spanish for butterflies) and is inspired by Amnesty International’s Butterflies of Hope campaign. The designer, Robert Kennett, has placed a pink 3.5m cube in the centre to symbolise the spirit of the Nicaraguan girl, and has wrapped it in grasses. Inside you can see the butterflies representing the hopes and dreams of a girl living in a ‘tropical paradise’. Kennett said: “The idea for the butterfly garden came to me while sitting in my Dorset garden thinking how beautifully quiet it was. This led me to consider a different kind of silence – not the reflective sort we enjoy in the UK but the sort that is imposed, the sort that leaves many to suffer without their pain ever being heard.”

‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’ has been inspired by Matthew Childs’s experiences of being injured in the 7 July 2005 bombings in London. The injuries changed his perspective on life and he changed career to become a garden designer and has created a tunnel garden visitors can walk through from a narrow, dark opening to a lighter, more spacious planting area.

Children’s Zone

Under 17 year olds can join the grownups for free at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and it’s a great way to encourage the kids to discover nature this summer. The weekend – 7 & 8 July – has a Children’s Zone with interactive and educational inspiration for families and I’m sure the scarecrow competition will be worth seeing.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Website: www.rhs.org.uk

Dates: 3-8 July 2012 (RHS members get a reduced rate and can attend on the members only days on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Show is open to the general public from Thursday 5 July).

Times: 3-7 July: 10am-7.30pm / 8 July: 10am-5.30pm (sell off at 4pm).

Costs: 10am-7.30pm: £29 / 3pm-7.30pm: £18.50

Each full paying adult may bring two children aged 16 and under free of charge to the show.

Getting there: Hampton Court and Kingston train stations are about 30 minutes from London Waterloo, with frequent trains. The showground is a 15 minute walk or short ferry ride from Hampton Court station, or a 30 minute cruise from Kingston station. I always stroll from the station as I like to walk past Hampton Court Palace on the way.

The post Laura’s London: Hampton Court Palace Flower Show Preview Day – Exclusive Pictures appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The State Rooms of Buckingham Palace have been open to the public every summer since 1993. What started as a way to pay for the fire damage at Windsor Castle has, thankfully, continued past the cost of those repairs and when the Queen retreats to Balmoral in Scotland for a well earned rest her London home is open for us to visit.

(Top tip: A flag always flies above Buckingham Palace. When The Queen is in residence, the Royal Standard flies. When the Sovereign is not present, the Union Flag flies instead. A flag sergeant has the role of raising and lowering the right flag as The Queen arrives at or departs from the Palace.)

Every year there is a special exhibition and this summer it is Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration which includes some of The Queen’s personal jewels and others chosen for their historic significance to make up the 10,000 diamonds on display. As diamonds are the hardest natural material known they carry associations of endurance and longevity which seem perfectly fitting to The Queen’s 60 year reign.

Entering the Diamonds exhibition you’re plunged into darkness as the walls and ceiling are all black but there’s a water like reflected ripple on the soft carpet from the sparkles. The Queen Victoria small diamond crown is the first you see and even knowing it’s small won’t stop you being surprised by its size.

Queen Victoria is the only other monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee and many items from her reign are on display including this stunning miniature crown which she wore for her official Diamond Jubilee portrait in 1897. The crown has 1,187 diamonds which is incredible as it is only 9 by 10cm. Queen Victoria preferred this crown as it weighed so much less that her others.

Some of that ‘latest fad’ for writing on the walls is used in here but it probably does help you find the room edges. To ensure more people can view the collection, there are two levels; a raised level for wheelchair users and children, and a lower level for everyone else. There’s no need to cluster around the glass cabinets as all the pieces are placed sideways so they are best viewed from between the cabinets. And it’s not just jewellery, as there are swords and other decorated items, but do look out for the Williamson brooch as it has one of the finest pink diamonds ever discovered.

The exhibition includes jewellery made from the world’s largest diamond ever found – the Cullinan Diamond – which weighed 3,106 carats as an uncut stone. When it was found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa in 1905, the mine manager’s clerk refused to believe it was a diamond, as it was so huge, and threw it out of the window! Once convinced, they named it after the chairman of the mining company, Thomas Cullinan.

Seven of the nine principal stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond are reunited for the first time in this exhibition (the other two – Cullinan I is in the Sovereign’s Sceptre and Cullinan II is in the band of the Imperial State Crown – are part of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London). These seven stones are set in a ring, a necklace and three brooches, one of which, the Cullinan III and IV Brooch, was worn by The Queen for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations, on 5 June 2012.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was a wedding present to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) from the ‘Girls of Great Britain and Ireland’.  The Princess (then Duchess of York) wore it at the celebrated Devonshire House Ball in 1897 to complement her French Renaissance-period costume. The tiara was presented to Her Majesty by Queen Mary as a wedding present and is frequently worn by The Queen, and be seen on certain issues of British and Commonwealth banknotes and coinage.

This is the last exhibit in the collection, and is the most recognisable piece of jewellery on display, as The Diamond Diadem is worn by The Queen on British and Commonwealth stamps and also features on certain issues of bank notes and coinage. It wasn’t made for the Queen though as it was produced for the famously extravagant coronation of George IV in 1821. The Diamond Diadem has 1,333 diamonds including a four-carat pale yellow brilliant.

 About Buckingham Palace

The Queen refers to Buckingham Palace as “the office” as it’s where she comes to work and carry out official and ceremonial duties as Head of State of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are the Palace’s longest residents. There are 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace, including 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. The Palace has 1,514 doors and 760 windows which are cleaned every six weeks. (I love these numbers but don’t want the cleaning job!)

A visit to the State Rooms is worthy of every cliché. Yes, it’s “magical”, yes, it’s “fairy tale” and boy, yes, it has a “wow factor”.

As you walk through, look out for the clocks as there are 350 in the Palace, one of the largest collections of working clocks anywhere. Two full-time horological conservators wind them up every week and keep them in good working order.

The Ballroom has nothing on display this year, and no access to the side rooms, but there is plenty of visitor seating available. Look out for the perfectly ‘plumped’ cushions in the Blue Drawing Room and downstairs in the Bow Room, next to the Garden. My favourite is still the White Drawing Room as there is a secret door that visitors can try to spot. They’ve left it slightly ajar this year to try to help you.

The public tour ends in the Palace Gardens and more than 30,000 guests attend The Queen’s Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace every year. I love these statistics: At a typical garden party, around 27,000 cups of tea, 20,000 sandwiches and 20,000 slices of cake are consumed, served by around 400 staff. I’m sure my invitation will arrive one of these days…

There is a fantastic array in the Garden Shop this year and who can resist tea overlooking the lawn, and then an ice cream in the Gardens (available near the exit)? The Gardens are lovely and we’re allowed to walk along a path at the side so can see some of the 39 acres, including the huge lake and 156m long Herbaceous Border, on our way to the exit. As you follow the garden path the noise from the traffic on Grosvenor Place starts to win but the bird song was good competition for some time.

Every Monday morning when The Queen is in residence, the Gardens Manager sends Her Majesty a posy of the interesting plants in flower in the Palace garden. A truly lovely tradition!

Photo Gallery

Key Info about the Summer Opening at Buckingham Palace

Website: http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/

Dates: 30 June – 8 July & 31 July – 7 October 2012

Times: 9:45am-6:30pm (last admission 3:45pm)

Allow 2 hours for your visit, plus time to visit the shop and have tea in the palace gardens.

Costs: Adult £18 / Concession £16.50 / Child (under 17) £10.25 Child (under 5) Free
Family £47.00 (2 adults and 3 under 17s)

Top Tip: Enjoy free readmission for a year if you buy your ticket directly from the Royal Collection.

Getting there: Buckingham Palace is a short walk from these tube stations: Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.

From 27 July to 12 August and from 28 August to 10 September, Olympic events are taking place in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace. If you are visiting during this period, it is recommended that you plan your travel arrangements carefully. Advice can be found at www.getaheadofthegames.com.

The post Laura’s London: Buckingham Palace Re-opens for the Summer with new Stunning Queen’s Diamonds Exhibition appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Open from 28 June 2012, (yes, before the London 2012 Olympics!) this is the first cable car in London and the first urban cable car system of its kind in the UK. Its official name is Emirates Air Line because of the Dubai-based airline’s 10 year sponsorship deal at a cost of £36m.

The Emirates Air Line is now on the iconic tube map and this is the first time in the tube map’s 78 year history that a commercial brand has been able to put their name to a transport link and station as a result of a partnership with Transport for London (TfL).

It is hoped the London cable car, I mean the Emirates Air Line, will encourage regeneration at The Royal Docks and Greenwich Peninsula, each a dedicated enterprise zone, with plans for a floating village, SS Robin and Siemens Technology Centre to be opened on the north side of the river. This is part of the Mayor of London’s ambitious plans to revitalize east London.

Location

The London cable car, I mean Emirates Air Line, connects The O2 – Europe’s biggest entertainment venue (South) and ExCel – Europe’s biggest conferencing venue (North).

The Emirates Greenwich Peninsula terminal is near the main pedestrian squares and the O2 Arena, and North Greenwich tube station, making it easy for visitors and local people to use.

The Emirates Royal Docks terminal is on the northern side of Victoria Dock, close to Royal Victoria DLR station and a short walk from ExCeL.

Numbers

• £60m                          Total cost of the project
• £45m                          Amount of total cost that went towards the building
• £36m                          Sponsorship deal from Emirates
• 10 years                      How long the Emirates sponsorship deal lasts
• 2 years                        How long it took to build
• 2,500                           Passengers an hour can travel in each direction
• 34                                Cable cars
• 30 seconds                 How often the cars leave
• 3                                 Helix towers holding up the cables
• 1.1km (0.68 miles)     Length of the cable link
• 90 metres                    Height when over The Thames
• 5 minutes                    River crossing time during commuter hours
• 10 minutes                  Slower speed crossing time outside of peak hours
• 10 people                    In each cable car
• 2 wheelchairs             Can fit in each car (but little else then)
• 2 bicycles                   Can fit in each car (but again, little else then)

 What It’s Like For Passengers

I tried a ‘flight’ on the first day of opening and was amazed at the number of world media who turned up to try it. Londoners are being told it’s public transport yet most of us are struggling to find a reason to get off at Royal Docks so we’re seeing it as a tourist attraction, and it seems that was the general impression from those who were there for a preview.

This isn’t central London so it’s not the same views as at the London Eye and the cable car, I mean Emirates Air Line, has a job: to connect Europe’s biggest entertainment venue and Europe’s biggest conference venue and to help move the high numbers of visitors to both.

Talking of the London Eye, do you remember when it was sponsored by British Airways? Well the cable car has taken the airline theme to a further extreme as trips across the river are called flights, you don’t buy a ticket – you get a boarding pass, and the staff are dressed as flight attendants.

The cable car keeps moving, just like the London Eye, so you have to do fast boarding. There’s a slight bump as the car goes over the mechanism, and don’t stand up as the car will swing – and an audio announcement will tell you off. Other than that it’s a really smooth ride and very peaceful up there. It’s quiet and you can simply admire the views on the short crossing. There’s no air conditioning but there are small ventilation windows at the top of the main windows. Although ten people is the maximum for each car, six or less makes for a much more comfortable ride.

The Views

I expect more people will travel from Greenwich to Royal Docks, or actually do a non-stop round trip. On the way to the Royal Docks you get a great view of the Olympic Park on your left and the Thames Barrier and London City Airport on your right. On the way back to Greenwich the view is dominated by The O2 – wave to the people climbing over the top at Up at The O2!, and Canary Wharf behind. Pick up a free inflight map from either terminal and then you should be able to find Historic Royal Greenwich too. With a good zoom you might even get to see The London Eye, The Shard, and the city including St Paul’s Cathedral.

Soon there should be an audio guide available too at app.emiratesairline.co.uk.

The Mayor of London, TfL, Emirates and everybody associated with the project are incredibly pleased to have it operational ahead of the London 2012 Olympics. During the Olympics, the London cable car, I mean Emirates Air Line, will connect two venues as The O2 – known as North Greenwich Arena during the games as O2 is not an Olympic sponsor – will have the basketball and gymnastics, and ExCel will have boxing, fencing, judo, taekwondo, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

This addition to the London skyline should also be a great visitor attraction and bring new people to this southeast area of the city long after the Olympics.

Opening Times

This is the current opening schedule but it may change during the London 2012 Olympic Games and for special events. The hours will be extended when major events are at The O2 or ExCel.

• Weekdays: 7am to 9pm
• Saturdays: 8am to 9pm
• Sundays: 9am to 9pm

The Fares

As with all London transport – remember this isn’t technically a tourist attraction – cash fares cost more so it’s always better to have an Oyster card.

Cash Fares

• Adult £4.30 single
• Children 5-15 £2.20 single
• Under fives go free

Oyster Card Fares

• Adult £3.20 single
• Adult £6.40 return/round trip
• Children 5-15 £1.60 single fare (with an adult with an Oyster card)

Regular commuters might like to consider the 10 journey pass for £16 (frequent flier).

Passengers are able to make a non-stop round trip so getting on may be hindered by non-exiting passengers.

Important Notes About Oyster Fares

The London cable car, I mean Emirates Air Line, is not included in a daily, weekly, or longer travelcard so everyone has to pay an additional fare to travel on it but Oyster card holders with travelcards loaded will receive the 25% discount offered to all Oyster card holders. Oyster Pay As You Go card holders can simply pre-load their card with credit or add it at the ticket office. There are ticket offices and vending machines for tickets at both terminals.

As with other London transport, you don’t have to book in advance (you can’t even if you wanted to) but you simply turn up and join the, hopefully, fast-moving line.

The post Laura’s London: Checking out the new Cable Car Over The Thames – The Emirates Air Line Review appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

It’s the fifth birthday for The O2 in Greenwich, one of London’s most iconic landmarks and the world’s most popular entertainment venue. Some people throw a party but they’ve decided to create a new attraction: a skywalk over the top of the building, open from June 2012.

What is Up at The O2?

Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, who designed The O2, it’s a 90 minute “exhilarating outdoor challenge” with a completely unique 360 degree view of east London and beyond. Visitors reach 52 metres above ground level via a tensile fabric walkway for a guided expedition over the arena roof. There is an observation platform at the summit and the attraction is inspired by similar climbs at places including the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

(What is The O2? It’s the world’s most popular music and entertainment venue, owned and operated by AEG in partnership with O2, the communications company. The O2 has a 20,000 seater arena, live music venue – indigO2, British Music Experience, 11 screen cinema complex and ‘Entertainment District’ with a variety of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.)

Alistair Wood, AEG Europe, Senior Vice President for Real Estate, commented: “Up at The O2 is a demonstration of our continued commitment to developing and diversifying The O2.” While The O2 gets a lot of visitors in the evening, the hope is that Up at The O2 will attract more daytime visitors.

The Numbers

• 52m above ground level
• 360 degree views of London
• 90 minutes ‘experience’
• 190m long fabric walkway
• 10 years minimum age
• 15 people in each guided group
• 2 guides
• 30 people can climb at a time
• 30 degree slope (steeper than the toughest section of the Tour de France)
• £22 ticket price for adults and children

First Impressions

One of the first guests was Pam Woodgate, a senior citizen from London so don’t worry too much about how strenuous you may think the walk is as she said, “I’m coming up to 75 and if I can do it anyone can.” Another one of the first group, Johnny Minkley from London said, “The thing I found hardest to resist was the urge to bounce. It is like being on top of a giant trampoline!” He’s right but remember, no bouncing is allowed!

What Happens

‘Base Camp’ is to the left of the main entrance of The O2. Once tickets are sorted you go into a holding room – Expedition Climbers Training Hub – and in here everyone must read and sign a waiver before your Guide comes to say hello and starts the slightly humorous, yet very British, health and safety film.

You then move through to get your climb suit and safety equipment. Climb shoes (stiff walking boots) are available and recommended if you have smooth-soled shoes as you need the extra grip.

The blue climb suits are easy to put on – long zips and Velcro – and your Guide will demonstrate how to put on and tighten your safety harness. Basically, you step in and pull it up like a backpack, then tighten all the straps.

There is a pocket on each sleeve for a mobile phone for photos from the summit but actual cameras are not allowed. There are no other pockets on the climb suit so you have to leave your belongings in a locker and take the key on a wrist strap. You cannot take photos along the route – trust me, you want to be holding on – but on the circular platform at the top, photos are fine and encouraged.

You ascend via a short set of stairs or lift/elevator to the base of the tent ready to start the climb. Here you’ll learn how to attach your safety clip to the safety wire that runs the whole way up and down so you’re always safe. Pop on your gloves and it’s time to climb!

I volunteered to be “wingman” so I lead the group up! I’m not known for my bravery so I can assure you it’s not frightening. Exhilarating, not but scary. The steepest parts of the climb have a ridged walkway to help you get a grip and you always hold onto the central handrail too. The group climbs in a line and the Guide is on the other side of the handrail so he can move up and down to help all members of the group. The wind is a factor as you move up (and down) and you can feel yourself being buffeted about so always have one or two hands on the central handrail.

At the summit it’s flat, and there’s a barrier, so you can be unclipped and move around freely. It’s a circular observation platform suspended between The O2’s distinctive yellow masts. There are signs to help you recognise landmarks and the Guide is happy to point things out too. Do remember to wave at the people in the cable cars crossing the Thames as that’s open from end-June 2012.

The climb down is described as “exciting, but manageable” and I would say it’s a bit tougher in high winds so hold on and take it slowly. It rained slightly on our way down and that does make the walkway more slippery and our Guide slipped a few times dashing between us all.

At the bottom you get changed and exit through the gift shop with sadly no certificates, medals or badges to say “I climbed over The O2!” I guess that’ll be added to the merchandise in time. The exit route leads you through The O2 where there are plenty of cafes and restaurants.

What Can You See

Spectacular views of the capital and its many landmarks, including the Olympic Park – The Orbit is the easiest structure to spot, Historic Royal Greenwich, Thames Barrier, The Shard, City Hall by Tower Bridge (but you can’t see the famous bridge) and Canary Wharf. You can also see the regeneration taking place in this southeast area of London as unused docks from London’s maritime history are transformed.

Important Notes

• Open to anyone who is medically fit and has a sense of personal adventure.
• Children must be over 10 years old AND over 1.2m high.
• You must wear sensible footwear.
• You are advised to bring sunglasses.
• Everyone has to wear the provided climb suits (all-in-one).
• Accessible tours for those with disabilities, including wheelchair users, are planned.
• Climbs will take place in all weather conditions other than gales, lightening, heavy snow or ice or extreme weather conditions which they reasonably believe will make it unsafe to climb.
• Check more of the small print here.

Photo Gallery

Key Info about Up at The O2

Website: www.UpatTheO2.co.uk

Time:
Open all year round (weather permitting)
June to September: 10am-8pm
October to May: 10am-5pm

Phone: +44 (0)20 863 2000

Costs:
£22 for adults and children.
O2 customers get 15% off tickets with Priority Moments.
Tickets can be purchased at www.UpatTheO2.co.uk or on the day at The O2.
Packages including travel on Thames Clippers and entry to The British Music Experience will also be available.

Getting there:
The nearest Tube Station is North Greenwich and the new Emirates Air Line cable car also connects to and from The O2 and Royal Docks (across The Thames). From central London the Thames Clipper river boat is a fast and fun way to arrive.

The post Laura’s London: Climb Over The O2 Arena With Up at The O2 appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Editor’s Note: The Cutty Sark has recently re-opened in London after a massive renovation and our London correspondent Laura Porter had the chance to see behind the scenes before it opened to the public. Thanks Laura!

What’s so special about the Cutty Sark?

The Cutty Sark is the last surviving tea clipper. What was a tea clipper? A 19th century sailing ship that was incredibly fast and brought tea, opium, spices and other goods from the Far East to Europe. The 143 year old vessel has been painstakingly conserved and pieced back together at its home in Greenwich, south-east London.

Royal Connection

After a conservation project lasting six years and costing £50 million the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh are reopening the Cutty Sark on 25 April 2012 and it is open to the public again from 26 April 2012. It’s a déjà vu moment for The Queen, as she also opened the Cutty Sark to the public the first time back in 1957.

HRH Duke of Edinburgh has been president of the Cutty Sark Society since 1951 and Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. On 3 February 2012, The Royal Borough of Greenwich was its granted royal status and this is the first visit from the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh since bestowing the honour.

Funding

The Heritage Lottery Fund provided £25 million and an additional £25 million of public money was raised through the National Lottery. Banking group, HSBC are now the primary sponsor of Cutty Sark. They were founded in Asia to finance trade with the West five years before Cutty Sark first set sail in 1870.

Cutty Sark Timeline

1869 – Cutty Sark was launched at Dumbarton on the River Clyde, Scotland.

1869 – (Suez Canal opened. The route could be used by her coal-powered rivals but was not navigable by sailing ships that had to take the longer route around the Horn of Africa.)

1870 – Her first voyage from London to Shanghai.

1877  – Her last cargo of tea from China to London.

1878-82 – Various cargoes to and from London, India, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

1883-95 – Used in the wool trade with Australia, bringing the new season’s clip from Sydney to London, setting new speed records year after year.

1895 – Sold to the Portuguese as the Ferreira, although her crews called her Pequina Camisola (‘little shirt’). She was worked between Oporto, Rio and Lisbon.

1922 – Sold to another Portuguese company and became the Maria do Amparo.

1922 – Refitted in Surrey Docks, London. While sheltering in Falmouth Harbour from a storm she was seen by Captain Wilfred Dowman who bought her, returning her to British ownership again.

1920s – By the mid 1920s, Cutty Sark was the only tea clipper still afloat.

1938 – Captain Dowman’s widow presented the ship to the Thames Nautical Training College at Greenhithe on the Thames, to be used as a training vessel.

1951 – Cutty Sark was moored in London in the Thames for the Festival of Britain celebrations. The Cutty Sark Society was formed with HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as patron.

1954 – The ship came to her present berth in a specially constructed dry dock in Greenwich as a memorial to the great days of sail.

1957 – The Cutty Sark was opened to the public by Queen Elizabeth II.

2006 – Closed to the public for a major conservation project.

2007 – On 21 May 2007, there was a fire on deck but just 2% of the original material from the ship was lost in the fire as much had been removed already.

2012 – The Cutty Sark was reopened to visitors by Queen Elizabeth II.

Size

The Cutty Sark is 280ft (85.4m) long and her beam measures 36ft (11m). Her moulded depth is 22.5ft (6.7m) and she weighs 963 tons (978.5 tonnes) gross. The height of the main mast from the main deck to the top is 152 ft.

What’s in a Name?

Tam O’Shanter is a poem by Robert Burns that depicts Ayr in Scotland in the late 18th century. Tam meets a group of witches as he rides drunkenly home. One stands out – Nannie – as she is young and beautiful. Nannie is wearing only a “cutty sark” – a short linen shift or shirt. The ship’s figurehead is a representation of the witch Nannie Dee and is on display with a collection of over 80 others, all from merchant ships that were lost at sea. Nannie is holding a long, grey horsehair tail.

A Visit Today to the Renovated Ship

This preserved three-masted sailing ship has been raised 11 feet (3.3m) onto new steel supports so, for the first time, Cutty Sark can be seen from below, in a new glass-roofed visitor centre that has been built beneath the ship in the dry dock. This means visitors can now walk right underneath the elevated ship to see her unique shape and the elegant lines of her hull, although some think this is ‘undignified’.

Despite the fire in 2007 during the conservation project, nearly 90% of the fabric and fittings on the ship are from the original vessel. Any additional material that has been added in to strengthen the ship has been painted a different colour.

There are glass lifts now making this an accessible attraction but some have commented that they don’t like the glass pod on the open main deck that accommodates a staircase as it detracts from the lines of the vessel.

You enter at ground level and first go into the Lower Hold where you can discover how tea chests were loaded and tea chests have been used for the flooring. There’s a film to learn more about the ship’s structure in the Michael Edwards Studio Theatre.

Up the stairs gets you to Level 1, the ‘Tween Deck where there’s an interactive game to try to steer the ship from Australia to England. You move a steering wheel and watch your progress on a screen. You’ll need to consider the trade winds to be successful so there’s some learning to be had here.

Up again and at Level 2 you’re on the Main Deck and open to the elements. Here you can try to steer the Cutty Sark – or at least get some fun photo opportunities – plus you can see inside some of the small rooms used by the crew for sleeping, cooking and eating. The bunks shock everyone as they are incredibly short so we can be sure sailors were much shorter than us today.

To continue your tour you need to negotiate the narrow staircases back to the ground floor, come out of the side of the ship and walk around to the steps down to the Sammy Ofer Gallery which is the lower ground level. This is the ‘wow factor’ and I expect many visitors will stand in awe on these steps as it’s an amazing sight: the bright golden ship’s hull and the glass roof over are stunning. You can walk underneath the full length of the ship and can get another great photo opportunity: pretending to hold it up!

At the far end is the collection of ship figureheads and some audio exhibits, and at the other end are the cafe and toilets. Along one side you can see the longest plank of rock elm that was part of the ship and has been left unpreserved to show visitors the extent of the conservation that was needed; it even shows the fire damage from 2007.

Twinings started in 1706 and soon opened the world’s first dry tea and coffee shop on The Strand in London. In her heyday, Cutty Sark carried enough China tea to make more than 200 million cups. There is little doubt that the many chests of tea carried by the Cutty Sark were bought by Twinings, to be included in the China tea blends, and for visitors today they have created a Cutty Sark-inspired tea.

Family activities start in June 2012 with family fun weekends on the first weekend of the month and more in the school holidays.

Photo Gallery of the New Display

Key Info about the Cutty Sark

Website:

http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/

Time:

Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00-17:00

(open Bank Holidays, closed 25-26 Dec and Mondays until 26 Nov)

Last admission 16:00

Phone:

+44 (0)20 8858 2698

Costs:

Adult £12 / Concession £9.50 /child £6.50 (aged 5-15) /

Family tickets £20 (1 adult & 2 children), £29 (2 adults & up to 2 children)

Bundled tickets will be available with the other Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) attractions.

Getting there:        

Cutty Sark DLR, and Maze Hill and Greenwich train stations. The closest tube stations are North Greenwich (to change to local buses) and Canary Wharf (to change to DLR), both on the Jubilee line.

The post The Majestic Cutty Sark Re-opens After Renovation – Review and Details Inside appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

Anglotopia London correspondent Laura Porter from the About London blog was kind enough to write up a detailed review of the new Harry Potter Studio Tour Experience.

What Is It?

This is the actual film studio where the Harry Potter films were made and is opening to the public for the first time on 31 March 2012. The creative team behind the films helped put together the tour and this is not a theme park as they didn’t want rides to overshadow the authentic film sets on display. Literally everything on display is original and was used in the films.

Planning your Visit

No tickets are available to buy from the attraction so you must book in advance on the official website or through an approved operator. You must arrive 20 minutes before your entry time and will not be allowed to change times on the day.

Getting to Warner Bros Studio Tour

While this is being classed as a London attraction it is actually 20 miles northwest of London. You can drive here as there’s plenty of free parking but the recommended way is to get the train from London Euston to Watford Junction.

There are two train options:

• A fast service operated by London Midland that takes 20 minutes and costs around £10.
• A London Overground service that takes 50 minutes and costs around £8.50 but you can use your London Transport Oyster card on this route.

Watford Junction station has public toilets and a basic shop for snacks.

From Watford Junction Station to Warner Bros Studio Tour:

You can take a taxi from right outside the station for around £10 one way.

Turn left as you exit and there is a regular ‘Harry Potter bus’ from Stop 1 in the bus station for £2 return (under 5s go free). See the full timetable and find out more.

Either way will give visitors to the UK a unique opportunity to see suburban, residential England on route.

Upon Arrival

All children are given a ‘Passport’ and they can collect six stamps throughout the tour. Many adults may like to collect them too as the stamps are simply pressed into a sheet of paper so bring a notebook or ask for your own Passport. The book also has clues on where to find the fifteen hidden golden snitches which is another way to keep all members of the family entertained and focused. Staff can give more clues as they can be hard to spot and I saw many adults just as keen to complete the challenge.

The Zones

The basic tour route is:

• Cinema
• Great Hall
• Interior sets
• Exterior sets
• Creative Shop
• Diagon Alley
• Model Room

You enter as a group at your allocated time but you do get to see Harry’s bedroom under the stairs while waiting. If you’re really early you could go to the large Studio Cafe or shop while waiting.

When you enter you start in an introduction room with a quick speech from a member of staff and then watch a video about the discovery of Harry Potter and how it took over the world.

Next you all move into the cinema and after a staff introduction see a short film narrated by the main three actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) and gain an insight into the making of Harry Potter.

Staff then invite everyone forward and take a volunteer to open the door into Hogwarts Great Hall which is large and everything you would hope for. A member of staff stays with you and, after letting you explore for a while pointed out some of the things we hadn’t noticed such as the fact there’s no ornate ceiling – that’s added by CGI – but the flag stone flooring is 10 years old and is the real thing.

See if you can spot Daniel Radcliffe’s first Hogwarts school uniform and look at the scratches on the long dining tables which were done by the many children who worked on the set as they were encouraged to be normal school children so there would be some true ‘wear and tear’.

Over the years, the Great Hall has been used for cast members and crew birthday parties and celebrations which must have been fun to attend.

From here on in you’re free to tour the attraction on your own. Many run straight past the first corridor to get to the sets but along the way there’s a makeup table and costumes and much more.

Once in the interior sets area it’s basically a photo taking frenzy and the world of Harry Potter is brought to life for us. There are plenty of staff and I was impressed by their knowledge, not only of the attraction but of the Harry Potter films in general.

To stop it feeling like a museum, there are some interactives such as the Marauder’s Map which is an excellent use of touch screen technology as you start it by touching the map (screen) and saying, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!”

Dumbledore’s Office is so incredibly detailed you probably should return a few times. Look for the Pensieve where he would look at memories and spot the Sorting Hat on a high shelf. All of the portraits in the office are sleeping and had to be changed to portraits of people awake when needed for filming.

At the back of the Headmaster’s Office there’s an area that it was always thought Dumbledore would use for resting and private work but, apparently, it was never seen in the films. Here, you can go around the back and look into a window to view this hidden area.

This isn’t a theme park so you won’t find rides but there is the opportunity to sit on a Nimbus 2000 (broomstick) against a green screen. You get to wear a Hogwarts school cloak and take a one minute flight through London. When I visited you could buy photos (from £12) and they hope to add an option for the DVD of your flight soon too.

Over in the Weasley’s kitchen there are a few fun interactives where you move a wand (fixed in place so you can only move it side to side) but this makes things happen on the set such as the ironing and chopping carrots.

A suggested visit duration is three hours and it was already two hours when we got to the end of the interior sets and reached the exterior sets. There isn’t too much here but you do get to sit in Mr Weasley’s Ford Anglia and on Hagrid’s motorbike and sidecar. There’s also the triple decker Knight bus which you can stand on the back of but not go inside, plus Hogwarts Bridge and even the house at Privet Drive (but you can’t go inside). Note, this is actually outside so they can’t control the weather.

Most people will need a break at this point so there’s a refreshment kiosk and a separate line for Butterbeer as it’s so popular! I didn’t try it as others were saying it was incredibly sweet but many enjoyed it (£2.95 a glass). Did you know?: This is the only place outside of America where you can buy Butterbeer.

Sadly, the refreshment kiosk is by Starbucks (personal frustration with their attempt at world tea and coffee domination while only offering low grade tea and bad-tasting coffee). Anyway, there are a few tables and benches so do stop and relax and let the kids run around for a bit. My five year old enjoyed a few games of hide and seek and even hid so well we had to ask staff to help us find her!

Heading into the next building you reach the Creature Shop and can see the goblins from Gringott’s Bank, push a button to make a Mandrake to jump out of its pot and make a baby Voldemort breath. Watch out for the Monster Book of Monsters as it comes alive and snaps at you! (activated by a sensor when you get near). We ran to see Dobby as others watched Buckbeak contemplatively. Aragog the spider is hanging from the ceiling so do look up and know that’s a ton of spider overhead.

This leads into Diagon Alley which is…magical. You can’t enter the shops but you can look into windows and it’s a wonderfully atmospheric area, which strangely reminded me of Dickens World in Kent.

Past the almost not-worth-the-effort Art Department with some sketches and concept paintings to the Model Room where you see the initial mock-ups of the film sets created in white card before seeing the enormous Hogwarts model. I don’t think anyone enters the room without a sharp intake of breath and a “Wow!” and it is truly worthy. Nothing had prepared me for the scale of this model that takes at least a full minute to walk around and can be viewed from two floors. I discovered that even the interiors were dressed when filming was swooping past the windows and that all the clocks were set to the appropriate day or night time when filming.

The tour ends at the Tribute Room which has the walls lined with wand boxes and the names of all the cast and crew who have worked on the Harry Potter films at the studio. Basically everyone involved for ten years. Yeah, that many boxes.

As you would expect you exit through the gift shop where there’s film merchandising across a wide price range. There are lots of sweets including chocolate wands (£4) and lollipops (£4 and £5). T-shirts are around £15 and the Hedwig the owl backpack is fab at £30. Wands are £25 and are not toys so the chocolate wand may be better for the kids. For the collectors there are even character costumes for sale and Dumbledore’s robes are £500. I wondered who might be buying these costumes but when I saw Hermione’s Yule Ball dress I could easily see if being bought, and worn, for a prom or special occasion (£240). Much of what’s on sale is exclusive to the UK which makes all purchases more special.

International visitors might like to get the Digital Guide which is available in eight languages including an English version too to gain more information while on the tour.

While you see an awful lot, not everything has labels so it may take a real Harry Potter fan to recognise everything so either: ask lots of questions, buy the official guidebook (£10) or come back again when you realise what you missed!

My full visit took around four hours which makes the value for money much better than I initially thought. For one adult and child tickets would be £50 and we compared this to advance tickets on the London Eye for an adult and child at £26 yet only lasting half an hour. I’ll never stop loving a trip on the London Eye so am not suggesting that is poor value yet it would be most unfair to suggest the Warner Bros Studio Tour is too expensive. There will always be people who want to see where Harry Potter was made and it’s fantastic news this attraction is now on offer. The films also used many locations outside of the studio and this gallery will help you find the key Harry Potter film locations in London.

More Info about the Harry Potter Studio Tour

Website: www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

Time: Tours are booked in 30 minute timeslots from 10:00 – 16:00. During UK school holidays and on weekends the last tour is 18:00.

Phone: +44 (0)845 0840 900.

Costs: Adults £28 Children £21 (5–15) Under 4s Free.

Nearest Train Station: Watford Junction

Worth a Visit?: Yes.

Harry Potter Studio Tour Photo Gallery

The post Harry Potter: World of Harry Potter Opens Today and We’ve Got an Exclusive First Look Review – Harry Potter Studio Tour Review appeared first on Anglotopia.net.

The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace so why do we have another palace in London? We actually have a fine selection of royal buildings across the country and Kensington Palace has been the home to many royals including Diana, Princess of Wales. William and Kate are moving into apartments here in 2013 and there are many other ‘minor royals’ who call this home.

There was a long time in the building’s history when it was left empty and fell into disrepair. Historic Royal Palaces are now custodians for Kensington Palace and other great royal buildings such as the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace and they are a charity so receive no government funding but see one of their key roles as Guardianship – giving these palaces a future as long and valuable as their past. To ensure Kensington Palace has this bright future they have just completed a £12 million renovation project that has transformed this tired building into a welcoming attraction.

The Past

Before the days of easy transportation, Kensington was considered a village with clean air and therefore appealing for a country home, yet still near to London. King William III and Queen Mary II went house hunting in Kensington Village and found Nottingham House in 1689. They bought the house and appointed Sir Christopher Wren to make the appropriate changes to create a grand palace while also a home. As the king’s architect, Sir Christopher Wren had been tasked with rebuilding much of London after the Great Fire of London in 1666 including St Paul’s Cathedral, many churches in the City and The Monument as a reminder of the devastation.

Sadly Mary died young and never saw the work finished but William completed the renovations. As monarch, he was able to have the entrance of the building facing his royal park (something the previous owners were not allowed to do) and claim Kensington Gardens as part of the palace grounds.

Many other royals lived at the palace over the years but one with a large claim to its history is Queen Victoria who was born at the palace in 1819 and spent all of her childhood here. It was also where she first met the great love of her life, Albert, and where she was when she found out she was to be Queen. She didn’t have the happiest of childhoods as her mother was quite controlling and they moved around within the palace as her mother petitioned for larger rooms, knowing her daughter’s grand status was coming. Yet, Victoria claimed she slept in the same room as her mother right up to becoming Queen in 1837 when she moved to Buckingham Palace. This was when the building lay empty but in 1889, on her 80th birthday, Victoria opened the palace to the public. Kensington Gardens now connects to the sprawling mass of Hyde Park and both are free for everyone to visit and enjoy.

The Museum of London called Kensington Palace home in 1911-1914 and again in 1950-1976 before it moved to its current location.

Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister lived in Apartment 1a at the palace until she died in 2002. Charles and Diana moved in together in 1981 and Diana stayed till her death in 1997.

The Palace Today

The transformation has been worth waiting for as the entrance has moved back to reconnect the palace to Kensington Gardens (right behind the Queen Victoria statue, off the Broad Walk) and the ground floor makes you want to come inside. Enter under the commemorative Queen’s Diamond Jubilee canopy and explore the two gift shops and new palace cafe before you’ve even bought a ticket. The stunning luminous lace light sculpture, in an otherwise dark central room, heralds the start of your journey.

Historic Royal Palaces want visitors to discover the 300 years of history and not just the twentieth century so have devised four routes to explore the palace. Visitors can make their own choice which direction to go first and don’t have to visit all the rooms as each leads back to a central ‘hub’.

1. Victoria Revealed

2. Queen’s State Apartments

3. King’s State Apartments

4. Diana (temporary exhibition space in Apartment 1a)

Victoria Revealed

This new permanent exhibition takes up most of the first floor of the public side of the building in the rooms she would have lived in (but do remember she moved around within the palace). You reach the rooms via the Stone Stairs and this is where she first saw Albert: she was standing at the top and he was below so do stop and consider the moment as the couple were truly in love. While so many royal marriages were for family ties and class standards, Victoria and Albert fell deeply in love and wrote many romantic letters to each other. This exhibition hopes to show another side to Victoria and that she was not just the old lady who always wore black after her husband’s death. She loved music, painting and sketching, bright clothes and was a beautiful young lady.

The exhibition starts in the Red Saloon which was where she held her first Privy Council when declared Queen. The room has an audio to give you an idea of the intimidating atmosphere and projected silhouettes around the room show how crowded it was that day.

As both Victoria and Albert were prolific writers the Falling in Love room is covered with quotes from their letters to each other: on the walls, the mirrors, the furniture and even the carpet.

There’s no room with a bed to show her bedroom or a room with a dining service laid out to show a dining room as she moved around so much within the palace no-one is totally sure which room she used for each purpose so the rooms have themes such as Childhood & Family Life, Duty & Work and Mourning.

As children now have free admission at the palace, there are plenty of ideas included to keep them entertained such as traditional paper spinners, a wonderful toy box in the Childhood room (can’t wait for those toy drums to be in use!) and puzzles in the red Despatch Boxes in the Duty room.

I think these new rooms and this exhibition is a wonderful insight into a fascinating woman and quite an emotional journey as you find out more about her so I would recommend taking a break for a cuppa before heading onto the next area or you may start to feel jaded.

Queen’s State Apartments

During the renovations, while a lot of the palace was closed, an art and theatre project was used to create the Enchanted Palace. This caused strong feelings on both sides; a real ‘Marmite’ dilemma as you either loved it or hated it. Sadly, I wasn’t a fan and a similar approach has been used in the Queen’s Apartments. The rooms are dark with contemporary art installations and costumed actors to help you interpret the significance. While the art ideas are extremely well thought out you won’t know what they represent without speaking to the actors or other palace staff which feels disappointing.

King’s State Apartments

There aren’t many rooms in the Queen’s Apartments so before frustration kicks in go over to the Kings State Apartments and enter a much lighter and grander area. You can reach the King’s area through the Queen’s rooms but the King’s Staircase shouldn’t be missed as the William Kent paintings are truly stunning.

The costumed actors are still in the area but you don’t need them to enjoy the opulence of these rooms and the King’s Gallery is awe inspiring. While the largest room in the State Apartments was dark, with toy soldiers across the floor and the paintings covered during Enchanted Palace days it is now an amazing room flooded with natural light and we can once again enjoy the well chosen artworks. This gallery was designed by William Kent to display the “cream of the Royal Collection” and every painting in the palace is an original.

Diana

It’s obviously only right that the first temporary exhibition at the palace should be dedicated to the “People’s Princess”. It’s a small, one room display of a selection of her dresses and some are on show in the UK for the first time. This exhibition runs until 1 September 2012.

Conclusion

It took over 1,000 people 21 months and £12 million to make the palace what it is today. (The hand-painted wording on the walls everywhere would have kept many specialists in work for a lot of time!) The palace now does have a future and is worth returning to. I wonder if the overt efforts to be family-friendly will alienate a more mature audience but they have tried to create an attraction that will appeal to everyone which is never an easy task. Certainly, the two gift shops is a great idea as the family gift shop with its pocket money toys and dressing up costumes on sale leaves the main gift shop with its more delicate crockery and exclusive jewellery for a different shopper. The new palace cafe will appeal to families – especially as there’s outdoor seating available – and the palace is very close to the Diana Memorial Playground. Those looking for a peaceful meal can still enjoy the splendour of The Orangery. I think they’ve done an amazing job and I’ll definitely be coming back again and again. If you feel like me, you may want to consider Historic Royal Palaces annual membership as it covers entrance fees to all of their properties as well as many other member benefits.

Website: http://www.hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace/

Time: Summer (April to October) 10:00-18:00. Winter (November to February) 10:00-17:00.

Phone: +44 (0)20 3166 6000.

Costs: Adults £14.50 Children (under 16) Free.

Nearest Train Station: High Street Kensington / Queensway

Worth a Visit?: Yes.

Check out the photo gallery below of the new works:

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