Seventeen Ladies on tour

 

The Tower Gate

Buckingham Palace

Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abby

Herding cats or guiding a tour?

 When we set off in the morning to catch the tour bus, we met a very nice man who showed us different famous places in London (or the city of Westminster actually). We saw the Westminster Abby - though we didn't go in it, and the courts, St Paul's cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the Gate Tower and a few others that have since slipped my mind.....ah like Downing Street as we drove by. I was a little overwhelmed by the history and all the stories that he told. Hundreds of years of history. It will take me some time to sort it all out.

It was fun to watch him direct the ladies. He was making sure we didn't wander across a street as we kept looking the wrong way first. But at every stop there were signs on the road top telling us which way to look. Convenient as the English have odd turns and angles flowing off of streets. The guide made sure we watched the walk lights and only went over when the green walking man lit up. Every time we set out, he would herd us back together and tell us something more. The only times we actually stayed together was when Sister Van Woerkom (Heidi) took a picture of all of us. 

Men and wives have a different schedule

 The real reason we are in London is for the cluster meetings where all the men in charge of the legal work for the church in various countries get together and update all that is going on. Jeffrey went to meetings and stayed in one or two rooms for two days while their wives went out to explore and enjoy the town.

We met up Sharon Kwaw who is now a legal coordinator in London. But she had to stay in the meetings because she is part of the London team and didn't get to go out and play with the rest of the ladies. There may have been a few other ladies who stayed to work also. 

But the rest of us had a great time on  tour busses, walking around sight seeing, going out to lunch and tea, touring Windsor Castle and the National Gallery. At night we would have dinner with the men. The last night we had a dinner cruise down the Thames and watched the sights at sunset. Very nice. 

I enjoyed being the non-worker this week. I have had so much fun getting to know London and meeting lots of new friends.

I and Sharon Kwaw just outside of the meeting room

Though this is a nice room, I felt a little bad that the men had to stay there for two days.

First day out touring when we all wore name tags while we got to know each other

Day with a Barrister

 On Saturday after Jeffrey's cluster meetings were over, we got to have a tour of the Inns of Court with an English barrister who is a member of the church.   Christian Taylor and his son Daniel came on a train for over an hour (maybe an hour and a half) to meet with us. 150 miles away!

He showed us the place where he got his education by staying with other professionals to learn the ways of the courts and such. It was a little different for me to learn that the solicitors and barristers are different  in England than an attorney or lawyer in America as their duties are divided. If you want to know the differences here is a good link. Only barristers appear before the court. Sometimes dressed in robes and wig, though not as often anymore and it depends on the judge.  Solicitors talk to and aide the clients.

I believe he said there were four Inns of Court where the students take pupilage or training for England and Wales. Scotland has their own law courts.  He studied here at Lincoln's Inn. 

Christian Taylor showed us all around the sites of different places that the law works in England. 

Royal Courts of Justice

Christian Taylor explaining how things work in the Courts and systems, Jay Pimentel ALC in Central Europe, and David Stanford ALC in Africa Central

Joshua Randall ALC over Eastern Europe (started in Russia but all the church has pulled all offices out), Daniel Taylor and his dad.

Jeffrey probably really enjoyed this day as he could relate to some of the things going on. I enjoyed the beautiful day and walking around London.

This is where the solicitors are. The building has the list of solicitors on the outside.

This is a very old and historic building that the Knights Templar stored treasures in. I think he said it had been a church also. I do not know which is the old part and which is "new". 

It is located close to the Middle Temple

We walked through a courtyard and then to the next street which had the Middle Temple Hall (another Inns of Court. 

It was closed for the day, but Brother Taylor took us to the other side of the building to talk to the security at the front desk. They let us in to see where our constitution was hanging on the wall. Daniel noticed how old some of the books were.

 

Christian Taylor talked to the security - who called back to the security on the other side. He let us in and gave us a tour. This is a place where barrister are "called to the bar" so they can practice law.

Then Dave Stanford, the Taylors, with Jeffrey and I went to lunch. Good day all around.

Icons of London

Big Ben or really Elizabeth Tower

Want to know about Big Ben - which I found out is the name of the clock, but the building is the Elizabeth Tower. Click here to get the real scoop if you are interested. You will probably have to accept cookies.

You can find there which Elizabeth it is named after.

The London Eye

 Want to get tickets? Click here for details.

Tower Bridge

I saw this bridge on a tour from afar during the day and then on a romantic dinner cruise down the Thames. For more information: Click here 

The Palace of Westminster

More information for you: Click here same site as Big Ben as they are connected.

The skyline here is the Westminster Palace, Westminster Abby, and Big Ben or Elizabeth Tower

We had a daily view of these icons as our Marriott Hotel Court House was just off the river Thames by the London Eye, and across from the Westminster Palace, Westminster Abby, and Big Ben.

Walking home from the Victoria Palace Theater on Victoria Street, we had a view of all three icons. Though by then we had moved to the Grand Hotel on Trafalgar Square, so it was on our way home.

Facts and Rumors

Many guides told us amazing things. What to believe is the ticket. An interesting tidbit I learned from a Welsh man giving us a bus tour - we take credible stories on how good they sound - told us about Hitler's desire to walk into this country and use certain buildings; he told his generals not to bomb certain places that he had decided to use for his own purposes. Ah, really? Bombing was not a precise tool it is today. I learned the pilots had to exactly lined up, see their target for a moment and fire away. The bombs could land 1000 meters around their target.  But it is very good story. This is me, so I had to google for answers.

This is what Francis Xavier (no idea his credentials) said when asked a question about the bombing in England:

"Hitlers (crazy?) idea was, that the British were the other pure Aryan nation, and that Britain would soon or later join him in his fantasy of the Aryan race to rule the world. That’s why the order was only to bomb and attack military instalations in England; preferably airports, dockyards, hangars - just pure military targets. Any cultural buildings and housing sectors were to be spared - especially, London was not to be touched. The bad luck (for both sides) was that a German bomber got into technical trouble and had to release his bombs. He was disorientated, and just dropped it and hit a housing section in the outskirts of London, killing a good number of civilians. This outraged the British and they started to bomb German cities. That way it escalated. Still, the order to spare the central sections of London was maintained until late into the war. Only when “Total war” was declared, all limits were given up on both sides."

St Paul's cathedral is one of the tallest buildings with a dome on top. I was told by another guide that the German pilots used it as a guide and so it only got incidentally bombed once. Looking up on google I found an answer from Alison Hill (Tour Guide, lives in London) and Bill Burton (lives in London): 

“Why didn’t the Nazis during the London Blitz ever bomb the House of Parliament, Windsor Palace, St. Paul’s Church, etc.?”

"To take those in order:

Houses of Parliament - bombed 14 times

Windsor Palace - doesn’t exist

St Paul’s Church - is in Covent Garden, isn’t that famous, not in a strategically important location; the West End didn’t get bombed all that much compared to the City and the East End.

Windsor Castle, if that’s what you’re thinking of, isn’t in London so couldn’t have been damaged in the London Blitz. Windsor Castle is, oddly enough, in Windsor. If you’re thinking of Buckingham Palace, which is in London, that was bombed 16 times.

St Paul’s Cathedral was bombed several times, but it wasn’t generally used as a target of choice because its distinctive dome, visible from the air in all but pitch darkness and standing on the highest ground in the City of London, was a useful navigation point for bombers."

Another church had shrapnel splattered over the walls. The guide said they didn't repair it and left it as a memorial. We noted many building that were very old next to very new buildings. Probably due to those bombings besides old age renewals.

Our guide also told us that this portal used to have a gate as it was another city. But now it has been taken down because the cities have sprawled together and are now one conglomeration instead of individual cities. 

Fascinating city with lots of stories. Some are more believable than others. 

Evening reflections

 It is a little after 11 pm on a London evening where Jeffrey and I just walked back from the Theatre. Though I have other posts I intend to write and post, tonight was a very moving experience from Le Misérables. We sat 6 rows from the orchestra pit and could see the expressions on the actors faces. I cried during the second half of the show every time someone died - Lots of people die. 

The singing was superb, the action and the plotting. The set looked just like the one in San Francisco, the costumes were similar, the lighting and staging were similar. But the interpretation in several instances had a nuanced feeling that gave depth to the story. Jean Valjean sang his epic song on the battlefield while Marius is sleeping - not wounded from the battle like previous versions. There is a strong element of God and redemption in this version. I couldn't talk after the show for quite a few minutes. I've been thinking about it ever since.

Going to London just to see this show would be worth all the expense and trouble. 

We were six rows back and these lovely ladies were short

It was a beautiful theatre

The Back Story

Greg called Jeffrey a few weeks ago and asked if we would be in London and if so when? When Jeffrey told him the dates, he said he and Janice would be in London on the 13th of May at the end of a trip they were taking to Europe. Jeffrey asked what they planned to do for the day and quickly looked up tickets for Westminster Abby and Le Misérables so we could join them. They had a hotel by the airport which was an hour away. We met them at Westminster and enjoyed the tour. Jared was with them. Jared said it would have been an awesome tour if he hadn't just been to St. Petersburg - which was magnificent. 

   

Jeffrey told me the only two tickets available for the show, just happened to be the two next to Greg and Janice - Jared sat on purpose in the back. Jeffrey asked Jared when we went outside if the show wasn't great and Jared agreed it was. If even someone who doesn't like theatre said it was great, that means it is really something. 

I and Jeffrey

Janice and I

London - Should have been on my bucket list

 We haven't even been here 24 hours and already I know this is a grand city! I have read stories about London and have read history about England but actually being in this city is fabulous. 

Last night Jeffrey and I walked across the Thames and saw Big Ben and the historic buildings all around this part of town. We felt the vitality and great diversity of people who gather here.

I sent a picture to Rachel of the view outside of my hotel window and Rachel immediately recognized "London Eye". I'm not sure why I wasn't aware of this attraction or had even noticed it in London pictures before. Now I'm in the know and have actually seen it myself. Jeffrey tells me that many shows/movies with London have a shot of the "London Eye". 

This ferris wheel type of platform, lets people walk around and take pictures

Of course, Big Ben has been famous to me since my childhood. Lots of stories with Big Ben in them - like Peter Pan etc. 

Actually walking around with all the other tourists and busy Londoners is really where the vitality of this city comes from. It should be on your own bucket list as there isn't any way to tell or show you how cool this city really is. Who knew?