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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 9:56:52 GMT
I set off on an overcast Monday to see one of the most famous places in London. Ascending from the bowels of Westminster Station feels wonderfully futuristic -- a cathedral of the modern ~ Finally to the top of Westminster Station and out into the gray day to immediately become entranced by a looming icon ~ It's that Mary Poppins experience of stepping into one of those accordion-folded set of post cards, delightfully so ~ (There will be more of this clock than you can shake a stick at. ) The Treasury Office of Whitehall ~ Edging over towards the Abbey. You can see I wasn't the only tourist ~ The flagpoles helpfully bear the names for each flag -- Anguilla, Bermuda, and other overseas territories ~ The sun kept wanting to break through ~ I got in line to shuffle towards the Abbey ticket booth, but I didn't mind. Just give me some medieval stone carvings and I'm happy all day! ~ The next posts will be from inside the Abbey, but I'm off to do other things right now. ~
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 18, 2017 12:41:45 GMT
Wow...altho I've never been a fan of the Houses of Parliament I have an innate fondness for the clock tower the building itself is falling to bits and there are rumours flying around that there are plans to move parliament out whilst work is carried out to renovate it. It will cost gazillions so, knowing our government, they'll look to sell even more public owned stuff off to oil magnates and oligarchs to fund it. Great pics..especially of the clock tower
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 18, 2017 13:16:01 GMT
House of Parliament is just a shrine to Queen Victoria. She is everywhere.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 18:48:18 GMT
Thank you, Cheery! It's good you liked those clock pictures, because I think there are more lurking in the wings. The clock tower is covered with scaffolding on the bottom, as are parts of the Houses of Parliament buildings. A cryptic Mick remark. You mean because of this, Mick? Anyway, here we go into Westminster Abbey. You all might as well know that photos are prohibited there, a rule I flouted every chance I got. If this offendeth thee, just scrolleth on past. The time saved not looking at illegal pictures can be used to peruse this. This will be woefully short on captions, sorry. Please understand that I got what I could while continuing to move and not obstruct other people, so there won't be much flow. Near the front is this tomb. Visiting a graveyard recently, I was struck by how women are so often only identified as "wife of". Not in this instance ~ A hero ~ Yes -- things do badly need cleaning! In one of the chapels ~ These kinds of figures arrayed on the sides of tombs represent the children of the deceased. I don't have an example to show, but when a child predeceased the parent, that child was depicted looking down.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 20:04:00 GMT
The next three pictures are from the left aisle of the Lady Chapel ~ Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox <-- clickI was so excited to see this tomb, in fact went around twice to get a better look. It is that of Elizabeth I, one of my favorite characters in history. Her half sister, Mary Tudor, aka Bloody Mary, is buried beneath her ~ This is in a little entryway to St. Michael's chapel (I think). I would love to know more about it ~ This remarkable monument is inside St. Michael's chapel. Read its history here.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 20:54:31 GMT
Thank you, Huckle! It's not over yet -- I have lots more to show. Unfortunately, that is all I have from inside the Abbey.
The place is magnificent and replete with treasures, but also somewhat overwhelming. And there were far too many people inside. I was a little miffed because the museum was closed, as I very much would have like to have seen that.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 21:25:12 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 21:39:07 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 18, 2017 21:47:49 GMT
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Post by mich64 on Jun 18, 2017 21:58:32 GMT
Superb Bixa! And thank you for including the links.
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Post by mickthecactus on Jun 19, 2017 8:12:09 GMT
I wasn't really being cryptic. I've done the Houses of Parliament tour twice and what strikes you is that QV is everywhere. Sculptures, pictures again and again.. And of course the HOP is not as old as it looks.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 19, 2017 11:11:59 GMT
Thanks so much, Mich! I find I learn a good bit looking up those links. Don't worry, Mick. This report only shows the outside of HofP, & that portion is almost over.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 19, 2017 11:28:17 GMT
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Post by mossie on Jun 19, 2017 15:12:11 GMT
Some wonderful shots Bixa. I have never been inside the Abbey so you give a nice flavour of it.
As for the H of P, there has been endless debate about refurbishing the dump. It is in a sorry state and in danger of catching fire like its predecessor, but the MPs are reluctant to move out and want the work done piecemeal so they can continue jawing. The sensible thing would be to move them up north somewhere to try and get them out into the real world, demolish the existing crumbling ruin, and build a posh new palace in its place. This would possibly cost less than the billions they are contemplating spending to tart up the existing. Whichever option would take several years.
But when has common sense been a factor in that place??
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jun 19, 2017 19:17:49 GMT
Glorious....I TOTALLY got that tingle when I went to see the tomb of QE1...I nagged my Parents into taking me 2 or 3 times (it used to cost 6 pence that's in pre-decimal money!) I've not seen that memorial...if you're going to be remembered for something...the abolition of slavery is about as good as it gets. (altho we all know that slavery still goes on unfortunately)
Everything looks better in other peoples' photographs. The clock tower shots are great...nothing could induce me to go on the wheel by the Thames (terrified of heights)...have you seen Cleopatra's Needle? I seem to remember that being along the embankment near those strange fishy lamp-posts.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 19, 2017 19:51:15 GMT
Fine praise from the master photographer -- thank you, Mossie! The Houses of Parliament are beloved of tourists as emblematic of London. It's interesting to get these less enthusiastic responses from the people who are actually paying for keeping it and other beloved landmarks in good shape. Thanks, Cheery! I totally missed Cleopatra's Needle. I haven't been on a ferris wheel in years, not since I sort of freaked out at the top of one when I was a pre-teen. Strangely, when I went in that swinging, dangling cable-car in Sicily I wasn't scared at all. In fact, I'm inspired to go on the Emirates one across the Thames if anyone wants to join me.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 20, 2017 5:00:23 GMT
Like Mossie, I have never been inside Westminster Abbey, so I am very happy to have seen these photos. I confess that I have never been attracted to the "shock and awe" architecture of the area, but all of the little details make it more appealing. One thing that strikes me is how regularly this part of London is destroyed in science fiction movies.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 20, 2017 8:35:26 GMT
Thanks, Kerouac. Yeah, immediately recognizable landmarks are the most fun to destroy in movies since people feel that they know them, so the horror is ramped up several notches.
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Post by questa on Feb 24, 2018 3:24:14 GMT
There is a push here that is all for "Facade-ing historic buildings. Brace the outer walls with scaffolding and ropes, demolish the inner building, rebuild a modern, efficient building that complements the architecture of the remaining exterior. You can have your 19th century building and air-conditioning, too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 4, 2022 18:10:45 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 4, 2022 18:13:12 GMT
I thought the bell was already back in service but I guess it was just the clock.
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Post by lugg on Jul 4, 2022 19:36:24 GMT
I have searched but still cannot find out when exactly - great video Bixa.,
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 4, 2022 20:28:37 GMT
Yeah, me too. I don't think we can count "soon" as a date. The NYTimes article I linked has great pictures, but no solid information as to the official date when everything will be back in service. Any recent articles about the completion seem to be from May -- nothing from June. In a statement released on April 26, [2021] Parliament UK said the conservation project is due to be complete in the second quarter of 2022. source(We're 184 days into 2022, if you're wondering.) The NYTimes article I linked has great pictures, but no solid information as to the official date when everything will be back in service.
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