High up in Highbury

Our bed and breakfast accommodation at Highbury Lodge is extremely comfortable and very warm. It has recently been renovated so everything inside is fresh and new. We had quite a workout lugging our suitcases up the various staircases to the upmost level but now we're here we are very thankful for such a lovely place to stay. It's a bit of a walk to the Highbury Islington Underground but we all need that after a hot English breakfast...

 

It has certainly been for us what it sets out to be -  'A place of rest in a restless city...'  

 

We headed off to what has certainly not been a place of rest throughout history - The Tower of London. Built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, and added to through the centuries, there were so many fascinating tales to hear. The Yeoman's summary in the royal chapel was riveting (at least for Shaun) - so many famous, infamous and ordinary people buried over the centuries. 

We were suitably impressed by the crown jewels - who would have thought the one monarch needed so many crowns! The (original) White Tower was chock full of armour and weaponry; the boys especially enjoyed the hands-on cross bow; Shaun was fascinated to see the canon from the 'Mary Rose' - King Henry VIII's flagship which sunk on its maiden voyage.

Of course, the tales of torture and gore were the most interesting, especially about the 2 princes who were most likely murdered in the Tower by their uncle Richard III.

 

Elijah spontaneously told us all this joke when he heard Henry the VIII being spoken of

(written as said below):

 

'Why did Henry the ape have seven wives?

 

Because he liked to chop and change.'

 

 

Miracles happen! Everyone is smiling at the same time and London bridge is not falling down...

 

 

 

 

The Christmas lights in London are very pretty - ALOT of other people thought so too... There are

crowds of people EVERYWHERE in London!

 

 

 

Bethany writes - Visiting platform 9 and 3 quarters was a pretty magical experience.

The trolley is ready as you can see and of course there's a Harry Potter shop.

Happy memories of reading and re-reading the 7 Harry Potter books.

 

 

 

 Late at night we headed back to the Tower for the Ceremony of the Keys - the ritual that has been performed every night for the last 750 years to close up the Tower. The Brits certainly know how to do ceremonies properly, and the Yeoman's talk was excellent. Of course photos weren't allowed.