Tower of London ~ The Last Post?

Just one last post about the Tower of London. If you do visit this historic attraction using the London Pass, it is worth checking out the Wagamama noodle restaurant close to the ticket office. If you show your London Pass you will get two main meals for the price of one which is an offer you’d find hard to beat anywhere in London. Unfortunately, being a lone tourist that day, this special offer was no good for me but I took a photo of the restaurant anyway to tempt those of you who have sightseeing company! I’ve had a look at their website http://www.wagamama.com/ and it shows the fabulous views of the Tower and the Bridge from the restaurant as well as menu listings and dietary requirement suggestions. Just looking has made my mouth water! Even though I haven’t tried it out for myself I really think that Wagamama deserve a Ding Dong for the London Pass deal- it’s an excellent offer for eating out in London.

And now for a warning… If you read my post about the Tower of London Ravens then you’ll know that if they all leave the confines of the Tower it will crumble and the Kingdom will fall. If you are considering visiting the big birds and their famous home this coming Easter weekend I would highly recommend doing so or else you may miss your chance. I don’t want to panic anyone or be accused of scaremongering but the Tower of London may be about to fall down and the Kingdom may be lost forever. Don’t just take my word for it… I have photographic evidence!

As I made my way down the jetty towards the City Cruises boat for the River Thames trip, I saw this horrifying sight – a runaway Raven on the shore of the River Thames! Could this be the first escapee? Will there be more? Is this really the beginning of the end?!

If you do visit the Tower of London this weekend, please count the Ravens and if you don’t see as many as I did (six) then please start those (metaphorical) alarm bells ringing or at least let me know the bad news! Let’s hope Sparkly Songbird isn’t really a prophet of doom and that this blog won’t need to be renamed “London Clangers”!

Airing Clean Washing

My Tower of London experience over, here are my conclusions and suggestions to make your visit even more enjoyable. I also tie up a few loose ends!

When I returned home that night, I thought I would do a little more research on the beardless Beefeater, “Susan”, who was so unaccommodating. It transpires that the singular female Beefeater is, in fact, called Moira Cameron and looks nothing like “Susan” who I am now assuming was a just a Tower of London guide! This will teach me to take proper notice of uniforms in future – I don’t want to get Policemen and Traffic Wardens confused just because they wear similar(ish) uniforms! I am quite relieved that “Susan” wasn’t the elusive female Yeoman Warder but disappointed that I didn’t get to see her, take a photo or ask a few questions.

After that little bit of post-daytrip research (yes I know I’m supposed to research before going somewhere!) I uploaded my photos onto the computer. As I worked my way through- deleting the total duds and patching up the others- I came across a couple of photos I’d taken over a high wall between the Salt and Broad Arrow Towers. The first one looks like a bit of a wasted pic but the second one unveils the other side of the Tower of London – the private side. Take a look at that laundry drying in the wind – its pink! To be more precise it’s pink playboy bunny sheets, pink tops and what appears to be an itsy bitsy pink skirt! Could I have found the “Yeowoman” Warder’s rooftop washing line? I may not have met the lady herself, but they say you can tell a lot about a person from their laundry… I wonder where she got that bed linen from?!

If you are interested in seeing all of my Tower of London photos (including ones not uploaded onto this blog) you can find them at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparklysongbird

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the world’s best photographer but every picture tells a story!

In retrospect I wish I’d bought the audio guide which is discounted with a London Pass, then I may have had more enthusiasm for the smaller, less famous towers. Having abandoned the Beefeater tour after making my unfunny joke, this would have made my visit more structured and informative.

Of the 22 towers I visited 8 and climbed 957 stairs in total… yes, 957!

I suggest wearing comfortable shoes or trainers when visiting the Tower of London as climbing small, sometimes spiral or uneven staircases would be pretty dangerous work in high heels! The cobbled pathways may also be a bit troublesome if you’re not steady on your feet.

I arrived at the Tower around midday and noticed a lot of school groups just leaving so I guess the mornings are busier. Also, if you have the option, then avoid weekends as the tourist hot spots are always busy then. At least if you have the London Pass you can skip the entrance queues and remember that you don’t use the regular entrance. Walk around past Traitors Gate to the Middle Drawbridge Entrance and they swipe your London Pass and let you straight in.

The Tower of London is really a fabulous place to visit and, potentially, you could spend a whole day exploring. But as I’ve said I’m not mad keen on history and, while I appreciate the value of this amazing tourist attraction, I wouldn’t want to spend a whole day there. The beauty of the London Pass is that you don’t feel obliged to spend hours there because you won’t be wasting money on the ticket! Just see what you want to see and go on to the next place.

I saw plenty more that day using my London Pass and will share my experiences and dodgy photos with you just as quickly as I can write and upload!

Sparkly Songbird Surrounded By Sparkly Stones

So finally I made it to the most popular part of the Tower of London – the Jewel House. Home of the Crown Jewels, obviously you can’t take photos inside so I can only show you the outside of this building which is part of the Waterloo Barracks.

Security is tight here and you immediately feel you are entering a place of great importance. Geared up for the big crowds of summer and weekends, there are snake style passageways through the first few rooms with large video screens and dramatic music to keep the people entertained. Although it was relatively quiet on the day I visited, we all stood and watched the video clips of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation (in glorious colour) and other important events like the State Opening of Parliament. They also showed beautiful close up photographs of the various jewels, orbs, sovereigns ring, crowns, sceptres and the First Star of Africa- the largest diamond in the world.

This was drama, British-style, and I found it fascinating that all the tourists watched in silence and anticipation despite there being no queues requiring them to wait patiently!

You enter the chambers where the Crown Jewels are kept through thick vault doors which is all part of the security setup. The first thing to hit me was the vivid colour of the various jewels – so bright they almost looked fake! The Coronation Robe is on display and, having just seen our young Queen appearing to walk so effortlessly in it at the coronation, I wondered how she didn’t pass out with the weight!

Then you reach the travelator (similar to those at airports) which takes you passed the most important jewels, crowns and Royal regalia. When I saw the crown Jewels as a child there was no travelator and visitors were kept several feet away from the display cases by ropes and asked to move along quickly. This present system is much better. The lighting is dim in the room which makes the spotlights pick up the colour of the gems beautifully. Even the children seemed to pick up atmosphere and there was an air of solemn, hushed excitement in the room.

I tried to make notes as I moved along the travelator and ended up missing half of the crowns! When I got to the end I asked the Warder if I could go around for another look and he very kindly allowed me to skip back round to the beginning of the conveyor belt. I doubt if this would have happened on a busier day so I was pretty lucky. Second time round I was able to appreciate the beauty and majesty of these Royal artefacts and particularly marvel at Queen Victoria’s tiny diamond crown even though the travelator does move rather quickly – blink and you’ll miss something!

Towards the end there is a massive collection of gold and silver items from Royal christening fonts to banqueting plates. All very impressive and quite overwhelming. Then you go through more massive vault doors and head towards the significantly less sparkly outside world, But, just before you leave feeling all warm and content from witnessing such amazing pieces of historical beauty, the bubble is burst well and truly. Right by the exit is one last display case containing the most dreadful Millennium Crown competition winning design by a child. Whilst I am all for encouraging children to use their imaginations and having their dreams made a reality this, to my mind, should not still be on display among genuine Royal artefacts. It was the result of a Blue Peter TV competition but, eight years on, I think it’s time for it to be put in the BBC vaults! For me, it spoilt the magic of the Crown Jewels and that was a big shame.

Diamonds Sparkle & "Susan" Disappoints

Having worked my way up, through and down another four towers, I finally reached a tower that captured my imagination – The Martin Tower. Once known as the Jewel Tower, it housed the Crown Jewels from the mid 17^th to 19^th Centuries and is now the location for a fantastic exhibition called “The Evolution of The English Crown”.

The display cases were surrounded by adults and children all oooh-ing and aaah-ing at whatever it was they were looking at… I couldn’t see a thing but was keen to join in with this wordless mantra of delight! While waiting for the group to move on, I went back to the entrance to see if there were any signs prohibiting photography. As I walked through the doorway, camera in hand, I was stopped by a figure in black and red who said “You can’t take photos in there”. “Oh ok, that’s what I was just coming to find out” I said before I’d registered that this was a woman I was talking to! This must be the elusive female Yeoman Warder! Hooray!

I politely asked her name to which she replied “Susan” without a smile. I lifted up my camera and was about to ask if I could take a photo of her when she curtly reminded me that photographs weren’t allowed. Then she turned her back on me and responded to a radio message about German tourists eating pizza in the White Tower. My mission was over and I felt utterly deflated at the lack of conversation with “Susan” and disappointed that I didn’t have a photo. Maybe she was having a bad day or perhaps she just needs to eat more beef?! I went outside and took a picture of the view instead (right: can anyone tell me what that strange, slightly phallic, gherkin shaped building is all about?!)

The exhibition in the Martin Tower was great. The crowns and diamonds on display were stunning. At one point there was only a piece of glass (presumably reinforced) separating me from 12,314 genuine diamonds! These represent the diamonds from George IVs Coronation Crown that he couldn’t afford so they were removed and he never wore the (plain) crown again! Some diamonds were out on loan and, for some reason, others were replaced by replicas but on the whole it was an intimate and impressive exhibition which was a good warm up for the Crown Jewels.

For those of you not on a Sparkly Songbird budget and looking for a special venue to make an impression, you may be interested to know that you can hire the Martin Tower for a unique and opulent dinner party. You, and up to eleven guests, can dine in this historic location surrounded by millions of pounds worth of diamonds… now that’s what I call a Ding Dong dinner!

Pecking Ravens, Proud Grandkid & (more) Pesky Stairs

What would you know – another meat eating, male Beefeater! Well, I’m not certain he was a meat eater but he was definitely a man. He asked if he could help me so I took the opportunity to ask about another matter on my mind.

My late grandfather was stationed at the Tower of London during World War I and, sadly, I know very little more than that. The Beefeater I spoke to told me as much as he could without knowing his rank or regiment. He told me there was a high chance my Grandad would have lived in the Waterloo Barracks (seen behind the soldiers in yesterday’s photo) but if I can find out more detail they’d be able to tell me precisely which garrison he was in.

The only other piece of information I had was that he was honourably discharged due to meningitis so my very friendly Beefeater walked me round to the Old Hospital Block (pictured left) where my Grandad would have spent his last days at the Tower of London before returning home.

I felt quite touched to know that my Grandad was stationed here nearly 100 years ago and very proud that he did his part for King and Country.

Rather than start climbing stairs again I walked round to see where the Ravens spend their days. These massive proud birds are a famous feature of the Tower of London. During the recent bird flu scares, they were kept inside to protect them but the risk must be over as I saw three in the Raven “area”, one in a large aviary and had earlier seen two demolishing Tower Green! So I counted six but I’m not sure how many currently reside at the Tower. Legend says that there must be a minimum of six Ravens and if they all disappear/die/go on holiday/escape then the Tower will crumble and the Kingdom will fall. As a precaution, their wings are trimmed to stop them flying away and they are looked after by the Yeoman Raven Master (what a title!) who feeds them a diet of raw meat, raw eggs and an occasional dead rabbit! There are several signs warning that the Ravens may bite, but they seemed more interested in pecking at the medieval ruins than the tourists!

Having decided to leave the Crown Jewels until last, I knew I should make my way up and down the various other towers I hadn’t visited. I admit I didn’t manage all of them and those that I did see consisted largely of many stairs going up, one room, a small exhibit or piece of information and more stairs back down again. From my distinct lack of notes I realise that there isn’t anything very interesting to tell you about these less famous towers. I know that sounds awful but my interest in history is limited and I need quite a lot of visual stimulation to keep my attention! I think, had I not been alone, I may have been more fascinated by the minutiae. But with only one London Pass there can be only one opinion so at least I am being honest and not influenced by someone else’s thoughts.

Still to come... some lovely sparkly diamonds and my encounter with a beardless figure wearing black and red!

Banana Bread, Bloody Tower, Bridge & Beards

I had a quick look around the White Tower Shop and was impressed by the range of souvenirs from candy and toys to top price mementos and gifts. All the shops at the Tower of London sell pretty much the same merchandise and there is also a selection available to buy online.

Once back out in the open, I wandered around looking at the impressive buildings surrounding me until I remembered my quest to meet the lone woman Beefeater. I headed towards a friendly looking Beefeater who was watching some less friendly looking ravens pecking great pieces of turf from Tower Green.

This particular Beefeater had a beard so I was pretty certain that this was not the female of the species! I felt it would be rude to simply ask where I could find “her”, the nameless, beardless female Yeoman Warder, so I said hello meekly and moved on to the Bloody Tower!

I am ashamed to say that I didn’t know Sir Walter Ralegh was imprisoned here three times throughout his life (he also had a beard!) and that his surname was spelt without an “i” despite being taught otherwise at school!

Coming out of the Bloody Tower I lent over a high(ish) wall and took a snap of Tower Bridge. If anybody has noticed that all my photos appear to be a little askew then my considered response is that, being so old, the whole area is wonky and it has nothing to do with my inability to hold a camera straight!

There were quite a few smaller towers that I found disappointing due to the lack of displays and information. Climbing zillions of stairs to glimpse a few scratched words in Latin or a hand print in the wall became disheartening and so I decided to check out the café!

With a quick flash of my London Pass I received a 20% discount in the New Armouries Café which was large, light and clean. Full priced hot drinks cost from £1.40 (this is cheap for London) and they serve hot food from £6.95. I only had a coffee and some banana bread (naughty but nice!) but both were excellent.

As I left the café there was a bit of a commotion outside as a group of soldiers marched past, led by a Yeoman Warder (with beard). I did my best to run ahead and get a photo but that banana bread was weighing rather heavy! I succeeded just before they marched into the Jewel House to change guard.

Having put my camera away, I spotted a beardless Yeoman Warder standing by the Chapel Royal so I made my way towards what I hoped was the elusive female (possibly vegetarian) Beefeater…

Scaffolding, Stairs & Suits of Armour

Most visitors head straight to see the Crown Jewels but I was happy to wait a while longer before seeing them again. I made my solitary way to the White Tower - the oldest of all the towers - which is currently being cleaned and conserved externally. It was originally white washed to intimidate foreign invaders and terrify Londoners but this pollution-stained grubby brownish building remains impressive and iconic. Unfortunately, the temporary scaffolding rather ruins the photo opportunity… so I didn’t bother!

The White Tower houses the Armouries. I happily admit that I speeded around the displays and, where possible, skipped whole sections! I am emphatically unenthusiastic about swords, guns and suits of armour. But don’t let me put you off as anyone who has a slight interest in matters of munitions (mostly little boys and big boys I would imagine!) will love this tower more than any other! My attention was tickled slightly by the “Hands on History” section where you can touch and try out some weapons. Alas, my fleeting enthusiasm vanished when a pushy mother pushed me out of the way so that little Johnny could have a go – I considered pistols at twenty paces but didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere!

One display worth mentioning is the Guinness World Record holder for the Tallest Suit of Armour. Standing at 6ft 8 inches and dating back to around 1540, this “giant” suit of armour is displayed next to a “dwarf” (their word, not mine!) suit of armour which is a miniature 3ft 1.5 inches. Surprisingly, there are no prizes for the small one which just goes to show that size really does matter!

It’s no secret that the Tower of London, with its many stairs and uneven floor surfaces, is generally not wheelchair friendly. But with so much to look at and discover without going inside, mobility problems shouldn’t impede your enjoyment at this World Heritage Site. In fact, there is free wheelchair hire available (but careful on the cobblestones!). The Jewel House is completely accessible for all visitors as are the New Armouries Café and various toilet facilities.

I should reveal now that, because of my shameful indifference to weaponry, I started counting stairs whilst in the White Tower! I will reveal the results of my massive stair count at a later date – I bet you can’t wait for those statistics!

Vegetarian Beefeaters

“It’ll be worth the wait…” that is how I finished my last post and it was one of the first things I heard a woman say to a child as I arrived at the Tower of London. Yes, the place I said I wouldn’t go to was, in fact, my first sightseeing stop in London. It’s 25 years since my last visit and, I thought it would be interesting to see it through adult eyes. Obviously the buildings themselves haven’t changed but the surrounding area has become superbly razzle-dazzle with wide walkways, bright lighting, shops, bars and signposts to other local places of interest.

With the London Pass in my hand I didn’t need to go to the ticket office but, out of curiosity, I went to see what I was missing! There are machines as well as a traditional ticket office and, being mid-week and midday the queues were not as long as they would be at weekends or on school holidays but still long enough to make me thankful I had fast-track entry!

London Pass holders enter the Tower of London through the Middle Drawbridge Entrance; your pass is entered into a device which, to me, looks just like a chip & pin credit card machine. You then have your bag searched by security- two very handsome guys who laughed at my suggestion of a quick all over body search (I can’t imagine why!).

I’m not going to write historic facts about the Tower of London- if you don’t already know the basics then you’ll find out plenty when you get there. But there are a few things I’d like to share.

I started off on a free Beefeater tour but I soon upset our guide by asking if any of the Beefeaters were vegetarians! I thought this was quite funny but he was not amused… apparently they don’t like being called by their nickname (their official title is Yeoman Warder) and he has probably heard that joke a million times before. First tip when visiting the Tower of London: Do not upset the Yeoman Warders – they look like sweet old men but remember that beneath the snazzy costume/uniform and dramatic story-telling, these men have served a minimum of 22 years in the armed forces and most have fought for Queen and Country. Don’t mess with these guys!!! He never answered my question so I assume the subject of vegetarianism among the Beefeaters is taboo!

As it was a cold day, most of the Yeoman Warders were wearing black cloaks over their “undress” (black and red outfit worn on normal days rather than their famous red and gold ceremonial uniforms), which made them difficult to distinguish from the regular tour guides who also wear black with a splash of red. A few months ago the first female Beefeater/Yeoman Warder was appointed and I was on a mission to find and photograph her. The lack of distinguishing clues made my mission harder than expected but if I found her then maybe she would be more forthcoming about her eating habits!