On Thursday evening Reidski and I met up with Marc and Deana who are from Chicago, and who we met via blogging. They don't even blog themselves, so the fact that we have met up and that we now count them as good friends is really quite incredible. We had such a good night, and I was not sick later. As I had what for me was a very significant quantity of wine on an empty stomach, this counts as a definite bonus. Hopefully seeing them both again tomorrow for a curry in Brick Lane.
On Friday I dragged Reidski along to the Tower of London. He has only lived in London for 20 years, so I guess one can understand how he may have struggled to find an opportunity to visit the Tower before now. It is such an amazing place - the White Tower having been built almost 1,000 years ago by the Normans. The exhibitions seemed to have improved a lot since I was last there and there was a lot to learn. I never knew before that amongst various illustrious prisoners held at the Tower over the years, the Kray twins did a couple of days stretch for failing to report for their National Service*. Although I was closely monitoring Reidski for any hint of boredom, he did assure me he really enjoyed our visit.
Yesterday was a stay at home day, and we did some gardening, as well as some very important football viewing.And I managed to miss the very end of The Assassination of Jesse James, because I fell asleep, but I am fairly sure it was the Coward Robert Ford what done it.
Back home now and writing an essay on Richard III. Well, not exactly writing it, but fine tuning it for my son who is doing Richard III for AS Level. What he has done is really quite remarkably good - considering he has just assured me he hasn't actually read the play.
* National Service didn't stop those particular young thugs from turning to crime did it? Daily Express readers take note.
Oddballing
-
Inspired by my blogging chum Bruce Taylor in Arizona, today I am simply
sharing a bunch of memes - all picked because they are just plain silly and
have ...
5 hours ago
7 comments:
Frankly, I am puzzled why the Beefeaters at the Tower didn't clap Reidski in irons and bundle him into the cells for daring to win the heart of such a sweet Sassenach damsel!
A well elucidated sense of motley experiences (confused? Check the initials).
I was in London on Friday, and passed by the Tower on more than one occasion. Who knows, I may have passed you both by.
My oh my! Yorkshire pudding is jealous! I think he's on to way down to London to stake out your New Cross lovenest! ;-)
Haven't been to Tower of london for, ooh, at least twenty years. i must go back, put it on the summer list of 'things to do', which I won't actually do. It is quite pricey, but if you go there on a Sunday morning there's a gate you can get in for free is you say you're only there for the sunday service in the chapel. once through the gates you're free to wander as you please!
Do you know that come July, I will have been in New York for three years but that I've yet to see the Statue of Liberty?
I couldn't fit it into my busy schedule because I was so focussed in filling out this blog meme, but now that I've completed it - and passed the meme onto your good self - it'll be Statue of Liberty at 7am, Rockefeller Centre at 8am and a bracing swim out to Ellis Island in time for my elevenses.
YP- knowing the fate that befell many Scots at the Tower in the past, Reidski kept a low profile whilst there.
Trousers - I see what you have done here - AWESOME man!
You may well have passed us - I was the incredibly good looking one :-)
Fatalist, good tip on getting in there - thanks. It is expensive. We did have a 2 for 1 ticket but god knows how families afford it.
Darren - excellent to hear you have an itinerary for some long overdue sightseeing. You remind me that I should tell the story of how on my only trip to New York I set out to see the Statue of Liberty but never quite made it. And thanks for the meme - it shall be done.
I really enjoyed the Jesse James fillum. Can't believe you fell asleep
Actually, thinking about it, I can understand why you fell asleep.
Still a great filum though.
As for the Tower of London, I went there when I was eleven and I have never forgotten the proximity of the past that the pace exudes. It's probably the reason I read History at Uni. By the time I got to Uni though it was social history that excited me. The "rising like lions after slumber" era in particular. Coming from Manchester the whole Peterloo thing captured my imagination from a very early age.
Steve, I have a bad habit of crasg=hing out before the end of films but definitely will see it again - properly this time.
I did history at Uni too. Like you the Tower captivated me (not literally), but then I found that social history was my main interest. Still fascinated by the Tudors though.
Post a Comment