Day 3 -- London: The British Museum, the Dickens House Museum, and the National Theatre

Friday, July 28th

The British Museum

One simply cannot visit London without stopping by the British Museum. We did not have a great deal of time to browse, but a friend on this side of the Pond directed to some of the best items – particularly those with Biblical connections. Most of the ancient stone artifacts in the museum were not even under glass! There were thousands of years of world history at your fingertips.



This instrument was possibly played by Queen Elizabeth I:


No sharing shoes here:

We saw the lovely Rosetta Stone, the mask from Sutton Hoo (which is on practically every copy of “Beowulf”), and even one of the little medallions that Wedgwood made that pictures a slave on the front and the words “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” Here is a snapshot of our tour guide…*ahem*


Well, anyway, after many detours we made it out of the museum and stopped at a little pub for fish and chips and a pint…of coke.


The Charles Dickens House Museum

The Charles Dickens House Museum was only a few blocks away on Doughty St.




This house was one of the places that I most wanted to see on our trip, and our visit was certainly no disappointment. There was a library of his works in the basement housing just about every edition of his works that has ever been published. They also had his writing desk – to think of the masterpieces that the little, unassuming wooden writing desk accommodated! The house was a typical narrow Georgian townhouse, but had three upper floors. Much to my delight, it was the sort of museum that you wander around at will. Here is one of the very staircases that Dickens used to walk up and down every day:




Due to a problem at our tube stop, we had a rather unexpected walk. But on our way, we noticed that one of the townhouses we passed had a plaque on it indicating that Alfred Hitchcock had lived there in the 20s and 30s!




The National Theatre

We took a backstage tour of the National Theatre, which was quite interesting. Not only did we tour the three unique theatres, but we also had the opportunity to visit the various shops that build the sets and props. The scope of what they do is absolutely astounding! The building itself is quite ugly and modern, but the theatres are fascinating. While we were in the medium-sized theatre, they tested the sound effects for the play that night, “Hothouse,” about a psych ward. Let’s just say that judging from the terror I felt at just the sounds and lights, I’m very glad we didn’t see the play!

Mom and Tiff ended the day with “Les Miserables,” but Dad and I headed back to Earl’s Court – with a stop at McDonald’s for a Flake McFlurry! – to rest up for our adventures on the morrow.

Day 5 -- London: St. Helen's, Bishopsgate; The George Inn; the Marshalsea Prison Wall; Handel House Museum; and Royal Albert Hall

Sunday, July 30th

St. Helen's, Bishopsgate

For church in the morning we attended St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate. It is a church of England, but the preaching was sound and Biblical, and the church was more “relaxed” (so there were no vestments or the typical things you think of with Anglican services). We found out that Shakespeare attended church there when he lived in London – what a thought! The building is right in the center of the financial district, which is rather unusual. It is surrounded by modern business buildings, because this area of London was destroyed by the Blitz in 1940. If you look in the back of this picture, you can see the RE business tower, affectionately known as the “Gherkin” or “Bullet:”



The George Inn

We met some missionary friends at St. Helen’s and took them to lunch at the George Inn. The George is the oldest surviving galleried (balconied) coaching inn in London. It was built in the 1670s, and is also mentioned by Dickens in The Pickiwick Papers (hence my interest in it!). It’s set far back from the street in a little alley. The food was quite excellent, and the most reasonable we had seen in London. Tiffany and I shared “Bangers and Mash” (sausage and mashed potatoes in a lovely sea of gravy).





The Marshalsea Prison Wall

After we left the George, we continued down Borough High Street in search of the remains of the Marshalsea prison wall. For those who may not have read “Little Dorrit” by Charles Dickens, the Marshalsea is the prison in which Amy Dorrit’s father is imprisoned for debt. Dickens’ father was imprisoned here when Dickens was a child, and the prison left a profound impression on him. In the book, he refers frequently to the “shadow of the Marshalsea,” the shadow cast by the prison walls both physically and mentally on its inhabitants. The prison had already been dismantled in Dickens’ day, but there is one wall remaining. It took us quite a while, but we found it at last – it is now set against a lovely little garden in an out-of-the-way alley.






Across the street is the Church of St. George the Martyr, which is also mentioned in “Little Dorrit.” It looks rather rough on the outside, but the inside is beautiful. The ceiling is elaborately painted, and the oaken pews on the first floor and the balcony are lovely.


Handel House Museum

25 Brook Street was the London home of George Frederic Handel. The museum was simple, but very informative. We viewed the very rooms where Handel lived and worked – his most notable piece from this time being “The Messiah.” There was a small Baroque group practicing in one of the downstairs rooms, which helped create atmosphere.


Royal Albert Hall -- The Proms

Just down the street from Royal Albert Hall we found this crazy building. Here is the front:


...and here is the side! I have never seen a building so narrow



To finish out a very full day, Mom and I attended one of the BBC Promenade concerts (or “Proms,” as they’re called) at Royal Albert Hall.



For only £5 we obtained “Arena” seats. The Hall is set up in a circle, with the orchestra set up against part of the wall. The open area in the middle of the hall is called the Arena, and there are only a few seats for elderly or disabled people. Everyone else stands, sits, or lies down, as it suits their fancy! It was quite an experience, and the music was lovely. Needless to say, we were suffering acutely from exhaustion by now – but we were only just beginning our tour of England…