Day 2 of the London Pass - Westminister area

The day was planned Westminster Abbey, Jewel Tower, Queens Gallery, Royal Mews, The Guards Museum, Churchill War rooms, Household Guards and Banquet Hall, so off we went on the tube to Westminster.

We walked passed Houses of Parliament and then to Westminster Abbey

We walked around the building as we waited for it to open.

at 9:30 there was already a crowd but we had a London Pass so this let us jump the queue.

We were going to like the pass for that feature.

Unfortunately they don't let you take photo's inside but we got an audio tour, and found out about hose interned in the abbey, we found Charles Darwin, Churchill, Jane Austin and many more. It took over an hour to walk around and see the abbey complex with all the side rooms and chapels.

But we got through it and were amazed by the building and workmanship.

we then walked around the jewel Tower ( Closed for Winter) :-(

Then we walked to the Queens Gallery, where it had an exhibition by the masters on self portraits.

Wow what pictures and artwork, of course NO PHOTO's.

But still well worth the effort to go and see. and to see what the palace is like inside. what little we saw. So off we went to the Guards Museum ( closed for a function) :-(, plans to go back when it was open were made. So on Churchill War Rooms, how he lived in the tight spaces and ran the war, were amazing. But Again to dark for photo's.

When we came out, we were right next door to the House guards Museum. So we went there.

This museum is not just display case, it lets you see into the daily life of the horse and guards. Great Idea and well worth the time.

The mometo's from the many years were worth seeing.

You even get to try on the helmets as well. ( strap under the chin is for beginners like me)

You have to be commissioned to have it on the chin.

So after this we went the Banquet Hall. Part of the Whitehall Palace, the only part that didn't burn down. again No photo's. But still a great piece of history.

Oh and it was decorated for Christmas inside and outside.

By the time we got out of here. it was dark again and time to crawl home.

Comments

Locust as a passenger

I travel on the train regularly to Work I usually see unusual stuff on the train. But this week a locust joined us. It was attracted by the lights I suspect. Still this is Australia..

Hinton Ampner - A Garden with a House

Hinton Ampner is a house in East Sussex that we decide to visit to get out into the country side and check out a garden Their was a beautiful productive garden that was in need of a lot of work. But a church view while you work. dreams are made of this. 100 year old apple trees in the gardens. The church was built in the 1700's But the windows are obviously newer. Their were formal gardens Rose gardens But it was the productive gardens that got the attention of the tourists. We stopped for lunch at the usual National Trust Cafe Jennifer got her usual scones and clotted cream, while I enjoyed a stew. The walks were pleasant and enjoyable. The house was a mixed house, it was a old Georgian house that the owner had modernized in the 1860's, then a fire in 1960 pull a whole new twist to it. Once inside we found the house was actually small and the NT is restoring the upstairs. The dining room was put on display. The

Quarry Bank Mill's, Styal

Quarry Bank's Mill is a Cotton mill that helps start the Industrial Revolution. So first we went through the house where child works would live. The tour guide was all dressed up and knew her stuff answering any question that was given to her. The house is where 90 children would live. The factory is one that evolved over 200 hundred years from a flour mill to cotton mill Once inside we got to see the process for making cotton. With some of the looms still able to run. Two were running to meet the demand of the National Trust Shops they supplied. These were the small ones produce cotton about 1 yard wide. The Bobbin setter was for the line threading of the fabric. The is the Bobbin roller with cotton thread on it. In this room upto60 looms would have been going, non-stop. This is the end result of the carding machines. The mile in its prime would produce 30 miles on Cotton Fabric every day. The Large Factory was first built h

Ducks Patch

Search This Blog