Surprise Revealed

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Today we are off on a mystery tour with our comfortable shoes and passports. Who knows where we are going? Certainly not us. Our daughter and her husband have planned an outing as part of our wedding anniversary celebrations and we are quite excited and full of eager anticipation. We are certainly not going to the beach because the weather has not been suitable for seaside excursions, and why would you need a passport at the beach.
Once in the car we headed off on a drive towards Heathrow but soon the signs were saying Gatwick, then Richmond. We didn’t have a clue. After about 50 minutes of driving we were parking the car at Hampton Court Palace. What a wonderful surprise. On our last trip we had hoped to get there and never did and it seemed impossible this time because the only day we thought we had free our daughter had planned a mystery day out – to Hampton Court. And the passport? Proof of age.
As we entered the palace we were welcomed by actors in costume who encouraged the public to don period costume as well. The “Duchess” then led us to meet the “Queen” – Lady Kateryn Parr. These short play acting sessions certainly added a touch of authenticity to our visit to this famous palace. “King Henry VIII” made an appearance and was quite impressed with the polite children who came forward to ask questions. Replica tapestries hanging in the Great Hall were impressive but the real ones with their silver and gold thread would have been amazing. We were told they were the second most valuable item The Queen owns after the crown jewels and because of this they are tucked away for safe keeping.
Parts of the palace, such as the kitchen with its large fire and spit roast, are still being used in a traditional way. We witnessed a tennis match on the indoor court. The court markings and form of the game did not resemble any we had seen on TV as played at Wimbledon. The game we saw looked like a cross between tennis and squash. Upon entering another room we were amazed to see nine large murals by Mantegna of Caesar’s Triumphs.
Finally we took the opportunity of walking around the beautifully manicured gardens of the palace. How they managed to shape the conifers in such a uniform way amazed us. There were no “Keep off the grass” signs but we felt almost ashamed to walk on the grass that is kept in such beautiful condition.
The day was drawing to a close and we needed to head back to Northwood. It was a grand day out and one we will remember. The visit to Hampton Court has been added to our list of highlights. We say a big “thank you” to our daughter and her husband for planning such a wonderful day out.

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