What a time to get out of bed, 6ish in order to be at BISC for 7.20 at the latest, for our coach ride to London. Early in the morning the weather seemed ok as we boarded our coaches and proceeded to the various pick up points thence to the motorway. The M4 motorway took us towards a very enjoyable day in London. And what a day it turned out to be! September, being one of the warmest in decades extended itself into October and we had a lovely sunny day to enjoy with temperatures around 18 degrees in the early afternoon. The crowds on the streets of London seemed to join in our excitement.
The guided tour gave us an overview of the main attractions in London. Starting with the Victoria & Albert Museum we then cruised through the affluent Sloane Street. This is where the posh live, or so I’ve heard. They are commonly referred to as the Sloane Rangers by those who are not so posh, including me the Blogmaster.
We passed by Buckingham Palace and saw the crowds gathering there as well as the Queen’s guards. Did you note the red jackets and tall hats called bearskins? One day, if you wish, I will tell you the history of the Guards. Nearby we passed Hyde Park and Wellington Square. The Duke of Wellington was a famous British general, although he was born and brought up in Ireland. Wellington fought the Napoleonic French armies in Portugal and Spain between 1809 and 1814. This period in British history is known as the Peninsular War. One year later in 1815 Wellington defeated the Napoleonic French Army at Waterloo near Brussels in Belgium. The British guards as mentioned above took on napoleon’s Imperial Guards who were the best in Europe. The British Guards thereafter wore bearskins similar to those worn by the Imperial Guard.
Wellington later became Prime Minister, and believe it or not his policies were very civilized. For example, he gave British Catholics the vote. The London railways terminus of Waterloo is named after the battle. Some people think the battle was fought at Waterloo Station. Well it is fought over on weekdays with thousands of commuter travelling to and from work!
Our guided tour also included Tower Bridge that is just over 100 years old. I think it was completed in 1900. Then we bussed around Trafalgar Square known, amongst others, for the impressive National Gallery and Nelson’s Column. On top of the tall colonnade is the stature of Admiral Lord Nelson a contemporary of the Duke of Wellington. The name of Trafalgar is a small peninsular in Spain where nearby the battle, which was called Trafalgar, took place in October 1805. Nelson defeated the Spanish and French fleets but was himself killed in the battle. The British sailors stuffed his body in a barrel of rum to preserve in order that he could be buried at St Paul’s Cathedral. I wonder if the sailors drank the rum afterwards?!!
St Paul’s Cathedral was itself a sight to behold. We were given the opportunity to get off the coach and view this magnificent architectural art piece from all sides. Our guides were informative and very entertaining with an excellent sense of humour.
Other sights that could be viewed up close or from a distance was: The Royal Courts of Justice, The Theatre Royal, London City, London Bridge, Big Ben, the London Eye, and much more.
If you would like to respond to this blog and say what you did in your free time please feel free to contribute. Some BISC member enjoyed an excellent lunch in an authentic restaurant in ‘China Town’. Others strolled through St. James Park, visited Piccadilly Circus or shopped until they dropped at Harrods and Oxford Street.
Well that’s all for this blog folks. Tune in next week for the blog on ‘A taste of the UK’. Regards Blog master.
