Cromwell, Churchill, and WWII

  

As you may remember, we love walking tours, and London Walks (along with their counterpart Paris Walks) is among the very best. We selected the Westminster Walk covering 1,000 years of British history. Our guide, Chris, seemed like a real grump initially, but once she got going, we had a terrific tour all around Big Ben, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.

Parliament and Big Ben



We could not begin to describe all the tidbits of history that we learned, but here are two stories. The statue of Winston Churchill is much less ”pigeoned” than other statues nearby. Various theories on this include that it is electrified or has some kind of vibration device built into it. The truth is that Churchill is still so beloved by the British people, that local people constantly scrub away the dirt.

When the monarchy was restored, the king had Oliver Cromwell’s body exhumed. The mummified remains were than drawn and quartered, and the head cut off. The head was displayed on the roof of Parliament until a storm blew it off. A Cromwell supporter grabbed the head and took it to Cambridge where it remains to this day stored in a cupboard. (And we think our politics are bizarre!)

Looking for a “posh” night out, we attended a performance of Verdi‘s “Rigoletto” at The Royal Opera House. Quite the standing room only event. One odd thing was how all these well-dressed people slurped down ice cream during the “interval!” (Ice cream is so popular, you can even reserve your ice cream ahead of time! Wouldn‘t want to miss out, would you?)

Our last full day in London was dedicated to WWII. Anne keeps saying that so much of London looks like the war ended yesterday, and nowhere is that more true than in the Cabinet War Rooms. These underground rooms are exactly as they were when Churchill left them. Down here in claustrophobic conditions, dozens of secretaries and assistants typed battle orders, translated Morse code, and tracked convoys crossing the Atlantic. We saw a closet where Churchill spoke to FDR and later Truman on a special scrambled transatlantic phone. And Churchill’s bedroom with one of his signature cigars on the nightstand.




Original German 250 kilo bomb

 



The Churchill museum (established within the war rooms) traced the ups and mostly downs of Churchill’s life before becoming Prime Minister. He had been a scholastic failure, nearly went bankrupt, and thought his political career was over after he mishandled the disastrous battle at Gallipoli. But then at the age of 65, he saves England from the Nazis! Never too late, huh?

 We celebrated our last night in London with friends Gill and Len who we met 5 years ago at Lake Bled in Slovenia. We had a fun night dining on Italian food and then hitting a local pub for a bit of beer and dancing.

A few final thoughts on London. Just as Paris is all about beauty, London displays the industrious nature of the British with a heavy dose of perseverance and a staunchness of character -- a people that have survived so much and still remain proudly standing. We especially love the way the Brits look out for visitors. From the constant announcements on the Tube to “mind the gap” (the space between the subway car and the platform), to the warnings painted on the sidewalks at most busy intersections to “Look to the Left” (or Right) -- helpful reminders for those of us who may forget that the Brits drive on the left.

London is not at all exotic, nothing like a Bangkok or a Beijing, but we feel completely at home here. In spite of terrorist threats and all the upheaval in the world, we feel safe and sound in a Britain that is still Great!



Cheers from Gill and Len!