Wind up Windsor

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Piprey on wheels

Windsor and Eton Royal train station had only one platform which opened into the lovely shopping complex of high end designer shops and cafes. I parked my cycle and walked up to the castle to buy a 23.50GBP adult ticket to see the Windsor castle. There were so many people serving at the ticket booth, at the check in and ushering people in and out. There was no live tour. We were given audio head sets. Indeed, so called State rooms were the former queen's quarters with some table, chairs, paintings and the bone china cutlery used during dinner. The views from that height was not bad and moat was now a garden.

A big group of small school children blocked everything. Like a shepherd, the ushers asked us to be ready with tickets to scan them and not jump the queues? There was a fair number of people but not so rushed. The walls were full of guns and some wall carpets. The doll house which had the palace in a miniature would have been nice but closed to public now. The St George's chapel was cordoned with hardly any place to walk. Dead kings were buried here. All the exits were through gift shops which sold tea from Asia and Africa packaged as English tea at exorbitant prices.

I decided to go the Greek restaurant to have a lovely set lunch menu of humous, kebab and new potatoes (definitely was not new potatoes) for 8 GBP. Refreshed, strolled by the river Thames to observe the hungry ducks and swans. Sat at the Alexandra park for a little while. Next to it, was the beautiful fountain created on the occasion of Diamond jubilee which was refreshingly nice. I crossed the bridge to Eton. The high street was lined with England flags to support England in the Euro 2020 finals. I bought two plain deep coloured T-shirts from a lovely T-shirt shop which had an excellent range of cotton T-shirts. Walked back over the bridge to Windsor and saw Christopher Wren's house (who designed St Paul's cathedral) which was converted to a hotel. There were boat rides right back to London or upstream to Reading.

So many people were sitting at the cafe and drinking coffee/English breakfast fleecing tourists of their hard earned money.

Do castles have any relevance today? It should be converted to build hospitals, schools and houses. The queen does not need a second palace. Buckingham palace is enough. With Brexit, labour shortages, covid lockdowns, Britain has suffered a 20% GDP loss. It is not the same anymore.

Wind up Windsor on the double.

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Photos

St Georges chapel
Harry and Megan got married here.

The village church
With a nice last supper painting