Back From My UK Visit

Hello everyone!   I am back in the USA, a few days after my trip in the UK.   It was absolutely AWESOME--more than I could ever have imagined!!!

 England is such a beautiful country: I took the train from London to Worcester, to visit friends during my first week, and couldn't get over all the sheep I saw, grazing in the farm fields.   They looked like cotton puff-balls with black faces!  :)   When I was on the Eurostar going to the Continent, I saw something of the countryside in Kent: the lovely rolling hills, and a spectacular chalk-drawing on a hill of a horse!   Don't know if it has a name or not, and I'm not sure what town it was near.

 London was all I thought it would be, and more!   Even though I arrived on the day of the 24-hour Tube strike, people were more than helpful, when I got on a bus dragging a heavy suitcase.   I stayed in two excellent hotels: Crowne Plaza St James in Westminster, and the Novotel London St Pancras, near St Pancras and Kings Cross stations.   Crowne Plaza St James was close to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, AND Buckingham Palace.   I was at this hotel the day that Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement, which was pretty exciting!   And the Novotel was very convenient, when I caught the Eurostar at St Pancras.

The Field of Remembrance, at Westminster Abbey, was so incredibly moving.  I took lots of photos of the 'gardens' of poppies and crosses, and tried to read the messages on some of them.  The 'garden' of UK military personnel from Afghanistan was especially moving.   It was hard not to shed a few tears.   I was able to attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Abbey, and sat on the right side of the choir screen, and could see the bugle when "Last Post" was sounded.  I definitely shed a few tears there.

 I spent a lovely Monday in Cambridge, visiting the Churchill Archives Centre, at Churchill College.  The Archivist, Allen Packwood, took me on a tour of the Archives (treated me to lunch at the Fellows Table in the dining hall!), and showed me some of Mr. Churchill's childhood and young adult letters written to his mother, the American Jennie Jerome--and part of one of his personal photo albums, with a number of photos of his mother.   I also got to touch former PM Margaret Thatcher's handbag (her personal and ministerial papers are also in the Churchill College Archives).

That same day, I visited King's College Chapel: an absolute marvel!!   Words cannot begin to describe what I saw there.   Now, when I hear the "Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" at Christmas Eve, I can say I WAS THERE!

There's just too much to say, so I will end this here.   If anyone here wants to know more about my visit, please feel free to leave a message.   Thanks!

Pat Finnegan 

I'm so pleased you enjoyed your visit to us over here and sounds like you had an exciting time.  The white horse in Kent wouldn't happen to be this one near Folkestone completed in 2003?

Picture by Jan Vanhentenrijck

YES!!!   THAT'S IT!!   I remember how startled I was by seeing it.   Folkestone's right on the way to the Chunnel on the Eurostar, right?   Who created this 'horse'?

I wish I could have gotten a photo of it from the Eurostar, but we were moving too quickly.

Ron--I'll fill everyone in bit by bit, as to my visit.  Otherwise, my posts will be awfully long!   

Hi Patricia---you can read about this chalk horse here........

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folkestone_White_Horse

Oh! You lucky person! 

I am so glad you had a great time.  More details please! lol

Lancashirelove--the weather didn't bother me at all in the UK; it's very much like November where I live in Upstate New York, USA (chilly and sometimes rainy).   In fact, the first two days in London were unseasonably warm!   But I came prepared for just about anything--except perhaps SNOW...!!

 As for details: they will come in due time.  :)   I will say this: the "Remembrance season" in the UK is so incredibly moving!   Seeing people wearing their poppy pins (and giving so generously to the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal") is indescribable.   And so are the "Fields of Remembrance" set up next to Westminster Abbey.  Just reading the names on the poppy crosses or Stars of David just breaks one's heart!

 I met a couple of British Second World War vets outside the Abbey on Remembrance Sunday.  They wore their service medals--and I think one of the old boys tried to flirt with me!   LOL....!!   But I made sure to thank them for their service, in all seriousness.  

 And to be part of the Remembrance Sunday service at Westminster Abbey was something I'll never forget: the Two-Minute Silence, followed by Last Post, made me shed a few tears.  I was seated on the right side of the Choir screen, just beneath the organ loft.  And I looked up, and could just see the front edge of the bugle sticking out!

I'm writing a blog about the visit, but I'll stop by and include bits and pieces here, too.  And I'll send some photos your way, so you can see what I saw!