London celebrations

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20th & 21st June 2008 were the allocated dates on which we had won a 2-day trip to London. I had been before but Lee had never been there. No matter how many times I visited London I don't think I would ever tire of it and before we left, we agreed on what sites we would visit. Lee was to collect an award for voluntary services rendered in teaching our local community computer studies at the library. The award was to be collected at the under Globe Theatre just at the end of the now millenium bridge. We decided we would "spy out the land" the day before so this was one of the first places we would call at. We left our home at 7am to catch the train from Staylbridge to Manchester Picadilly and from there we travelled by Virgin train to London Euston. The train journey was quiet, comfortable and enjoyable and we were there within two and a half hours. We were to stay in Days Hotel at Bakerloo but before that, armed ourselves with all-day tube tickets which meant we could jump on and off at all the places we had arranged to visit. The hotel was easy to find and when we had left in our baggage and had a quick cup of coffee, headed out for Bakerloo station close by and set out toward the Globe Theatre. We decided to get off at St. Paul's Cathedral and from there it was just across the Milennium Bridge, now crowded with tourists taking photographs of London Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Thames river and it's bridges and, of course, the Globe Theatre, the supposed theatre in which many of Shakespeare's plays were performed.

The presentation itself in the basement of the Globe Theatre was superb and after the ceremony we were given a guided tour of the Rose Theatre, not far from the Globe Theatre, which was apparently the original theatre where Philip Marlow's and Shakespeare's very early plays were performed. It was an interesting and informative walk around to the Rose Theatre and hearing of what would have been the practices of theatre back then. Restoration work is currently underway and for any students of English Literature or admirers of Shakesperean literature, this tour is well worth booking!

In the evening as the sun was setting, we had a quiet drink in one of the pubs close to Blackfriars bridge overlooking the Thames. It was a great site for a pub and a brilliant place to see the boats and tugs going up and done the Thames. From there, we strolled back to the tube station and back to the Days Hotel at Bakerloo.

We realised that in two days we only visited a tiny tiny area of London. There is just so much to see and do so, as Arny says "I'll (we'll) be back"!

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