Elizabeth de Burgh and Robert the Bruce from the Seton Armorial

Elizabeth de Burgh was the daughter of one of the most powerful Irish nobles and friends of King Edward I of England. Robert the Bruce probably met Elizabeth at the English court and married her in hopes of making a strategic alliance. When Robert the Bruce carried on his fight for the Scottish throne, Elizabeth and the rest of Bruce’s family were to suffer the consequences.

After the young Maid of Norway died on her way to Scotland to accept the crown as Queen, there were many claimants to the throne. Fearing the country would dissolve into civil war, one of the Guardians of Scotland, William Fraser, Bishop of St. Andrews, wrote to King Edward I of England asking his advice. Edward offered to act as arbiter and chose John Balliol as King. Balliol was crowned at Scone on November 30, 1280 and the new king gave his homage to King Edward I.

King Edward regarded Scotland as his own vassal state and treated them that way. To fight the English intrusion, the Scots made a defensive alliance with Philip IV of France which came to be known as the “Auld Alliance” and it was to last until the Treaty of Edinburgh was signed in 1560 during the reign of Mary Queen of Scots. In 1296, Balliol renounced his allegiance to the English King and was forced to surrender after a military campaign. He was taken prisoner at first but then allowed to go live in Burgundy and later in Picardy.

The Scots continued the fight against Edward under the leadership of Sir William Wallace and Sir Andrew Moray. Moray died in 1297 and Wallace was executed for treason in 1305. Robert the Bruce was the next leader chosen to carry on the fight.

Depiction of Robert the Bruce

The Earl of Mar was one of the seven Guardians of Scotland and he believed Robert the Bruce was the lawful King of Scots. Mar could see great advantage in aligning his family with Bruce and having his heirs inherit the throne so he arranged a marriage with his eighteen year old daughter Isabella. Isabella and Bruce were married in 1295 and the Earl signed over his family estates to the Bruce. Legend says Isabella and Bruce were much in love. Isabella quickly became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter Marjorie in 1296. Isabella died shortly after the birth.

Elizabeth de Burgh was born c. 1289. Her father was Richard, 2nd Earl of Ulster and one of King Edward I’s most prominent Anglo-Irish supporters. Her mother was Margarite de Burgh. As with most medieval women we know little of her upbringing. It is more than likely Elizabeth received the education due to a lady of her birth and status. We do know that six years after the death of Bruce’s first wife Isabella, Bruce held the title of Earl of Carrick and he was supporting King Edward I. He probably met Elizabeth de Burgh at the English court. Either Edward chose Elizabeth as Bruce’s bride or Bruce transferred his allegiance to Edward, hoping to ally himself to the Earl of Ulster. Elizabeth and Bruce were married in 1302 at Writtle in Essex, England. She was thirteen years old and he was twenty-eight.

After much fighting and switching of allegiances, Robert the Bruce gained the Scottish throne and Elizabeth and Robert were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone on March 27, 1306. The crowning was in direct violation of English claims of suzerainty over Scotland. There was more fighting and within a few weeks of the coronation, Bruce was defeated by John of Lorne on the borders of Argyll and Perthshire.

Bruce’s situation was bad enough that he wanted his family to be taken where they would be safe. Bruce enlisted his brother Niall and the Earl of Atholl to escort his family to Kildrummy Castle, the seat of the Earl of Mar on the northwest coast. Bruce’s whole family went including Elizabeth, her step-daughter Marjorie, and Bruce’s two sisters Christian and Mary. They took refuge in the castle but without any delay, the castle was besieged. A traitor from the inside set fire to some grain in the great hall and the stronghold was forced to surrender. Niall Bruce was captured but Elizabeth and the rest of the family were able to escape. Just as the English army was approaching, they desperately rode further north while being pursued by William, Earl of Ross. They were possibly trying to sail to Orkney. They had to stop for shelter in the sanctuary of St. Duthac in Tain. Ross violated the sanctuary and forced his way in, seizing the women.

Queen Elizabeth was held prisoner in the manor house of Burstwick in Holderness and was only allowed to have two elderly women in attendance. Christian was sent to a Lincolnshire nunnery. Mary was held in a cage made of timber and iron in Roxburgh Castle. At first Marjorie was held in the Tower of London but she was then sent to a Yorkshire nunnery. They all were held captive for eight years.

During the eight years, Elizabeth was moved periodically to other dwellings including the Tower of London and Shaftesbury in Dorset. There is an undated letter written by her from Holderness to the English king in which she complains she only has three changes of clothing, no headgear and nothing for her bed. When she reached the Tower in 1312, her conditions were to improve. She had six attendants and received an allowance to pay them.

Tower of London where Elizabeth de Burgh was imprisoned

Finally, on June 24, 1314, Bruce was to defeat the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. By that time King Edward I was dead and his son Edward II was king. Edward II’s commander at Bannockburn, Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford was captured by the Scots after the battle and negotiations for an exchange of prisoners began. Queen Elizabeth, Christian, Mary and Marjorie, along with the aging Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, were all released on the condition that Hereford was set free. Queen Elizabeth was now free to take her legal and lawful place at the center of her commanding and victorious husband’s court.

Elizabeth had two daughters Matilda and Margaret who survived into adulthood. She then had a son David on March 5, 1324 who would live to become King David II of Scotland. Elizabeth had another son John who died young. Elizabeth herself died at the Cullen Castle in Banffshire on October 27, 1327. Her entrails were buried in the Church of St. Mary of the Virgin at Cullen and her body was interred at Dunfermline.

©2013

Sources: “Scottish Queens 1034-1714” by Rosalind K. Marshall

I took this picture at the Tower of London while visiting over the Easter holidays. London is rich in history and culture. I recommend a visit to the Tower of London to anyone interested in England‘s history and perhaps a glimpse into the lives of monarchs of old.

Photo Credit: Yekemi Otaru

Related articles

• Richard III at the Tower of London 25th April 2013 (winchesterhistory.wordpress.com)
• The Tower (alanontherun.wordpress.com)
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (trishadm.wordpress.com)
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (mightwar.com)
• Yesterday, I forgot to mention that when we (jpbtrip.wordpress.com)

It became clear from talking to the group that listening to ten minutes of interviews would be far too much for audiences to take onboard, and that selecting several or perhaps just one story would be more fruitful. It was also made apparent that by not including my grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease in the piece in any way, it was negatively affecting the work. I had been resistant to focus on this aspect of the project due to its upsetting nature to me personally, and my desire to not in any way exploit or disrespect someone I cared about. But through the critique process it was suggested that there were many ways I could do this without making it a gimmick or cheapening the piece, both of which I was concerned about beforehand. After this advice I decided more experimentation would be necessary to create a final piece I was satisfied with.

I also advanced my idea for the final presentation of the piece. My concept was to build a replica of the guard hut my grandfather stood in outside Buckingham Palace, and have that function as a soundbooth; visitors would enter the booth and don a pair of headphones to listen to the sound piece. The photographs and artefacts from my grandfather’s time in the army would be presented with the hut for viewers to engage with. It was highlighted that this idea may be impractical, so would require further exploration.

1. Tourist attractions: London Dungeons, Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, The Shard, Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Madame Tussaud’s – to name but a few – London is awash with history as well as modernity. Seeing these tourist attractions at least once in your lifetime should be a must.
2. Galleries and Museums: The Portrait Gallery, National History Museum (which also houses a gallery), V&A Museum, Science Museum as well as the British Museum, Imperial War Museum and the Transport Museum are wonderful places to explore – perfect for days out with children or simply to whet your own cultural appetite. Most are free (with only an option to donate) but special exhibits do tend to have a price. For example, in the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum is a fantastic exhibit on “David Bowie is” which runs from 23 March – 11 August 2013, the tickets are priced at £15.50 for one adult. Though, to be honest, this exhibit is worth every penny.
3. For Foodies, Punk’s, Goth’s, Photographers and Emo’s: Camden Town – arguably the hipster mecca; with its unique range of stalls, restaurants (Gilgamesh – which featured on the British Masterchef), unique array of hairstyles and clothes-horses, the street-food, the scents, the dizzying colours and opportunities, the tattoo shops, the tarot readers, the bars and the clubs – Camden Town is a must-see, if only to be nosy. Guaranteed, you will not leave disappointed, most people find what they are searching for, even if it is an interesting photo.
4. Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, Bankside: Who could not love an open air theater production of one of his immense play’s? The Tempest is running until August 18^th 2013 and like in the mid-1600, the theater is free-standing, while the middle and upper galleries are somewhat more comfortable than the “commoners” yard. As it would have been. The tickets are excellent value with offers running for students, seniors and families (2 adults, up to 3 children) and children in general.
5. For those that want to fill their bellies and their senses, there is an endless array of cuisines from all cultures, dotted about this cosmopolitan city.   Fancy American? Pitt Cue and Co is voted number 10 of all ultimate restaurants in London. Fancy French? What about The Ledbury, Which has three rosettes, two Michelin Stars and is voted number 1 of all restaurants on allinlondon.co.uk while, experiencing the best of British, would lead you to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal; in Knightsbridge, whose outlandish takes on cuisine has led to numerous shows by this cavalier chef. These are just the snap shot of the best of which London has to offer, hidden around the capital are little gems too.
6. Parks: Regents Park, Hyde Park, Greenwich Park, Kennington Park; one thing can be said about London – we take pride in our Parks. Often, you find a lovely children’s area, wildlife center, canal, open-air theater or even (in the case of Hyde Park) a zoo or sports area. In this lovely weather, visiting the parks with a picnic basket and beer / wine / tea is an occasion that is not to be missed.
7. Shopping: Oxford Street, Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, Westfield’s giant shopping center or the little boutique shops in Notting Hill. You can find anything. It can get pretty busy though, so depending on your shopping requirements and stamina, choose well.
8. Off the beaten track: Some of the best adventures are the ones unplanned. Why not just arm yourself with a travelcard, a camera, a few quid and an adventurer’s spirit and see where you end up.

Enjoy.

ADMIN

Resi London

London is easily one of my favourite cities in the world. As we celebrate St. George’s Day (England’s National Day), let’s take a look at some of my favourite attractions in the kingdom’s capital.

Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tour

I’ve been on a few of these tours and London has, by far, the most intricate and expansive map. You can hop on/off anywhere across the city, including Buckingham Palace, the famous Harrod’s department store, or Piccadilly Square. There’s only so much you can fit into one day of running around London, so plan ahead and be sure to use their transfer system and get full use out of your bus pass.

London Eye/Thames River Cruise

Going for a circuit in the London Eye, which is located along the banks of the Thames River allows you to see the entire city in all of its glory. When your ride is over, why not hop aboard a boat and sail down river on the world famous Thames. You get to pass by London Bridge, which thankfully is no longer falling down.

West End Theatre

I’ve been privileged to see a number of productions during my stops in London, including the legendary Mouse Trap, Wicked, Avenue Q and The Hounds of Baskerville. On our upcoming visit to the city, Mrs. Sip and I will be seeing The Book of Mormon and Rock of Ages. Surely these shows will measure up to the high standards the theatre district is known for.

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Residing at 221B Baker Street, this is where the fictional Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson lived together, solving the various sundry tales that came to their attention. Today, a museum dedicated to the detective and his partner stands at the address. One of the newest incarnations (the BBC series) of Sherlock Holmes mysteries are a must-watch selection from this Sip Advisor.

Rock N’ Roll Tour

London is crammed full of Rock N’ Roll history. Just the number of musicians that died in the city reads like a who’s who of the industry. I’ll never forget being driven through London’s suburbs as our driver jammed out to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. You can complete your tour with a meal at either the Hard Rock Café or Rolling Stones-inspired Sticky Fingers.

Jack the Ripper Tour

The case of Jack the Ripper is a fascinating one. He murdered at least five prostitutes and intrigue into the identity of the killer remains to this day. I have personally accused a number of individuals, with varying results. The tour The Family Sip took a few years back finished at the Sherlock Holmes Pub, where a round of pints were the next mystery to be solved.

Tower of London

Speaking of Jack the Ripper, had he ever been caught, this is likely where he would have been hanged. The Tower is now home to the crown jewels of the royal family. If I could just get my hands on a trinket or two on display here, I’d be set for life. Perhaps Kate Middleton would come hang out with me, too!

Drink #113: Highland Berry

• 1.5 oz Hendricks Gin
• 0.5 oz Raspberry Liqueur
• Splash of Cranberry Juice
• Top with Tonic Water
• Garnish with Raspberries

Mrs. Sip insists I also mention the numerous free museums around London. These are wondrous places, but I’m just not a massive museum fan, myself. That said, here’s a drink to merry old England. Thanks for the memories. Cheers!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
Not a bad cocktail to salute England with, but the Tonic Water was once again a bit detestable. Thankfully the Hendrick’s Gin and Raspberry Liqueur were both delicious in their own right and the Cranberry Juice made its usual contribution of not hurting a recipe. I loved putting this drink in a goblet… it just felt right!

Last week we met one of our favorite families for our first and only trip outside of Italy.  We stayed together in a stable-turned-apartment near Hyde Park.  During our four days, we boated down the River Thames, spent a morning in Kensington Gardens, spun a loop around the London Eye, took a peek at the Crown Jewels, and ate at several pubs with names like “The Dog and Duck,” “Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese,” and “The Queen’s Arms.”  We also rode a double decker bus over the Tower Bridge and past Big Ben.

The London Eye is a half-hour Ferris wheel ride over the city.

Ray and the Tower of London

The kids with Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens

The most memorable excursion was an evening at the Arsenal vs. Everton soccer match.  After an all-day search and a shady rendezvous with a scalper, we finally held what we hoped were eight tickets to the sold-out game.  We rode a packed subway and arrived at the stadium full of fans wearing red and white.  The weather was good, and we were in England watching real football.

Outside the gates of Emirates Stadium

waiting for a goal

Despite the final score of 0-0 and the surprising calm of the crowd, this was a fun night.  We bought Arsenal scarves, we cheered, and we ate dinner in our seats.  At 10 minutes before the end of the game, we decided to get a head start on the return trip.  As we left the stadium we were surprised to join throngs of others running to the entrance to the Tube.  The urgency was contagious.  We each grabbed a kid and took off sprinting.  It was pretty exciting, and at one point, Grace said, “It feels like we’re running for our lives!”  Eventually finding a pocket of space to stand on the subway gave us the feeling of victory we had been looking for all night.

The next day we left London (several hours before Margaret Thatcher’s funeral).  Our apartment in Paris was hilarious.  There were just two rooms, each with a tiny loft.  There was a kitchen too, but it was in one of the bedrooms.  We decided right away that privacy was not much of an option. We put the kids in one room and the adults in another.  The tight quarters were the basis for much of the humor during the rest of our stay.

Lynn find a place to sit on our bed while Deac hangs out on the ladder

Paris was all about short stops at big sights during the day and long dinners in small restaurants at night.

Another great view of the Eiffel Tower

Joining hundreds of others for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa

Lynn and I near Notre Dame

Starting off another French feast with a kir royale

The most fascinating aspect of Paris, and the one that left the biggest impression (especially among the kids) were the pickpockets.  In fact, the week before, the Louvre unexpectedly closed for a day because the problem was unmanageable.  We were further warned by many:  Always hold your belongings close.  Watch out for people holding a “petition” and asking for signatures because while you peruse the paper and write your name, hands will be busy underneath the clipboard empting your purse.  Sure enough, on day one, in the middle of a busy square, we encountered a hoard of young women looking for unsuspecting victims.  Our tour guide, Jacques, spotted them first and reminded us to be careful.  We watched the attempts from a distance.  Later, Jacques showed us all his protective measures.

Jacques has two cell phones and a wallet chained to the inside of his long jacket which safely covers his pants’ pockets. He uses only the small cheap phone when in a public area in Paris.  The iPhone is kept hidden when inside the city limits.

If things get ugly, he also has this for protection.

Ray, Tom and Matt carefully maneuver around the alleged pickpocket while another passes in front.

During the rest of the day, the kids tried to weasel belongings out of the adults’ bags and pockets.  I was horrified when they later offered me back my wallet, my lipstick and my sunglasses.   The only defense I had for being such easy prey was that I allow my kids closer than I would a stranger.  Still, Matt said he would be more comfortable carrying my valuables.

Later, one of the kids tries unsuccessfully to rob Deac.

The last morning in Paris started at 3am when we all woke up and caught rides to the airport for an early morning flight.  The Halls returned to Seattle and we came back to Perugia.  The first thing we did when we got home was stop for a gelato where some of the other customers were speaking French.  Later that afternoon, we noticed a new crepe stand on the street outside our apartment.  And for dessert, we ate meringues. It felt good knowing that some of Paris followed us home.

I need to bring back activity into my life. I feel unhappy being on the sidelines.
It’s been 7-8 months since being instructed to stop running due to my hip injury.

Tower of London Run is less than a month away, but it allows you to choose your own distance between 5k – 10k, walk, jog or run. This i feel will take off any pressure for me to need to run a certain PB time, or to complete a set distance, being off the track for so long. It’s about slowly building up fitness and just enjoying exercise again without the pain. I’ve let my Muay Thai friends know, and without public announcement and able to log my thoughts here, it is about me recovering and slowly getting back where I want to be. Feeling healthy, fit and just loving my exercise, without the constant pain. I promise I will stop at any point I cannot take it. So my blog resumes:

RACE
7k in 40mins. It was unexpected not flat, and lots of ups and down, where the pot holes and sunken grass lay on the castle’s moat. At 7k you can ask at the tent, where I then paused not realising what lap I was on!! As you go round the castle, it suddenly is very windy and you could feel your body being pushed against every part. Followed by a slow 8k out of the 10k in 46mins. Hips misbehaved at 4.5k.

It was good enough for me to get back into some sort of fitness once again. Sneakers you’ve been missed.

It being the Tower Of London walk, jog, run, it was a good restart to have no pressure on me. Just wanted to see how much distance I could cover. Very very windy. Many people in groups walked and many handicapped people were involved and enjoying a leisurely walk, and with the moat so wide, it was not at all a distraction. There was a DJ and he was good at spurring names on, but I had my ears in. haha.

So very happy and quite glad, that I tried and got a distance in. Happy days.

Day of the race
Am I ready. Gosh who knows. I had a break dancing – I know – for hour and half over the bank holiday weekend, which I don’t know is what has resulted in my hips misbehaving the day after when seated back at work. It seems more when I am seated very long periods. ANyhow, Bag packed last night as I dwelled upon what I was to face today. 8-9 months of inactivity and I am determined to finish the 10k, even if it means I am to begin slowing down when i sense pain. Weather has the ground wet from an overnight shower, but the heat of the bank holiday is still in the air.

6 days to go
Much steadier pace. Indoor treadmill. Was hard as had people wanting to use the machines in my small home gym, which has often been the case scenario for harder to train. 35mins, 6k. But a very tiring day and after much partying. Dehydrated.

15 days to go
Feeling good from yesterday’s start, work colleagues were very supportive. After 8months inactivity, I was feeling the bug again. Friends were trying to get me to go drink in the glorious sunshine we are now experiencing in 14-16 degrees after a ever so long dark winter. With several things on my mind from yesterday, it was good just to pound it out. Just under 5k, I was good to carry on, but intention to not over do it. I was going back on my old training pace. Felt good. So as I came off i went for floor exercise, and i’ve still got the press-ups in me. haha. Nice one. I then was learning some tips from a fellow gym member who was speed roping. To try side to side. Cool. A good workout. very buzzing from it.

16 days to go
I have been looking at nearby gym at work with offers. I am determined to fit routine back in my life, and I know when work is mentally and emotionally exhausting, when I commute home, it is hard when the home gym is packed as I cannot do longer runs, when people are waiting for the machines. Just visiting a gym near work, that all to familiar scent of determination and deodorant, and the muscle men confused that I am by the free weights yard, returned that buzz in me. They open 0645-2200 so i have options of before work or after. I will look into it but need to check with my freelance booking. So in the home gym, the day after the London Marathon, the home gym is empty! and I managed just over 4k, in 30mins at a good pace. I stopped at 30mins and I felt I was free running feeling past 20mins. I was sailing, and sped up, but I knew not to over do it, so safely stopped at 30mins and felt good for me.

On the 18th we went to Westminster Abbey, as most of you know, where the Prince just got married. The Abbey was so beautiful and huge! It is not only a church but also a tomb. There are lots of bodied buried there; poets, kings, queens, and scientists. In fact, Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton are buried there! We also went to Buckingham Palace but weren’t able to go inside, but the outside was nice!

The next day we went to St. Paul’s Cathedral, it was gorgeous! You could spend days in there! So much to see and so much to absorb! We climbed all the way to the top (over 500 steps) to see a panoramic view of the city. Needless, to say we were a little sluggish the rest of the day! Next, was Madame Tussaud’s, a wax museum. All of the figures were so life-like! Mom and I took plenty of pictures will all sorta of famous people!

Lastly, we went to The Monument. This was in memorial of the Great Fire. Apparently if you lay the monument down it lands right at the bakery where the fire started.

The Tower of London is actually a fort. Prisoners were kept there before they were executed. While there we learned that the saying “one for the road” actually came from the criminals last walk down the road to the gallows. Bars and pubs would give the criminal their last drink as they took their death walk. The hopes would be that they would be so drunk that they didn’t know what was happening. “Hung over” also came from this. Hanging were huge public events and lots of people would attend and drink. They would drink so much and the next day, after the hanging was over, they would feel really crappy. It’s funny how all of these terms stuck!

We also went to the London Bridge. Many of you many not know this by it’s name but it is where the 2012 Olympic Rings were. There was a whole museum at the top and the view of London was great!

On the 21st Mom and I went to the Windsor Castle, Kew Gardens, and Abbey Road. Windsor Castle was so nice! The dining room (which was huge) had all of Knight’s Coats of Arms. Kew Gardens are a 326 acre garden that was just gorgeous! There were tons of different plants and trees there. Harry Potter’s whomping willow was cast from one of the trees there.

We went to Abbey Road by accident actually. We were on our way to the hospital to get a rash on my foot looked at and we choose a hospital a few blocks away from Abbey Road. Mom and I took a bunch of photo there, while dodging traffic.

The 21st was the London Marathon. It was so much fun! Initially we weren’t going to go but we saw all the festivities from the London Eye. The London Eye is a huge ferris wheel where you can see all of London. From there we saw the Elite Men finish the marathon, it only took the winner about 2 hours! Once we finished at the eye we walked towards Buckingham Palace, where the marathon ended, there were so many people there supporting everyone running. It was incredible to see!

We ended the day at King’s Cross Station to see platform 9 3/4. Although it was nothing like in the movies there was a makeshift platform. It was kind of lame, but in a cool way (if that makes sense). We had a ball taking pictures!

Our last day was spent shopping and relaxing. My time in London was a blast and I am so happy we came here on our way home! I will be back in the United States tomorrow! Wow time flies!!

Sutton House 

Before the Elders session on Good Friday I went to the Royal Academy to see the Manet exhibition with a friend - it was totally worth waking up ridiculously early. The reciprocal agreement between the RA and other museums was going to end on the 31st, so I am glad I got to see it for free. I really enjoyed the exhibition and learnt a lot more about Manet’s life. The only downside was that it was really really busy.

The Elders Session was absolutely fantastic. As African Drumming was so popular last time, we decided to do it again. As it was Good Friday we had a lot of families visiting the house. I saw a few looking through the windows and called them to join in as there were plenty of spare drums. By the end of the session, the younger visitors had completely taken over. The guy who was leading the session also works with children in schools and he was great at getting them involved.

 (Younger visitors having a go at African Drumming)

I was back at Sutton House on Easter Sunday for the Easter themed family day, which was another fantastic day. There were lots of fun activities going on throughout the house. The face-painting in particular was beautiful. There was also a Tarot card reader in the Victorian Parlour – definitely the right atmospheric setting for reading cards. I was in the barn leading the more crafty activities, which included Easter cards and Easter bonnets, as modelled by fellow volunteers in the picture below.

 (Examples of some of the activities)

V&A Museum of Childhood

I volunteered on 3 days over Easter and these were extremely busy days. On the 2 weekend days that I worked we had about 3000 visitors on each day. There were queues for the Art Smarts activity, which was paper dolls (the Emperor’s new clothes), and the story telling sessions filled an entire corner of the museum.

Tower of London

The theme for the Easter holidays was Colonel Blood and the Crown Jewels Robbery. Families got to make their own Imperial State crown, wear the coronation robes of an Earl and then create their own royal oath – so in effect they had their own mini coronation ceremony. To make their crown look luxurious and regal there were felt tips and crayons for the children to use, as well as tissue paper, fabric remnants, sequins and gems. This worked very well as many of the families had been to see the Crown Jewels before coming to the activities. We also had real examples of Emeralds, Rubies and Sapphires (which are all important stones in the crown) to show the families.

The Imperial State Crown has been remade several times over the years. The current version is the third replacement made since 1660 and the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II. In his attempt to steal the Crown Jewels, Colonel Blood took charge of the Imperial State Crown and hid it under his cloak.

 (Examples of the Imperial State Crowns the families made)

 (Me in Coronation Robes)

I was supposed to work two days over the Easter holidays, but I couldn’t make my second shift because I fell ill

V&A

I worked one Tuesday shift at the V&A over Easter. The museum was very busy, with families visiting and people coming to see the Bowie exhibition (which I still haven’t seen). There were lots of great family activities taking place, including Live Tudor Tunes in the Music Hall room and Make Your Own Armour. The activities were related to the Treasures of the Royal Courts exhibition.

Cutty Sark

This was my first time volunteering at Cutty Sark. I volunteered on 2 days with the same wonderful freelancer, Brenda. We made Racing Puppets, aka origami paper ships that could race each other. The idea behind the activity was to get children thinking about the history of Cutty Sark, and the competitive journeys it made to China to get tea.

Although the children could make 2 ships, for some reason everyone only made one. There were some amazing ships though – one child spent over an hour adding very detailed rigging to her ship. It was great to see the end results and no two ships were the same.

I spent my second day with a clipboard and evaluation forms, asking those who had completed a family trail for their feedback. Unfortunately, this was a rather fruitless endeavour and I didn’t enjoy this as much. However, we all had a good discussion at the end of the day and I shared some ideas that I had.

Brenda (the freelancer) was very encouraging and supportive, and made me feel a lot better about my current work situation. It is always nice to be told that you are good at what you do by someone in the industry I hope I get to work with her again. I also now know how to make paper ships using origami.

 (My pirate ship which would have attacked Cutty Sark)

Ragged School Museum

There were lots of Spring based activities going on throughout the Ragged School Museum over Easter. I helped out on 2 days over the 2 weeks. Some of the activities were changed for the second week of the holidays, and due to the hourly rotation system, all the volunteers got to lead all of the activities.

 (Bird Badges, which remind me of Angry Birds)

 (Spring scene – families could make flowers to add to the scene)

 (Spring Scene painting using templates. Mine is in the middle at the back)

 (The bunny army – I did this towards the end of the day when it got a bit quieter)

And in between all of this volunteering, I still managed to attend a family wedding.

We got put up in an extremely nice hotel, where I took full advantage of the bathtub. We got there around 11:00 pm on Friday night and found our way to the hotel using the tube (I only got turned around once)! It was already late so we ordered a pizza & stayed in for the night. I think I took an hour long bubble bath, refusing to get out!

Saturday we had a walking tour lined up. We got to see Parliament & hear Big Ben strike before we began our tour of Westminster Abbey. It was beautiful, it holds centuries worth of history that would have taken me days to see it all. Mostly I couldn’t believe I was standing in the same place the Queen was inaugurated and Princess Kate said “I do”. An interesting fact is that I always thought my last name was German, but while walking through the church I found the Barnes family crest. Just chalk that up to another reason why I love London!
We continued our tour by seeing Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, & 10 Downing Street. Then we hopped on a boat and road down the river to Tower Hill. There was so much to see at the Tower of London that we didn’t get to see it all! However, we did get to see the best part…the crown jewels! They were extravagant. I think it was around 5:00 and all of us were worn out! We hailed a taxi back to our hotel and I took a lonnng nap. I woke up to go out to dinner just in time to hear the fire alarm going off and the building being evacuated. I felt like I was back in UCF & needed to meet the police with the master key(RA humor). When we got back from supper hankfully our hotel was still there!

EASTER SUNDAY-This was a day like no other. It was hard to be away from family on this day, nothing was traditional! I’m used to waking up at 6:00 & rushing to my Easter basket then going to sunrise service with my family in my small town church. Instead, I slept til noon, there was no basket, I went to a 12:15 mass with 2,000 other people where I knew no one. It was also my first time going to a Catholic mass. Needless to say the poor boy sitting beside me got tired of all the questions pretty quickly! After church I usually spend time a nana’s taking a nap until I eat a home cooked meal. Instead, I walked for an hour to eat Chipotle. Don’t worry, it gets even sadder. After lunch we usually have a big Easter egg hunt & spend the rest of the day together. Instead, I got lost in London & spent my night in an airport full of strangers. The highlight of my day was Skyping my family for 20 minutes. It definitely wasn’t the ideal Easter, Mama made it very clear that it would be the last holiday I spent so far away!

Even after the dreadful day London is still one of my favorite cities. I would never get tired of it!

KEI Group

Parliament

London Eye & Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

Tower Bridge

Easter Sunday

For my latest project I have been interviewing my grandfather Frank Poole about his experiences serving in the army. Frank worked in the factories during WWII and as his professional was a priority job, his military call up was deferred until January 1945. He was called up to serve with the Coldstream Guards, the regiment most famous for performing public duties in London, such as guarding Buckingham Palace and performing Trooping The Colour. His battalion was posted to Germany in September 1945, only months after the end of the War in Europe, where he served until 1947, when as part of efforts to return Britain to peacetime, the Guards resumed their ceremonial role. He was demobbed in January 1948 after three years service.

The stories Frank has from that period in his life are both fascinating and often extremely funny. They document a period in history that is frequently overlooked and rarely spoken of, after hostilities ended in WWII and Britain was part of the occupying forces in Germany, as well as giving an insight into life in one of the world’s most recognisable military regiments. They also feature moments of slapstick, wit and warmth, as Frank regales the listener with the humorous tales our family has grown up listening to. This project is about documenting and preserving those stories, and sharing them with a wider audience.

That, dear reader, is where you come in. After recording hours of interviews, we want to gain some feedback on the funniest, most interesting and most compelling stories. What holds your attention, or loses your interest? Is it the history and the detail that you would like to know more about, or are the mishaps and funny incidents more to your liking? Below we have embedded several of our favourite unedited excerpts. There are 8 stories running to only 10 minutes in total, so won’t take up much of your time.

Let us know which are your favourites in the poll provided. Select your favourite three! For more detailed feedback drop us a line in the comments section at the bottom of the post.

Something we all say we’re going to do is travel. As we take a break from our hectic schedules, we all dream of sitting on that sandy beach with a cocktail to keep us company. Unfortunately, we come crashing back to reality and realize we have a stack of bills waiting to be payed.

Let’s take a look at how you can travel for a fraction of the cost (not to the Maldives of course). No, we’re talking about getting all those cultural experiences right here in London.

From visiting the V&A instead of The Met, to walking along St James’s Park rather than the Hawaii beaches, we’ll go through the best places to visit in London, whilst fulfilling all your travelling desires (without leaving that gaping hole in your pockets).

Here’s what you had to say about London’s top attractions:

“ I’ve been to the National Gallery like four times. It’s really amazing and I never get tired of it.” 

– Hajer Gomri

“This is the first time I’ve been on the London Eye and I thought it was amazing. I don’t think I’m going on The Shard, because it’s a bit expensive, but this was worth it. I thought I’m a Londoner and I’ve never seen London properly. Well worth the money.” 

– Chris Warren

“Portobello Road Market is great for shopping. You get some really cheap stuff there and if you’re lucky you can find things there you can’t get in other shops. It’s a lot better than going to places like Westfield or Oxford Street and a lot cheaper!” 

– Salma Hersi

“Just left Madame Tussauds now and it was great. I’ve been here before, but I wanted to see the Will and Kate wax figures and there were some others I haven’t seen before like Obama. They’re always adding new people in, like whoever is in the spotlight, so it’s good to come again and see who else has been put in.” 

– Tom Evans

Here are the top 10 London attractions you have to visit (click on image for slideshow):

10. Hampstead Heath. In a survey by Roam, Hampstead Heath turned out to be pretty popular. The 320 hectares park is a must visit for any living in or visiting London. A warm summer’s day compliments a nice picnic with the family, with 25 ponds to sit by. Copyright Garry Knight

9. Tower of London. London’s most popular tourist attraction has been a fortress, place and prison. The exhibition takes a tour of some of the most infamous inmates, including Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes and Sir Thomas Moore, while going through the gruesome executions of these historic figures, including Henry VIII’s instruments of torture.

8. Madame Tussauds. Who doesn’t want to stand by wax figures of their favourite musicians/actors and celebrities? That’s right, no one. Well thanks to Madame Tussauds, you can do just that. It’s pretty difficult to find the real Beyoncé to take a picture with, so we’re improvising.

7. Portobello Road Market. The famous market in Notting hill is a mile-long street selling something different every day. It’s the perfect place to go for bargain prices and with cafes and pubs lined up you can put those shopping bags down and relax.

6. National Gallery. The gallery in Trafalgar Square is home to hundreds of the world’s most famous paintings, from Di Vinci to Van Gogh. All the portraits worth seeing are housed in this building. Even better, they’re all public property. Translation: free!

5. Westminster Abbey. Ever watch the Friends episode where the gang head over to London? Of course you have! And where did Joey and Chandler go? That’s right; they came over to Westminster Abbey. Now we’re not asking you to wear a long red hat (and embarrass your friends), but taking pictures is definitely advised.

4. Covent Garden. From street entertainers to the Royal Opera House and Burberry to vintage clothes stalls, there truly is something for everyone. All situated in the historic market building, there’s no traffic ruining your day shopping.

3. The Victoria and Albert Museum. With a new exhibition every week, the V&A is the perfect place to go if you have a cultural appetite. From Hollywood Costumes to the David Bowie exhibition, you’ll be taking a walk through history.

2. St. Paul’s Cathedral. It’s an iconic London building, with a skyline to match. As you enter the building you can climb the dome and hear your voice echo over 100 feet away in the Whispering Gallery. Then take a touch screen tour of paintings across the gallery and finish by looking over 1400 years of history.

1. The London Eye. Forget the Shard, for half the price you’ll get a 30 minute view of London at an angle you’d think was impossible. With luxury packages to match, you can enjoy a champagne treat and be pampered all at the same time.

Well there you have it. The top 10 places to visit in London, chosen by you. So once you’ve finished roaming our online magazine, pick a place and be culturally enlightened.

But before you disappear, take a second to fill in this short survey on where you’ll be spending the summer afternoon:

Follow Zanib Asghar on Twitter.

Near the end of the previous week (April 11), I ventured out to Shoreditch which was apparently an up and coming area with many of the hipster types. I walked almost all the way back to my flat in Knightsbridge from there through a combination of just missing buses and just giving up on them. On Friday, I went to have a delicious homemade dinner at a new local friend’s house and had a great time with everyone who came too. I learned a game from one of the flat mates which I plan to introduce back to my friends in the U.S.; it was loads of fun.

Over that following weekend (April 13-14), I visited a variety of tourist locations: Parliament, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, Tate Modern and the Tower of London. The tour of Parliament was very informative and I learned quite a bit about the UK’s history and politics; I would strongly recommend it for anyone who plans to visit the city. Additionally, the Tower of London tour was beyond hilarious; another recommendation for visitors. While I’m sure I didn’t take in the full detail the museums had to offer, with limited time, I do feel like I got to experience the exhibits I was interested in while purusing the others.

On Saturday night, I met a friend from university, who I randomly ran across earlier that day (what’re the chances?!), for dinner; it was great to catch up. On Sunday, it was the most beautiful day that had come along yet and I enjoyed walking a little more to locations and just spending some time sitting outside enjoying the weather…and ice cream! There’s something about enjoying ice cream on a warm sunny day that brings me back to my childhood, probably because I spent time in the UK as a kid doing the very same. That night, I ate dinner at a restaurant with interactive table menus and delicious Asian inspired cuisine (Inamo); concept was cool, but I’ve had a similar idea and think mine would run them out of business.

As for last week, I visited four recommendations, three pubs and one general area, and enjoyed every one thoroughly (though one seemed a bit overpriced, the live blues music made it more acceptable); the old school pre-Great Fire ones were the best. On Thursday, I went to Wicked which, cue corny joke, was WICKED; but seriously, very entertaining and better than I expected it to be. This weekend, I went to Istanbul for the first of many of my weekend country visits, but I’ll be writing a separate entry for that and posting it later this week. Remember to post comments with questions or recommendations for London pubs/clubs/food; I’m running low!

The Shard (Coolest Name for a Building Ever)

Welcome to London

Tower Bridge at Night

Tower of London at Night

Natural History Museum (inside)

Natural History Museum (outside)

One of the Things I Wasn’t Supposed to Take Pictures of in the Crown Jewels Room

The Tower of London is considered to be London’s leading tourist attraction, and it doesn’t disappoint. From the historic castle, to the stories of its many uses over time, the armour, the Yeoman Warders and of course the Crown Jewels, the Tower has a phenomenal history and a wide range of sights. So many people have left their mark on the place, but it is hard, amongst all the tourist attraction facilities nowadays, to get a real sense of the gruesome side to this place from its prison days. The one hour tour only reveals a part of the place, but is well worth it, and the Yeoman Warder guides make it enjoyable.

Back down the tube a few stops and I was at the next attraction for the day, St Paul’s Cathedral. With the funeral of Margaret Thatcher now passed, all things at St Paul’s were back to normal. The cathedral is an architectural masterpiece by Christopher Wren, and is stunningly appointed within with its painted dome ceiling, mosaics, marble, hand-carved wood… the list goes on. The current St Paul’s was the first English Cathedral built after the reformation, and you can tell there was a real motivation to provide for the Anglican Church what St Peter’s Basilica is for the Catholic Church. The dome of St Paul’s, for example, is only beaten in size by that of the Vatican Basilica. I can’t yet compare the two, but St Paul’s is certainly a building that serves as a central focal point and provides a sense of identity for the Church of England.

Finally (as an aside), if there’s one thing London and Melbourne have in common, it’s the weather – at least that’s how it seems today. It’s been windy for much of the day, but I’ve also gone from needing sunglasses at one point to a raincoat in another. It’s hard to tell what it will do next, but one thing’s for certain – I’ve not been outside without my jacket on for more than a minute so far since I left Heathrow Airport.

Saw today: Tower Bridge

Visited today: Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral

A fun postcard by British painter Andrew Murray arrived in my mail box last week. Our friend Anita was visting Hil in London and thought to send me this snail mail. C’est beaucoup de fun, err, plaisir!

Initially my intention was to use the dictaphone recordings purely for research purposes. Whilst I knew one or two of my grandfather’s stories very well indeed, I wanted to be sure I knew what to ask him when it came time to put them on camera for the proposed film piece. But after reviewing the sound files, it seemed that due to the vivid detail in the tales and the warmth with which my grandfather told them, they would work just as effectively, if not more so, as purely sound pieces presented as part of an installation. This would also challenge myself further as an artist; whilst I am confident in my ability to craft a film piece, owing to my background of working in the medium, it may also be too comfortable or safe as an option. Pushing myself and my practice more could yield interesting results, whilst staying true to areas I wished to focus on as outlined in my Statement Of Intent; the desire to record and celebrate a significant individual in my life and reflect my anxieties about his recent diagnosis with Alzheimer’s Disease. I could also develop my understanding of the power of editing and sound to shape audience’s perceptions as I had intended, albeit with an audio piece rather than a visual one. With that in mind, I started to work on the raw interviews.

The sound pieces below are presented in short clips from the main interview. They have been taken from the original sound file and broken down into individual stories, but otherwise unedited for speed or clarity. The narrative content of the pieces is very important to me, so I liked the idea of presenting them as audio short stories or vignettes. The pieces selected are the stories I find the most humorous or interesting. However, as I still wish to bring a more universal element into the project, something audiences unfamiliar with my grandfather can still enjoy and appreciate, I will engage an online audience to see which of the tales they respond to most, and then use that feedback to develop the stronger pieces further.

A health warning – these are all processed photos and some may not be to your taste (I will link to a comparison further down).

Before anyone accuses me of using props, the Daffodil was in Emperor Trajan’s hand before I got there…

It is however, quick and easy, as it has a “recipe” it applies to each camera, supposedly to get the best results for each camera. I always had the full suite of NIK plugins to use with Aperture (whereas I only had Silver EFEX for Lightroom).

Look at the colours and definition in this shot – really impressive

I thought I would give it another whirl on some photos from Friday (a lovely walk to the Tower of London) and yesterday (a visit to a local farm). The results looked very interesting. What’s very, very impressive even at first glance is that it looks like the cameras have gained a few extra megapixels of resolution.

Now bear with me because I know some of you will be chomping at the bit for the comparisons etc. But I do hate comparisons! I will give some (eventually) but most of this post is really about my own subjective assessment of the output.

I don’t claim these shots are perfect and lets just say that keystone correction might well have been handy here (not a feature Aperture has built in).

My walk on Friday was the first time I had used the X100S and X-Pro1 together in anger. This was a really good combination with the 14mm mounted on the X-Pro1. The OVF on each camera proved its worth in some high contrast lighting.

It does make your life easier to have two cameras ready to go in your bag and the speed and size of the X100S demands that one of them is it.

So, back to the output for a second. The really impressive thing about Aperture output is that it doesn’t create artefacts at 100% (though it does create colour artefacts instead). So your output has this very sharp, 3D like quality, similar to full frame output (this is what I mean above, when I talk about extra megapixels). The colour artefacts appear in similar places to CA (often in free branches), but I’m pretty sure they are a demosaicing artefact (the fact they are yellow rather than purple is a clue).

I’ve never seen output quite like this from the Fuji X-trans cameras before. Even RPP, which produced lovely results in some ways, was beset by jagged edges to straight lines (the so called zipper effect).

Now I headed over to Hatfield House yesterday, a local stately home which has a farm attached that my son enjoys charging about in. For that trip I took the D600 and X100S. This was mainly so I could try out the Zeiss 50mm makro-planar F2 I had bought for it. However, the trip did also allow me to take some shots with my X100S, which I then processed through Aperture and Nik.

The last one could have done with some fill flash, but in honesty I was impressed, particularly with how detail like fleece, hair and horn was being rendered. So now, Mac owning Fuji users have another choice that can give a little extra in terms of image quality (to my eye). However, all is not perfect. Aperture hasn’t been updated for a long time. It is feature weak compared to either of Lightroom or Capture One. It lacks tools or implements them less effectively. It is however definitely worth a look, particularly for processing photos with decent exposure.

So finally, to some actual comparisons. Here is the link to a derivative of my original RAW converter comparison post, including LR 4.4 and Aperture: X-trans RAW Conversion Comparisons

Taken with my Fujifilm X100S and Fujifilm X-Pro1 and 14mm XF lens.

Now all that is left of the wall are a few reminders dotted along the former route. It’s purpose is likely to have changed throughout it’s history.  Starting out as a defensive feature when in Roman times they decided to encircle Londinium despite already having a large fort in the city.

The wall would also have controlled access in and out making curfews easier to control. The gate through which  people travelled from one side of the wall to another could also have been used to collect taxes from tradesman and to warn off anyone up to no good on account of there imposing presence.

Any trip of the route of the wall should begin at Tower Hill Station as no soon as you leave the station the first piece is right there.an imposing structure with the tower of London in the background. It remains one of the most impressive pieces left standing

Just under the underpass, crossing the road from tower hill station towards the tower of London, the remains of a postern gate can be seen.  This would have controlled pedestrian access towards the east end and is thought to have been added in the 12th century.

The next piece of the wall can be seen in a hotel courtyard on Coopers Row close to the station but heading up towards Aldgate.  It’s another quite substantial piece which even contains windows and a doorway through which you can see the wall from the other side.

The next piece is close by but hard to find.  On Vine Street it’s actually in the basement of the offices of Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP.  A tiny bit can just be glimpsed through a gate to the side of the office but it’s not much so a better plan is to ask on reception whether you can see it.  If there is someone available you might be lucky but if not they will book you in to see it at a later date.

This section is slightly surreal, flanked as it is now with a very normal looking office corridor it is not the sort of place one expects to see a 2000 year old Roman wall.

At Aldgate there is apparantely another section contained within the underpass leading from Dukes Place to the church of St Botolphs.It was discovered when the underpass was being built but I’ve yet to see it as it’s been blocked off recently to allow some works to take place on the underpass.

Following the line of the wall up Bevis Marks you come eventually to Bishopsgate home of one of the seven gates of London but sadly an area never excavated.  A bishops hat marks the spot of the former gate and the houses on Camomile Street which back onto the churchyard follow the line of the wall.

Nearby the church of All Hallows on the wall contains the next visible section built into the churchyard.  All Hallows is a delightful little church and totally unexpected when you stumble onto it.  The wall lines the churchyard and is supported with various flower beds.

Further along the street actually
known as ‘London Wall’ the remaining pieces can all be seen around the area of the Barbican and the Museum of London. 

Around the site of the old Cripplegate on the junction of Wood Street and St Alphege Gardens a decent section can be seen which was also formerly part of the old Roman fort which was eventually incorporated into the wall.

Further along Wood Street pedestrian access to the left leads to the church of St Giles Cripplegate.  Now in the heart of the Barbican estate but old enough to be remembered in the oranges and lemons nursery rhyme.  The next section of the wall is beyond the church and overlooks an ornimental pond which in itself is interesting as part of the old defensive ditch which surrounded the outside of the wall.

Further along to the right from this section the remains of a mediaeval tower can be seen still retaining it’s shape.  It was rediscovered only as part of the construction of the Barbican estate itself when the whole area was redeveloped after the war.

Some more sections of the wall can be glimpsed beyond the tower but if you are not a resident of the Barbican they are not accessible.  Instead you need to make your way back to London Wall (the road) and head towards the Museum.  After a few moments a turn off leading to an underground car park can be seen with a section of wall at the entrance.  A break in the wall allows you to go into an area of parkland which is between the museum and the barbican estate.  There are sections of wall visible by the museum and the barber surgeons hall, the latter also has a quaint little herb garden growing next to it.

The end of this little area of parkland backs onto the now ornamental formerly defensive ditch which we saw earlier.  From here the Barbican estate and St Giles church can be seen as well as the other side of the mediaeval round tower.

Finally the last visible above ground sections of the wall can be seen on Noble Street just opposite the entrance to the car park and the pieces of wall you will have just seen.  This length of wall also formed part of the old fort and runs the length of the street towards St Annes Lutheran Church which incidentally also features in the oranges and lemons nursery rhyme.

More sections of the wall and the Roman fort exist underground through the car park but are only accessible as part of a tour with the museum of London.  The tours are scheduled around once a month and it’s just a case is checking the museum of London website to find out when.