Tuesday 19th July - Westminster Abbey & Churchill War Rooms

There is a hive of activity as we pass through Westminster today.  All around the Houses of Parliament the world's media are gathered to report on the appearance before a Parliamentary Select Committee of Rupert and James Murdoch.  There are journalists and TV cameras everywhere.

           Parliament - the centre of World news today                The media gather on College Green to report

We started our day by the London Eye and met our four Blue Badge Guides who were to take us through the Abbey and beyond to St James's Park.

The Abbey was quite an experience - countless royals buried there and many other names from history remembered.  The most recent event, of course, was the marriage of William and Kate.   The Abbey has it all, from the Coronation Chair to the grave of the Unknown Soldier. 

                                                                                      Westminster Abbey

After the Abbey we walk to St James's Park where we have our lunch. We are quite close to The Mall, the road that leads from Buckingham Palace to Admiralty Arch and quite clearly there is a royal event occurring.  A marching band passes by as well as some carriages, resplendent in gold and the scarlet of the footmen.  It turns out that there is an afternoon garden party at the Palace and many people have been invited to share tea with the Queen.

We walk down to Buckingham Palace for a good look at the premier home of the monarch in London.  The sun is shining and in fact the morning has been marked by warm sun.  The afternoon is not so promising.  Passing by Wellington Barracks and down to the Churchill War Rooms we await entry into Churchill's wartime hideout.

The War Rooms are fascinating and allow us to see what things were like for the personnel running the war.  Out into a rainy afternoon and a walk that takes us past Downing Street and into Trafalgar Square, up through a construction- filled Leicester Square and into Piccadilly Circus.

                 The Map Room in the War Rooms                                         Churchill's Bedroom and study

                                                                                 The ISCA team in Trafalgar Square

We meet the coaches down on Pall Mall and are whisked back to Charterhouse.