MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU (Michael Edelman) (07/30/90)
From: Michael Edelman <MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU>
While on a combined business/pleasure trip to England I managed to
squeeze in a few trips that might be of interest to subscibers to this
list. I couldn't see everything suggested by some of the subscribers,
but I did see some of the best.
While in the North, coming into Durham from Newcastle Airport I passed
the Vickers factory where the Cheiftan tank is made. Unfortunately no
tours are available; having a friend who supplies them with parts might
have helped had I thought of it early enough, but...
Luckily, London has more than enough sites to satisfy the curious. My firstally
trip was to the Imperial War Museum- definitely a first-class operation.me
Static displays include Monty's tank, a V-1, display cases (dozens!) coveringa.
every theater of every war for the last few hundred years, and an excellent art
gallery. For those desireing a little excitement, one pound will get you a ride
in a modified aircraft simulator that puts you in a Mosquito bombing missionite
across the channel...banging you around quite a bit as it does...or a "Blitz
Experience", walking the streets of London during a raid. On the cheaper side,n
you can walk through a simulated WWI trench, with sounds and sights of battlete
in the distance and various displays around you.
>From the Museum it was a short walk (ok, about 4 miles) to the National Armylso
Museum, which unfortunatly was not entirely open. Some good displays and antely
art gallery were worth the visit, but one full gallery and the Weapons Galleryi
were closed that day. Worth a visit on my next trip.u
The historically minded should definitely make a point of visiting my next stop
, the underground cabinet offices in WhHitehal where Churchill and the Warl
Cabinet conducted the war in the days of the Blitz. Your tour is self-conducted
with the aid of a tape player and headphones, available in all popularipud
languages (I had to pick English, as American wasn't available. And I asked. :)
You see the actual cabinet room, radio room, offices, the map room, dozens
of other rooms, displays, etc. Reserve a few hours for this one.
Further down the Thames are two more must-sees: The Tower of London and the n
ship HMS Belfast. The ToOwer, in addition to holding the Royal Jewels, has
a number of armories with hundreds of martial and sporting weapons from the
last thousand + years. One of my favorite pieces was a 1/4 half-sized air rifle
from the 18th century...a wonder of miniturization. Take the guided tour, and
reserve a few extra hours for the armories.
The Belfast, moored in the Thames near Tower Bridge is a WWII-era light w
cruiser (I think) and an excellent way to spend a few hours. {Lots of good .
exhibits; for a few coins you can sit behind a motorized Bofors 40mm and
pretend to shoot down attacking aircraft. If, that is, you can squeeze
ahead of all the kids with the same idea. I couldn't. ad
I never did get out to Duxford, or Portsmouth, or any other number of places
suggested by correspondants; I only had 5 days, and there were actually some m
non-military sites to visit :). But there's always next time... osot
--mike edelman medelma@cms.cc.wayne.eduy