Took advantage of a rare day off to visit Westminster Abbey. Left Cambridge about 9.30am and was parked at West Hampstead and on the Jubilee line 90 minutes later. How much brighter and cleaner the tube is these days and Westminster tube station is a pleasure…never thought I would say that in my lifetime!
Emerging from the underground even the cloudy skies cannot take away the sheer magnificence of the immediate view..Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Eye and then a few steps on Westminster Abbey. £16 to get in after some brief queuing. We took advantage of the self guide system (no extra charge) and armed with our charged device explored the Abbey. The devices were very good with a good clear and interesting commentary. Stop, start even replay of the commentary are all at your command so you can choose your own pace and even order. Only downside is that you cannot ask questions..well you can but no answer is forthcoming. There is a guided tour by one of the vergers for an extra £3 a head and we would have signed up for that but they were fully booked for the next two hours. Wondered at the architecture, the ceiling in the Henry v11 Chapel perhaps the highlight, the historical interest of all the tombs and memorials and decorations, some beautiful but some frankly over the top and blingy!..always accepting that any judgement on beauty resides with the eye of the beholder. Grey matter in overdrive making the Cambridge connections..Lady Margaret Beaufort, Lady Francis Sidney, Isaac Newton, Lord Byron, Charles Darwin ( a common misconception was that the pioneering evolutionists and scientists could no possibly square their science with a religious faith, many could and did) and of course the all round parliamentarian and king killer Oliver Cromwell. Back to my brothers for a refreshing cup of coffee and catch up and then north on the A1M. A great day out..highly recommended.
