Monday, November 10, 2014

The War to End All Wars (and the one after that)

Beth and I called the babysitter and had a rare "day-date" in London.  Our first stop was the Tower of London to see the poppy display.  When the final poppy is planted today, Armistice Day, there will be 888,246 poppies, one for every British soldier who died in the First World War.  The memorial, officially called the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, marks 100 years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in WWI in 1914.

 

 Thousands of poppies.  Thousands of tourists.




"That's 888,242, 888,243, 888,244....wait, did I already count that one? Drat!  1, 2, 3, 4..."

 Traitor's Gate

An aerial shot from the Daily News

 
How do we cheer ourselves up after such a remarkable, but somber, memorial?  A Tower of London Bridge selfie, of course.
My beautiful wife
 
 Showing my support.

Walking to our next destination we came across a parade. There always seems to be a parade when we are in the city.


 
All that walking worked up a thirst so we tucked into the Black Friar, a pub on the site of a thirteenth century Dominican Priory.

Obligatory Big Ben pics. It never gets old.

 
Our next stop was the Churchill War Rooms, the secret underground headquarters that sheltered Winston Churchill and the core of British government throughout the Second World War.  The museum comprises the war  rooms and the Churchill Museum, a biographical museum exploring the life of Winston Churchill.


The War Cabinet Room is where Churchill, his ministers and military command met.


Interchangeable boards gave news of the weather to those working underground. During air raids the indicator was changed to ‘windy’ as a joke.

 
 Churchill's office

 The Transatlantic Telephone Room contained a confidential hotline between Churchill and Roosevelt
  Chiefs of Staff conference room
 
The kitchen
 
 An example of one of the Officer's living quarters.
In the Map Room, the informational hub of the entire site, everything has remained exactly as it was when the lights were finally switched off on 16 August 1945. The so-called ‘beauty chorus’ of colour-coded telephones; the books and documents piled on desks; the rationed sugar cubes found in an envelope belonging to Wing Commander John Heagarty; the wartime maps covering the walls, and the thousands of tiny pinholes dotting the progress of Allied ships across the Convoy Map. 




 Churchill's office-bedroom boasting the most comfortable living conditions within the bunker (complete with his own bed pan).


When we climbed out the bunker it was chucking down with rain and we decided to call it a night (but not before one last picture in front of Big Ben).


 



Guy Fawkes Night 2014

Last year at this time we were still very new to England, new to our town and neighborhood.  We had no idea about what Guy Fawkes Night was but quickly educated ourselves. We were happy to learn about the fireworks that went off right in our back garden. (see post here) Mark and I thought, well, if they do the same thing next year, we should have a party- if we have friends by then of course. 

Thankfully, a year later, we made friends and a party ensued. Jo, Simon, Sophia, Livy, Emma, Ray, Ollie and little Beth-- thank you for making this very English celebration come to life at the Fairfield House!



 
Front and center...
Oliver, Ollie, Henry and Beth.
In the back,
Sophia, Emma and Jo.

 
Sparklers for everyone!
Sophia and Livy too!
 
 
Ray helping little Beth with hers.

 
The fireworks this year surpassed last year.  We are very spoiled to have our own private show.
 




Sunday, November 9, 2014

Happy Halloween

October proved to be an extremely busy month.  No sooner did we get back from Scotland and it was Halloween! As you know the boys are full into their superhero phase.  It was only fitting that they decided to keep the theme for Halloween. Mom and Dad followed suit...literally. Pumpkins first, then the big party!








 
Clark Kent and his posse.

 
We went to our friends for the Halloween party. Emma and Ray- thank you again for your warm hospitality. For English folk you sure know how to celebrate a very American event.
 
Look at this lot. There was no stopping them!
Ollie G, Henry, Oliver, Ned and Ollie P.
I can't forget little Beth who isn't shown here but for a new three year old, she kept up really well.

 


 

 
This is interesting. Oliver commandeered Beth's (in the yellow coat) buggy. And my friend Emma is willingly pushing him.  
 
 

 
Emma even had a piñata!



 
My other dear friend Annie and her son, Ollie. Her younger son, Ned, is pictured above giving the piñata hard time!  

 
The candy coma.

 
Happy Halloween to our friends here and back home.