London - Day 2 ......

We were up bright and early and waiting at the National Archives when they opened the doors at 10.00 a.m. We checked the records we had reserved were booked out to us then ordered the others we needed (they take about 30 minutes to arrive). We had to check 10 years of records but one year was missing and guess what, 'Sod's Law' that must be the year we need because we couldn't find what we wanted in the other nine years! Doesn't it make you want to spit!!!! Still we enjoyed the research and at least we have eliminated those nine years.

We left the NA and scurried to Kew Station to catch the tube to Tower Hill. We were really impressed with London Transport as far as efficiency and pricing goes - it leaves Greater Manchester Transport sadly lacking! We got to Tower Hill at lunchtime so decided to have something to eat before tackling the Tower itself.

I had secured a coupon which, on showing our train tickets, entitled one adult to pay half price which was quite a saving as it cost £16.00 each to get into the Tower. You can see by MWM's smile he enjoyed the saving!

I've put together a slide show of some of the things we saw such as:

Traitor's Gate - it was eerie to see where Anne Boleyn would have entered the Tower and the actual steps she would have climbed from the boat to her imprisonment and eventual execution.

The Scaffold Site - where Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (Henry VIII's wives), and others were executed. (click on photo to enlarge for details)

We saw the Tower Ravens. Legend has it that Charles II was told that if the ravens left the Tower, the kingdom and the fortress would fall, so apparently the ravens wings are clipped now to prevent them leaving. (Click on photo to enlarge)

The White Tower houses displays from the Royal Armouries' collection and of course we went into the Jewel House to see the Crown Jewels but you are not allowed to take photographs but you can see official photographs here. They truly are magnificent, but I was amazed at how tiny Queen Victoria's crown is!

The Bloody Tower is where the 'Little Princes' were suppopsesd to have been murdered, (read about the mystery of The Princes in the Tower), we also took photographs of a 'prison cell', which is quite luxurious, and instruments of torture (Scavengers Daughter, The Rack and The Manacles) in the Wakefield Tower.

As we left the Tower MWM took this shot of Tower Bridge - isn't it magnificent?

We jumped on the tube to Tottenham Court Road to pick our tickets up at the Dominion Theatre, so we wouldn't have to queue when we arrived there for the show and, as we had a little time to spare, we went to the British Museum. Unfortunately by this time I was feeling exhausted and a bit faint, it was really warm, so we didn't get a chance to look round I had to sit outside in the air until I recovered enough to get a taxi over to Covent Garden where we had booked at meal at Porter's Restaurant. I did manage to get a photograph of the outside of the Museum and one inside of the roof - you can see two (work) men walking across the roof! (see the next slide show).

Before we went for our meal we sat in the Punch & Judy pub in Covent Garden Market watching the street entertainers (see slides). Apparently the first Punch & Judy puppet show was performed here in 1662 witnessed by Samuel Pepys.

Our meal at Porters was excellent - they specialise in traditional English dishes at reasonable prices, we had booked the meal and the show as a special deal for £37.50, the meal consisting of two courses either starter and main course, or main course and a sweet, you can order extra dishes of course which you pay for along with any drinks you have.

After our meal we jumped in a cab back to the theatre and were really suprised to seen how many people there were going into the theatre for a Tuesday! We had really good seats in the stalls with a great view. Guess who was sitting just two rows behind me - Cheryl Baker who used to be with the group Buck's Fizz who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 - you can see them in action here.

The show (We Will Rock You) was absolutely FANTASTIC, but then we are both big QUEEN fans, everyone was on their feet singing and clapping, the atmosphere was ELECTRIC!! You can listen here to some of the music from the show and see details of the story. We have already decided if the show comes to Manchester we will definitely be booking to see it!

We were tired when we came out of the theatre but absolutely BUZZING, we couldn't help but sing the songs we'd just heard on the tube home, I'm sure the other passengers must have thought we were totally MAD but we didn't care! Then to bed to rest - another busy day tomorrow!

Read Day 1 and Tune in for Day 3 - Hampton Court.