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Quick Trip to London Report

Posted by (Halifax, NS) on

To all of thise who touted Hampstead, I say thank you. In all my years of coming to London, I had never been. Yesterday was the day.

To saying was beautiful is an understatement. The blooms were out and it was great just to wander down thr streets. I had also watched a YouTube walk to get an idea of where to go.

Fenton house was interesting, but the garden is really pretty and great for photography. Burgh House is in the area as well. I didn't go into that one. But you can get a few photos from thr road. They seem to have a nice cafe patio.

I also went to the Pergola and what a sight. The wisteria was still out and it was just so peaceful. I can't say enough about it.

I did have lunch at the Holly Bush. It isn't the cheapest, but it was nice.

Today I went to the Tower. I last went in 2023 for a full on visit 25 years ago. I never had a burning desire to pay the entry again. But the poppies changed that. I had seen the display in 2014. You didn't have to buy an entrance to see them, but for 2025, the best displays are inside. I went this morning for the 9am entrance.

Instead of heading right for the jewels, I headed for the poppies. I wanted some shots without people. I even got a very cooperative raven.

All in all, the poppies are beautiful, but aside from the jewels, I didn't find the building interiors spectacular. The church and medieval rooms are currently closed.

I also went to Horizon 22, the free viewing platform not too far from the tower. I will say, it's probably better to go on a cloudy day for photos. There is so much glare, it's hard to get good photos. But, it is free and the views are amazing.

The Royal Air Force church of St Clement Dane is worth a visit. It's a shame the exterior is covered in scaffolding. But lots of interesting info inside and the interior is very nice.

On my first day here it was VE day. I managed to get a photo of the Kimg and Queen in the way to the service at the Abbey.

I went to the fabulous new exhibition at the King's Gallery. There are several popular and well known tiara on display as well as a coronation dress and some Winterhalters.

Off to see Opetation Mincemeat this evening.

The tube has been playing up yesterday and today. It's not a big problem, just a matter of changing routes.

Posted by
9323 posts

I'm glad you had a great experience and were able to see a place that was new, fresh, and interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by
11536 posts

Bummer
About medieval rooms being closed - I found them most interesting

Did you do the Yeomans tour ? We really enjoyed that too ( been twice )

Thanks for trip review !

Posted by
15642 posts

Thanks for your report! Sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I, too, saw the poppies in 2014 and was interested in them this year. Happy to hear your report on them so thanks for adding that.

Posted by
393 posts

Pat, I did t do the tour this time round. I did the tour when I first went to the Tower many years ago and agree that it is worth doing.

Posted by
393 posts

I have just come back from Operation Mincemeat and I loved it.

Posted by
6116 posts

Thanks for the trip report KB.

I also saw the poppies this week. I had been to the Tower either 2 or 3 times, but my last visit was 20+ years ago. I decided to visit for the poppies. My visit was booked for 12:30 on Friday and I took the Yeoman Warder’s tour immediately. I fully expected to skip the crown jewels as I had no interest in waiting in a long queue. To my surprise, there was absolutely no queue for the crown jewels when the tour finished around 1:30, so I walked through. I did think the poppies were beautiful and artistically displayed, but there are only about 30,000 of them this time (the 2014 display had over 888,000) so this display is not as dramatic as the one in 2014.

Posted by
518 posts

Thanks for your trip report.

I agree with you. I spent a full Sunday in Hampstead at the end of March and loved it. The town is so fun to wander. Were you able to walk the Heath? It feels so removed from the hustle and bustle of central London.

Sounds like you're having a great time. Enjoy!

Posted by
3044 posts

Do you use a polarizing filter? If so, which one?

Try out a few and you might find one that's just the ticket for cutting the glare.

Posted by
393 posts

@Laura - Agree the poppies aren’t as dramatic as 2014, but it’s still a lovely display. There was no line by the time I was ready for the jewels, about an hour into my visit.

@Jeanm the pergola gardens and viaduct lake are in the Heath. But they are the opposite side from the viewpoint and I didn’t have the energy to walk over there this time. I had already done some 25,000 steps.

@avirosemail - I forgot my filters at home and didn’t think about them til I was at Horizon 22 and cursing the glare.

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