Two Weddings and a pandemic.

[Pushka]

I couldn't get near the Rosetta stone to get a photo without 10 people in it

It was indeed a footy scrum but I got to the front. Wearing a mask.

Just returned from the Churchill War Rooms. What an amazing place. Churchill certainly did have his triumphs and sadly for Australians at Gallipoli, dreadful failures. The museum itself is extremely well done. As an aside we wore masks the whole time. Too many coughs and sneezes going around here.







Specially silenced typewriter as Churchill hated noise.

 

[Pushka]

This display was stunningly clever.

 

[Pushka]

On the way out we heard Westminister Bells. A special ceremony had just concluded.

Red or grey @love_the_life

 

[VPS]

I loved the Churchill war rooms. Looks like you’re having a ball. Just started persisting down in Adelaide.

 

[Pushka]

Saw Wicked last night. The two witches had brilliant voices. Packed house and standing ovation. Hamilton was in the theatre just across the road.

I loved the Churchill war rooms. Looks like you’re having a ball. Just started persisting down in Adelaide.

Good. I need rain for the plants on the balcony.

Today it's off to Tate Modern Galley and then a Tour of Westminister Abbey and the Platinum collection. Last night in London tonight.

 

[love_the_life]

On the way out we heard Westminister Bells. A special ceremony had just concluded.

Red or grey @love_the_life

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Grey
See this on red squirrels

Red squirrels | The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trusts are working hard to save the UK's remaining red squirrels. Read more information about our work on this page.

www.wildlifetrusts.org

 

[VPS]

Saw Wicked last night. The two witches had brilliant voices. Packed house and standing ovation. Hamilton was in the theatre just across the road.


Good. I need rain for the plants on the balcony.

Today it's off to Tate Modern Galley and then a Tour of Westminister Abbey and the Platinum collection. Last night in London tonight.

Make sure you get up on the roof - fantastic views

 

[blackcat20]

Maybe I’m missing something, but can’t you just ask housekeeping for more loo paper?

 

[love_the_life]

Maybe I’m missing something, but can’t you just ask housekeeping for more loo paper?

I think the idea was that this is a 5 star hotel - this is something that should be attended to as a matter of course. Housekeeping does not seem to have been particularly efficient.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe I’m missing something, but can’t you just ask housekeeping for more loo paper?

We just kind of presumed it was obvious that we needed a spare. Then it became a bit of a toilet paper game. Anyways, today we had a proper service and everything was topped up. Tea bags. Loo paper. Milks and so on.

@VPS - floors 6-10 of the Tate was closed. We visited today. On the river cruise the speaker said the Tate was free and so you get what you pay for. Now we understand. We'd been to the Paris Modern Art Gallery (Pompidou) and while there were some curious concepts, on the whole it was fascinating. The Tate? Clearly I'm 'modern art' deficit or the gallery was simply, well, formulaic . There was not one piece that made us think and ponder. One display we saw afar, I said to MrP looked like a urinal. Got up closer, and it was! The 'artist' found it in a dump, and claimed it as the style of something manufactured and used in a creative manner. He rotated it. Another was a mattress made into a lounger mattress. The artist goes to dumps and collects old mattresses and fashions them. This one was replete with those 'mattress stains'.

Actually the one exhibit we did like was a cupboard full of things found dumped in the Thames. One guy next to me hadn't read the story, and said it just looked like everything that gets dumped in a river. His partner lost it laughing at that stage.

So unimpressed we made our way back to Westminister. More later.

 

[Pushka]

So our walk and sub ride to the Gallery. Gotta love the subs. We had loaded Oyster card with £30 each and have used the subs extensively. Walked over the Millenium bridge which had to be reconfigured because while it could withstand atomic attacks it was closed the day after it was opened because it was unsafe for pedestrians due to swing. I think there may have been an original panel left at the Gallery end because I walked on that and it moved. If that had been the full breadth and length of the bridge then it would have been impossible. Weather cold and windy. The renovations at the water edge make the photos for St Pauls from across the river very ordinary.

St Pauls Landside.



At the Gallery we somewhat trudged around looking at inspiration. It never came. I wonder why.



This compares with the large panel of blue that describes an artist 'inventing' a new colour of blue. Sigh. It's almost like reality show art.

Back across the river to our time for Westminster. I don't really like taking photos of the inside of functional churches. But couldn't resist these.




The ceilings here are spectacular.






Hmmm. Sadly the Coronation Chair will be moved in the foreseeable future to the High Altar.

 

[Pushka]

Back at the Hotel. And another gift.



And our last meal in a London Pub. Very upmarket as it's attached to the Conrad.







Tomorrow we collect the Rental Car at Heathrow and make our way to Tunbridge Wells for a few days where son and family live, then up to Grantham for the wedding.

 

[RooFlyer]

Millenium bridge which had to be reconfigured because while it could withstand atomic attacks it was closed the day after it was opened because it was unsafe for pedestrians due to swing

I was on the bridge the day it opened. It DID swing a lot. A creation of Lord (Baron) Norman Foster . Ooops.

Back across the river to our time for Westminster. I don't really like taking photos of the inside of functional churches. But couldn't resist these.

Westminster Abby? You aren't supposed to take pics inside the Abby, except for the peripheral parts, like the chapter house. Blissfully unaware of this rule, I was snapping away until a very irate curate or similar told me off. Then I noticed the little signs

 

[VPS]

We just kind of presumed it was obvious that we needed a spare. Then it became a bit of a toilet paper game. Anyways, today we had a proper service and everything was topped up. Tea bags. Loo paper. Milks and so on.

@VPS - floors 6-10 of the Tate was closed. We visited today. On the river cruise the speaker said the Tate was free and so you get what you pay for. Now we understand. We'd been to the Paris Modern Art Gallery (Pompidou) and while there were some curious concepts, on the whole it was fascinating. The Tate? Clearly I'm 'modern art' deficit or the gallery was simply, well, formulaic . There was not one piece that made us think and ponder. One display we saw afar, I said to MrP looked like a urinal. Got up closer, and it was! The 'artist' found it in a dump, and claimed it as the style of something manufactured and used in a creative manner. He rotated it. Another was a mattress made into a lounger mattress. The artist goes to dumps and collects old mattresses and fashions them. This one was replete with those 'mattress stains'.

Actually the one exhibit we did like was a cupboard full of things found dumped in the Thames. One guy next to me hadn't read the story, and said it just looked like everything that gets dumped in a river. His partner lost it laughing at that stage.

So unimpressed we made our way back to Westminister. More later.

Yep there wasn't a lot I liked at Tate Modern except the view from the top. Did you get to see any of Chelsea in Bloom - some of them look spectacular. Facebook reminds me that today 5 years ago I arrived in the UK for my 6 month trip

 

[Geegeela]

Back at the Hotel. And another gift.

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And our last meal in a London Pub. Very upmarket as it's attached to the Conrad.

View attachment 278400

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Tomorrow we collect the Rental Car at Heathrow and make our way to Tunbridge Wells for a few days where son and family live, then up to Grantham for the wedding.

Go via Leicester, unfortunately the Cathedral is closed for rebuilding so you cannot visit the tomb of Richard III but the visitor centre is open and don't forget to pop-in to Melton Mowbray for a pork pie.

 

[OATEK]

I hope you have left enough time while in Grantham to visit the site where the world steam locomotive speed record of 126mph was set by Mallard in 1938!

 

[VPS]

I hope you have left enough time while in Grantham to visit the site where the world steam locomotive speed record of 126mph was set by Mallard in 1938!

they may be going to see Maggie's statue and see how many eggs have been thrown at it

 

[Pushka]

I hope you have left enough time while in Grantham to visit the site where the world steam locomotive speed record of 126mph was set by Mallard in 1938!

We will have a free Thursday where we might be able to escape all the bride's wedding preparations with our son and his stepson. And maybe the Father.

Apparently somehow our son has conveyed the message back to the other parents where we are staying that we don't drink much. . I suspect from stories compared with others we maybe don't? So we plan to arrive at their door, me with just a bottle of Prosecco and MrP with a bottle of gin/vodka/whisky, no luggage, and say we've arrived. Might help dispel some myths.

Other son who is supposed to be best man can't travel to UK as baby 2 birth is imminent. He's sent over his speech and it's so funny the story he's chosen to use in the speech we are making on his behalf. It involves me, sons teacher and a Rat! I never realised how much that story impacted on them.

Go via Leicester, unfortunately the Cathedral is closed for rebuilding so you cannot visit the tomb of Richard III but the visitor centre is open and don't forget to pop-in to Melton Mowbray for a pork pie.

Now There's a name I've heard of. Will do! It's a long drive. And on the day before the four day Jubliee celebrations. 4 days of Bank Holidays. See what I did there?

 

[Pushka]

I was on the bridge the day it opened. It DID swing a lot. A creation of Lord (Baron) Norman Foster . Ooops.




Westminster Abby? You aren't supposed to take pics inside the Abby, except for the peripheral parts, like the chapter house. Blissfully unaware of this rule, I was snapping away until a very irate curate or similar told me off. Then I noticed the little signs

Oh Really? I didn’t see any signs at all until we got to the top to see the Jubilee Gallery which is an extra fee and 108 stairs up. People were taking photos everywhere but not there. Even the Vatican allows photos.

Just googled. @RooFlyer - they dropped that ban. You’ll have to go back.

Westminster Abbey lifts its ban on photography

Photography has long been banned in Westminster Abbey, but they have finally joined the other major cathedrals in London, and relaxed the ban.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

 

[Seat0B]

Have you asked them about children yet ?

oi vey!!!