Has Suitcase, Loves to Travel

Day 56 - Nov. 12 - Travel Day

2013-11-15T00:23:00.001-05:00

I have lots to tell about Tuesday, and our missed flight, United Airlines excellent customer service at Heathrow Airport, and the paramedics that work there. We are both home safe and sound now and starting to recover. I may not have many pictures to share, but I'll update this post as I put together the information I can share with you.

Hopefully, I can get to it tomorrow. Until then....

Day 55 - Veteran's Day - Remembrance Day - Last Day

2013-11-11T19:12:00.001-05:00

Today is our last full day in London, and we spent most of it cleaning and packing. We went through our check out interview and passed, so we got our $450 deposit back.

Tonight we plan to go out to dinner and see the lights of the city and take any last photographs. So, first we head back to our restaurant of choice, where we had our first meal - Cafe Rouge. I had my standard fare, but hubby tried something new. We've never had anything we didn't like at Cafe Rouge before, so I guess there's always a first time. Beef Bourguignon was not a favorite.

Cafe Rouge Minute Steak

Cafe Rouge Beef Bourguignon

After dinner we walked to Picadilly Circus and took some pictures of the lights on Regent Street before we took the number 12 bus to Hamleys

Regent Street Christmas Lights

Next we visited Hamleys, and finally took a picture of Carnaby Street. I will need to add these at a later time. Need to finish packing and set an early alarm so we have enough time to lug our luggage down the stairs of the flat and down the stairs of the tube. Once we're at Heathrow, things should be a bit easier until we have to take out our computers for security.

I may not get on again until Wednesday, since most of our day will be either at an airport waiting, or in the air. So, until next time....

Day 54 - Remembrance Sunday

2013-11-10T18:57:00.002-05:00

Remembrance Sunday observance at the Cenotaph

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month," in accordance with the Armistice, signed by representatives of Germany and the Entente between 5:12 and 5:20 that morning. ("At the 11th hour" refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 am) World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V on 7 November 1919 as a day of remembrance for members of the armed forces who were killed during World War I. This was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.

The Queen at the Centotaph

The Initial or Very First Armistice Day was held at Buckingham Palace commencing with King George V (The Queen's Grandfather) hosting a "Banquet in Honour of The President of the French Republic" during the evening hours of November 10, 1919. The First Official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the Grounds of Buckingham Palace on the Morning of November 11, 1919. This would set the trend for a day of Remembrance for decades to come.

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem "In Flanders Fields". These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red color an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

Flanders Poppy field

In the United Kingdom, although two minutes of silence are observed on 11 November itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday. Ceremonies are held at local war memorials, usually organised by local branches of the Royal British Legion, an association for ex-servicemen. Typically, poppy wreaths are laid by representatives of the Crown, the armed forces, and local civic leaders, as well as by local organisations including ex-servicemen organisations, cadet forces, the Scouts, Guides, Boys' Brigade, St John Ambulance and the Salvation Army. A minute's or two minutes' silence is also frequently incorporated into church services. Further wreath-laying ceremonies are observed at most war memorials across the UK at 11 am on 11 November, led by the Royal British Legion.

Veterans attending the Remembrance Sunday observation

The beginning and end of the two minutes' silence is often marked in large towns and cities by the firing of ceremonial cannon and many employers and businesses invite their staff and customers to observe the two minutes' silence at 11:00 am.

The Queen laying a wreath at the Cenotaph

The main national commemoration is held at Whitehall, in Central London, for dignitaries, the public, and ceremonial detachments from the armed forces and civilian uniformed services such as the Merchant Navy and Her Majesty's Coastguard. Members of the British Royal Family walk through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office towards the Cenotaph, assembling to the right of the monument to wait for Big Ben to strike 11:00 am, and for the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery at Horse Guards Parade, to fire the cannon marking the commencement of the two minutes of silence.

Following this, "Last Post" is sounded by the buglers of the Royal Marines. "The Rouse" is then sounded by the trumpeters of the Royal Air Force, after which wreaths are laid by the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family attending in military uniform and then, to "Beethoven's Funeral March" (composed by Johann Heinrich Walch), by attendees in the following order: the Prime Minister; the leaders of the major political parties from all parts of the United Kingdom; Commonwealth High Commissioners to London, on behalf of their respective nations; the Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the British Dependencies; the First Sea Lord; the Chief of the General Staff; the Chief of the Air Staff; representatives of the merchant navy and Fishing Fleets and the merchant air service. Other members of the Royal Family usually watch the service from the balcony of the Foreign Office. The service is generally conducted by the Bishop of London, with a choir from the Chapels Royal, in the presence of representatives of all major faiths in the United Kingdom. Before the marching commences, the members of the Royal Family and public sing the national anthem before the Royal Delegation lead out after the main service.

UK Leaders waiting to place their wreaths

Paying tribute to service personnel who died in conflict, the Queen stood as a two-minute silence was observed. The beginning and end of the silence was marked with the firing of a round by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, using a 13-pounder World War One gun.

The monarch then laid her wreath at the foot of the monument, the focal point of the UK's Remembrance Sunday events since World War One, bowing her head after paying her respects. On a sunny but crisp autumn day, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry laid wreaths. Prime Minister David Cameron was next to pay his respects, followed by Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Former prime ministers Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, along with London Mayor Boris Johnson, also took part in the ceremony, as did military and emergency service chiefs and representatives from Commonwealth countries.

More than 10,000 military veterans and civilian representatives marched past the monument. Services also took place at memorials across the UK, in Commonwealth countries and at bases abroad.

Wreaths of Poppies laid at the Cenotaph

To view a video of the ceremony, please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24887778

We spent a quiet day at the flat, having heard that the pavements were lined 10-deep on Whitehall long before the start of the Remembrance Sunday ceremony. When the street was officially declared "at capacity" by the police, with 10,000 people lined up waiting to march past the Cenotaph once the Queen and the politicians had laid their wreaths, crowds were still piling into Parliament and Trafalgar squares to be present when the deep boom of a first world war field gun launched the eerie silence at the heart of the capital.

It is a somber day for reflection around the world for those who gave up their lives for their countries.

I hope you and your loved ones are all safe....

Day 53 - An afternoon with the Lord Mayor and an evening with Fireworks!

2013-11-09T23:36:00.002-05:00

In position before the London School for Boys to watch the Lord Mayor's Show

The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the longest established and best known annual events in London which dates back to before 1535. The Lord Mayor in question is that of the City of London, the historic center of London that is now the metropolis's financial district, informally known as the Square Mile. A new Lord Mayor is appointed every year and the public parade that is made of his inauguration reflects the fact that this was once one of the most prominent offices in England. The position of Lord Mayor of London has a role in the Square Mile, whilst the Mayor of London (a position which has existed only since 2000) is a different individual entirely, namely the elected head of the Greater London Authority. The current Mayor of the Greater London Authority is Boris Johnson.

The Scots Guards start out the procession

The event is a street parade which in its modern form is a fairly light-hearted combination of traditional British pageantry and elements of carnival. On the day after being sworn in, the Lord Mayor and several others participate in a procession from the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice in the City of Westminster, where the Lord Mayor swears his/her allegiance to the Crown. This year's Lord Mayor of London is Fiona Woolf, the first woman Lord Mayor in the 21st Century. For only the second time in 800 years, the City of London welcomes a woman to the office of lord mayor. In the world's largest unrehearsed parade, the streets of London becomes the stage for 21 bands, 150 horses, countless vintage cars, helicopters, robots, unicycles, dancers, beds, bathtubs, and one camel - not to mention half a million spectators.

Fiona Woolf, CBE in the company of the Household Cavalry Trumpeters

Lawyer Fiona Woolf took up office yesterday (November 8, 2013) as the 686th Lord Mayor of the City of London, becoming only the second woman to hold the ceremonial post. Woolf, who replaced Roger Gifford at a ceremony in Guildhall, has worked for law firm CMS in London since 1978 and became its first female partner in 1981.

Lord Mayor of London's State Coach

After Lord Mayor Sir Gilbert Heathcote was unseated by a drunken flower girl in 1710, state coaches replaced horses. The last time barges were used was in 1856. Now the Lord Mayor travels in a State Coach with side panels painted by Cipriani, who also did the panels of the Gold State Coach used by Queen Elizabeth II. The Lord Mayor's Coach was built in 1757 at a cost of £1,065.0s.3d. (over £120,000 in modern terms). It is pulled by six horses - only two fewer than that of the Queen. Oddly, the postillions and close escort to the coach are liveried watermen carrying oars; when the procession was on the river the Mayor's barge was rowed by the City's members of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen the Doggett's Coat & Badge men who had achieved the distinction of winning Doggett's Wager. When the procession moved to the roads it was felt appropriate that this historic connection with the river, the Lord Mayor is Admiral of the Thames, be maintained by them becoming the escort to the coach.

In London, the Show occurred annually on 29 October. However, In 1751, Great Britain replaced the Julian Calendar with the Gregorian Calendar; the Lord Mayor's Show was then moved to 9 November. In 1959, another change was made: now, the Lord Mayor's Show is held on the second Saturday in November. The Lord Mayor's Show has regularly been held on the scheduled day; it has not been moved since 1852, when the Show made way for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's funeral. The Show was not interrupted by the Second World War. The Lord Mayor has been making that journey every year for 477 years, surviving plague and fire and countless wars and insurrections. The modern Lord Mayor's procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster.

Lord Mayor's Show Route (Click for a larger image)

Formerly, the route was varied each year so that the procession could pass through the Lord Mayor's home ward; since 1952, however, the route has been fixed. The Lord Mayor rode on horseback or went on a barge via the River Thames, based on the route chosen. The river transport for the Lord Mayor's Show gave rise to the word float, used in the context of parades.

Below are a few pictures we captured of the parade.

CMS Cameron McKenna Float

Anne Boleyn - Clio's Company

London Transport Museum - Railway Children

Recycling in the City - with Binbot

The Worshipful Company of Marketors (Branding)

The Royal British Legion - Poppies for Remembrance

Gog and Magog representing the Society of Young Freemen

The Household Mounted Cavalry

The new Lord Mayor

After the parade, we walked back to Fleet street to get something to eat and warm up a bit. After some looking about, we decided to try Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is one of a number of pubs in London to have been rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666. There has been a pub at this location since 1538. While there are several older pubs which have survived because they were beyond the reach of the fire, or like The Tipperary on the opposite side of Fleet Street because they were made of stone, this pub continues to attract interest due to the curious lack of natural lighting inside which generates its own gloomy charm. In the bar room are posted plaques showing famous people who were regulars.

Hubby sat under the portrait of Samuel Johnson in what was reportedly his favorite seat
(near the fire), and I sat in Charles Dickens favorite seat.

Some of the interior wood panelling is nineteenth century, some older, perhaps original. The vaulted cellars are thought to belong to a 13th-century Carmelite Monastery which once occupied the site. The entrance to this London pub is situated in a narrow alleyway and is very unassuming, yet once inside visitors will realise that the pub occupies a lot of floor space and has numerous bars and gloomy rooms. In winter, an open fireplace is used to keep the interior warm.

I opted for the beef rib-eye with Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes and a glass of cider. Hubby opted for the Steak and Kidney pie, which I thought was very brave of him, until he mentioned he thought there would be beans. I informed him the kidney wasn't kidney beans, but rather the organ from the cow. He quickly lost his appetite at that point, but he wasn't enjoying the meal much prior to that, either. Kidneys have a bitter taste, and not everyone enjoys them. I tried them once, since Steak and Kidney pie is a very English dish, and didn't much care for them myself.

Horseradish sauce, steak, roasted potatoes and Yorkshire pudding

Steak and Kidney pie with roasted potatoes

As we left, we took a picture of the outside sign stating the different monarchs the pub had operated under.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Sign

Pictures taken, we headed back to Victoria Embankment to watch the fireworks, another part of the tradition, scheduled to begin at 5 PM.

After the show, we walked back to the flat and came across a building in the area of the Inns of Court. Turns out it is Two Temple Place.

Two Temple Place

Built to elaborate specifications by William Waldorf Astor, later first Viscount Astor, in 1895 as his residence and estate office on reclaimed land following completion of the Victoria Embankment in 1870, Two Temple Place has been acquired and preserved by the Bulldog Trust and offers a unique location in the heart of central London, overlooking the River Thames.

The Bulldog sign on Two Temple Place

The architect chosen, and with difficulty obtained, by Lord Astor was the late John Loughborough Pearson, R.A., who brought unabated creative power to the making of the building and was given full liberty of expression, unfettered by considerations of finance.

Two Temple Place has two floors and a lower ground floor, and stands upon sixteen feet of concrete. Of Tudor design, sometimes with an infusion of Italian feeling in the detail, the property may be described as a casket built entirely of Portland stone. The carefully wrought and fully detailed weather vane, set high above the parapets of the building, at once attracts attention. It was intended by Lord Astor to be a representation in beaten copper of the caravel in which Columbus discovered America, and not, as has been stated, a miniature of the fur-trading vessel which helped to establish the wealth of the House of Astor a century and more ago. This gilded weather vane was executed by J. Starkie Gardner, the well-known English metal worker, who was responsible for the metal work both inside and outside the building. The clear glass windows are models of leaded quarry-glazing, the upper range being flanked by oriels. The stonework from the twin chimneys downwards was meticulously carved by Hitch, and is completed by the grilles and screens of ornamental ironwork.

Weather vane on Two Temple Place

The fine iron gates lead into a paved forecourt, with a delightful lawn and arcaded boundary wall on the one side, and on the other the Portico, by W. S. Frith, with its balustraded stone steps leading up to massive entrance doors. The steps are flanked on either side by stone pedestals bearing bronze lamp standards, modelled by Frith, which were exhibited at the Royal Academy, and are constantly being sketched by artists and others. Each of these two finely-proportioned lamp standards is crowned by a miniature ship, whilst around the base the figures of little boys playfully represent the marvels of electric illumination, telegraphy and telephony. These figures now find themselves looking towards the headquarters of a yet greater wonder, that of communication by wireless. The entrance doors are of solid bronze, embellished with delicately-worked mouldings, and are surmounted by a magnificent columned and pedimented stone screen, on the center panel of which are carved the Arms of the Astor family. The doors lead past fine inner swing doors of bronze into a stone-lined Vestibule, which presents a good example of early Renaissance carving, a style of architecture which is followed in some other parts of the building.

It was night, so we weren't able to go in, but the building is open to visitors, so it maybe something we will want to check out during another visit. Below is a picture of the building lit up at night.

We're back at our flat now, and it's 4:30 AM, so I'm off to bed. Tomorrow we'll probably stay close to the flat, but we may venture out again on Monday, our last day of freedom.

Until tomorrow.....

Day 52 - Raining Home Day and visiting with Queen tonight

2013-11-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

Raining on Long Acre

Today, hubby braved the elements while I did some housekeeping. I don't want to spend all day Monday cleaning, so I hoped to be able to get some things done today. Things that I'm hoping won't need to be redone on Monday.

Anyway, while I was playing Hetty Housekeeper, hubby braved the elements to take some pictures around our home base - Covent Garden.

Interior Court of Covent Garden

When he came back we fixed some hamburgers and soup for dinner, then left the flat and walked to the Dominion Theatre to see "We Will Rock You."

On the way, we went through Seven Dials, and they had their Christmas Lights up as well.

Seven Dials Christmas Lights

On May 12, 2002, the hit stage musical We Will Rock You, based on the songs of Queen, created by Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor together with British comedian Ben Elton opened at the Dominion Theatre. The show was due to close in October 2006 before embarking on a UK tour, but due to popular demand has been extended indefinitely. The show is currently in its 11th year and as such is the longest running musical ever to play at the Dominion Theatre.

Dominion Theatre

The musical tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion, and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and does the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden, and rock music is all but unknown.

The Future where everyone dresses and thinks alike

The Bohemians

The musical was originally panned by critics as having a ludicrous plot that merely allowed for one of Queen's songs to flow after another, and, in a way, they are right, but it's one of those musicals (similar to Let it Be and Jersey Boys) that pulls you out of your seats and makes you want to join in the fun. This is our second time seeing it, and a lot of changes have occurred since our first viewing, so some lines were changed to bring it more "up to date," and in line with things that have happened since it first opened.

I have to say that despite any short comings the show might have, and since it's been running in the same theatre for over 11 years now they clearly don't matter, that I enjoyed its sometimes silly and irreverent dialogue, and I stood up with everyone else.

The Killer Queen of "Global Soft"

Young Bohemian Lovers

Finale

I need to confirm this, but I believe the guitar soloist who was spotlighted at the end of the show during Bohemian Rhapsody was the original guitarist, Brian May. He has often appeared at certain performances of We Will Rock You, and at the end of the show, his voice was heard requesting money for one of the charities the show supports. This is Veteran's Week in London, with the Queen placing a wreathe of poppies against the Centotaph on Remembrance Sunday, so a lot of the West End shows are requesting money for Veterans and other charities. I had thought that perhaps Brian May's voice was a recording, but as I was collecting information for this post, I discovered he has made many appearances at the end of We Will Rock You by emerging through smoke and playing his well-known solo.

Not sure how I can find out, but I will do my best. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a picture of Brian and his famous guitar.

Brian May

In addition, I'd like to leave a small tidbit of information about the band Queen, and their lead vocalist, Freddie Mercury.

Freddie Mercury

Queen is a British rock band formed in London in 1970, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). Queen's earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works, incorporating further diverse styles into their music.

Sadly, Queen's lead vocalist, Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) died in his Kensington home of bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS on 24 November 1991, only one day after publicly acknowledging that he had the disease. He was only 46 years old.

I'm also going to embed a promotional video for the show that was released today. If you listen to it, please be aware that the music is very loud, so you might want to turn the volume down on your computer.

Until tomorrow, then....

Day 51 - Dinner in the Garden and Warhorse

2013-11-07T20:01:00.000-05:00

Covent Garden Food Market

Today, we decided, for our last Thursday in London, that we would sample the Covent Garden Food Market again, like we did our first Thursday here. Seemed appropriate.

Tonight I had peri-peri chicken with grilled onions and greek salad. Hubby opted for the same chicken, but requested his in a ciabatta roll. We didn't manage to take pictures, but they were good. We did however, manage to get a picture of Rudolph in all his finery at the Garden.

Rudolph with his nose so bright

Earlier in the day I worked on a previous entry, while hubby went out to purchase theatre tickets for us, and returned with tickets to Warhorse.

W.C. Fields has been quoted as saying, "Never work with children or animals." The reason he said this is because they will always upstage you. In this case, the animal puppets clearly steal the show.

Joey (the horse) being taught to pull a plow

After a successful run at the Olivier in the National Theatre, War Horse transferred to the West End's New London Theatre, beginning preview performances on 28 March 2009, prior to an official opening of 3 April. The original cast featured Kit Harington as Albert, who reprised his South Bank performance. The production includes an original score composed by Adrian Sutton. Kit Harington has since risen to fame playing Jon Snow in the HBO series "Game of Thrones."

Topthorn in the Army before he meets Joey

War Horse is a play based on the book of the same name by acclaimed children's writer Michael Morpurgo, adapted for stage by Nick Stafford. Originally Morpurgo thought "they must be mad" to try to make a play from his best-selling 1982 novel, and if you've seen the movie, but not the play you might understand why he felt that way. Morpurgo was proved wrong, however, by the play's instant success. The play's West End and Broadway productions are directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, with "horse choreography" by Toby Sedgwick.

Topthorn and Joey fighting for dominance

The production met with critical acclaim for its life-size horse puppets from the Handspring Puppet Company, winning an Olivier Award, Evening Standard Theatre Award and London Critics' Circle Theatre Award. On 12 October 2009 the performance was seen by HM Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, marking their first private theatre visit in four years. War Horse has been popular with audiences, playing to 97% capacity in 2010, subsequently breaking the record for the highest weekly gross for a play in the West End. In December 2010, War Horse was dubbed "the theatrical event of the decade" by The Times. In 2011 it welcomed its millionth audience member.

On tour, Joey meets Charlie, a retired racehorse

The Guardian's Michael Billington wrote in his review:

Elliott and Morris recreate the kaleidoscopic horror of war through bold imagery, including the remorseless advance of a manually operated tank, and through the line-drawings of Rae Smith projected on to a suspended screen. Admittedly the performers are somewhat eclipsed by the action ... The joy of the evening, however, lies in the skilled recreation of equine life and in its unshaken belief that mankind is ennobled by its love of the horse.

Topthorn and Joey off to fight the Germans in WWI

Charles Spencer in The Daily Telegraph had written that, generally, "puppets are often an embarrassment, involving a lot of effort and fuss for negligible returns"; in this case, he praised the puppetry as "truly magnificent creations by the Handspring Puppet Company." The Times' 10-year-old guest reviewer called the show "movingly and realistically brought to life" and "an emotional and compelling adaptation of the book."

Topthorn collapsing from exhaustion under German handling

Both as an animal lover and an avid theatergoer, I found this play moving me to tears. I will admit that I cried when I watched the movie as well, but in this case these puppets were so realistically imbued with their own personalities that Albert and Joey's final reunion after the war ended had me silently crying in my seat. Kudos to the handlers and the actors who magically brought the story to life.

War Horse at the New London Theatre

I'm going to try to finish up a few things now, so until tomorrow.

Day 50 - Elizabethan Portraits, National Gallery and The Beatles

2013-11-06T19:51:00.000-05:00

Entrance to the National Portrait Gallery

Hubby and I went separate ways this afternoon. I chose to go to the National Portrait Gallery that has an exhibition on Elizabeth I, and he opted for the National Gallery.

Elizabeth I & Her People explores the remarkable reign of Elizabeth I through the lives and portraiture of her subjects.

Elizabeth I - Ermine portrait attributed to Nicholas Hilliard c. 1585

The reign of Elizabeth I from 1558-1603 was a time of extraordinary enterprise. The changes that took place during her reign dramatically shaped the future of England and Wales. The Church of England was securely established and over time much of the country embraced the Protestant faith. The known world was expanding through maritime exploration and trade, cities grew in size and population and the economy flourished and purpose built theatres opened to the public.

The exhibit not only had portraits, but Elizabethan clothing, jewelry and weapons on display. When I was done going through the special exhibit, I moved on to the Tudor section and followed it with the Stuarts through to the Hanovers.

While I was visiting Elizabethan England, hubby was taking pictures of Trafalgar Square prior to entering the National Gallery.

Trafalgar Square

Today, they had a tuba-playing musician who had fire coming out of his instrument as he played.

Tuba Player on Trafalgar Square

Prior to separating, Hubby and I agreed to meet around 6 PM at the entrance to the crypt of St. Martin in the Fields, so we could have dinner in the crypt's cafe. A bit unusual, since you are actually eating over places where people have been buried beneath the floor.

Entrance to the crypt

For tonight's dinner we had lamb curry, with rice pilaf, nan bread, and salad with yogurt dressing. I opted for a glass of wine and added a strawberry and jersey cream yogurt for dessert.

Crypt dinner

St. Martins had a special concert of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nacht Music tonight that started at 6:30 PM and our table was reserved for concert attendees, so after eating we promptly left the crypt and started our way to the Savoy Theatre where we had tickets to "Let it Be."

The Crypt Cafe

Let It Be is a West End and Broadway jukebox musical, based on the career of English rock band, The Beatles, from 1962 to their breakup in 1969. The musical debuted at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 24 September 2012. Its run at the venue ended on 19 January 2013, after which it moved to the Savoy Theatre and opened on 1 February 2013. There is no story to the musical, but the show indicates the passing of time through showing some videos of commercials and events that happen during The Beatles seven years together, and the performers change costumes to reflect the changing times. I would have liked more story about the musicians and the changes they went through as well as the reasons for their eventual break up, but this was basically a concert show. An enjoyable evening, but more nostalgic than informative.

We were allowed to take pictures, so hubby snapped quite a few during the performance which I will share with you below.

Savoy Theatre

After the show, we walked back to Covent Garden and took pictures of the Christmas lights that had been turned on earlier tonight.

We're back at our flat now, and getting ready for bed. Hopefully tomorrow I can fill in a bit more information on the earlier days, but we leave on Tuesday and there's still a lot we want to do and see. Until tomorrow, then....

Day 49 - Bonfire Night and The Commitments

2013-11-05T20:33:00.000-05:00

Palace Theatre - The Commitments

Today was Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day, which celebrates a group of catholic supporters unsuccessful attempt to blow up Parliament.
Because of the day, several events were reported in the news. One concerns the village of Lower Hartshay in Derbyshire, whose hedge clippings and scrap wood collected for a bonfire celebration tonight, mistaken for fly-tipping (illegally-dumpted) waste, was collected by the Amber Valley Borough Council and removed.

Sample Bonfire in England

Villagers said they were surprised and disappointed to find "environmental crime scene" tape surrounding their collection site along with a warning that their were heavy fines for illegally dumped waste, and that people were being watched.

Amber Valley Borough Council said it responded to a fly-tipping complaint and put up a warning sign first. They also said organizers should have applied for a temporary events license. Residents said they did not see the warning sign and villager David Crowder said they had never needed a licence before.

"I've been involved for the last 29 years, as long as I've lived in the village, so it has been a longstanding event," he said. "I'm sure the council have been aware it happens every year, so we feel it would have been better had they approached one of us, rather than take it away." He said the council should have realized the heap of hedge cuttings and scrap wood was for a bonfire, given the time of year. Children and adults usually help to build the material into a bonfire on the day of the event, which Mr Crowder said "brings people together".

A smaller event, with fireworks and sparklers, was held on Nov. 2. "We want to try and have a bonfire next year and we just want to work with the council now to ensure we do everything they want us to," said Mr Crowder. A council spokesman said the authority was happy to provide help and support for organizers of community events. Sounds to me like someone had a splinter in their butt and wanted to make others pay for it.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE AND THE MILLION MASK MARCH

Million Mask March at Trafalgar Square

Today, at dozens of cities across the world, one million people will be marching. Many will be wearing Guy Fawkes masks, and protesting against the internet spying being done by the NSA and other government agencies. It is being coordinated by the Anonymous movement, a loose collective of like-minded individuals around the world mainly concerned about protecting internet freedom and opposing surveillance.

Guy Fawkes mask used in "V" for Vendetta

The date - Guy Fawkes Day - is of course intentional. The Guy Fawkes mask has always been the symbol of Anonymous, taken from the final scene in the movie 'V for Vendetta'. Guy Fawkes famously said 'a desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy' . Though the marchers aren't planning to blow up the Houses of Parliament, they do want to shake up the system. These individuals are out to defend Internet freedom, and they are growing in number.

For more information about Guy Fawkes and the role he played in history, please visit Day 46.

Bonfire Night Fireworks

Rather than attend any firework shows or bonfires, hubby and I chose to attend "The Commitments" playing at the Palace.

The Commitments - Palace Theatre at Night

I never read the book, but both hubby and I saw the movie on which the musical is based. The movie definitely had more grittiness and heart to it than the show did. However, these performers give all to their audience. It's not their fault that the dialogue and conflict was trivialized. Some of it, like the Irish rain being dispensed through a garden hose was intentionally funny, but other parts just missed the mark.

The Commitments starting to form their group - Deco is at the mike

I agree with Paul Taylor, the Independent critic who wrote " Though Doyle himself wrote the book, the storytelling lacks texture; the crude banter has been drained of most of its saving charm and the characters all come over as two-dimensional comic types. Newcomer Denis Grindel is winning as the band’s manager, Jimmy Rabbitte, who yearns to spread the gospel of soul to the Dublin working classes. But you’re never properly convinced that there’s real hunger behind this mission and that the music represents, for him, a rebellion against the material and spiritual poverty of the environment. Despite Soutra Gilmour’s looming tower-block set, the stakes feel low and the mood blandly upbeat.

The Commitments in an early gig with Deco in front again

Killian Donnelly is phenomenal as the obnoxiously big-headed Deco, his mighty voice ranging from a snakily sexy falsetto to a deep rasping boom. Even when scoffing a bag of chips as he performs “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (a feat Marvin Gaye curiously never attempted), he can imbue a number with insidious erotic drive. Persuasively charting their growing prowess, the engagingly cast band pound out the numbers with infectious zest and energy.

But the whimsical notion that they re-group as a spoof country & western outfit – on the grounds that sex broke them up and that playing country music is about as arousing as singing the phone book – is a flat-out mistake that merely exposes how dramatically flimsy the brawling disputes are that cause them to implode in the first place. And the encores, where the fourth wall is knocked down (“Hello, London!”) in too calculatedly frenzy-inducing a fashion, reinforce the feeling that this show about soul is itself a mite soulless."

Deco and Natalie

On the whole, you leave feeling that everyone in the show has given their all. "There's virtually nothing to be faulted about the cast, the music or the glorious set. Soutra Gilmour has worked wonders with the strictures of the rotting old glory that is the Palace theatre, giving us a vaulting taste of the rain-streaked concrete of 1987 Dublin as the backdrop to the tribulations of an impoverished band trying to resurrect American soul; and musical supervisor Alan Williams can take many plaudits. The cast act their little grimy socks off: Denis Grindel is a lovely band manager, Jimmy Rabbitte; Steph McKeon has real chops for soul; and, of course, Killian Donnelly as the thoroughly unlikable Deco, unredeemed by the end but for his voice (which is to say, wholly redeemed), is the star of the show," reported Euan Ferguson for The Guardian, and he's right.

Hubby enjoyed it, but as much as I love the theatre, I left the show feeling somewhat deflated like I'd just eaten a large meal that was less than satisfying.

All the same, I stood at the end to applaud the performers, because like both Paul and Euan, I felt the performers deserved the accolade, and yet I wasn't satisfied by the show.

Finally, I want to close with a note about London's dressing up for Christmas. I love the way this city gets into the spirit of the holiday. Unfortunately, we're leaving too early to catch most of the lights and the pantos, but Covent Garden is scheduled to turn on its lights tomorrow, and Regent Street is lighting up on the 9th, which is also the Lord Mayor's Day. Tonight, Slingsby Place had its Christmas finery on display, so I'll leave you with two pictures of it. Click on them to view a larger image.

Slingsby Place dressed for Autumn:

Slingsby Place - Autumn

Slingsby Place - Winter and Christmas

Slingsby Place - Christmas

Until tomorrow.

Day 48 - A Visit with Friends

2013-11-04T20:59:00.000-05:00

London Victoria Station (note Upper Crust on the right)

Today we took a South Eastern train from Victoria Station out to Herne Bay to visit our friends Jill and Jim, and the train actually arrived a few minutes early, which is unusual.

Photo of Kent countryside taken from the train

Because of its abundance of orchards and hop gardens, Kent is traditionally known as "The Garden of England" – a name often applied when marketing the county or its produce, although other regions have tried to lay claim to the title. Large parts of Kent are within the London commuter belt. South and East Kent rely on tourism and agriculture, although coal mining has also played a part in Kent's industrial heritage.

After we got into their car with them, Jill offered us many options for sightseeing and one included visiting Dover with a quick trip through Canterbury. We'd never gotten very close to Dover Castle, and even though we couldn't go in, because it was closed for the season, we opted to do that.

Kent's location between London and continental Europe has led to it being in the front line of several conflicts, including the Battle of Britain during World War II. East Kent was known as Hell Fire Corner during the conflict. England has relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of the past 800 years; the Cinque Ports in the 12th–14th centuries (Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich) and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance to the country's security. France can be seen clearly in fine weather from Folkestone, and the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.

View of the English Channel looking toward France

Dover is a town that faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, making it a major ferry port as well. It lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings. The town serves as home of the Dover Calais ferry through the Port of Dover with its surrounding chalk cliffs known as the White Cliffs of Dover, and the narrow sea passage nearby – the Strait of Dover. Its strategic position has been evident throughout its history: archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for people entering and leaving Britain. The name of the town derives from the name of the river that flows through it, the River Dour. The town has been inhabited since the Stone Age according to archaeological finds, and Dover is one of only a few places in Britain – London and Cornwall being other examples – to have a corresponding name in the French language, Douvres.

There was a military barracks in Dover, which closed in 2007. Services related to the Port of Dover provide a great deal of the town’s employment, as does tourism. The prospect of privatizing the sale of the Port of Dover to create increased cash flow for the government was given a recent ironic twist with the rejection of a possible bid from the town of Calais in France. After opposition from the people in Dover against any sale forced the government to withdraw the Port from the market, local residents clubbed together to propose buying it for the community. More than 12,000 people have bought a £10 share in the People's Port Trust with the optimism that this would help save Dover from its decline.

Historically, Dover figured largely in the Domesday Book as an important borough. It also served as a bastion against various attackers: notably the French during the Napoleonic Wars; and against Germany during World War II. During mediaeval times, it was designated as one of the cinque ports.

Dover Harbor with a ship in port

We took lots of pictures of Dover, then Jim drove us around the coast of England through Walmer, followed by Deal, Sandwich, Ramsgate, Broadstairs, and Margate before finally taking us back to their house in Herne Bay. A few more friends dropped over and we had cocktails and chatted for a bit before we sat down to the lovely dinner Jill prepared for us. The evening went by so quickly we almost missed our last train back to London. A 10:33 PM train, which was supposed to get us to London Victoria by 12:04 AM.

We were at the station and waiting for our train by 10:21 PM. It had gotten a lot colder, probably in the high 30s F. So, we were chilled, but happy after our pleasant evening, until the monitor clock switched over to 10:30 PM, our train disappeared off the electronic schedule to be replaced by an 11:33 PM train that wasn't going into London. When 10:33 PM came and went with only an express train whizzing by us at a speed that would have sucked us along had we been over the yellow line, we began to get a little worried. However, the later the hour grew, the more discouraged the other passengers waiting with us became. One gentleman insisted British Rail had cancelled our train. Not a pleasant thought at all.

At 10:50, I tried to make some calls to National Rail, but their offices were closed. Not surprising, given even the Herne Bay train station was closed. There was a nice warm waiting room on the platform, but it was locked. The door looked as though some people before us had unsuccessfully tried to pry it open with a screw driver and hammer. Stranded, and not wanting to disturb our friends, we waited on the platform as we discussed our options. Hubby decided we should wait for the 11:33 PM train and go as far as it would take us then see what arrangements we could make from there.

At approximately 11:05 PM a train destined for London Victoria pulled up. Chilled and needing heat, we hopped on and found the first seats we could. The train was very late, so we saw no sign of a conductor. When the train arrived at Gillingham, the conductor announced over the speaker system that the train would be making a stop at Bromley South and then London Victoria. If passengers on board needed any of the normal stops between Gillingham and Bromley South, they were instructed to get off the train at Gillingham and make other arrangements. Probably due to the lateness of the hour, no one got off, so I guess the railroad's plan had some validity.

Even with five stops cancelled, we didn't arrive in London Victoria until almost half past midnight, and the tube was shut down for the night. So we went looking for a night bus that ran from Victoria to Leicester Square. We quickly discovered the 24 bus went in that direction, so we asked for directions to Wilton or Bridge Street, found stop J and waited once again--out in the cold. The British are very patient people and calmly wait in line for just about everything they do.

Night buses will stop at their designated locations only if there is someone standing at the bus stop, or a passenger presses a stop button to let the driver know they want to get off. So, we had about a twenty minute wait before a bus turned up. At least it was warm.

As we traveled through Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square, the streets looked deserted. I've never seen London so quiet, but then I can't recall being out on the streets past Cinderella's bedtime, either. That's when we noticed a road crew had blocked off the Strand from Trafalgar Square. Then road crews seemed to be everywhere we looked. It seems they do most of their work at night in order not to disrupt London's daytime traffic too severely.

We requested the bus stop at Leicester Square, and then walked back to our flat from there. We finally arrived "home" at approximately 1:15 AM.

I'll have more pictures and information to share about what we saw, but will have to add them later. Unfortunately, that's becoming a habit. It's nearly 2 AM, and time for bed. A good day, with an exhausting finish

Until tomorrow.

Day 47 - Hyde Park to Harrods

2013-11-03T19:48:00.001-05:00

Marble Arch

Today we walked from Marble Arch at one corner of Hyde Park down to the Wellington Arch corner of Hyde Park, then along Knightsbridge to Brompton Road and Harrods. For more information about Marble Arch, which I wrote about earlier, see Day 33.

Near Marble Arch is Speakers' Corner, Though Hyde Park Speakers' Corner is considered the paved area closest to Marble Arch, legally the public speaking area extends beyond the Reform Tree and covers a large area from Marble Arch to Victoria Gate, then along the Serpentine to Hyde Park Corner and the Broad Walk running from Hyde Park Corner to Marble Arch.

Public riots broke out in the park in 1855, in protest over the Sunday Trading Bill, which forbade buying and selling on a Sunday, the only day working people had off. The riots were described by Karl Marx as the beginning of the English revolution.

One are of Speakers' Corner

The riots and agitation for democratic reform encouraged some to force the issue of the "right to speak" in Hyde Park. The Parks Regulation Act 1872 delegated the issue of permitting public meetings to the park authorities (rather than central government). Contrary to popular belief, it does not confer a statutory basis for the right to speak at Speakers' Corner. Parliamentary debates on the Act illustrate that a general principle of being able to meet and speak was not the intention, but that some areas would be permitted to be used for that purpose. Since that time, it has become a traditional site for public speeches and debate, as well as the main site of protest and assembly in Britain. There are some who contend that the tradition has a connection with the Tyburn gallows, where the condemned man was allowed to speak before being hanged.

Speakers' Corner Cafe

We briefly listened to a few of the speakers, then hopped over to the cafe for a hot chocolate and a mochaccino. While we were sitting and drinking some riders came by with horses from the Hyde Park Stables.

Rider in Hyde Park

Though the day was cool, it was a perfect day for horse riding. As I watched the horses, I saw a statue of a horse. Getting up to take a closer look, I noticed it was the Animals in War Monument.

Animals in War Memorial- south side

According to Wikipedia: "The memorial was designed by English sculptor David Backhouse to commemorate the countless animals that have served and died under British military command throughout history. It was unveiled in November 2004 by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal.

The memorial was inspired by Jilly Cooper's book Animals in War, and was made possible by a specially created fund of £1.4 million from public donations of which Cooper was a co-trustee. The memorial consists of a 55 ft by 58 ft (16.8 m by 17.7 m) curved Portland stone wall: the symbolic arena of war, emblazoned with images of various struggling animals, along with two heavily-laden bronze mules progressing up the stairs of the monument, and a bronze horse and bronze dog beyond it looking into the distance. The Animals in War Memorial was officially opened on 24 November 2004 by Anne, Princess Royal.

Animals in War Memorial - North side

In May 2013, it was one of two London war memorials vandalized on the same night. The word 'Islam' was spray-painted on this and the RAF Bomber Command

Memorial.

Beneath the main header, "Animals in War", the memorial has two separate inscriptions; the first and larger reads:

"This monument is dedicated to all the animals

that served and died alongside British and allied forces

in wars and campaigns throughout time"

The second, smaller inscription simply reads:

"They had no choice"

Upon the rear or outside of the memorial are these words:

"Many and various animals were employed to support British and Allied Forces in wars and campaigns over the centuries, and as a result millions died. From the pigeon to the elephant, they all played a vital role in every region of the world in the cause of human freedom.

"Their contribution must never be forgotten.""

Joy of Life Fountain

Continuing our stroll, we came upon the "Joy of Life" fountain, considered the largest fountain in Hyde Park. The fountain is decorated with bronze sculptures that float over a large circular basin. At the center are two adults, seemingly dancing and holding each others' arms. Around them are four statues of children who seem to hover over the water. The fountain, a work of sculptor Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones, was created in 1963. It is sometimes also called the Four Winds Fountain.

After admiring the "Joy of Life" we continued along "Lover's Walk" until we came upon the 7/7 Memorial.

7/7 Memorial

The 7/7 Memorial commemorates the victims of the terrorist attack of July 7, 2005. The monument consists of 52 stainless steel columns; with each column representing one of the victims of the bombings and marking the location of where they died

The 7 July 2005 London bombings (often referred to as 7/7) were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in London which targeted civilians using the public transport system during the morning rush hour.

On the morning of Thursday, 7 July 2005, four Islamist home-grown terrorists detonated four bombs, three in quick succession aboard London Underground trains across the city and, later, a fourth on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. Apart from the four bombers, 52 civilians were killed and over 700 more were injured in the United Kingdom's first suicide attacks.

The explosions were caused by homemade organic peroxide–based devices packed into rucksacks. The bombings were followed two weeks later by a series of attempted attacks which failed to cause injury or damage.

The attacks occurred one day after London had won its bid to host the 2012 Olympics, which had particularly highlighted the city's multicultural reputation.

All but one of the 52 victims had been residents in London during the attacks and were from a diverse range of backgrounds. Among those killed were several foreign-born British nationals, foreign exchange students, parents, and one British couple of 14 years. Due to train delays before the attacks, as well as subsequent transport issues caused by them, several victims died aboard trains and buses they would not normally have taken. Their ages ranged from 20 to 60 years old..

Next we came across the Achilles Statue near the Queen Elizabeth gate in Hyde Park.

Achilles Statue

The Achilles Statue, considered to be the largest statue in Hyde Park, was installed there in 1822 to honor the Duke of Wellington, the victor over Napoleon's army at Waterloo. The bronze statue was cast from cannons that were captured from the French. The statue was created by Richard Westmacott, who based his design on the statues of Castor and Pollux at the Piazza del Quirinale in Rome. Originally, the statue was, like the ones in Rome, nude, but true to their reputation, the prudish Georgian Londoners were shocked and Westmacott was forced to add a fig leaf. Ah well.

Next we came across the Queen Elizabeth Gate near Hyde Park Corner.

Queen Elizabeth Gate

Queen Elizabeth Gate, also known as the Queen Mother's Gate, is an entrance consisting of two pairs and two single gates of forged stainless steel and bronze situated in Hyde Park, London, behind Apsley House at Hyde Park Corner. There is also a center feature made of painted cast iron.

It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993 to celebrate the 90th birthday of her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. It cost £1.5 million to construct, raised by private individuals and public funding, under the patronage of Prince Michael of Kent.

Queen Elizabeth Gate - close-up

The site's architect was Richard Rogers.The stainless steel and bronze gates, railings and lights were designed and made by Giusseppe Lund. The center piece, featuring a red lion and a white unicorn, was designed by sculptor David Wynn.

The organic nature of the forged steel reflects the Queen Mother's love of flowers, particularly those from a cottage garden. Her life spanned most of the century and this is represented by a flow from formal symmetry at the base of the gates upwards to an increasing freedom of line at the top. Many of the elements are free to move when touched and the whole structure vibrates when moved. This is in direct contrast to the heavier rectilinear gates found in other entrances to the park.

Queen Elizabeth Gate view from inside Hyde Park

Although much admired there were initial concerns that the metal was rusting due to a misunderstanding of the nature of the gate's coloring which was in fact a deliberate creation of chromium oxides with the application of heat. This treatment has since proved to be extremely durable thanks to the initial intensifying of the chromium content on the surface by the use of electro-polishing.

Just outside of the park is Apsley House, Apsley Gate, and the Wellington Arch.

Wellington Arch - Back view

Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or (originally) the Green Park Arch, is a triumphal arch located to the south of Hyde Park in central London and in an isolated traffic island on the western corner of Green Park . Built nearby between 1826-1830 to a design by Decimus Burton, it was moved to its present position in 1882-83. It once supported an equestrian statue of the 1st Duke of Wellington; the original intention of having it topped with sculpture of a "quadriga" or ancient four-horse chariot was not realised until 1912.

The arch, and Marble Arch (originally sited in front of Buckingham Palace), were both planned in 1825 by George IV to commemorate Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The Wellington Arch was also conceived as an outer gateway to Constitution Hill and therefore a grand entrance into central London from the west. The presence of a turnpike gate at this point had led, in the 18th century, to a strong perception that this was the beginning of London (reflected in the nickname for Apsley House as "No 1, London") and the arch was intended to reflect the importance of the position.

Wellington Arch viewed from the front

The monument was planned as part of a single composition with Burton's screen, which forms the Hyde Park Corner entrance to Hyde Park. The arch was originally positioned directly to the south of the screen, as part of a grand ceremonial route towards Buckingham Palace. Apsley House, the London residence of the Duke of Wellington, adjoins the screen.

It has a single opening, and uses the Corinthian order. Much of the intended exterior ornamentation was omitted as a cost-saving exercise necessitated by the King's overspending on the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, which was underway at the same time.

At this point we continued our walk taking a few more pictures of statues and a couple of Harvey Nichols Windows and a few rather sexy ones of Harrods. I'll have to add these later, including a picture of the dinner we purchased in Harrods' food court. I'll advise when I've added these in my later posts, if you're interested.

Until then, I'd best say good-night.

Day 46 - Catch Up Day and some Fireworks for Guy Fawkes

2013-11-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

Guy Fawkes/Bonfire Night Celebrations

Today I spent most of the day continuing to update Day 44. Almost finished with the river cruise, still have to do Greenwich, the continued bus tour, dinner, Dirty Dancing and Halloween. Yikes.

As for Day 45, we've got a lot of pictures and info to add from the British Museum.

I reserve our Saturdays for updating the Saturday Spankings URLs, paying bills and doing a little cleaning.

Hubby did some shopping, but it was raining, so he stayed in most of the day, too.

Tomorrow, we want to try Speaker's Corner again, if the weather is better, and Harrods, so we can try to pick up our Harrods Christmas Bear, so we should have more pictures to share, though I'm already behind.

Monday we're planning a trip to visit some friends who live in Herne Bay, and Tuesday is Guy Fawkes Day. For those of you who may not have heard about this uniquely British celebration, Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state. In the immediate aftermath of the 5 November arrest of Guy Fawkes, caught guarding a cache of explosives placed beneath the House of Lords, James's Council allowed the public to celebrate the king's survival with bonfires, so long as they were "without any danger or disorder". This made 1605 the first year the plot's failure was celebrated.

Guy Fawkes

The following January, days before the surviving conspirators were executed, Parliament passed the Observance of 5th November Act, commonly known as the "Thanksgiving Act". It was proposed by a Puritan Member of Parliament, Edward Montagu, who suggested that the king's apparent deliverance by divine intervention deserved some measure of official recognition, and kept 5 November free as a day of thanksgiving while in theory making attendance at Church mandatory. A new form of service was also added to the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, for use on that date.

Bonfire with Guy Fawkes effigy burning

Following Charles I's execution in 1649, the country's new republican regime remained undecided on how to treat 5 November. Unlike the old system of religious feasts and State anniversaries, it survived, but as a celebration of parliamentary government and Protestantism, and not of monarchy. Commonly the day was still marked by bonfires and miniature explosives, but formal celebrations resumed only with the Restoration, when Charles II became king. Courtiers, High Anglicans and Tories followed the official line, that the event marked God's preservation of the English throne, but generally the celebrations became more diverse.

London Dungeon's representation of Guy Fawkes

Fawkes was born and educated in York. His father died when he was only 8 years old and his mother married a Catholic who refused to attend the Anglican church. Fawkes later converted to Catholicism and left for the continent, where he fought in the Eighty Years' War on the side of Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch reformers. He travelled to Spain to seek support for a Catholic rebellion in England but was unsuccessful. He later met Thomas Wintour, with whom he returned to England.

Wintour introduced Fawkes to Robert Catesby, who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. The plotters secured the lease to an undercroft beneath the House of Lords, and Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled there. Prompted by the receipt of an anonymous letter, the authorities searched Westminster Palace during the early hours of 5 November, and found Fawkes guarding the explosives. Over the next few days, he was questioned and tortured, and eventually he broke. Sentenced to be drawn and quartered on 31 January, immediately before his execution, Fawkes jumped from the scaffold where he was to be hanged and broke his neck, thus avoiding the agony of the mutilation that followed.

I hope to follow up with more "live" pictures from the celebrations this year. Weather can cancel the fireworks displays, but I have captured some from previous years to share with you if necessary.

I can hear some fireworks being shot off tonight, and other areas had displays on Friday night. We even heard fireworks on Halloween, so even though November 5th is Bonfire Night, celebrations are spread out both in area and time.

Sorry today is so sparse, but I'll continue to add photos and information to Day 44 and 45 until they are complete and will try to add new ones as we go along. We have a little over a week remaining us in our trip, so we are winding down.

Until tomorrow....

Day 45 - The British Museum and Bangers and Mash

2013-11-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

The British Museum on Russell St

Today we decided to visit the British Museum. The place is huge and impossible to cover in one day, let alone hours. We took lots of pictures, of course, but I'm going to have to add them tomorrow along with a mention of the eight or so exhibits that we visited out of the 30 or more available to see. I did go back and add some photos to yesterday's post, but I have more to add, especially regarding the boat cruise, dinner, Dirty Dancing and all the Halloween characters we saw wandering about Leicester Square.

While at the museum, hubby and I lost track of each other for about a half hour. It was a lift versus left instruction one of the room monitors gave us. He could tell we were struggling, so he told us there were stairs and a lift on the left. Hubby heard only stairs on the left and I heard "lift." So, he went ahead and took the stairs while I continued to look at the counterfeit pound coins they'd confiscated back in 2011. When I was done with that, I looked for hubby, didn't find him, so I followed in the lift. Unfortunately, since I didn't immediately show up, he sat down on the stairs to wait for me, while I waited for him in the Great Court. We intended to head over to the Hutton Soo exhibit, so I headed over there, no hubby. Not sure what to do, I took the lift back to where we'd lost each other and sat down to wait. He climbed the stairs again, cursing me all the way, then called out to me when he saw me, not a happy camper at all.

When we discovered how we lost each other, it was rather funny, though I don't think he found the situation the least bit humorous. All humor aside, you need a phone if you lose another person in that museum. We could have wandered about for hours and never found each other. I informed him during my search for him that I'd found a quicker entrance to the Sutton Hoo exhibit, but that didn't appease him very much.

I'll add some pictures tomorrow, but the Sutton Hoo collection came from a ship-burial that took place in Sutton Hoo, Suffolk England, that researchers have dated occurred most likely during the early 7th century. The find was excavated in 1939. Sutton Hoo is considered one of the most magnificent archaeological finds in England for its size and completeness, far-reaching connections, the quality and beauty of its contents, and the profound interest of the burial ritual itself. The initial excavation was privately sponsored by the landowner, but when the significance of the find became apparent, national experts took over.

After we examined the recovered gold and took some pictures, we had both had it for the day, but made a quick stop to look at the Easter Island statue in the museum. The building is so large, it has replicas of other buildings inside it. After hubby took a picture of the statue, we sat down and spoke to the room monitor. Paul has been working at the museum for thirty-five years and is scheduled to retire in a couple of years. When we asked him the best way to get back to Covent Garden, he suggested we walk. We had taken the tube to get to the museum, but considering how long our walk was from the Russell Street tube station we decided the station earned its name simply because it was within a mile of the Russell Street museum. Covent Garden is almost as close, and walking is cheaper. So, we continued to talk to our guide a little longer, then took his picture, too.

Once we said good-bye, we exited through the main entrance (see photo at the top) and hoofed it back to the flat. I immediately started to work on this blog while hubby heated up our dinner of Bangers and Mash in the microwave. In case you're curious, Bangers and Mash are sausages and mashed potatoes in an onion gravy. A little on the heavy side, but not bad. Took a picture of that as well, but I will need to finish yesterday's entry and add the photos for today, tomorrow. It is almost 1 AM here now, so I'm just about done up for the day, and "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Until tomorrow....

Day 44 - A tour bus ride, a cruise to Greenwich and a return to Picadilly

2013-10-31T20:33:00.000-04:00

The Roundhouse on Garrick St in Covent Garden

It's 11:30 and I'm just starting this blog, so that means I'm basically going to need to do a quick run through and add pictures and information at a later time. Today is Halloween, and London lets out the ghosts and ghoulies at night. Most are adults, and I'm not sure if they're going to parties or nightclubs, or just out showing their creativeness. We took a lot of pictures, including one of a pub that really went "all out" for the holiday (see The Roundhouse above).

Parliament and London Eye from the bus

We went to Leicester Square first and got tickets to "Dirty Dancing," then caught the bus at Trafalgar Square and rode it to Westminster Bridge where we boarded a boat and rode it to Greenwich.

Trafalgar Square fountains

Nelson's Column Trafalgar Square

Charles I statue on Whitehall

Charles I was the second son of King James VI of Scotland (son of Mary Queen of Scots). James VI was the first cousin twice removed of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and when she died childless in March 1603, he became King of England as James I. Unfortnately, Charles was a weak and sickly infant, so while his parents and older siblings left for London, England in April and early June that year, he was not considered strong enough to make the journey due to his fragile health.

By 1604, Charles was three and a half and as he was able to walk the length of the great hall at Dunfermline Palace without assistance, it was decided that he was now strong enough to make the journey to England to be reunited with his family. In mid-July 1604, Charles left Dunfermline for England where he was to spend most of the rest of his life. In England, Charles was placed under the charge of Elizabeth, Lady Carey, the wife of courtier Sir Robert Carey, who put him in boots made of Spanish leather and brass to help strengthen his weak ankles. His speech development was also slow, and he retained a stammer, or hesitant speech, for the rest of his life.

In January 1605, Charles was created Duke of York, as is customary in the case of the English sovereign's second son, and made a Knight of the Bath. In 1611, he was made a Knight of the Garter.

Portrait by Robert Peake of Charles as Duke of York and Albany, c. 1610

Eventually, Charles apparently conquered his physical infirmity, which might have been caused by rickets, and grew to a peak height of 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm). His short stature is one of the reasons he preferred to be seen on horseback. He became an adept horseman and marksman, and took up fencing. Even so, he was not as valued as his physically stronger and taller elder brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, whom Charles adored and attempted to emulate. However, in early November 1612, two weeks before Charles's 12th birthday, Henry died at the age of 18 of what is suspected to have been typhoid (or possibly porphyria), and Charles became heir apparent. As the eldest living son of the sovereign, Charles automatically gained several titles (including Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay). Four years later, in November 1616, he was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

Portrait of Charles as Prince of Wales after Daniel Mytens, c. 1623

An unsuccessful and unpopular attempt to marry him to a Spanish Habsburg princess culminated in an eight-month visit to Spain in 1623 that demonstrated the futility of the marriage negotiations. Two years later he married the Bourbon princess Henrietta Maria of France instead.

Portrait from the studio of Anthony van Dyck, c. 1636

After his succession in 1625, Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his royal prerogative. Charles believed in the divine right of kings and thought he could govern according to his own conscience. Many of his subjects opposed his policies, in particular his interference in the English and Scottish churches and the levying of taxes without parliamentary consent, and perceived his actions as those of a tyrannical absolute monarch.

Charles's religious policies, coupled with his marriage to a Roman Catholic, generated the antipathy and mistrust of reformed groups such as the Puritans and Calvinists, who thought his views too Catholic. He supported controversial ecclesiastics, such as Richard Montagu and William Laud, whom Charles appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, and failed to successfully aid Protestant forces during the Thirty Years' War. His attempts to force religious reforms upon Scotland led to the Bishops' Wars, strengthened the position of the English and Scottish parliaments and helped precipitate his own downfall.

From 1642, Charles fought the forces of the English and Scottish parliaments in the English Civil War. After his defeat in 1645, he surrendered to a Scottish force that eventually handed him over to the English Parliament. Charles refused to accept his captors' demands for a constitutional monarchy, and temporarily escaped captivity in November 1647. Re-imprisoned on the Isle of Wight, Charles forged an alliance with Scotland, but by the end of 1648 Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army had consolidated its control over England. Charles was tried, convicted, and executed outside the Banqueting Hall on Whitehall at age 48 for crimes of high treason in January 30 1649. The monarchy was abolished and a republic called the Commonwealth of England was declared with Oliver Cromwell invited to rule as the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.. In 1660, the English Protectorate ended and the monarchy was restored to Charles's son, Charles II.

Continuing our bus trip, we next came across the Horse Guards Building.

Horse Guards Building as seen from Whitehall

Horse Guard close-up

Horse Guards is a large grade I listed building in the Palladian style between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade. The first Horse Guards building was built on the site of the former tiltyard of Westminster Palace in 1664. It was demolished in 1749 and was replaced by the current building which was built between 1751 and 1753 by John Vardy to a design by William Kent.

Horse Guards is guarded by the Blues and Royals, one of two regiments of the Household Division that can trace its lineage back to the New Model Army, the other being the Coldstream Guards.The regiment was formed in 1969 from the merger of The Royal Horse Guards, which was known as "The Blues" or "The Oxford Blues", and The Royal Dragoons, which was known as "The Royals".

The Blues and Royals formed a union for operational purposes with the Life Guards as the Household Cavalry Regiment. However, they each maintain their regimental identity, with distinct uniforms and traditions, and their own colonel. The Blues and Royals currently has two reconnaissance squadrons in Windsor, which are part of the Household Cavalry Regiment, and a mounted squadron in London as part of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment caries out regular ceremonial duties throughout the year. As the Sovereign's bodyguard and part of the Household Division, the HCMR mounts a daily guard (called Queen's Life Guard) at Horse Guards, which is the historical and ceremonial entrance to Buckingham Palace. This ceremony can be viewed daily by members of the public. The HCMR is responsible for the provision of the Sovereign's Escort, most commonly seen at the monarch's annual Birthday Parade (Trooping the Color) in June each year. The escort is also seen at other occasions, including during state visits by visiting Heads of State, or whenever required by the British monarch. The regiment provides a staircase party inside Buckingham Palace at state Investitures, and inside the Palace of Westminster at the annual State Opening of Parliament. They are also present at the annual Garter Ceremony at Windsor Castle.

When we reached Westminster Bridge, we got off the bus and walked back across the bridge to join up with City Cruises.

City Cruises, the boat tour company that operates with the bus tour company we took, don't have professional guides on the boats, so it's basically the crew members who do their best to point out landmarks as we pass them. Greenwich is east of the tower, but what is amazing is that you can see the Shard almost more clearly there then you can in London proper. You also get views of certain landmarks that are only visible from the river.

Houses of Parliament from the River

Waterloo Bridge (Ladies' Bridge) Portland Stone

Waterloo Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The name of the bridge is in memory of the Anglo-Dutch and Prussian victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Thanks to its location at a strategic bend in the river, the views of London (Westminster, the South Bank and London Eye to the west, the City of London and Canary Wharf to the east) from the bridge are widely held to be the finest from any spot at ground level.

The forgotten heroines of London's 'Ladies Bridge': Historian reveals how women were drafted to construct Waterloo Bridge during WWII but never got the credit they deserved
Records of women who helped build the bridge have never been found
Could have been thrown out when construction company folded
Female workforce ignored when the bridge was opened in 1945 but male workers were thanked
By 1944, two years after the bridge was partially opened, 25,000 women were in the construction industry working as brick layers, laborers and joiners.

Workers building Waterloo Bridge

Waterloo Bridge was built during a time when London was being pummeled by the Luftwaffe, causing mass destruction to buildings that had stood for centuries. Undeterred by the nightly raids during the Blitz, however, a group of women, who until now have largely gone ignored, never lost their resolve to build what is now one of the city's most important bridges. Their work on Waterloo Bridge left it with the moniker of Ladies Bridge, but this fact has been ignored by all but a few.

Thanks to Christine Wall, a construction historian who worked with filmmaker Karen Livesey to look into the reason why the women have been ignored, the ladies' efforts are finally being recognized."The Ladies Bridge" reveals that their absence from historic records is primarily due to the liquidation of Peter Lind, the construction firm behind the bridge. Peter Mandell, manager of the company, explained: "The difficulty with the Peter Lind records were that when the company went into liquidation in the late 1980s, a lot of their information was kept or pillaged by people who wanted a keepsake of their time with Peter Lind. But it was generally well known that, anecdotally if you like, that there were women working (for Lind), and in fact names of a particular lady was given to me at the time."

Because of the dearth of pictorial and written evidence, it is not known what specific work the women carried out on the bridge, but because many men were fighting 'The War,' their efforts are believed to be significant. The women worked with the understanding that they would be paid less than their male counterparts and would give up their new jobs when the men returned once the war was over.

Underside of the Waterloo Bridge

The bridge the women built replaced one that had nine arches and was demolished around 1936 because of problems that had occurred with its decaying foundations. The new bridge's construction suffered several delays when it was repeatedly damaged by enemy action during the Blitz - the only Thames crossing to be attacked in this way. Clad in Portland stone, the Waterloo Bridge is London's only self-cleaning bridge. Spanning the Thames in 1,200 feet and 80 feet wide, making it the longest bridge in London, the Waterloo has five spans of reinforced concrete that cross the river between the modernist concrete structures of the South Bank Centre and the classical stone structure of Somerset House on the north bank.

Externally, the spans appear as elegantly flat arches, but the underlying structure consists of steel box-girders.The bridge was opened with a proper ceremony in December 1945 once the war was over, but the Labour politician Herbert Morrisso said: 'The men who built Waterloo Bridge are fortunate men. They know that, although their names may be forgotten, their work will be a pride and use to London for many generations to come.' Not recognizing the women's efforts at all.

On the "other" side of the Waterloo Bridge is the Thames River Police Station.

Police Station on the Thames

In the late 1700's ship merchants were losing thousands per year in stolen cargo from the River Thames in London.

Mr John Harriot, Justice of the Peace and Master Mariner, devised a plan to protect Thames shipping from river pirates with a preventative policing unit. Financed by the West India Merchants, who invested £4,200, and with Government approval the unit began on July 2nd 1798. It was based in Wapping High Street and the original site is still the current headquarters of, what is now called, the Marine Support Unit, MSU, of the Metropolitan Police - over two hundred years later.

Originally set up as a one-year trial it was remarkably successful. A small force of 50 river officers were charged with controlling over 30,000 workers connected with the river trades of which nearly a third were known criminals.

On July 28th, 1800 Parliament passed the Marine Police Bill, moving the original small privately funded river police force into a public service. The Thames River Police was a pioneering operation that brought law and order to the river and became a model for many police forces around the world. In 1839 the Thames Police Office was eventually merged into the London Metropolitan Police as the 'Thames Division' which was responsible for saving lives and protecting property on the Thames for over two hundred years.

Police presence on the Thames

Fast track to today and London's river and all of London's waterways are policed by the Marine Support Unit of the Metropolitan Police with tasks ranging from Counter Terrorism patrols to policing the waters of the Thames on a 24 hour basis.

You can visit The Thames River Police Museum which is located at Wapping Police Station. However, since the museum is housed in a working police station, visits must be arranged by prior appointment.

Across the river from the police station on the Thames is the National Theatre (where we saw Edward II). See Day 34 for more information regarding this set of buildings.

Next we came across the HQS Wellington.

HQS Wellington

HMS Wellington (launched Devonport, 1934) is a Grimsby-class sloop, formerly of the Royal Navy. During the Second World War, she served as a convoy escort ship in the North Atlantic. She is now moored alongside the Victoria Embankment, at Temple Pier, on the River Thames in London as the headquarters ship of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners where she is known as HQS Wellington. It was always the ambition of the founding members of the Company to have a Livery Hall. Up to the outbreak of war in 1939, various proposals were examined, including the purchase of the sailing ship, the Archibald Russell.

After the war, it became apparent that the possibility of building a Hall in the City of London had been rendered very remote. In 1947, the Grimsby-class sloop Wellington was made available by the Admiralty. The Company decided to buy her with money subscribed by the members and convert her to a floating Livery Hall - an appropriate home for a Company of seafarers.

Just to the right of the Wellington, is the King's Reach Marker with the face of Neptune, which is reportedly the dividing line between Westminster and the City or central square mile city of London, which has its own police force.

King's Reach Marker

HMS President is next along the Victoria Embankment right before you reach the Blackfriars Bridge.

HMS President

HMS President (1918)’s former Royal Navy Flower Class sloop, HMS PRESIDENT moored on the River Thames, London by the Victoria Embankment. Friday 15th July 2011.

On the south side, opposite the HMS PRESIDENT is the OXO Tower and Restaurant.

OXO Tower Wharf

The Oxo Tower Wharf is located towards the eastern end of London's South Bank cultural area, and is within the London Borough of Southwark. A continuous riverside walkway passes in front of the building, and links it with other riverside attractions such as the Festival Hall, the National Theatre, the Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre.

The building is flanked on the upstream, western side by Bernie Spain Gardens and Gabriel's Wharf, and to the east by Sea Containers House. We were also told that the word "wharf" is an acronym for Ware House At River Front.

Back on the north side of the river, just prior to reaching Blackfriars Bridge, you'll see the original City of London School (now the J.P. Morgan building) and the Unilever House.


The Original City of London Boys School and Unilever House viewed from across the River Thames.	© Copyright Philip Halling and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence

The Victoria Embankment building of the City of London School (1883-1987) is a grand building in a high Victorian style with a steep pitched roof (resembling that of a French chateau), designed by Davis and Emanuel Pevsner and constructed by John Mowlem & Co at a cost exceeding £100,000. The designers designed the school as "amazingly unscholastic, rather like a permanent Exhibition Palace."

On the front of the building are statues of Shakespeare, Milton, Bacon, Newton and Sir Thomas More, "the first four emphasizing the schools literary and scientific traditions, the last being a religious martyr, a famous lawyer, and the author of Utopia."

Old London City School building lit up at night

The building remained the home of the City of London School for over one hundred years, although the site expanded to include not only the original building on the Victoria Embankment itself, but a range of buildings at right angles along the whole of John Carpenter Street (which was named after the founder of the school) and further buildings constructed at the back along Tudor Street, with the school playground, Fives courts and cloisters enclosed within the site. These other buildings were demolished when the school moved again in 1986. Here the school was adjacent to the City of London School for Girls (which was founded by the City of London Corporation as a sister school in 1894 and moved in 1969 to its present site in the Barbican) and the Guildhall School of Music (which has also since moved to the Barbican). It was also next to the traditional home of the British newspaper industry in Fleet Street.

This building is now protected by a preservation order; it is presently occupied by the investment bank JPMorgan and appeared on the left of the famous Thames Television ident for 30 years. The building still
features the school's name above the door.

Blackfriars Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge that spans the Thames between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge, carrying the A201 road. The north end is near the Inns of Court and Temple Church, along with Blackfriars station. The south end is near the Tate Modern art gallery and the Oxo Tower.

Although the original bridge was built of Portland stone the workmanship was very faulty. Between 1833 and 1840 extensive repairs were necessary, and a good deal of patching-up was done, until at last it was decided to build a new bridge on the same site and this coincided with the creation of the Thames Embankment's junction with the new Queen Victoria Street required a major reconfiguration. The present bridge, which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1869, 923 feet (281 m) long, consisting of five wrought iron arches built to a design by Joseph Cubitt.

Pillars from the 1864 Railway Bridge next to the new one.

Cubitt also designed the adjacent rail bridge (opened in 1864, now demolished) for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway with the condition that the spans and piers of the two bridges be aligned. It was built by P.A. Thom & Co. Like its predecessor it is owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. Like London Bridge the full length and its southern end is within the City's borders and not in the adjoining borough of Southwark. Due to the volume of traffic over the bridge, it was widened between 1907–10, from 70 feet (21 m) to its present 105 feet (32 m). It eventually became too weak to support modern trains, and was therefore removed in 1985 – all that remains is a series of columns crossing the Thames and the southern abutment, which is a Grade II listed structure. (see above picture)

The solar-paneled roof on the Blackfriars Railway Bridge

The second bridge, built slightly further downstream (to the east), was originally called St Paul's Railway Bridge and opened in 1886. It was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and Henry Marc Brunel and is made of wrought iron. It was built by Lucas & Aird.] When St Paul's railway station changed its name to Blackfriars in 1937, the bridge changed its name as well.

At the southern end of the bridge was Blackfriars Bridge railway station which opened in 1864 before closing to passengers in 1885 following the opening of what is today the main Blackfriars station. Blackfriars Bridge railway station continued as a goods stop until 1964 when it was completely demolished, and much of it redeveloped into offices.

As part of the Thameslink Programme, the platforms at Blackfriars station have been extended across the Thames and partially supported by the 1864 bridge piers. The project is designed by Jacobs and Tony Gee & Partners and built by Balfour Beatty. The work also includes the installation of a 64,583 square feet solar bridge on its roof. The energy that will be generated is said to be used to power the station or at least half of it. The solar panels used are Sanyo HIT photovoltaic panels with 4,000 high-efficiency. It is the largest of only two solar bridges in the world (the other being Kurilpa Bridge in Australia). Other green improvements include sun pipes and systems to collect rain water.

Between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium foot bridge is the current City of London School.

City of London School with St Paul's Cathedral behind it

The present building on Queen Victoria Street was designed by City of London architect Thomas Meddings, an Old Citizen of the school as well as a former Temple Church chorister. It is a wholly modern building, although some of the stained glass and sculptures from the Victoria Embankment building has been relocated to this new building. A design and technology block was added to the building in 1990, though in 2008, the block was transformed into a building mainly used by the ICT and music departments, although some design and technology facilities remain. The building was designed on a structural grid and non-load bearing walls were used so that the internal layout of the building could easily be changed when necessary. The school's design is also slightly unusual in that it was built avoiding a road tunnel in the center of the premises. This meant that the first and second floors of the building could only be built on either side of the road tunnel. The load on the third floor directly above the road tunnel is also limited and so a courtyard, surrounded by the building, which goes up to the fifth floor, exists in that area.

The current building is opened to the public annually on one weekend in September as part of the Open House London event.The front view of the building beside the River Thames with St Paul's Cathedral in the background and the Millennium Bridge on the right is occasionally seen in popular media such as in the BBC News 60-second countdown as well as in an early scene of the 2005 movie, The Constant Gardener and in the 2009 film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Across the river from the City of London (School for Boys) is the Tate Modern (connected to St Pauls by the Millennium Bridge) and the Globe Theatre.

Globe Theatre and Tate Modern

Next along the river comes the Southwark (pronounced Suthuck) Bridge.

Southwark Bridge (with St. Pauls in the distance)

After Southwark Bridge, on the south side of the Thames is The Anchor Pub Bankside. For more information about this pub, please visit Day 15.

The Anchor Pub Bankside

The next bridge we pass under is the Cannon St Railway Bridge. The Cannon Street Railway Bridge carries trains over the river to Cannon Street station on the north bank. It was originally named Alexandra Bridge after Alexandra of Denmark who was the wife of the future King Edward VII.

The Cannon St Station and Bridge

The bridge was designed by John Hawkshaw and John Wolfe-Barry for the South Eastern Railway. It was opened in 1866 after three years of construction. In its original form, it carried the railway over the Thames on five spans standing on cast-iron Doric pillars. It was subsequently widened between 1886–93 by Francis Brady and extensively renovated between 1979–82, which resulted in many of its ornamental features being removed and the structure taking on an even more utilitarian appearance than before.

It was the scene of the Marchioness pleasure boat disaster in 1989, where fifty-one people drowned after two boats collided due to poor visibiltiy.

Visible on the north side next is the Fishmonger's Hall. The earliest recorded Fishmongers' Hall (sometimes shortened to Fish Hall) was built in 1310. A new hall, on the present site, was bequeathed to the Company in 1434. Together with 43 other Company halls, this one was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and a replacement hall designed by the architect Edward Jerman opened in 1671. Jerman's hall was taken down when the new London Bridge was constructed in 1827. The next hall, opened in 1834, was designed by Henry Roberts although his assistant Gilbert Scott made the drawings for the new building, and built by William Cubitt & Company. After severe bomb damage during the Blitz, Fishmongers' Hall was restored by Austen Hall and reopened in 1951.

Fishmongers' Hall

The hall contains many treasures, including the dagger with which Lord Mayor Walworth killed Wat Tyler in 1381, Pietro Annigoni's first portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, a collection of 17th- and 18th-century silver, an embroidered 15th-century funeral pall, two portraits by George Romney, and river scenes by Samuel Scott. The hall is located in Bridge Ward on London Bridge.

The next bridge we went under was the London Bridge. Though the name "London Bridge" refers to several historical bridges that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, the current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. This replaced a 19th-century stone-arched bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old medieval structure. This was preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first built by the Roman founders of London.

London Bridge

The current bridge stands at the western end of the Pool of London but is positioned 30 metres (98 ft) upstream from previous alignments. The traditional ends of the medieval bridge were marked by St Magnus-the-Martyr on the northern bank and Southwark Cathedral on the southern shore. Until Putney Bridge opened in 1729, London Bridge was the only road-crossing of the Thames downstream of Kingston-upon-Thames.

After the bridge, on the north side, is St. Magnus the Martyr. This church was one of 51 parish churches rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren and his office after the Great Fire (in fact, the enterprising parishioners had already begun to rebuild north wall with the mason George Dowdeswell by 1668). The work spanned 1671-84, but was substantially complete by 1676; at £9579 19s 10d, it was one of his most expensive churches. Wren's craftsmen were John Thompson, mason; Matthew Banckes Senior and Thomas Lock, carpenters; William Cleere, joiner; Doogood & Grove, plasterers; with internal woodwork by William Grey and one Massey. Although the model for the steeple was probably made by 1684 (very closely based on that of St. Charles Borromée by François Aiguillon in Antwerp), it was only completed in 1703-06.

St Magnus the Martyr Church

St. Magnus is reportedly just one of the many haunted churches rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666. However, the tomb of Miles Coverdale, the man who gave us the first English Bible and who died in 1535, can be found in the church's south east corner. Many visitors report a great feeling of sadness when near his tomb.

A ghostly figure with black hair and wearing a serge cassock with a cowl, has been seen on several occasions both near the tomb and in other places in the church. A church worker, a rector and a rectors wife all testified that the church was haunted. Although churches don't normally admit to playing host to anything supernatural, Miles Coverdale was rector of the original church before he became Bishop of Exeter so perhaps it is him keeping a spectral eye on things.

Once we landed at Greenwich and tipped our commenter, we stopped at a small hamburger place called Byrons and had some warm drinks. The boat wasn't heated and the "doors" where the passengers enter and leave are left open, so it got chilly.

DLR

After our drinks we boarded the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) and took a train to Tower Gateway. The Docklands Light Railway (the DLR) is an automated (computer-operated with no engineer) light metro system opened in 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London. It reaches north to Stratford, south to Lewisham, west to Tower Gateway and Bank in the City of London financial district, and east to Beckton, London City Airport and Woolwich Arsenal.

The system uses minimal staffing on trains and at major interchange stations; the four sub-surface stations are
staffed to comply with underground station requirements. Similar proposals have been made for the adjacent
system, the Tube.

From Tower Gateway we walked closer to the Tower where we picked up another tour bus and rode it to Piccadilly, where we walked to Denman street and stopped at the Clock Jack Oven for a chicken dinner. The chicken was good, and both of us ordered a salad to go with it, since nothing else came with the meal. We did take a picture, which I will add in later.

Since the theatre was practically next door, we left the restaurant and walked across the street to the Piccadilly Theatre for Dirty Dancing. This is the second time the show has come to London and it's for a limited engagement. Unfortunately, it had a lot of the same problems From Here to Eternity had. The actors, either through bad direction or lack of interest gave flat performances. Though the lead characters were supposedly in love with each other, they interacted as though they sort of liked each other, but neither would have minded if the other left. Line readings were flat all around. The musical was primarily a dancing show, which they did do very well.

The show followed the movie very closely, though it used a relatively flat stage with backdrops that showed movement. There were two actresses I felt understood their parts and made the most of them. Once was the Penny character who had a botched abortion and the other was Baby's older sister Lisa, who as a character couldn't sing or dance and yet appeared in the talent show. The actress did a very good impression of an untalented amateur that made you laugh and wince at the same time.

After the show, we returned via Leicester Square, which was crowded with vampires, witches, ghosts and ghouls of all shapes and sizes. Again we took pictures, which I will have to add tomorrow. So, come back and check in again tomorrow night if you can. Until then, good night.

Day 43 - A quick cruise and stop at the Tower

2013-10-30T19:34:00.000-04:00

Today, we decided to take the Tate to Tate cruise which cruises along the Thames from Tate Britain to Tate Modern. Tate Modern is just a cross over the bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is in the city. From there we intended to take a bus to the Tower. We thought the cruise would be leisurely with commentary, but they've changed their methods to offering a speedy cruise, which is great if you're in a hurry, but not so great if you want to take pictures. All the same, we persevered. First building we captured on camera was the St George Wharf Tower.

St George Wharf Tower

The St George Wharf Tower, also known as the Vauxhall Tower or The Tower, is a residential skyscraper in Vauxhall, London, as part of the St George Wharf development. At 181 metres (594 ft) tall with 50 storeys it is the tallest solely residential building in the UK. The building's construction crane was hit by a helicopter in January 2013, causing two deaths.

The building is designed into three legible parts – a base that will house the communal facilities of the building including a lobby, business lounge, gym, spa and swimming pool, a middle section where the typical apartments are located, and the top where the façade reduces in diameter to provide spectacular 360° terraces which will lead the eye to a wind turbine that crowns the structure.

The wind turbine, manufactured by British green-technology company Matilda's Planet, will power the tower's common lighting, whilst creating virtually zero noise and vibration. At the base of the tower, water will be drawn from the London Aquifer and heat-pump technology will be used to remove warmth from the water in the winter to heat the apartments. In comparison to similar buildings, the tower will require one third of the energy, and will produce between one-half and two-thirds of normal CO2 emissions. It will be triple-glazed to minimise heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, with low-e glazing and ventilated blinds between the glazing to further reduce heat gain from direct sunlight.

Royal Air Force Memorial

The Royal Air Force Memorial is a 1923 military memorial on the Victoria Embankment in central London, dedicated to the memory of the casualties of the Royal Air Force in World War I (and, by extension, all subsequent conflicts). It is sited near Cleopatra's Needle, between the north-bank ends of Charing Cross Bridge and Westminster Bridge, and directly to the east of the main Ministry of Defense building on Whitehall. It was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, and William Reid Dick sculpted the eagle on top (drawn from the RAF's badge).

Cleopatra's Needle

Cleopatra's Needle is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian obelisks re-erected in London, Paris, and New York City during the nineteenth century. The London and New York ones are a pair, while the Paris one comes from a different original site, Luxor, where its twin remains. Although all three needles are genuine Ancient Egyptian obelisks, their shared nickname is a misnomer, as they have no connection with Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, and were already over a thousand years old in her lifetime. The London and New York "needles" were originally made during the reign of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Thutmose III.

The London needle is on the Victoria Embankment near the Golden Jubilee Bridges, close to the Embankment underground station. It was presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan Muhammad Ali, in commemoration of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Although the British government welcomed the gesture, it declined to fund the expense of transporting it to London.

Raising the Needle in 1878

The obelisk remained in Alexandria until 1877 when Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, a distinguished anatomist and dermatologist, sponsored its transportation to London at a cost of some £10,000 (a very considerable sum in those days). It was dug out of the sand in which it had been buried for nearly 2,000 years and was encased in a great iron cylinder, 92 feet (28 m) long and 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter, designed by the engineer John Dixon and dubbed Cleopatra, to be commanded by Captain Carter. It had a vertical stem and stern, a rudder, two bilge keels, a mast for balancing sails, and a deck house. This acted as a floating pontoon which was to be towed to London by the ship Olga, commanded by Captain Booth.

The effort met with disaster on 14 October 1877, in a storm in the Bay of Biscay, when the Cleopatra began wildly rolling, and became untenable. The Olga sent out a rescue boat with six volunteers, but the boat capsized and all six crew were lost – named today on a bronze plaque attached to the foot of the needle's mounting stone. Captain Booth on the Olga eventually managed to get his ship next to the Cleopatra, to rescue Captain Carter and the five crew members aboard Cleopatra. Captain Booth reported the Cleopatra "abandoned and sinking," but instead she drifted in the Bay until found four days later by Spanish trawler boats, then rescued by the Glasgow steamer Fitzmaurice and taken to Ferrol in Spain for repairs. The Master of the Fitzmaurice lodged a salvage claim of £5,000 which had to be settled before departure from Ferrol, which was negotiated down and settled for £2,000. The William Watkins Ltd paddle tug Anglia under the command of Captain David Glue was then commissioned to tow the Cleopatra back to the Thames.

Close up of the inscriptions on Cleopatra's Needle

The obelisk was finally erected on the Victoria Embankment on 12 September 1878, and a time capsule was concealed in the front part of the pedestal, it contained : A set of 12 photographs of the best looking English women of the day, a box of hairpins, a box of cigars, several tobacco pipes, a set of imperial weights, a baby's bottle, some children's toys, a shilling razor, a hydraulic jack and some samples of the cable used in erection, a 3' bronze model of the monument, a complete set of British coins, a rupee, a portrait of Queen Victoria, a written history of the strange tale of the transport of the monument, plans on vellum, a translation of the inscriptions, copies of the bible in several languages, a copy of John 3:16 in 215 languages, a copy of Whitaker's Almanack, a Bradshaw Railway Guide, a map of London and copies of 10 daily newspapers.

Cleopatra's Needle with Sphinxes

Cleopatra's Needle is flanked by two faux-Egyptian sphinxes cast from bronze that appear to be looking at the Needle rather than guarding it. This is due to the Sphinxes' improper or backwards installation. The Embankment has other Egyptian flourishes, such as buxom winged sphinxes on the armrests of benches. On 4 September 1917, during World War I, a bomb from a German air raid landed near the needle. In commemoration of this event, the damage remains unrepaired to this day and is clearly visible in the form of shrapnel holes and gouges on the right-hand sphinx. Restoration work was carried out in 2005. The original Master Stone Mason who worked on the granite foundation was Lambeth-born William Henry Gould (1822–1891).
.

The Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Commonly known as the Houses of Parliament after its tenants, the Palace lies on the Middlesex bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London. Its name, which derives from the neighboring Westminster Abbey, may refer to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval building complex that was destroyed by fire in 1834, and its replacement New Palace that stands today. For ceremonial purposes, the palace retains its original style and status as a royal residence.

London Eye

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. The entire structure is 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft), making it the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe. When erected in 1999 it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m (520 ft) Star of Nanchang in 2006 and then the 165 m (541 ft) Singapore Flyer in 2008.

Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel". It offered the highest public viewing point in the city[citation needed] until it was superseded by the 245-metre (804 ft)[6] observation deck on the 72nd floor of The Shard, which opened to the public on 1 February 2013.

Millennium Bridge

The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, linking Bankside with the City of London. It is sited between Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge. Construction of the bridge began in 1998, with the opening in June 2000.

Londoners nicknamed the bridge the "Wibbly Wobbly Bridge" after participants in a charity walk on behalf of Save the Children to open the bridge felt an unexpected and, for some, uncomfortable swaying motion on the first two days after the bridge opened. The bridge was closed later that day, and after two days of limited access the bridge was closed for almost two years while modifications were made to eliminate the wobble entirely. It reopened in 2002.

St Pauls from Millennium Bridge

The southern end of the bridge is near the Globe theatre, the Bankside Gallery and Tate Modern, the north end next to the City of London School below St Paul's Cathedral. The bridge alignment is such that a clear view of St Paul's south façade is presented from across the river, framed by the bridge supports.

Upon reaching the Tate Modern, we took a bus to the Tower of London so we could purchase our annual Christmas Ornament. This year they also offered a limited edition for next year, so we got it too.

Ornaments in hand, we took a bus back to the flat then settled in for sandwiches. While at the Tower, two English ladies offered us tickets to the Hop on Hop off bus tour, which includes a tour over to Greenwich, so that's our plan for tomorrow (Hallowe'en).

Hope to have more pictures for you that will include some of the decorations around the city for the spooky holiday. Until then....

Day 42 - On the Strand to the Cafe to Book of Mormon

2013-10-29T21:34:00.001-04:00

Today we took off to purchase some charity Christmas cards from the St. Clement Danes Church on the Strand. They have some lovely cards and they reflect London as well as UK scenes. On our way we shot some photos. The first being The Savoy Hotel and Theatre on the Strand.

We saw Legally Blonde there in 2010 and currently Let it Be is playing at The Savoy Theatre. The entrance to both the theatre and the hotel is extremely classy.

The Savoy Theatre

We continued along the Strand and came across St Mary le Strand, a small parish church of the united parish of St Mary le Strand with St Clement Danes. St Mary le Strand is often said to the the loveliest Baroque church in England. Designed by James Gibbs, the church was built between 1714 and 1723 and consecrated in 1724.

St Mary le Strand with St Clement Danes on the right

Below the foundations of the church are traces of Roman, Saxon and Medieval London, when the Strand was a vital link between the City of London and the Royal and monastic settlement at Westminster. The parish of St Mary le Strand may lay a good claim to being one of the oldest parishes in London. It stands dominating a roadway which since prehistory has been the main artery to the west from the City of London. In early Saxon times the Strand area was the very heart of London, for it seems that the City was effectively abandoned by the newly-arrived settlers.

There is no record of when St Mary le Strand was founded, but the first church, which was dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, stood just south of the present church on a site now covered by Somerset House. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Bishops of Worcester were the Patrons of the parish and had their London residence on an adjoining site. For throughout the period from the Norman Conquest to the Reformation, the Strand was mainly the home of bishops and princes. Within the parish were the "inns" - large town houses with chapels, stables and accommodation for a large retinue - of the Bishops of Worcester, Llandaff, Coventry and Lichfield. A large part of the parish was absorbed by the building of a great house, the Palace of the Savoy, by Count Peter of Savoy, the uncle of Henry III, in the 1240s. A century later this became the home of John of Gaunt, Earl of Lancaster, and the palace became a centre of culture; among its residents was Geoffrey Chaucer, who was married in the palace chapel. Gaunt's unpopularity, as the king's chief minister, caused the palace to be burned in the Peasant's Revolt. Despite its long absence, the fame of the palace has lasted in the area and was recreated in the nineteenth century by the Savoy Hotel and Theatre.

St Mary le Strand nave

The site where the present church stands was occupied in medieval times by Strand Cross. The origins of this are unclear. It was not a cross erected in memory of Queen Eleanor - as was Charing Cross - but seems to have dated back at least to Norman times. Perhaps it began as a market cross; by the early fourteenth century it had been rebuilt in a lavish manner, almost certainly following the design of the Eleanor Crosses. Strand Cross was a famous site and it is recorded that in the thirteenth century the local magistrates held their assizes in front of it.

Until the sixteenth century, the Strand was no more than a line of Bishops' palaces on the south side of the roadway stretching all the way to Whitehall. On the north side stood a wall which bounded the Convent - later Covent - Garden, while the churches further away, St Martin's and St Giles, stood "in-the-fields". All this was to change with the Reformation.

The bishops' inns around the church were seized by Edward Lord Protector ((Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, served as Lord Protector of England during the minority of his nephew King Edward VI (1547–1553), in the period between the death of King Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549) who set about building himself a renaissance palace (Somerset Palace) in what was then the most fashionable part of town. Even with the extensive site that he had now obtained, further space was needed and towards the end of 1548 the Lord Protector's workmen fell upon St Mary's church and demolished it to provide stone for the new palace. Further stone was provided by the demolition of a cloister at St Paul's Cathedral known as Pardon Churchyard and the greater part of the Priory of St John at Clerkenwell. Even by the standards of the time, the demolition of so much sacred property was an outrage. Somerset was never to enjoy living in his new palace; just as it was nearing completion he was overthrown by his political enemies and executed at Tower Hill in 1551.

Somerset House

It is said that Somerset had intended to build a new parish church. If so, all thought of it passed away with his fall. Initially, the parishioners scattered but within a short time we find them gathered in the chapel of St John the Baptist in the Savoy. Here they would remain for the next 175 years. Now known at "St Mary le Savoy", the parishioners chose and paid for their own ministers. The most famous of these was Thomas Fuller, the church historian, who was appointed in 1642, fled during the Civil War and was restored to his living in 1660.

Following the execution of Somerset, his palace had passed to the possession of the Crown. Elizabeth I occasionally lodged there and it was from Somerset House that she set off to give thanks after the defeat of the Armada. Under the Stuarts, extensive improvements were made to the palace, the most impressive being the lavish Roman Catholic chapel built by Charles I's queen, Henrietta Maria.

The roadway in front of Somerset House, where Strand Cross had stood and where the present church was later to stand, was occupied in the early seventeenth century by a windmill used to pump water. In 1634 the first Hackney Carriage stand in England was established here by one Captain Bailey. Here also a maypole was erected which became the most famous maypole in London. Demolished by the Puritans, a new maypole was erected in 1661. Parts of this maypole remained until 1717, when they were removed and presented to Sir Isaac Newton as the base for a telescope.

St Clement Danes

Deriving its name from the earliest church to stand on the site, founded by descendants of the Danish invaders, whom Alfred the Great allowed to remain in London in the 9th century, St Clement Danes sits isolated on a traffic island in the middle of the Strand.

The body of the present church was rebuilt in 1680 - 82 by Sir Christopher Wren, and in 1669 Joshua Marshall created the west tower, the familiar spire added by James Gibbs in 1719.

St Clements Danes was damaged by bombing in 1941, and the restoration work was carried out by Anthony Lloyd in 1955.

Inside of St Clement Danes

The galleried interior, with its dark stained wood, follows Wren's original. Above the galleries Corinthian columns and coffered arches support the tunnel-vault of the nave.

The east end consists of a quadrant bay on each side and an apse, and over each arch are the Stuart arms. The reredos, built in the Wren style, has two large panels painted by Ruskin Spear representing the Annunciation.

Other features include the east window depicting Christ in Glory created by Carl Edwards, a highly-carved pulpit dating from the 17th century with an ornate lecturn designed by Anthony Lloyd, and in the west gallery is a gilded organ by Ralph Downes.

Dr. Samuel Johnson, 1709 - 84, was a regular member of the congregation of St Clement Danes. During the 17th to 19th centuries many people were buried in the crypt and the chain hanging on the crypt wall was used to secure the coffin lids against body-snatchers.

Since 1958 St Clement Danes has served as the central church of the Royal Air Force. The nave and aisles have the crests of hundreds of RAF squadrons, and below the aisle windows are the RAF rolls of honour. The unusually wide aisle of the church has over 700 squadron badges in slate set into the floor. At the west end is a larger badge for the RAF, surrounded by the badges of overseas allies, together with carved stalls for the commanders of the RAF.

Statue of Gladstone outside St Clement Danes Church

Additional statues standing outside the church are of Lord Dowding, victor of the Battle of Britain, and Sir Arthur (Bomber) Harris, Marshall of the RAF.

Statues of Sir Arthur (Bomber Harris) and Lord Dowding

As the Strand curves around St. Clement Danes, it turns into Fleet Street, making the Royal Courts of Justice just visible on the left side of the church.

Royal Courts of Justice

The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, houses both the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. Designed by George Edmund Street, who died before it was completed, it is a large grey stone edifice in the Victorian Gothic style built in the 1870s and opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. It is located on the Strand (as it becomes Fleet Street)near the border with the City of London (Temple Bar). It is surrounded by the four Inns of Court, King's College London and the London School of Economics.

The courts within the building are open to the public, although there may be some restrictions depending upon the nature of the cases being heard. Those in court who do not have legal representation may receive some assistance within the building. There is a citizens' advice bureau based within the Main Hall which provides free, confidential and impartial advice by appointment to anyone who is a litigant in person in the courts. There is also a Personal Support Unit where litigants in person can receive emotional support and practical information about what court proceedings.

Close-up of main entrance to Royal Courts of Justice

Entering through the main gates on the Strand, one passes under two elaborately carved porches fitted with iron gates. The carving over the outer porch consists of heads of the most eminent judges and lawyers. Over the highest point of the upper arch is a figure of Jesus; to the left and right at a lower level are figures of Solomon and Alfred the Great; that of Moses is at the northern front of the building. Also at the northern front, over the Judges entrance are a stone cat and dog representing fighting litigants in court.

CARD AID

One of our "traditions" when visiting London near Christmas is to purchase Christmas Cards that help British charities. They have lovely cards that range from humorous to religious, but we prefer the ones that have winter scenes of the sites we've visited.

Golden Trees card with Card Aid Logo

For over 30 years Card Aid has helped charities make money from their Christmas cards.
Card Aid shops were developed to provide an outlet for charities to sell their Christmas cards to a wider public. There are now about 30 Card Aid shops selling charity Christmas cards on behalf of over 200 charities.

A lot of their "store fronts" are located in churches, and the closest one to us was at St. Clement Danes. So after looking about the church, we went through their selection and purchased about 20 GBP of cards along with a couple of lapel poppies for Remembrance Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, November 10 this year.

I'll talk more about Remembrance Day and its observance on Sunday's post. The docent at St. Mary Le Strand recommended we try to see King's College Chapel if we had the time, so after we made our purchases we headed back to King's College London.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the east wing of Somerset House now houses part of King's College London.

King's College - East wing of Somerset House

King's College, so named to indicate the patronage of King George IV, was founded in 1829 in response to the theological controversy surrounding the founding of "London University" (which later became University College London) in 1827. London University was founded, with the backing of Utilitarians, Jews and non-Anglican Christians, as a secular institution, intended to educate "the youth of our middling rich people between the ages of 15 or 16 and 20 or later" giving its nickname, "the godless college in Gower Street".

The need for such an institution was a result of the religious and social nature of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which then educated solely the sons of wealthy Anglicans. The secular nature of London University was disapproved by The Establishment, indeed, "the storms of opposition which raged around it threatened to crush every spark of vital energy which remained". Thus, the creation of a rival institution represented a Tory response to reassert the educational values of The Establishment. More widely, King's was one of the first of a series of institutions which came about in the early nineteenth century as a result of the Industrial Revolution and great social changes in England following the Napoleonic Wars. By virtue of its foundation King's has enjoyed the patronage of the monarch, the Archbishop of Canterbury as its Visitor and during the nineteenth century counted among its official governors the Lord Chancellor, Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Mayor of London.

Rumors in the press of a competing institution in the tradition of the established church appeared in 1827, but the idea was first defined early in 1828 by Reverend Dr George D'Oyly, Rector of Lambeth, in an open letter to Sir Robert Peel, the then Home Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons. A scheme emerged during the summer of 1828 and a public meeting to launch King's, chaired by the Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington, and attended by the Archbishops of York, Canterbury and Armagh, and two members of the Cabinet (Peel and the Earl of Aberdeen) was held on 21 June 1828. A committee of twenty-seven was appointed to raise funds and to frame regulations and building plans, but the sum raised by subscription was inadequate. The Crown granted a site lying between the Strand and the Thames to the College and building began in 1829.

King's College London from the air with Big Ben in the background

King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's is arguably the third-oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, receiving its royal charter in the same year. In 1836 King's became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London.

King's is organised into nine academic schools, spread across four Thames-side campuses in central London and another in Denmark Hill in south London. It is one of the largest centres for graduate and post-graduate medical teaching and biomedical research in Europe; it is home to six Medical Research Council centres, the most of any British university, and is a founding member of the King's Health Partners academic health sciences centre. King's has around 25,000 students and 6,113 staff with a total income of £554.2 million in 2011/12, of which £154.7 million was from research grants and contracts.

Entrance to King's College from the Strand

King's is ranked 19th in the world (and 8th in Europe) in the 2013 QS World University Rankings, 38th in the world (and 9th in Europe) in the 2013 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 67th in the world (and 18th in Europe) in the 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities. There are currently 12 Nobel Prize laureates amongst King's alumni and current and former faculty. In September 2010, The Sunday Times selected King's as its "University of the Year". King's is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the European University Association, the Russell Group and Universities UK. It forms part of the 'golden triangle' of British universities.

King's is one of the top universities in the world, a top destination choice of Marshall Scholars and its graduates are highly sought by firms across the globe; in a survey, by the New York Times, of global business leaders when asked to name the top universities they like to recruit from, King's ranked 22nd in the world and 5th in the UK.

King's College London Grand Staircase

In order to get to the King's College London Chapel, you need to climb the grand staircase. There might be a lift for those who have difficulty climbing stairs, but we didn't see one, so up we climbed.

KIng's College London Chapel

King's College London Chapel is a Grade I listed 19th century chapel located in the Strand Campus of King's College London, London, England. Originally designed by Sir Robert Smirke in 1831, the Renaissance Revival chapel seen today was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1864, at a cost of just over £7,000.

Cartoon of the duel between the Earl of Winchilsea and the Duke of Wellington

The Duke of Wellington, victor of the Battle of Waterloo and Prime Minister, chaired the public meeting which launched King's on 21 June 1828. Early in 1829 the Earl of Winchilsea publicly challenged Wellington about his simultaneous support for the Anglican King's College and the Roman Catholic Relief Act. The result was a duel in Battersea Fields on 21 March. Shots were fired but no-one was hurt.

I have much more to write, but we came back from The Book of Mormon late, so I'm going to have to catch up when I can. Great show by the way. Until tomorrow.

Day 41 - The Storm of the Century in UK Headlines

2013-10-28T19:03:00.000-04:00

Sunday Night

Commuters are being warned of travel disruption on Monday as a storm bringing severe gale-force winds starts moving across England and Wales.

Train companies have cancelled early-morning services, and flights into London have been reduced.

Gusts of up to 80mph (130km/h) are predicted as the weather hits the South West then moves north and eastwards and there are fears of flooding and damage.

The prime minister has chaired talks about plans to protect the public.

Meanwhile the search for a missing 14-year-old boy who was swept away by the sea in East Sussex has been suspended.

Waves in Newquay Cornwall

Travel warnings included:

South West Trains have advised people not to travel on Monday with most services not running until at least 08:00 GMT to allow Network Rail to check lines. A reduced timetable will be in operation, with some trains limited to speeds of 50mph
East Coast will operate a revised emergency timetable on Monday, with trains stopping at Peterborough until 10:00 GMT, and limited to speeds of 50mph afterwards
First Great Western and Virgin West Coast main line are also running an amended service until 10:00 GMT and 09:00 GMT respectively
First Capital Connect and C2C said services are unlikely to begin until 09:00 GMT. Greater Anglia, Southern and Gatwick Express have said services on Monday will not run until it is declared safe to do so
London Overground will not run a service on Monday before 09:00 GMT, while First Great Western has warned of extended travelling times and Southeastern said it is likely to start running services late
Airports including Heathrow and Gatwick are warning of possible disruption to flights, advising passengers to check with airlines
Airlines operating in and out of Heathrow have been instructed to reduce their schedules by between 5% and 20% between the hours of 06:00 GMT and 22:30 GMT, leading to about 60 flight cancellations. It is not yet clear how many of those will be short-haul or long-haul flights
EasyJet has warned passengers there could be disruption to flights on Monday. It said no trains would run to Gatwick, Southend, Stansted or Luton airports before 09:00 GMT
Eurostar said it will not be running trains on Monday until 07:00 GMT, with early services from London and Brussels subject to delays. It expects to run a full service after 07:00 GMT and passengers are advised to arrive at the scheduled time
Several ferry companies have also cancelled services, including some English Channel and Irish Sea crossings
Several bridges including the M48 Severn Crossing, the A249 Sheppey Crossing in Kent, and the Tamar Bridge which joins Cornwall and Devon are closed. There also are plans to shut the M4 Severn bridge and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge on the M25 on Monday morning, with traffic directed through the tunnel part of the crossing
The Highways Agency is advising motorists to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel

Stranded Passengers at Kings Cross Station

Four people have died after a storm battered southern Britain, leading to 625,000 homes losing power, and major rush-hour disruption to commuters.

A teenager in Kent and a man in Watford were killed by falling trees.

A man and a woman died in west London after a falling tree caused a suspected gas explosion and a house to collapse.

Many rail companies suspended morning services before running reduced services later. They say operations will be back to normal on Tuesday.

Flights and ferry crossing were also affected as the storm moved across Britain.

BBC forecasters say the storm, which began on Sunday night and saw heavy rain fall across many areas and wind speeds of more than 70mph, moved out of the UK shortly after 12:00 GMT - leaving a "broadly windy day" behind.

Needles Old Battery - Isle of Wight

The strongest gust of 99mph (159km/h) during the storm was recorded at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight, at 05:00 GMT.

Mobile Home Crushed by tree - killing teen

Bethany Freeman, 17, suffered fatal injuries when the tree came down on the caravan where she was sleeping in Hever, near Edenbridge, at about 07:20 GMT.

The caravan was next to the house she lived in with her family and she had been sleeping there while renovations were carried out.

Donal Drohan, 51, from Harrow, was pronounced dead at the scene after a tree crushed a red Peugeot 307 at Lower High Street in Watford, Hertfordshire, at 6:50 GMT.

Mark Joseph, who was passing by before the emergency services arrived, said: "We tried to assist, trying to get the tree off, but it was impossible... The poor chap didn't stand a chance."

West London

The man and women who died in west London were found after three houses collapsed and two others were damaged following a gas explosion after a tree fell during high winds in Hounslow, the London Fire Brigade said. Three people injured in the incident were taken to hospital.

The search for the 14-year-old boy - who has been named as Dylan Alkins - who was swept away in Newhaven, East Sussex on Sunday has resumed

Bus overturned in Suffolk

A double-decker bus rolled over in Suffolk, injuring the driver and several passengers. Witnesses told police the vehicle blew over at 08:00 GMT, rolling onto its side and coming to a stop in a field in Hadleigh

Both reactors in Dungeness power station's B units were automatically shut down after power to the site was cut off. The site's own generators are providing power to the site.

The Metropolitan Police says it received 792 calls to its 101 and 999 numbers between 06:00 and 08:00 GMT, compared with the 200 it would normally expect. The most common call was for "tree in road"

Southwest Tracks in Alton Hampshire

Police say 125 trees fallen across Sussex including one on a taxi in Eastbourne, from which the driver climbed out uninjured.

The helter-skelter at Clacton Pier in Essex has blown down.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has chaired an emergency resilience meeting involving all emergency services and relevant agencies - and later made a statement thanking them for their work.

Collapsed crane on the roof of the Cabinet Office

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg cancelled his monthly press conference after a crane collapsed on the roof of the Cabinet Office

Storm as of 00:00 Monday 10/28

We had some gusty winds in our area, but our trees are all fairly small in this area and protected by taller buildings. Throughout the night it sounded like shutters were beating against the windows. The streets were wet, but it was no longer raining by 10:00 AM.

Day 40 - Spankings, Football, Calton Hill and a Marks & Spencer Dinner

2013-10-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

Today I spent most of the morning and afternoon going through all the Spank or Treat and Saturday Spankings entries and leaving a comment. So, no touristy stuff to report from me. Hubby went looking for a model store that has closed and a search for the third BBC Dr. Who magazine, so not much to report from him either.

NFL in London

This afternoon marked the second NFL game being played in London this year. During it, the San Francisco 49ers won their fifth straight game, crushing the winless Jacksonville Jaguars 42-10 at Wembley Stadium.

Christmas Decorations are beginning to be put up with various lighting cermonies around the city reportedly happening next week. There's a tree up in Covent Garden, but it's not decorated, yet, and though the decorations on our street are all up, they still aren't lit either. We spoke briefly with the gents last week who were working to install them, and they said their company was responsible for the decorations on both Oxford and Regent Street as well as Covent Garden.

Next week, I hope to be able to share pictures of decorated streets, but in the meantime I'll share a few more photos from Edinburgh that I wasn't able to share earlier.

Calton Hill in Edinburgh

Calton Hill is the headquarters of the Scottish Government, which is based at St Andrew's House, on the steep southern slope of the hill; with the Scottish Parliament Building, and other notable buildings, for example Holyrood Palace, lying near the foot of the hill.includes several iconic monuments and buildings: the National Monument, the Nelson Monument, the Dugald Stewart Monument, the old Royal High School, the Robert Burns Monument, the Political Martyrs' Monument and the City Observatory.

Martyrs Monument on Calton Hill

The Old Calton Burial Ground was the first substantial development on Calton Hill and lies on the south-western side of the hill. The philosopher David Hume is buried there. His tomb is engraved only with the year of his birth (1711) and death (1776), on the "simple Roman tomb" (a relatively large monument) which he prescribed. The Political Martyrs' Monument is also in the burial ground. This is in memory of five campaigners for political reform and universal suffrage who were convicted of sedition and sent in 1793 to Botany Bay, Australia.

Edinburgh from the Calton Hill with Calton Jail in foreground, by George Washington Wilson, albumen print, ca. 1865-1895

Calton Hill was the location of the notorious Calton Jail, a complex comprising a Debtors' Prison, the Bridewell (1791-96) by Robert Adam (later replaced) and a Felons' Prison of 1815-17 by Archibald Elliot. The jails were replaced by Saughton Prison and demolished in 1930 providing a site for St. Andrew's House, home to Scotland's senior civil servants. The sole surviving building is the castellated and turreted Governors House.

The Governor's House on Calton Hill

The Governor's House, designed by Archibald Elliot (1761-1823) who was also responsible for the nearby Waterloo Place and Regent Arch, is a building situated on the southernmost spur of the Calton Hill beside the south-east corner of Old Calton Burial Ground. It looks out over Waverley Station, the Canongate and Holyrood Park to the south.

As was mentioned before, this building is all that remains of the Calton Gaol, once the largest prison in Scotland, completed in 1817. The House contained the Committee Room used by the Commissioners who governed the prison. Its castellated and turreted form is similar to James Craig's Old Observatory House on the Calton Hill, but its design was more likely influenced by Robert Adam's older 'Bridewell' of 1791, which stood alongside the newer prison. The Gaol closed in 1927 and, except for the Governor's House, was demolished in the 1937 to make way for St Andrew's House.

The National Monument as seen from the Nelson Monument

Playfair was responsible for many of the monumental structures on the summit of the hill most notably the Scottish National Monument. This monument was intended to be another Parthenon and to commemorate Scottish Soldiers killed in the Napoleonic wars. Construction started in 1826 but work was stopped in 1829 when the building was only partially built due to lack of money. It has never been completed.For many years this failure to complete led to its being nicknamed "Scotland's Disgrace" but this name has waned given the time elapsed since the Napoleonic Wars and it is now accepted for what it is.

Horatio Nelson Monument

The Nelson Monument is a commemorative tower in honour of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, situated on top of Calton Hill, in Edinburgh, Scotland and provides a dramatic termination of the vista along Princes Street from the west. It was built between 1807 and 1815 to commemorate Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and his own death at the same battle. In 1853 a time ball was added, as a time signal to shipping in Leith harbour, and to ships at the anchorage in the Firth of Forth known as Leith Roads, allowing the ships to set their chronometers.

The Time Ball on Nelson's Monument

The time ball was the idea of Charles Piazzi Smyth, the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, and was originally triggered by a clock in the adjacent City Observatory, to which it was connected by an underground wire. The mechanism was the work of Maudslay, Sons & Field of Lambeth, who had previously constructed the time ball mechanism for Greenwich Observatory. The installation was carried out by James Ritchie & Son (Clockmakers) Ltd, who are still retained by City of Edinburgh Council to maintain and operate the time ball.

The ball, constructed of wood and covered in zinc, and weighing 762 kilograms (1,680 lb), is raised just before 1pm, and at precisely 1pm, is dropped from atop the mast. Later, in 1861, the One O'Clock Gun was established at Edinburgh Castle to provide an audible signal when fog obscured the time ball. The time ball was operated for over 150 years, until it was damaged by a storm in 2007. In 2009, as part of the restoration of the monument, the time ball was removed, and the mechanism repaired. The time ball was brought back into service on 24 September 2009.] The mechanism is now operated manually, based on the firing of the One O'Clock Gun.

The Dugald Stewart Monument

The Dugald Stewart Monument is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart (1753–1828). Situated on Calton Hill, the monument designed by William Henry Playfair, was completed in August 1831. Dugald Stewart was a professor at the University of Edinburgh, holding the chair of moral philosophy from 1786 until his death. The Royal Society of Edinburgh commissioned the monument and selected its site in 1830.

The monument, modeled on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, is a circular temple of 9 fluted Corinthian columns around an elevated urn. This example of the architecture of ancient Greece had been brought to wider attention by James "Athenian" Stuart and Nicholas Revett's illustrated survey, The Antiquities of Athens, published in 1762. The Choragic Monument also provided the model for the nearby Robert Burns Monument, designed by Thomas Hamilton around the same time.

Robert Burns National Memorial in Edinburgh

Following the erection of a mausoleum on the grave of Robert Burns (Scotland's National poet) in Dumfries in 1815 there was a general move for memorials and statues of the bard in other Scottish towns and cities.

After a large subscription from Scottish expatriates in 1817 from India, a monument in Edinburgh was funded with Thomas Hamilton winning this commission, after several years of debate, in 1831, largely repeating the Alloway design, but designed to contain a full sized statue of Burns by John Flaxman. The statue was later removed to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery where it remains on display.

Although the Alloway monument is accessible all year round, sadly the Edinburgh memorial is only accessible on special occasions such as Doors Open Day (usually one weekend in late October in Edinburgh).

The Old Royal High School on Calton Hill

After the Old Royal High School was vacated in 1968, the building became available to house the proposed devolved Scottish Assembly, and was accordingly refurbished in the 1970s. However, the 1979 devolution referendum failed to provide sufficient backing for a devolved Assembly in Scotland. Instead the building has been used as offices for departments of Edinburgh City Council, including The Duke of Edinburgh's Award unit and the Sports and Outdoor Education unit.

The City Observatory on Calton Hill

The City Observatory, also known as Observatory House, the Old Observatory, or after its designer James Craig House, is an astronomical observatory located on Calton Hill. The central building with the appearance of a Greek temple is the Playfair Building, named after the building's designer William Henry Playfair. This houses the 6-inch (15 cm) refractor in its dome and the 6.4-inch (16 cm) transit telescope in its eastern wing. The largest dome of the site is the City Dome in the northeast corner. During the early 20th century this contained a 22-inch (56 cm) refractor.

Calton Hill, along with Edinburgh Castle, is to Edinburgh what the iconic Big Ben is for London. Views of, and from, the hill are often used in photographs and paintings of the city.

I have a few more photos of Edinburgh to share with you, but we had our time change last night, so even though the clock says it's only 2 AM, my body is telling me it is 3 AM, so I'm going to share one more thing with you, then say goodnight.

Hubby purchased a dinner from Marks and Spencer, which included a bottle of wine, lasagne, veggies, and profiteroles, which are like tiny eclairs in a small, round pastry shape all for 10 GBP. He added the salad of cucumbers, greens, red onions and cherry tomatoes. Very good.

Eating Dinner around the computer

I'll check in again tomorrow. Good night.

Day 39 - A Date with Eternity

2013-10-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

From Here to Eternity

Today, while I was working on my blogs, hubby braved the windy weather and procured tickets for us to the new musical, which opened on Oct. 23, From Here to Eternity.

Soldiers in the barracks

It received mixed reviews, which probably accounted for a less than full audience on only it's third day out. In Paul Taylor's review for the Independent, he wrote, "The aim is a grittier, sexier low-down on life in the US army and the show – with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by newcomer Stuart Brayson – certainly gives you a powerful sense of men, thrown by poverty into this substitute family, and the nervous energies that are barely held in check by the furious military drilling in Javier de Frutos's testosterone-fuelled choreography."

Kiss on the Beach

I agree the show is a lot grittier than the movie, so it is reportedly more faithful to James Jones's novel. I also felt that the scenes with the men of company G were probably the strongest, and that's part of the problem. They should be rousing, but the best scenes should be those of the principals, and unfortunately that wasn't the case

Rehearsal for the Kiss Scene

Taylor goes on to say, "An air of unintended embarrassment hangs around the illicit passion between Darius Campell's tall, dark and lecherous First Sergeant Milt Warden and Karen (Rebecca Thornhill), the neglected wife of his boss. There’s no sizzle in the wise-cracks, and though the first act climaxes, rather laughably, in a spot of rear-view nudity, there is little erotic spark between them."

Sergeant Warden and Karen

He's right that Karen and Milt's relationship lacks electricity, because for some reason the most emotional scenes are played without any emotion at all. Not even a struggle to keep the unwanted emotion at bay. The characters could as well be talking about a frustrating day at the grocery store than the fact that Karen had to have a hysterectomy because her unfaithful husband gave her gonorrhea, taking away all chance of her ever having a child. That moment should have been fraught with anger and frustration and perhaps even tears on Karen's part as she tries to explain to her lover why she's now being unfaithful to her husband, but she's dry-eyed leaving the audience equally untouched by her plight.

Warden, Karen, Lorene, Prewitt

I didn't think the first act climax was laughable, but I wanted a better connection between all four of the principals. Problem is none of them is really likable. Karen's husband, who serves as the commanding officer for the company, refers to his unfaithfulness as "one small mistake." Karen has become cold and emotionally distant from her husband and any other man she chooses to sleep with. Sergeant Walker is known as a handsome lech, so he's got some strikes against him before he and Karen get together. Private Prewitt (the second male lead) has a past he regrets, so he's determined to remain emotionally distant, and the woman he eventually falls in love with (Lorene) is paid to have sex with other men, so she has to keep her emotions in check. Because of their situation, all four of these characters need to grow until at one point they feel so strongly it hurts them, and we (the audience) need to experience their growth pains, so that we care what happens to them and want them to succeed with all our heart. Instead, we watch them go through the show without ever opening themselves up to the hurt of loving someone. They say they love, but we don't believe them. We can't because they refuse to let us in.

Ryan Sampson Curtain Call

The best actor in the show was Ryan Sampson, whose portrayal of the jesting, bullied-to-death Maggio reminded me of a young Al Pacino. His wisecracking and emotionally open character was a relief when compared to the other actors, and he received the greatest applause as well.

Shaftesbury Theatre

The ending is emotionally rousing considering that almost all the soldiers die. And though we are disappointed that the women do not end up with the men they claim to have loved, we feel much more for the innocent soldiers who lost their lives to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

I think the show has great potential, but they need to make the primary characters more likable, or we won't care what happens to them in the end.

Charles, Prince William, and Diana

On a slightly different topic, I wanted to add information about HRH George of Cambridge's Christening at St. James Palace on the 23rd, while we were in Cambridge. I doubt we would have gotten close enough to capture any good photos as some of the pictures below will reveal the crowds around the palace, but I'm sorry we missed the event entirely. Most of text below comes from the Daily Mail article I refer to at the end of this post. Please refer to it if you'd like more information and pictures. (Note: most of the pictures can be viewed as larger images if you click on them).

Official portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with a happy Prince George

The official portrait for the christening of Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, HRH Duke of Cambridge and HRH Duchess of Cambridge, in The Morning Room at Clarence House in London on Oct. 23rd 2013.

Kate wore Alexander McQueen to Baby George’s christening, but the Prince one-upped his fashionista mother with a hand-made Honiton lace dress fashioned after the christening gown worn by every royal baby since 1841.

Prince William's Christening
Front Row: Queen Elizabeth II, Diana holding William, the Queen Mother
Back Row: Charles and Prince Phillip

Front Row Queen, Kate and William
Back Row Prince Phillip, Charles, Camilla, Harry, Pippa, James, Carole and Michael Middleton

According to aides, there wasn’t ‘even a peep’ out of the three-month-old future king as he was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace.

ROYAL ORDER OF SERVICE: THE BAPTISM OF PRINCE GEORGE
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge asked their siblings to do readings at Prince George's christening service.
Harry read a passage from the gospel of St John (15: 1-5), which begins 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener', while Pippa read the famous 'Suffer little children that they come unto me' passage from the gospel of St Luke (18:15-17).
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, baptised Prince George, supported by the Dean of The Chapel Royal, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, and the Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, the Rev Prebendary William Scott.
The two hymns sung at the service were Breathe On Me, Breath Of God, and Be Thou My Vision.
Blessed Jesu! Here We Stand was written for Prince William's baptism on 4 August 1982, and the anthems were performed by the Choir of Her Majesty's Chapel Royal.
The processional altar music was Bach's Fantasia in G (BWV 572), while the recessional altar music was Widor's Toccata from Symphony No.5.

‘He went in smiling, came out smiling and, as far as we are aware, smiled throughout,’ said one.
William, however, could not resist confiding: ‘It’s the first time he’s been quiet all day.’
The Archbishop of Canterbury told the congregation in the Holbein-painted chapel that George’s parents and godparents had a ‘simple task’ – to ‘make sure he knows who this Jesus is’.

The simplicity of the half-hour ceremony contrasted with the historic grandeur of the surroundings.

St. James's Palace

The heart of Mary I is buried beneath the choir-stalls of St. James's Palace and Elizabeth I prayed there for the defense of the realm against the Spanish armada in 1588.

Adding some gravitas is the note that it was in the Chapel Royal that Diana’s body lay before her funeral in Westminster Abbey in 1997. Kate also chose the chapel to be confirmed into the Church of England before her marriage to Prince William in April 2011.

Crowds around St. James Palace

George’s life too, is already steeped in history. The Archbishop made the sign of the cross on his head with water taken from the River Jordan, in a royal tradition that dates back to the 12th century.

Silver Lily Baptismal Font in Chapel Royal of St. James Palace

The water was poured into the silver Lily Baptismal Font which was commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 and has been used at every royal christening since.

Godmother to George Zara Phillips with husband Mike Tindall

His parents’ guest list for the christening – which left out senior members of the family including Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne – was a surprise to some. It did, however, result in the ‘intimacy’ the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge craved.

Indeed, there were just 23 guests present, giving the christening a feel of a family gathering rather than the moment a future Supreme Governor was presented to his Church.

Earlier, Kensington Palace unveiled the long awaited list of godparents. Among the seven, there was no royalty, just a smattering of close friends, relatives and advisers.

They are Oliver Baker, Kate and William’s flatmate at St Andrew’s, interior decorator Emilia Jardine-Paterson, William’s cousin Zara Tindall and his childhood friend William van Cutsem, one of William’s most trusted confidantes.

At just 22, Hugh, Earl Grosvenor, was the youngest. He is the son of one of the country’s richest men, the Duke of Westminster, whose wife, Natalia, is one of William’s godmothers.

Family friends: Prince George's godparents Julia Samuel, a close friend of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Westminster's son Hugh Grosvenor, right, are pictured arriving with the Hon. Mrs Samuel's husband, Michael, left

For the Queen it was very much business as usual. She broke away from her schedule for only an hour – and was last night busy hosting a charity reception at the Palace.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip with Charles and Camilla in the background

Shortly before 3pm on the 23rd, the family gathered at St James’s Palace to await the Queen.
The guests filed in, including Carole and Pippa Middleton, Kate’s heavily bearded brother James and William and Kate followed with baby George Alexander Louis.

The Queen was the last to walk in, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh. She wore a diamond, ruby and sapphire floral brooch that her own parents had given her on the birth of Prince Charles in 1948.

The prince bounced his baby son up and down as Kate, radiant in a cream Alexander McQueen ruffled outfit with a jaunty Jane Taylor hat, beamed proudly.

Kate holding George

With its long, flowing skirt, Prince George’s fairytale christening gown was a vision to behold. But the third in line to the throne was swathed in much more than layers of intricate lace and satin when he was popped into the robe yesterday. He was also wrapped up snugly in 172 years of royal history.

The elaborate cream gown is a handmade replica of one worn by Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, at her christening in 1841, and then passed down as an heirloom. The original, made of the same fabric as the wedding dress Queen Victoria wore for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, went on to be worn by generations of royal babies – 62 in all, including Victoria’s eight other children.

Every British monarch since Edward VII wore it, including the Queen when she was christened in 1926. So did all four of her children, all her grandchildren and other royal babies.

Created by Janet Sutherland, a Falkirk coal miner’s daughter, it was delicately crafted from Spitalfields silk, given a satin weave to make it glossy, and trimmed with lace from Honiton, East Devon.

The gown was hand-washed in spring water and carefully stored in a cool, dark place to keep it pristine. But in 2004, after the christening of Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the cherished antique was deemed too fragile to be used again and went into retirement, preserved at Buckingham Palace.

So loved was it, however, the Queen commissioned an exact replica from her dresser Angela Kelly – with the same cap sleeves, neck bow, ruffled overlay, high waist, long skirt and wide sash. It was first worn by Edward and Sophie’s son James at his christening in 2008.

As they walked out it was Kate’s turn to hold baby George, who appeared to be slightly dozing under the watchful eye of their part-time nanny, Jessie Webb. Afterwards there was just enough time for tea and a slice of christening cake (in line with tradition, a tier of the couple’s wedding cake from 2011) at neighbouring Clarence House before the Queen had to get back to business at Buckingham Palace.

On the 24th an historic set of photographs taken at that tea will be released to the public.
The photographs will, for the first time in more than a century, show a monarch and three living heirs: Prince Charles, 64, Prince William, 31 and George. (See earlier photo) The last occasion such a picture was taken was in 1894 when Queen Victoria was photographed with her son Edward VII, grandson George V and great grandson Edward VIII. (See photo below).

Christening of Prince Edward Albert

If you want more information about the ceremony and see more pictures of the invited guests, please visit:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2472989/Prince-Georges-christening-Royal-family-St-James-baptism-Kate-Williams-baby.html

Day 38 - Waterloo, Books, The Old Vic and a return to the Garden

2013-10-25T18:26:00.000-04:00

Today we took the tube to Waterloo Station and walked about for a bit.

Waterloo Station Victory Arch

London Waterloo station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is one of 17 stations in Britain managed and operated by Network Rail, and is located near the South Bank of the River Thames. A railway station on this site first came into being in 1848, with the present structure inaugurated in 1922. Part of the station is a Grade II listed building.

With over 94 million passenger entries and exits between April 2011 and March 2012, Waterloo is Britain's busiest railway station by passenger usage. The Waterloo complex is one of the busiest passenger terminals in Europe, and the 91st busiest railway station in the world. It has more platforms and a greater floor area than any other station in the United Kingdom (though Clapham Junction, just under 4 miles (6 km) down the line, has the largest number of trains). It is the terminus of a network of lines from Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, South West England, and the south-western suburbs of London.

Eurostar trains out of Waterloo Station

From 1994 to 2007, Waterloo International station was the London terminus of the Eurostar international rail service. Waterloo International was managed and branded separately from the mainline station. Its 5 platforms were numbered from 20 to 24. The first Eurostar departure was on 14 November 1994 and the last service left at 18.12 GMT on 13 November 2007 for Brussels. From the next day Eurostar services used their new London terminus of St Pancras International, and four of the five Eurostar tracks out of Waterloo Station remain unused today.

In 2012 a new proposal for the future use of the Waterloo station was made, namely that it becomes the London destination of all the UK's sleeper trains. This may become necessary as the phasing out of Mk2 vehicles and their replacement with Mk3 will make the trains too long for the platforms at Euston, and construction of HS2 will make the long sleeper dwell times at Euston untenable. If the Paddington sleepers were also diverted this would concentrate all sleeper services at Waterloo International, thus making use of the former Eurostar lounge facilities for sleeper passengers.

Eurostar in St. Pancras

So, why was the Eurostar moved at a great expense from Waterloo Station to St. Pancras? The original Channel Tunnel proposal was for a high speed railway all the way from London to Paris. By the time the tunnel itself got approved, however, the public was far less eager to spend money straight away on the new line through Kent (even though the French did build their part of the line). So Waterloo was chosen as the best way of getting Eurostar trains to London on existing tracks.

Later on, the case for building a proper high speed line was successfully made. A large number of route options were studied by British Rail and others. Since an entirely new line had to be built into London, the same constraints as for Waterloo didn't apply, so essentially the new terminus could be anywhere with (a) good onward connections and (b) room to build new platforms. As the most accessible place in London and having a large adjacent brownfield site ripe for redevelopment, St Pancras fit the requirements perfectly so this is why it was chosen.

Stratford East London - pre-Olympics

Politically it also helped that the new route not only served one depressed area marked for regeneration (at St Pancras) - it served another at Stratford in east London, and a third at Ebbsfleet in Kent. However, it didn't come cheap - depending on your measure, the redevelopment of St Pancras was around £600m-£1bn.

Stratford East London with Olympic Stadium

After we took a picture of Waterloo station, we snapped one of The Old Vic where James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave are appearing in a production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

The Old Vic

The Old Vic is located just south-east of Waterloo Station on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian Baylis assumed management and began a series of Shakespeare productions in 1914. The building was damaged in 1940 during air raids and became a Grade II* listed building in 1951 after it reopened.

The name was also shared with a repertory company based at the theatre. The company formed the core of the National Theatre of Great Britain on its formation in 1963, under Laurence Olivier. The National Theatre remained at the Old Vic until new premises were constructed on the South Bank, opening in 1976. The building underwent complete refurbishment in 1985. In 2003 American actor Kevin Spacey was appointed as the new artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre Company.

After doing some shopping we walked around the area and shot a few more pictures. The first place we came across was St. John's Church.

St. John's Church in Waterloo

St John's Church, Waterloo, is an Greek Revival church in South London, built in 1822–24 to the designs of Francis Octavius Bedford. It is dedicated to St John the Evangelist, and under a benefice with St Andrews, Short Street. The church is located in Waterloo, opposite the London IMAX, close to Waterloo Station and the campus of King’s College London.

BFI IMAX Theatre

The BFI (British Film Institute) London IMAX was designed by Bryan Avery of Avery Associates Architects and completed in May 1999. It sits in the centre of a roundabout on Waterloo Road. Stamford Street is to the north-east, York Road is to the south-west and Waterloo Bridge is to the north-west. The IMAX screen is the largest in Britain (20m high and 26m wide). It has a seating capacity of just under 500 and a 12,000 Watt digital surround sound system. Although the site is surrounded by traffic and has an underground line just four metres below, the architects and engineers accounted for this in their design and the entire upper structure sits on anti vibration bearings to prevent noise transference.

The cinema won several awards at the time of opening, including a Design Council Millennium Product Award in 1999 and a Civic Trust Award in 2000.

In 2012, the screen was replaced and a digital IMAX projector was installed alongside the existing 70mm projector. In July 2012, the BFI announced that Odeon Cinemas had been selected to operate it for the next five years. This gives customers the opportunity to watch Operas on the giant screen. The BFI will retain a great deal of power over the cinema's operation, however, including parts of the film schedule and the technical operation, so the name of the building will remain the same.

We then caught the RV1 bus back to Covent Garden and met some Spanish-speaking tourists who were seeking Covent Garden as well, so we helped them get there. Hubby tried to teach the gentleman how to read bus maps, but he spoke little English. Even so, I think he understood. Maybe. They were grateful for the assistance and parted with us once we reached the Garden. We walked into the center courtyard to find it decorated for Christmas already.

Covent Garden dressed for Christmas

We listened to the musicians for a while, then walked back to the flat where hubby prepared an excellent meal of roast chicken breasts, buttered potatoes with parsley, chives and mint, string beans and a mixed salad with cherry tomatoes and red onion. Note the obligatory glass of wine, and guess whose plate he photographed.

Chicken Dinner

Dinner was wonderful, so now I'm going to check e-mail, do a little work and call it a night. Not sure what will happen tomorrow, but I've got Saturday Spankings to look after as well as read a few more Spank or Treat entries, which are wonderful excerpts. If you're interested in reading some, go to my Naughty Blog and check out my Spank or Treat entry. The other authors are all listed at the bottom in a small table.

Until tomorrow, good night.

Day 37 - An Evening with the Jersey Boys

2013-10-24T20:14:00.000-04:00

Tonight will be a quickie (no, not that kind of quickie) because I wasn't feeling too well today. Probably just tired. Anyway, hubby surged on without me to get theatre tickets for tonight and went through Cecil Court on his way.

Cecil Court

Cecil Court is a pedestrian street with Victorian shop-frontages that links Charing Cross Road and St. Martin's Lane. Since the 1930s it has been known as the new Booksellers' Row and it is sometimes used as a location by film companies. In 2011, the President of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, Laurence Worms, described the street as an "Island of Civilization" in contemporary London.

Cecil Court dates back to the end of the 17th century. Originally a tradesman's route, it later acquired the nickname Flicker Alley from the concentration of early film companies in the Court. It is now known to bibliophiles as home to nearly twenty antiquarian and second-hand independent bookshops, including specialists in modern first editions, collectible children’s books, early printing, rare maps and atlases, antique prints, theatrical ephemera, and esoterica, as well as a contemporary art gallery, an antiques shop, shops specializing in philately, numismatics and art deco jewellery and two restaurants.

Cecil Court's Connection to Mozart

A substantial part of Cecil Court was razed to the ground in 1735, almost certainly arson on the part of a tenant, Mrs Colloway, who was running a brandy shop/brothel in the street at the time: she purchased kindling, emptied her brandy barrels, over-insured her stock and made certain that she was drinking nearby with friends at the time the fire took hold. However, she was acquitted.

Once it recovered from the ravages of fire, the small street become the temporary home of an eight-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart while he was touring Europe in 1764. For almost four months the Mozart family lodged with barber John Couzin. Tickets for Mozart's first London concerts were sold from Couzin's shop and, while living there, the young Mozart performed twice for King George III and was tested for his musical ability by Dr Charles Burney. According to some modern authorities, Mozart composed his first symphony while a resident of Cecil Court.

Cecil Court and the film industry

Cecil Court was also an important focus of the early British cinema industry, with over forty entries to be found in the database of the study of the film business in London, 1894-1914, organised by the AHRB Centre for British Film and Television Studies, searchable online as part of the London Project. The first film-related company arrived in Cecil Court in 1897, a year after the first demonstration of moving pictures in the United Kingdom and a decade before London’s first purpose built cinema opened its doors. ‘Flicker Alley’ was renowned as the place to buy or hire a film in Edwardian London, associated with many of the most important film-makers and distributors in early cinema.

One of the darker moments in the history of Cecil Court concerns Edwin Bush's theft of an antique dagger from Louis Meier's shop and his murder of Mrs. Elsie May Batten.

Identikit sketch vs. photo of Edwin Bush

The case of 21-year-old Edwin Bush is not only notable as the first case in the UK involving the use of the Identikit System, it also illustrates an aspect of the Homicide Act 1957. If no item had been stolen from the premises, then Bush could not have been sentenced to death under the Act.

Since Bush did steal a dagger from the shop, he was sentenced to death on 12 May 1961 at the Old Bailey, and executed at Pentonville Prison in London on 6 July 1961, for murdering 59-year-old Mrs. Elsie May Batten on 3 March 1961. Mrs Batten had been found stabbed to death with an antique dagger in Mr. Meier's shop where she worked as an assistant.

Bush was the second to last criminal executed in London and the twelfth to last in the United Kingdom.

That's a lot of history for a small street, but hubby went through it to get us tickets to see Jersey Boys.

Story of the Four Seasons and Frankie Valli

So, when he got back, we walked toward the theatre and stopped at La Porchetta Pollo Bar and Pizzeria for dinner. Eating al fresco....

Their prices are quite reasonable and the food was very good.

Spaghetti Bolognese

I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese with Insalata "Pomodoro e Cipolla" (tomato and onion salad) and the required glass of red wine. Hubby had the Penne Vodka which included prawns (shrimp) and a touch of cream.

Penne Vodka

After dinner we walked around a bit, in search of some mints when we came across a tattoo parlor with a skeleton in its window. A tattooed skeleton.

Tattooed Skeleton

When we found a newsagent that carried mints, hubby discovered he'd left the tickets back at the flat. We were in Soho, and the tickets were in Covent Garden and it was 7:10 PM with the curtain at 7:30 PM. We didn't think we'd make it back before the show started, but we gave it the old "college try." I must admit I've never seen hubby walk that fast before. We made it to the flat and back to the theatre in ten minutes. Out of breath, but on time. We're both tramps who love the theatre, but never arrive late. Or do our best not to.

Prince Edward Theatre under construction

The following is from Jersey Boys London:

"Jersey Boys is the phenomenally successful jukebox musical that recounts the story of the rise to fame and fortune of the Four Seasons, one of the most memorable and well-known pop bands of the 1960s. Set in the years leading up to and going beyond their first break into showbiz, Jersey Boys uses a mixture of the band’s back catalogue and a documentary-style flashback narrative to chart the trials and tribulations that led to hit such as Can’t Take My Eye Off You, December 1963 (Oh What A Night) and Bye Bye Baby.

Despite the smooth and catchy singles that characterised the Four Seasons’ music, their path to stardom was beset with obstacles including stints in jail, jealousy and rivalry between the main acts, interference from the mob and a series of tumultuous relationships. The musical brings the turbulence of the band’s formation to life with electrifying renditions of their songs by talented West End performers, and with each member of the band narrating one chapter of the Four Seasons’ journey from Spring through to Winter.

Music and lyrics are by original Four Seasons’ member and producer, Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, and the book for the musical was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice."

Both of us enjoyed the musical immensely. The actor playing Frankie Valli did a superb job and all of them captured the "Jersey Accent" perfectly. I wasn't aware that Joe Pesci played such an instrumental role in the Four Seasons career, though he was very young. According to the musical, which is based on the stories provided by the surviving members of the Four Seasons, Joe Pesci introduced Bob Gaudio to Tommy DeVito. The story in the musical is told by each of the four group member taking a turn at informing the audience of the "true story" of their beginnings including the heartbreaks and the successes as they go through the years singing the songs as they relate to the story.

In the finale, Bob Crewe (their producer) describes The Four Seasons' 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which reunited the original four members on stage one last time ("Rag Doll"). Each member takes a moment to address the audience in turn, explaining his pride at having been with the band and briefly notes what he did afterwards.

Little was known to the public about the group's history prior to the premiere of the musical, because the magazines of the era didn't write about them much. In their research, Brickman and Elice were surprised to find that the members had prison records, which might have prevented their music from being played if it had been publicized when they were active. According to Gaudio, "Back then, things were a little clean-cut, don't forget, so the idea of our story getting out was horrifying to us." Other bands of the time projected street-tough images, but The Four Seasons cleaned themselves up in order to be palatable for mainstream listeners.

The musical made its West End debut at London's Prince Edward Theatre in February 2008. The creative team were the same that brought the production to Broadway. The production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The production will move to the Piccadilly Theatre in March 2014, and in May Miss Saigon will be moving into the Prince Edward Theatre.

That's it for tonight. I said it would be a quickie, but I wanted to share what I learned about Cecil Court. This city is filled with so much history that you'll never be able to tell it all, even if you lived here all your life and reported back daily. Until tomorrow, have a good night.

Day 36 - Cambridge, it's not just a University...

2013-10-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Cambridge Train Station

We managed to catch the express train to Cambridge from Kings Cross this morning, so our journey time averaged around 45 minutes each way. First thing we did was purchase a map. Unfortunately it doesn't include all the streets, but it does give an artist's representation of all the buildings and sites, which was helpful in some cases, but like Bath and London Cambridge has a lot of pathways and alleyways that aren't marked on the graphic map. So, we went to the Tourist Information center and purchased a more street-detailed map. Between the two, we managed to find our way without too much back tracking.

Cambridge Market Square with Great St. Mary's Church in the background

Our first stop was the Market Place. Cambridge’s colourful and historic open air market sits in the heart of the City. Stalls have been trading at the historic market square in the city centre since the middle ages. They sell a wide range of goods including books, music, films, clothes, jewellery, fresh food, second-hand bikes, plants, mobile phones and accessories, and much more. I tried a fresh Strawberry/banana smoothie. Refreshing.

King's College Gatehouse Building front

Our next stop was King's College. Formally named The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies on the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the center of the city.

King's was founded in 1441 by Henry VI, soon after he had founded its sister college in Eton. However, the King's plans for the college were disrupted by the Wars of the Roses and resultant scarcity of funds, and his eventual deposition. Little progress was made on the project until in 1508 Henry VII began to take an interest in the college, most likely as a political move to legitimize his new position. The building of the college's chapel, begun in 1446, was finally finished in 1544 during the reign of Henry VIII.

King's College Chapel

In order to tour the college, you need to begin in the chapel. King's College Chapel is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late Gothic English architecture. It has the world's largest fan-vault, and the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. The building is seen as emblematic of Cambridge. The chapel's choir, composed of male students at King's and choristers from the nearby King's College School, is one of the most accomplished and renowned in the world. Every year on Christmas Eve the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (a service devised specifically for King's by college dean Eric Milner-White) is broadcast from the chapel to millions of listeners worldwide.

King's College Chapel West Window

The vaulted ceiling is visible in the picture above along with the Last Judgment pictured in the West Window, , which is by the Clayton and Bell company and dates from 1879. The chapel itself was built in phases by a succession of Kings of England from 1446 to 1515, a period which spanned the Wars of the Roses. However, the chapel's large stained glass windows were not completed until 1531, and its early Renaissance rood screen was only erected in 1532-36.

King's College Chapel Rood Screen

This large, wooden screen, which separates the nave from the altar and supports the chapel organ, was erected in 1532-36 by King Henry VIII of England in celebration of his marriage to Anne Boleyn. The screen in an example of early Renaissance architecture, which is a striking contrast to the Perpendicular Gothic chapel.

Adoration of the Magi by Rubens serves as an altarpiece

In addition to the glorious twenty-six large stained glass windows, twenty-four of which date from the sixteenth century; Peter Paul Rubens' painting the Adoration of the Magi was gifted to the college by property millionaire Alfred E. Allnatt in 1961. A generous gift considering he had purchased the painting just two years before for a world-record price.

Unfortunately, Ruben's painting was so big that the raised floor of the chapel's east end, required by the 1448 Founder's Will, would have to be lowered and leveled to prevent the baroque artwork obscuring the bottom of the Last Judgment window.

The Last Judgment West Window

After we left the chapel, we walked out into the college's front court. The Front Court is architecturally mixed, with the Gothic or neo-Gothic style of the Chapel, Gatehouse, Screen and Wilkins' Building contrasting with the classical style of the Gibbs' Building.

The Gibbs Building and front court

After the Chapel, Gibbs' is the second oldest building in College. When masons stopped working in 1461 they left a large block of stone in the Front Court. This stone was laid as the foundation stone for the Gibbs Buidling.

This building, named after its architect James Gibbs , was begun in 1724. It is constructed in White Portland Stone. It was the only part to be built of a large scheme that Gibbs designed, which was planned to include similar buildings on the south and east side of the front court. The Gibbs' Building now contains Fellows' rooms, the Tutorial Office and the Turing Room (student computer room).

Henry VI drew up detailed plans for a ‘great court’ enclosed on all four sides like most Oxford and Cambridge courts. Until 1828 the Chapel had rough stones jutting out of the eastern corner of the south wall, where the screen joins the Chapel now. These stones were left so that they could join any buildings built along the eastern side of the court. As late as 1877 there were plans to build rooms where the screen is, but the plans never came to fruition. When it became obvious that the court was not going to be properly enclosed, the Chapel wall was finished.

The college gatehouse and the Wilkins' Building

The Porters' Lodge is the gatehouse for the College. Its fascinating architecture is a product of the neo-Gothic fashion of the 1830s. In daily College life, the Porters receive visitors, sort the College post, and manage the security of the College. Until 1963 the Head Porter lived in the Porter’s Lodge. He was expected to do gardening on top of his other duties, and often he was the College barber. Today the building contains offices.

The Wilkins' Building was completed in 1828. William Wilkins designed the screen, gatehouse, and the main part of the Wilkins' Building. The building work involved the controversial demolition of half the buildings in King's Parade.

King's College Dining Hall

The Wilkins' Building also contains the Hall, where in the past the gowned students would rise as the Fellows entered and walked the length of the Hall to the High Table. After a Latin Grace, intoned by a scholar, the Fellows would wine and dine, while the undergraduates would eat food of indifferent quality, served in the body of the Hall. Women were forbidden in Hall, even as servants, until 1958. The Hall still forms a major part of day to day College life, serving as a dining room for both canteen meals and formal dinners.

I have so much more to share about Cambridge, including the successful result of our scavenger hunt for Dr. Who, but it's too much to cover in one day, so I'll add more snippets and photos interspersed throughout the following days. Until then, I'll say good night.

Day 35 - Searching for Dr. Who and finding diversity

2013-10-22T17:50:00.000-04:00

Doctor Who first appeared on BBC television at 17:16:20 GMT on 23 November 1963, which means this year is the 50th Anniversary of the series. The BBC has scheduled an anniversary program to air on November 23, 2013 entitled "Day of the Doctor," written by Steven Moffat, who also serves as the series producer.

Of course the 50th Anniversary has generated a lot of merchandise, books, toys, magazines, etc. We received a request from the USA for one of the magazines that was published in May, 2013.

So, we went on a treasure hunt to see if we could find a copy. First stop was Forbidden Planet, the world’s largest and best-known science fiction, fantasy and cult entertainment retailer and the largest UK stockist of the latest comics and graphic novels.

Forbidden Planet Megastore in London

Though they had a lot of Dr. Who books, DVDs and magazines, they did not have the BBC issue. So next we went to Foyles Bookstore.

Foyle's Bookstore

Unfortunately, they recommended we try Forbidden Planet. We're off to Cambridge tomorrow, so maybe we'll have better luck there. In the meantime we walked up and down Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road in our search.

Shaftesbury is known for theatre, and Charing Cross is known for books, however, both streets offer a lot more. For example, on the corner of Charing Cross and Old Compton Rd, on the same block as Foyles, is Molly Moggs.

Molly Moggs

Though Molly Moggs is listed as a traditional pub with a relaxed atmosphere situated in the heart of London, serving real ales and also have a juke box and fruit machines, it is indeed much more than that. Their website claims they have been entertaining Soho since 1731, but a retelling of the pub's history is still missing from their site. http://mollymoggs.co.uk/index.html

Julie Paid - A Molly Moggs Diva

In the early 18th century, Gay, Swift and Pope were regular customers to the Rose Inn public house in Wokingham, which was run by John Mogg (though John Timbs identifies the public house as the Rose Inn in Covent Garden) On one visit, they were forced to stay in the inn longer than planned due to a storm. To pass the time, they wrote verses about Molly, the attractive eldest daughter of the landlord.

The pub on Old Compton Street took its name from the landlord's daughter, but the entertainers at Molly Moggs, which is publicized as being the only bar in Soho with free cabaret 7 nights a week, are all men dressed as women. We've been tempted to stop in for a drink one day, but as yet have not found the courage to do it.

A little further up the block on Charing Cross is Soho Original Books complete with a Licensed Sex Shop downstairs.

We did summon enough courage to step in and browse the street or ground floor, but didn't wander downstairs. Maybe before we leave. We did, however, take a picture of the floggers.

Soho Original Books Merchandise

Nearby (a little north and east) is St. Giles-in-the-fields church. A house of prayer has existed on the site since 1101, when Queen Matilda, wife of Henry I, founded a leper hospital here. At this time, St Giles stood outside the city of London with the lepers isolated from the population as a whole; the chapel probably became the church of a small village, which serviced the hospital. Since then at least three different buildings have been erected on the spot.

St. Giles-in-the-fields church

By the early eighteenth century, the church building found itself in a poor condition due to damp, which was probably caused by the large number of plague victim burials that took place in the churchyard during the plague years of 1664-1665. At the same time the population of the area was booming with the development of Bloomsbury.

After initially being refused a grant to rebuild the church, because St Giles was not a new foundation, the parish was eventually allocated £8,000 and a new church was built in 1730-34, designed by the architect Henry Flitcroft in the palladian style (Flitcroft went on to design Woburn Abbey, the seat of the Dukes of Bedford, one of the principal landowners in this part of London). At the same time the elegant Vestry House was built, for meetings of the Vestry, the council of laypeople and clergy who managed parish affairs. The new church was consecrated Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London, on Christmas Day 1733.

So, within easy walking distance of our flat you can go to the theatre, catch a gay cabaret show, go shopping for classical books or Dr. Who memorabilia, pick up a flogger and visit church. A very diverse afternoon indeed, I'd say.

That's it for today. Should have lots of pictures for you tomorrow from Cambridge, so until then. Night.

Day 34 - A Trip to the South Side for Edward II

2013-10-21T21:30:00.002-04:00

Somerset House from the Waterloo Bridge

Today we got tickets to the Royal National Theatre's production of Christopher Marlowe's Edward II, but more about that later. Since our flat is so close to the Waterloo Bridge we decided to walk there. The walk allowed us to take several pictures from the bridge that were difficult to take from the bus.

Somerset House as seen from Victoria Embankment

As the first picture indicates, it is Somerset House as seen from Waterloo Bridge. Somerset House is a large Neoclassical building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The building, originally the site of a Tudor palace, was designed by Sir William Chambers in 1776, and further extended with Victorian wings to the north and south. The East Wing forms part of the adjacent King's College London.

Somerset House Courtyard

Today, Somerset House is a major arts and cultural center in the heart of London. During summer months 55 fountains dance in the courtyard, and in winter you can skate on London's favourite ice rink. Somerset House also schedules contemporary art and design exhibitions, free displays, family workshops and guided tours.

Somerset House viewed from the Strand

The earlier Tudor palace that originally existed where Somerset House stands today was demolished in 1775. The demise of the old Somerset House coincided with a move to house many of the government's offices and the principal learned societies under one roof, and led to the site being chosen for a new building to solve this pressing problem. This approach was a radical departure from the established practice of using separate buildings for different departments of state and was seen as a means to promote greater efficiency among the government bureaucracies.

St. Paul's Cathedral from the Waterloo Bridge

As we continued along the bridge we took pictures of a few well-known landmarks.

The London Eye and Parliament from the Bridge

Then, as we approached the theatre we notice some grass-like statues outside the Hayward Gallery. I affectionately referred to them as "giant chia pets," but I couldn't find any information on what they are meant to represent. All the same I thought I'd share them with you.

Turf statues outside the Hayward Gallery

We had about an hour or so before the show started, so we stopped for dinner at "The Riverfront at the BFI Southbank."

The Riverfront at BFI Southbank

We ordered light. I had a Turkey Bacon Club with Guacamole, and hubby had BBQ Pulled Pork with chips (fries).

Turkey Bacon Club with Guacamole

Pulled Pork and fries with pickle and mayonnaise

Royal National Theatre

The National Theatre building houses three separate auditoria, with a temporary structure added for a year from April 2013:

The Olivier Theatre (named after the theatre's first artistic director, Laurence Olivier), is the main auditorium, and was modeled on the ancient Greek theatre at Epidaurus; it has an open stage and a fan-shaped audience seating area for 1,160 people. An ingenious 'drum revolve' (a five-storey revolving stage section) extends eight meters beneath the stage and is operated by a single staff member. The drum has two rim revolves and two platforms, each of which can carry ten tonnes, facilitating dramatic and fluid scenery changes. Its design ensures that the audience's view is not blocked from any seat, and that the audience is fully visible to actors from the stage's center. Designed in the 1970s and a prototype of current technology, the drum revolve and a multiple 'sky hook' flying system were initially very controversial and required ten years to commission, but seem to have fulfilled the objective of functionality with high productivity.]
The Lyttelton Theatre (named after Oliver Lyttelton, the National Theatre's first board chairman) has a proscenium-arch design and can accommodate an audience of 890.
The Cottesloe Theatre (named after Lord Cottesloe, chairman of the South Bank Theatre board) is a small, adaptable studio space, designed by Iain Mackintosh, holding up to 400 people depending on the seating configuration. As part of the National's NT Future redevelopment, the Cottesloe was closed for refurbishment in February 2013 and is planned to reopen in spring 2014. On reopening it will be renamed the Dorfman Theatre (after Lloyd Dorfman, philanthropist and chairman of Travelex Group).
The Shed, a 225-seat temporary performance space at the front of the building was opened in April 2013. The distinctive 'red wooden box' structure, designed by architects Haworth Tompkins, will be open for a year to maintain capacity whilst the Cottesloe/Dorfman Theatre is out of action. Tickets for Shed productions will cost £12 and £20.

Denys Lasdun's building for the National Theatre – an "urban landscape" of interlocking terraces responding to the site at King's Reach on the River Thames to exploit views of St Paul's Cathedral and Somerset House.
The riverside forecourt of the theatre is used for regular open-air performances in the summer months. The terraces and foyers of the theatre complex have also been used for ad hoc experimental performances. The decor is frequently dynamic, with recent displays of grass turf as 'outside wallpaper', different statues located in various random places and giant chairs and furniture in the forecourt. The National Theatre's foyers are open to the public, with a large theatrical bookshop, restaurants, bars and exhibition spaces. Backstage tours run throughout the day, and there is live music every day in the foyer before performances.

The dressing rooms for all actors are arranged around an internal lightwell and airshaft and so their windows each face each other. This arrangement has led to a tradition whereby on the opening night (known as 'press night') and closing night of any individual play, when called to go to 'beginners' (opening positions), the actors will go to the window and drum on the glass with the palms of their hands.

The style of the National Theatre building was described by Mark Girouard as "an aesthetic of broken forms" at the time of opening. Architectural opinion was split at the time of construction. Even enthusiastic advocates of the Modern Movement such as Sir Nikolaus Pevsner have found the Béton brut concrete both inside and out overbearing. Most notoriously, Prince Charles described the building in 1988 as "a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London without anyone objecting". Although the theatre is often cited as an archetype of Brutalist architecture in England, the carefully refined balance between horizontal and vertical elements in Lasdun's building has been contrasted favourably with the lumpiness of neighbouring buildings such as the Hayward Gallery and Queen Elizabeth Hall. It is now in the unusual situation of having appeared simultaneously in the top ten "most popular" and "most hated" London buildings in opinion surveys. A recent lighting scheme illuminating the exterior of the building, in particular the fly towers, has proved very popular, and is one of several positive artistic responses to the building.

Olivier Theatre Seating

After dinner we headed over to the Olivier Theatre where Christopher Marlowe's Edward II was playing. I enjoyed the play, though I must admit it was very different in the way it mixed modern dress with classical robes and modern day technology including scenes that happened offstage and on camera with phone calls delivering messages to the beleaguered barons.

Opening set of Edward II

When we first took our seats there was a vacuum cleaner sitting stage left and I briefly wondered if it was a prop when a stage hand came in and "hoovered" the yellow carpet visible in the picture above.

Isabella, Edward II, Piers Gaveston

On the National Theatre's site, they describe the play as follows:

"Hot on the heels of his coronation, Edward II recalls his lover Gaveston from exile, lavishing him with titles and riches. Their all-consuming lust makes enemies of the furious barons and bishops, alienates the King’s once-devoted Queen and tears England to pieces. Ultimately, the monarch himself is destroyed as are many of those who stood both at his side and in his way.

All live to die, and rise to fall.

A behind-the-scenes exploration of power, sexual obsession, and a king who treats the realm as his playground. The National offers a contemporary take on Christopher Marlowe’s magnificent, erotic and violent play.

I will have Gaveston, and you shall know
What danger ’tis to stand against your king.

The play telescopes most of Edward II's reign into a single narrative, beginning with the recall of his favourite, Piers Gaveston, from exile, and ending with his son, Edward III, executing Mortimer Junior for the king's murder."

Edward II lounging on the coronation chair with Gaveston seated on the floor

Charles Spencer of the Telegraph gave the following review:

"The heart sinks as one enters the Olivier for this production of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II (c.1592). The set is unpainted plywood, and the backstage area is revealed to show racks of costumes and stainless steel ladders.

This is just the start of an evening that begins to resemble a bumper compendium of modish theatrical devices. There are Brechtian captions telling us what will happen in each scene and extensive use of live video, sometimes filmed backstage, or outside on the NT’s concrete balconies, sometimes on the stage itself with the camera operators mingling with the actors and occasionally getting in their way.

The costumes are a mixture of ancient and modern, with ceremonial robes and suits of armour juxtaposed with jeans and leather jackets. And, oh, I almost forgot the sex changes....

Edward II’s brother Kent has become his sister, sporting a sharp business suit and stiletto heels. Meanwhile Edward II’s young son, who in the course of the play is crowned Edward III following his father’s deposition, is played by a diminutive adult actress dressed in a smart blazer and flannel shorts like a prep-school boy.

John Heffernan captures all the petulant foolishness of Edward, as he flaunts his affair and insults the nobles. Nevertheless he persuades you that Edward is finally a man more sinned against than sinning in the moving later passages of the play, when his desperate situation becomes genuinely pitiable. He gets full value too from Marlowe’s “mighty lines” of poetry.

And the American actor Kyle Soller offers a spectacular double as both the insolent Gaveston, provocatively winding up his opponents as he leads the King into an amour fou, before turning up again in the second half in Edward’s dank dungeon to play the giggling and horribly solicitous psycho-killer Lightborn."

Edward II was murdered in a particularly gruesome way, and I didn't realize that Kyle Soller played two such very diverse roles, so that says something about his talent. And though I agree with some of Charles Spencer's comments, I enjoyed the play because of some of its oddities rather than despite them. We sat next to two women from California who shared some reminiscing with hubby who got his PhD from USC. One of the women told me she had worked for Harlequin. She was seated too far away for me to have a lengthy conversation with her, but I would have loved to ask her some questions about her former employer.

On our return, we attempted some night time photos that will need retouching, so I'm going to end here and wish you all a good night. Until tomorrow.

Day 33 - Rain, Rain GO AWAY

2013-10-20T17:55:00.001-04:00

Marble Arch

We had great plans of heading over to the Marble Arch and visiting Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, but by the time we got to the Arch, it was raining so hard, we had to turn back. So, I'll wait to talk about Speakers Corner another day and talk a little about the Marble Arch.

The structure was designed by John Nash in 1827 to be the state entrance to the "cour d'honneur" of Buckingham palace; it stood near the site of what is today the three bayed, central projection of the palace containing the well known balcony. In 1851 it was relocated and following the widening of Park Lane in the early 1960s, the monument is now on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road.

Historically, only members of the Royal Family and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery are permitted to pass through the arch; this happens only in ceremonial processions. The arch gives its name to the vicinity of its site, particularly, the southern portion of Edgware Road and also to the nearby underground station.

The arch also stands close to the former site of the Tyburn gallows (sometimes called 'Tyburn Tree'), a place of public execution from 1388 until 1783, located 100 meters north west from Marble Arch on the traffic island at the start of Edgware Road.

Tyburn Tree

The "Tree" or "Triple Tree" was a novel form of gallows, consisting of a horizontal wooden triangle supported by three legs (an arrangement known as a "three-legged mare" or "three-legged stool"). Several felons could thus be hanged at once, and so the gallows were used for mass executions, such as on 23 June 1649 when 24 prisoners – 23 men and one woman – were hanged simultaneously, having been conveyed there in eight carts.

Site of the Tyburn Tree in 1746

The Tree stood in the middle of the roadway, providing a major landmark in west London and presenting a very obvious symbol of the law to travelers. After executions, the bodies were buried nearby or, in later times, removed for dissection by anatomists.

These executions were public spectacles and proved extremely popular, attracting crowds of thousands. The enterprising villagers of Tyburn erected large spectator stands so that as many as possible could see the hangings (for a fee). On one occasion, the stands collapsed, reportedly killing and injuring hundreds of people. This did not prove a deterrent, however, and the executions continued to be treated as public holidays, with London apprentices being given the day off for them.

The word "Tyburn" was commonly invoked as euphemisms for capital punishment – for instance, to "take a ride to Tyburn" (or simply "go west") was to go to one's hanging, "Lord of the Manor of Tyburn" was the public hangman, "dancing the Tyburn jig" was the act of being hanged, and so on. Convicts would be transported to the site in an open ox-cart from Newgate Prison. They were expected to put on a good show, wearing their finest clothes and going to their deaths with insouciance. The crowd would cheer a "good dying", but would jeer any displays of weakness on the part of the condemned.

Even in the eighteenth century the Tyburn Road (or Oxford Street) was a lively area, with salesmen and shoppers and people stopping for a bite to eat or for a drink. Those who found a seat in the Mason's Arms, a pub in Seymour Place, would get a special view of the prisoners, because this was their very last place to stop for food and drink.

The City Marshall knew that the utmost care had to be taken at this final stop. Despite the custom for allowing prisoners to have a drink (perhaps in the hope the alcohol would numb them before the execution), the cellars of the pub still have the manacles on the walls, which indicate the prisoners didn't enjoy their last pint in great comfort.

As they left the pub, the prisoners were loaded back onto the cart where they would shout to customers 'I'll buy you a pint on the way back!' This was just one of the many rituals that made the day such a spectacle for the thousands who, at some point, decided to watch. Some, who might have come miles to see 'the drop', were determined to have a good time - almost as though it was a holiday or they had gone to a carnival - and it was Saint Monday, a long weekend, after all! There were eight of these hanging days a year and they were considered to be the biggest tourist attraction of the day!

Plaque that marks the spot where the tree stood

The prisoners, who were finally blindfolded, sometimes had a hood put over their head and had their arms tied behind their backs before they were strung up. It must have been a skilled job knowing how to tie the ropes around the necks of prisoners who struggled. In fact, the crowd cheered more for those prisoners who put up a fight, even as they were dangling and swinging. In the end, there could be twenty people on the 'fatal tree'.

It could be a slow death. Men often swung, struggled and gasped for up to three quarters of an hour. If they were lucky, soon after the cart was pulled away and they were left hanging, a relative or friend would pull on their legs and put them out of their misery quickly. The give-away sign of death was when urine ran down the leg of the dead body. At this point, the crowds hushed.

As the bodies were cut down and the crowds started to walk home, some relatives thought of rescuing their dead from the fate of dissection by the anatomists. Others were desperate to touch the dead men's hands - believing it would give them luck or perhaps a cure. However, it was mostly the City Marshall and the anatomists who won the fight for the bodies. The dead bodies were taken back to Newgate, still under security: even after death they were still prisoners.

Executions took place at Tyburn between 1571 and 1783. About 1100 men and almost 100 women were hanged at Tyburn in the eighteenth century. Londoners were also executed at Smithfield and Tower Hill. The Tyburn gallows were last used on 3 November 1783, when John Austin, a highwayman, was hanged. After that, because the government's fears of public disorder and rioting were so great, executions took place at Newgate, where security was easier to manage. However, even then they remained a spectacle available to Londoners, with some paying up to £10 for a seat at one of the windows overlooking the gallows. The last public executions in London were in 1868.

Enough about death. Since our plans were aborted we did take a few pictures of Covent Garden when we returned, so I'll share those as well.

Covent Garden Piazza Today

The Covent Garden estate was originally under the control of Westminster Abbey and lay in the parish of St Margaret. During a reorganization in 1542, control was transferred to St Martin in the Fields, and then in 1645 a new parish was created, splitting governance of the estate between the parishes of St Paul Covent Garden and St Martin, both still within the Liberty of Westminster.

After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, Henry VIII claimed all the land belonging to Westminster Abbey, including the convent garden and seven acres to the north called Long Acre; and in 1552 his son, Edward VI, granted Covent Garden to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. The Russell family, who in 1694 were advanced in their peerage from Earl to Duke of Bedford, held the land from 1552 to 1918.

John Russel 1st Earl of Bedford by Hans Holbein

Russell had Bedford House and garden built on part of the land, with an entrance on the Strand and a large garden stretching back along the south side of the old walled-off convent garden. Apart from this, and allowing several poor-quality tenements to be erected, the Russells did little with the land until the 4th Earl of Bedford, Francis Russell, an active and ambitious businessman, commissioned Inigo Jones in 1630 to design and build a church and three terraces of fine houses around a large square or piazza.

In 1630, the fourth Earl of Bedford was given permission to demolish buildings on an area of land he owned north of the Strand, and redevelop it. The result was the Covent Garden Piazza, the first formal square in London.The new buildings were classical in character. At the west end was a church, linked to two identical houses. The south side was left open.

Covent Garden in 1737 (before the 1830 Market Hall was built) by Balthazar Nebot

St Paul's Church, also commonly known as the Actors' Church, was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission by Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fitt for the habitacons of Gentlemen and men of ability" in Covent Garden, London, England. As well as being the parish church of Covent Garden, the church gained its nickname by a long association with the theatre community.

St Paul's was the first entirely new church to be built in London since the reformation. According to an often repeated story, recorded by Horace Walpole, the Earl of Bedford asked Jones to design a simple church "not much better than a barn", to which the architect replied "Then you shall have the handsomest barn in England".

Work on the church was completed in 1633, at a cost of £4,886, but it was not consecrated until 1638 due to a dispute between the earl and the vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields. It remained a chapel within the parish of St Martin-in the -Fields until 1645, when Covent Garden was made a separate parish and the church was dedicated to St Paul.

St Pauls Church in Covent Garden

In 1789 there was a major restoration of the church, under the direction of the architect Thomas Hardwick. Six years later, in September 1795, the church was burnt out by a fire, accidentally started by workmen on the roof. A survey of the damage found that the outer walls were still structurally sound, but that the portico would have to be reconstructed. It is unclear whether this was in fact done. Having been restored once more, again under Hardwick's supervision, the church was reconsecrated, on 1 August 1798.

Despite the destruction, parish records were saved, as was the pulpit — the work of Grinling Gibbons. St Paul Covent Garden was completely surrounded by the parish of St Martin in the Fields. It was grouped into the Strand District in 1855 when it came within the area of responsibility of the Metropolitan Board of Works.

St Paul's connection with the theatre began as early as 1663 with the establishment of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and was further assured in 1723 with the opening of Covent Garden Theatre, now the Royal Opera House.

On 9 May 1662, Samuel Pepys noted in his diary the first "Italian puppet play" under the portico — the first recorded performance of "Punch and Judy", a fact commemorated by the annual "MayFayre" service in May. The portico of St Paul's was the setting for the first scene of Shaw's Pygmalion, the play that was later adapted as My Fair Lady.

Since 2007 St Paul's has been home to its own in-house professional theatre company, Iris Theatre, originally created to mount a production of T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral. It gained full charitable status in Oct 2009.

There is so much more I could tell you, but it's nearly eleven, so I'm going to sign off for the night. I'll check in again tomorrow.

Day 32 - London's West End - Shaftesbury

2013-10-19T19:43:00.002-04:00

Shaftesbury Avenue

From New Oxford Street to Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue is at the heart of London's theatreland. The four theatres visible in the above picture from the closest to the furthest are Queen's with "Les Miserables," Gielgud with "Strangers on a Train" opening Nov. 2, Apollo with "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night," and Lyric with "Thriller."

Queen's Theatre - Les Miserables

The street, created in 1877 - 86 to improve communications across the capital's busy West End, was named after the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, 1801-85, a social reformer, whose attempted to improve housing condition. The statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, originally known as the Shaftesbury Monument, also commemorates the Victorian philanthropist.

"Eros" in Piccadilly Circus

Over the next 20 years seven theatres were built along Shaftesbury Avenue. Six have survived, all located along the north side of the street. The Lyric Theatre, designed by CJ Phipps, has been open almost as long as the avenue.

London Theatre Map

The Palace Theatre, dominating the west side of Cambridge Circus, was built in 1891 as an opera house but became a musical hall the following year. In 1910 the ballerina Anna Pavlova made her London debut here. Today the theatre is owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is currently staging 'The Commitments'.

Palace Theatre

As well as theatres, Shaftesbury Avenue has a few Chinese restaurants, travel agents, opticians and herbalists giving a foretaste of London's nearby Chinatown, centered around Gerrard Street.

China Town

The present Chinatown, which is off Shaftesbury Avenue did not start to be established until the 1970s. Up until then, it was a regular Soho area, run-down, with Gerrard Street the main thoroughfare. It was dominated by the Post Office, facing Macclesfield Street, and other major establishments were The Tailor & Cutter House, at 43/44, now a Chinese supermarket and restaurant, the Boulougne Restaurant, near the Wardour Street end, and by Peter Mario's Restaurant at the other end. Other businesses included a master baker's, the Sari Centre, Lesgrain French Coffee House, Harrison Marks' Glamour Studio, an Indian restaurant and various brothels. Probably the first Chinese restaurants opened in Lisle Street, parallel to Gerrard St, and then spread gradually. The Tailor & Cutter did not close down until around 1974.

The area boasts over 80 restaurants showcasing some of London's finest and most authentic Asian cuisine.

West End map with Agatha Christie Statue marked

Since November 18 of 2012 a new bronze sculpture has occupied a spot at the end of Cranbourn St in London’s West End – a monument to Agatha Christie. It stands at 2.5 metres high and has the sideways profile of a book, with a cut-out oval section at the centre which features a bust of Christie in profile. It is also studded with effigies of her most popular characters and scenes from her novels – Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and the Orient Express all appear.

Agatha Christie Memorial

The sculpture’s book form was chosen both to represent her achievements as one of the 20th century’s most celebrated novelists and also as a reference to the West End’s longest running play, The Mousetrap, which is based on a short story that she penned some time during the late nineteen forties. The unveiling happened to take place on the 60th Anniversary of the play’s continuous London run.

Agatha Christie Memorial at Night

Rather than present the novelist when she was young, the sculptor sought to capture Agatha Christie at the height of her powers – she was still producing a new novel almost every year into her eighties, having written her first novel some fifty three years before.

Once hubby finished his photo tour of the West End, he came back to the flat and we had Shepherd's and Cumberland pies for dinner. It's past midnight here now, so I'm going to say good-night, and will check in again tomorrow.