England's Motto and Philosophy

Yesterday I received an e-mail from a dear friend who lives in Michigan, but is from England.  Her mother and sister still live there.  

Her sister e-mailed her the link to a METRO NEWS article that was published yesterday, and she sent it to me.  [Click on Metro News above for actual article.]

The headline reads: Fake tube message speaks for whole country after terror attack, says MP.

The message was left on a London Underground public notice board following Wednesday's attacks.

Despite being a fake [not written by authorized station personnel], the sign which emerged on the Internet yesterday has been praised as a 'wonderful tribute' by Prime Minister Theresa May. And Tory MP Simon Hoare said 'whoever wrote it speaks for the whole country.'

My friend said, 'In times of adversity nothing can beat a good cup of tea!'  Amen to that!

May God comfort those who lost loved ones in Wednesday's attack.   Raising my teacup in tribute to the victims, our Mother Country, England, and the restorative beverage of tea.

Eleventh Day in London - Woburn Abbey

This was our last day of sightseeing.  A driver would pick us up at our hotel at 11:00 a.m. the next day [May 12th], to take us to Heathrow Airport for our flight back to Michigan.  

Following breakfast we went to Earl's Court tube station for the last time [this trip] to catch a tube to the mainline train station that would transport us to Flitwick, where a taxi would take us to Woburn Abbey, the family seat of the Dukes of Bedford for over 300 years.

Reason for visiting Woburn Abbey?  It was the home of Anna Maria Stanhope Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford - the woman who named and popularized the ritual of Afternoon Tea. 

Anna married Francis Russell, the eldest son of the Sixth Duke of Bedford in 1808.  When he succeeded to the title in 1839 they made Woburn Abbey their home.

Anna was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria from 1837-1841, and in 1841 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Woburn Abbey.  

In the Duke's Corridor at Woburn Abbey a portrait hangs of Anna wearing her peeress's robes as Marchioness of Travistock [pictured below]. On her wrist is a beautiful gold and diamond bracelet with a miniature of Queen Victoria which was presented to her by the Queen in 1838.

The bracelet is displayed in a case in the Gold Vault at Woburn.

Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside Woburn.  The 15th Duke and Duchess of Bedford currently reside there with their two children.  

All of the Duchesses have made contributions to Woburn, so Anna is honored equally amongst them.

Anna and her husband were known for their hospitality, and Woburn records show they entertained nearly 12,000 guests in 1859.

There is a portrait of Anna in Queen Victoria's bedroom, as well as some mementos given to her by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

[Internet Photo]

The Blue Drawing Room is most closely associated with Anna, because it's the room where she had Afternoon Tea with her friends. She began the custom shortly after becoming a Lady-in-waiting as the time between lunch and dinner, sometimes as late as 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., was far too long, and she remarked to her husband that she suffered a "sinking feeling."  So she invited the other ladies at the palace to take tea with her, served around 5:00 p.m., which included delicate sandwiches and little triangular cakes called 'wigs.'

A table is set up for tea in the Blue Drawing Room, as well as a small portrait of Anna sitting on a cabinet.

Below, the 14th Duchess of Bedford takes tea in the Blue Drawing Room.

[Internet Photo]

The State Saloon is another room where Anna Maria entertained her house guests.

[Internet Photo]

Anna was very popular and well liked not only by her friends, but also the estate people, and her husband adored her.  She was fond of gardening and was responsible for laying out the South Terrace garden.  

She loved theatricals and performing in them in the Theatre at Woburn.  She also enjoyed embroidery as a pastime when she was at court.  A large embroidered screen is displayed in the Private Dining Room done by her.

~ Arriving at Woburn Abbey ~

~ The Garden and Gift Shoppe, where you purchase your ticket to tour the mansion. ~

~ Inside the gift shoppe ~

[Lori and Me]

My purchases were a box of fudge...

A tea tin...

And a commemorative book.

~ With ticket in hand we walked up the brick road leading to the mansion ~

Along the walkway we passed ladder racks, and an explanation sign affixed to them. 

~ Side entrance used for touring the mansion ~

~ After touring the mansion we walked back to the Duchess' Tea Room ~

~ Interior of the Tea Room ~

~ Loved the Tea Room Bunting ~

~ Tiered servers ready for Afternoon Tea ~

We went through the buffet line for scones and tea.

They serve 'Suki Tea' but it wasn't available to purchase in the tea room.  The server said it could be ordered online.

After we had our tea we walked around the grounds.  Below is the arch to the North Court. 

~ Cedar of Lebanon ~

~ Other side of the North Arch ~

~ View of Woburn Abbey from the front ~

~ Then it was time for our taxi to pick us up and take us back to the train station ~

When we got back to our hotel's neighborhood, we had our last meal of the trip at another pub called the Courtfield.

~ Interior ~

~ I ordered a Jacket Potato topped with bar-b-que pork and cheese. ~

When we left the pub we decided to walk around the block in the opposite direction of our hotel to view another neighborhood.

~ And we came out at this corner ~

Directly across the street was a Marks and Spencer Simply Food Market, so we decided to go inside.

I'm so glad we did because I found a tin of shortbread cookies commemorating the birth of Princess Charlotte that I brought home with me.

~ At another small shop I got a cute keepsake postcard ~

Then we went back to our hotel to pack for our departure.  This concludes my series of posts about my London trip.  I hope you've enjoyed traveling along vicariously.  It was a very full itinerary, and we were on the go everyday, but it was a fabulous trip.  Since all good things must come to an end, we had to say good-bye to London. A few places remained on the itinerary that we didn't have time to visit, so I hope to return again someday! 

Sunday Reflection...

Attending Evensong at Westminster Abbey immediately following a service where the Royal family were present gave me some wonderful thoughts to ponder:

[1]  At the foot of the cross - where everyone comes to Jesus Christ - the ground is level. 
       No royalty or commoners...no titles...no wealth or poverty... everyone is equal before
       Him.  How grateful I am that everyone has the opportunity to come to Him and 
       receive His gift of salvation.  [Romans 10:13]

[2]  From a human perspective, very few are born into royalty.  No amount of wishing
       will make it a reality.  But from a spiritual perspective, I am a child of THE KING!  
       Through Jesus' atonement, I've been adopted into Heavenly royalty.  [1 John 3:1]

[3]  Historic London, and Westminster Abbey itself, is a huge reminder of the mortality
       of earthly kings and queens - and all mankind for that matter.  London has statues and 
       paintings of Charles II, Henry VIII, Queen Victoria, and other monarchs to perpetuate
       their memory and significance to the country, which is as it should be.  I thoroughly
       enjoyed learning about them and blogging about them, but the fact remains they died,
       and their reign ended.

       The great news is the Heavenly King, the King of kings, is eternal.  The tomb could
       not hold Him.  He is Alpha and Omega - no beginning and no ending.  He is the I AM,
       the Universal Sovereign.  Best of all, He knows me by name.  Scripture says He knew
       me before I was formed in my mother's womb.  No mortal king or queen has those
       super-natural powers.  I've gratefully given Him my allegiance, and proclaim Him as
       my Sovereign Lord! 
       

      May God bless your week!

      

Tenth Day - Evensong at Westminster Abbey

When we left the Tower of London we hurried over to Westminster Abbey for their 3:00 p.m. Evensong Service. We missed it the Sunday before by 30 minutes, so we didn't want to be late again. Barricades blocked off automobile traffic around the Abbey, and there were no crowds of people moving about. We were fourth in line for the Evensong Service, and while I was delighted with our good fortune, I wondered why this Sunday wasn't as busy as the previous one.  Finally I mustered my courage and asked the gentleman in front of me. He explained the Royal family had just attended a special Thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey commemorating the 70th Anniversary of VE Day, which had just occurred two days earlier on May 8th. 

Now the Red Arrows 'Flypast' at the Tower of London made sense, as well as the barricades and lack of people around the Abbey.  Lori and I had been so busy gallivanting to Richmond and Windsor, VE Day never crossed my mind.

Around 2:30 p.m. the Abbey Marshalls came out and opened the gate for us to enter the Abbey.

Once inside, we were asked if we wanted to be seated in a section in the choir loft, or in regular seating.  I replied "regular seating."  An usher took Lori and me over to a front row of upholstered chairs near the steps leading up to the altar.  A few minutes later he returned and said, "We wondered who would sit in these chairs."  He went on to explain about the Thanksgiving service attended by the Royal family.  The Queen and Prince Philip sat on special chairs placed on a red carpet, and the rest of the Royal family sat on the upholstered chairs that we were sitting on. They hastily removed the red carpet and Queen Elizabeth's and Prince Philip's chairs following the service, but didn't have time to remove the other chairs used by the Royal family.  I'm quite certain it's the only time in my life that I'll ever sit on a chair used by a member of the Royal family, and truthfully I don't feel any different now that I've done it!  ;-) 

Following Evensong we went to see Clarence House and St. James's Palace, which stand next to each other, and aren't far from Buckingham Palace.  Clarence House was the Queen Mum's home for almost 50 years.  After the first anniversary of her death [2003] Prince Charles, Camilla, and Prince Harry moved into it as their official London residence. Previously they lived in St. James's Palace, which is where their offices are now located.

The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk is a seven mile long walk taking people through St. James's Park, Green Park, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens.  The ground plaque below was in St. James's Park.

~ Beautiful gardens in St. James's Park ~

St. James's Park led us out to The Mall where a VE Day parade was held earlier in the day - hence all the flags flying.

I've never taken a selfie or been in one before, but Lori said, "Aw, come on, Mom!"  So I agreed to it. After all, it was Mother's Day, and there's no one I'd rather be photographed with than my firstborn.  

~ The Mall looking towards Buckingham Palace ~

While there were people around the Palace, it wasn't nearly as busy as it was when we were there three days earlier - probably because evening was approaching.

~ St. James's Palace side view ~

~ St. James's Palace built by Henry VIII in the Sixteenth Century ~

Palace Courtyard.  No guards were on duty because no royals currently live there.

Clarence House incorporates the southwest corner of the Tudor buildings of St. James's Palace.

~ Guards at Clarence House, which was built in the early 19th Century ~

After seeing St. James's Palace and Clarence House, we took the tube back to Earl's Court. Lori treated me to dinner at the Blackbird Pub in our hotel's neighborhood.  The Blackbird is housed inside a former bank.

~  Pub Fish and Chips - Yum!  ~

Only one day left to sight see in England... Monday's post.