Bethany's Year in London: May 2007

Windsor Castle and Regent's Park

Jim and I took the train out to Windsor Castle, which I enjoyed as it was not as rushed as the day trip I took when the family was here. In the afternoon we had a couple of extra hours before we went to the theatre so we went to Regent's Park which was nice even though it was raining- the first time during Jim's visit! We saw Little Shop of Horrors that night which was really funny.

A view of the Castle from outside the walls

Another view

Jim in front of the Castle

The Round Tower

View of the Courtyard looking towards the State Apartments

Jim in front of the courtyard

The garden underneath the Round Tower

A view across the Castle with St. George's Chapel and the Round Tower in view

A fountain garden in Regent's Park

Jim in Regent's Park

Me in Regent's Park

Wimbledon and the British Museum

Jim and I went to Wimbledon, which was neat as they were setting up for the tournament next month. Then spent a little while in the British Museum before we went to see Fiddler on the Roof, which was excellent. Fiddler has always been one of my favorites.

Sign for the Tennis club at Wimbledon

The hill where the spectators watch the matches on a big screen tv (used to be called Henman Hill)

The view down from the hill

One of the outer courts

Me at Wimbledon

Jim at Wimbledon

The BBC broadcast center

Several of the outer courts

One of the restaurants

Jim and I sitting where the players are interviewed after the matches

Court Number One

Some of the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum

Jim making a face in front of a Roman statue

A picture of the Great Court

An Egyptian frieze

Jim's Visit

Jim and I did the most of London in the least amount of time version of sightseeing. We went to the Tower of London, St. Paul's, the London Eye, Big Ben, Westminister Abbey and Buckingham Palace, all in one day!! In the evening we went to see Chicago which was really good.

Jim in front of the Tower

The White Tower

Jim with Tower Bridge in the background

Moi with a soldier at Horse Guards

Jim in front of Buckingham Palace

View of the Palace

Side view of the Abbey

Dome of St. Paul's

View of the London Eye from the dome at St. Paul's

View of the top of Tower Bridge from the dome

View of St. Paul's from the Eye

Parliament and Big Ben from the Eye

West Kensington

I got lucky with my walking tour today. I went on the walk for West Kensington, which is only offered once a year but coincidently it started and ended at Gloucester Road station, near to where Jim will be staying next week. I hadn't really been to that part of Kensington before, it's a really nice area, most places in Kensington are, of course!! Hugh Grant lives in the area and Princess Di lived in the area before she married Prince Charles.

Old Brompton Cemetary, laid out in the Victorian age, about 100,000 people are buried here

Princess Diana's flat before she married Prince Charles- her parents paid 50,000 for it, now would be worth over a million-nothing to do with connection to her, property is just that expensive!!

House of Agatha Christie after she divorced her first husband-wrote the play the Mousetrap here

Hereford Arms pub- Prince Eddy, aka Jack the Ripper, used to drink regularly here.

Former home of the composer Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame

Former home of the artist John Millais- he ran off with his friend, John Ruskin's wife-now Zambian embassy

Home of Howard Carter who discovered King Tut's tumb

Plaque on the former site of Beatrix Potter's home- it was destroyed by bombs during World War Two

The Old City from St. Paul's to Liverpool Street

I was very dedicated today to do a guided walk, it has been pouring on and off all week in London, so at times today you got pretty wet- even with an umbrella!! Still, I took a guided walk of the Old City (City of London) from St. Paul's to Liverpool Street- roughly the northeastern part of the City. Most of it is modern as it was heavily bombed during the war, but several interesting sites and places still exist. Many of the trade guilds still have their headquarters in the area

Wesley's Chapel (the original, not the evil one in Virginia!!)-built by John Wesley for his congregation. He is buried in the churchyard behind the chapel

St. Giles' Church-John Milton is buried here

Some of the graves in Bunhill Fields- this was the burial grounds for religious non-conformists (ie non-Anglican)- the poet William Blake, Daniel Defoe, John Bunyan (wrote Pilgrim's Progress) and the mother of John Wesley are all buried here

Gravestone of William Blake and his wife- someone had recently left flowers

The main part of the Barbican Arts Complex- this area was redeveloped in the 1970s after being hit in the Blitz- one of the main art and theatre spots in London. It's actually really ugly!!