Day 7 - London

We finally became confident using the underground tube [with the help of the great hotel staff at the front desk], so after breakfast we took the tube to Westminster.  It was a drizzly day but not bad enough to confine us to our hotel.  

When my son was a high school athletic director, one of his coaches was from England and his mother was [now retired] a registered Blue Badge London Guide.  Ali and I conversed several times via WhatsApp while I was planning our trip, so I wanted to meet her in person and take her and her husband to lunch during our London visit.  She suggested Westminster Arms Pub, and this was the day we were to meet them at 12:30 p.m.  We arrived in the area early which was perfect for taking a few pictures.

I toured Westminster Abbey in 2007 and my daughter and I attended an Evensong Service there in 2015 so it wasn't on the itinerary this visit, but I couldn't resist taking a photo of the iconic, majestic Abbey again.  While the Abbey appears to have been built at one time, it was actually built in sections.  The chapel of Henry VII began in 1503.  The western towers were completed in 1745.  The choir stalls date from 1846 and the high altar was remodeled in 1867. It was heavily damaged during the World War II bombings, but was restored soon after the war.

The Sanctuary, adjacent to the Abbey was built in 1853-54.  It was once within the precinct of Westminster Abbey and was a place of refuge.  It is now a commercial building of offices.  The 1861 Westminster Scholars War Memorial Column is visible in front of The Sanctuary. It commemorates 19 former pupils of Westminster School who died in two different wars.

Corgi Sculpture near Westminster Abbey

Jerry in front of Winston Churchill Monument in Parliament Square.

Big Ben clock and tower is technically the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, built in 1859.  It stands 316 feet tall and the climb from ground level to the befry is 334 steps. Visitors age 11 and up can climb the spiral stairwell if they're physically up to it.  No thank you! It's located at the north end of the Palace of Westminster.  It was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.   At the opposite end is the slightly taller square Victoria Tower [330 ft.].

The Houses of Parliament [its informal name] began as a Soverign home and remained so until Henry the VIII, hence its name the Palace of Westminster.  Then it became the home of the Lords and Commons until a fire in 1834 when most of the old palace was destroyed.  It was rebuilt in 1840-60 and today it remains the meeting place for the House of Commons and the House of Lords.  The beautiful Neo-Gothic structure sits on the banks of the Thames and can be toured, but I haven't taken the tour on any of my visits.   

My religious affiliation has its roots in the teachings of the 18th Century preacher, John Wesley.  Methodist Central Hall built in 1905-1911 is a multi-purpose venue, serving primarily as a Methodist Church and Conference Center.  It sits on the corner of Storey's Gate, the same street the pub is located where we were meeting our new friends, and given it's religious signifiance I photographed it.

I had hoped to have lunch or Afternoon Tea at the Cellarium Cafe and Terrace at Westminster Abbey, but Ali didn't give it high reviews.  Since she was our guest I went with her preference. Lots of construction was being done around the pub so I couldn't get good exterior photos. The pub was very close to Westminster Abbey, and we enjoyed our fish and chips lunch there.

We were seated in our own little, private alcove where we visited for almost three hours!  We agreed to meet-up again when they come to Michigan to visit their son and his family.

L-R:  Ali, Me, Jerry and Jim

Jim & Ali Bennett

Ali took the photo of Jerry and me and she suggested we look at each other instead of looking into the camera.

Then we headed back to our hotel via the tube to get our suitcases ready for an early morning departure for Paris, France.

As I typed this post I felt very grateful we went to London when we did - before all the Palestinian and Israeli protests erupted.  So thankful for a soverign Heavenly Father who is in control of ALL things.