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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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 Posted: Fri 05 Mar, 2010 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Douglas S wrote: | | Peter Lyon wrote: | | (though the tower armouries still have a lot of very interesting stuff too). |
I didn't anything there when I was visiting in 1999, except for a brace of plastic horses and a story about some place called "Leeds".  |
The Tower has a ton of great stuff in it still... an entire building dedicated as the "armoury".
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Roger Hooper
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| Posted: Fri 05 Mar, 2010 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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When I was there long ago, I spent 2 days going through the British Museum. Most of that time was spent looking at Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek antiquities.
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Eric W. Norenberg
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| Posted: Fri 05 Mar, 2010 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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I'll heartily recommend the Victoria & Albert Museum as well, 'though it may make you wish you were a student living in London with regular access to it...
The crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral is worth a visit, check out the model of Old St. Paul's and you may wish the fire had never happened... check out the rest of the building, too, if you must...
I'll also join in the "Yorkist" faction here... absolutely amazing city, for any student of things pre-Renaissance. Walk the walls, see the Minster, do the touristy museums (if you must), there is (or was) a fairly non-touristy pub right behind the Minster on College Street the served Greene King ales, their "Abbot Ale" is often reckoned to be about as close to a good medieval ale as one can buy...
Have fun, I wish I was there, too!
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Leo Todeschini
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 1:40 am Post subject: |
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The Tower is an amazing place and the armoury is still good.
MOL is not to be overlooked, it does have limited weaponry but what is has is interesting and the overview of Londons history it gives is great
RA at Leeds is the place though......
The Imperial war museum is also fantastic if also are interested in more modern stuff.
Dover Castle at Dover - about 50 mins from London by train is incredible. It has been a militarised site from about 500BC to 1983 continuously and so much of previous eras has been left so that you get a crosssection of pretty much anything you could be interested in as far as structure goes, but less so on artefacts. (Declaring vested interest here I was heavily involved in the recent representation of the keep). It even has one of the two Roman light houses built when they were here, all the way up to the fire platform.
Westminster abbey and the British and of course an absolute is the Wallace.
Have a great trip.
Tod
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Julien M
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 1:46 am Post subject: |
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Hi Adam,
If I had a tight schedule and would want to focus primarily on medieval arms and armour I would give priority to the wallace (they have recently reopened the all galleries)
The royal armoury at leeds comes close second ((but only because I take the trip to leeds into account)
then the museum of london - I agree with tod, there is plenty to see there too.
The British museum hasn't much to offer lately as far as medieval arms and armour are concerned (plenty of viking/anglo saxon sutton hoo stuff though).
The V&A has a great display of japanese stuff, but few european pieces.
Closer than leeds timewise, you can catch a eurostar, cross the channel to Paris to see the musee de l'armee, which to my opinion surpasses all the above...
Cheers,
Julien
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David Evans
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 8:27 am Post subject: Re: I am in London, where should I go? |
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| Adam D. Kent-Isaac wrote: | | OK, the title says it all. I'm at London (in the Kenilworth Radisson hotel) and will be here for the next 5 days. I already plan to see the Tower of London and the Wallace Collection. What other military history or just history in general related sights should I see? In addition, can someone recommend a good bar that is small and not "touristy", like an old school type pub? Can you smoke pipes in bars here? |
Try The George in Southwark. The only remaining Coaching Inn in the UK
http://www.hiddenlondon.com/thegeorge.htm
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Peter Lyon
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 10:20 am Post subject: |
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| Roger Hooper wrote: | | When I was there long ago, I spent 2 days going through the British Museum. Most of that time was spent looking at Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek antiquities. |
I got to the BM late one day and got to spend 2 hours there - if you want to be thorough and takes lots of photos it could take a week there is so much to see - something like 100 galleries covering everything imaginable. One of my memories is being one of the last to leave, and looking down one gallery as I crossed it and thinking "hey those are the Elgin marbles ... bummer...next time".
Still hammering away
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Boris R.
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 11:49 am Post subject: |
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well i know when i'll go to London that im going to the Theatre Royal to see the LOTR play. 
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
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Adam D. Kent-Isaac
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I went to the Tower today and was hugely disappointed. Most of their armoury seems to have been put away for remodeling! Unbelievable, isn't it? Huge rooms of it were roped off. The famous Henry VIII armours weren't there, nor any other of the many armours I have seen in photographs as being there. I didn't see any polearms or swords either except for two giant ceremonial bearing swords. There were signs around, saying that the armour section would re-open in April! There was some interesting stuff there - for instance, a lot of cannons and muskets - didn't really realize until today how HUGE infantry muskets of the 1500s and 1600s were until I saw them up close. But I didn't like the way everything was presented. It all struck me as sort of child-oriented in the way the attractions were labeled and the little gimmicks everywhere. Makes sense, since I guess they have to appeal to children and families with kids to get the crowds in.
There were a few armours in the "line of kings" - all of them were spectacularly uninteresting 1600s-era harnesses:
The gilded cuirassier armour of Charles I was also there, though it had clearly been moved from where it normally was. It shook every time people walked around it. It was in a display case and was tough to get a good photograph of because of the bad lighting and the glass. Here is a close up of the helmet, which looks to be of Dutch manufacture.
Will go to the Wallace tomorrow.
Pastime With Good Company
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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James Arlen Gillaspie
Industry Professional
Location: upstate NY Joined: 10 Nov 2005
Posts: 587
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| Posted: Sat 06 Mar, 2010 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, Adam, I feel so bad for you! The 'Henry VIII; Dressed to Kill' exhibition ended Jan. 17th! 
jamesarlen.com
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Adam D. Kent-Isaac
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| Posted: Sun 07 Mar, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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I went to the Wallace Collection today and it was really excellent. They do not allow flash photography there - so I will go back there on Tuesday with a portable tripod so that I can take longer exposure shots. As far as I can see, nobody has really extensively photographed the collection at the Wallace so I guess I can be the first. The amount of stuff they have is just staggering, especially all of the sabres and scimitars and they also have an outstanding collection of decorative powder flasks.
Pastime With Good Company
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Edward Hitchens
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| Posted: Sun 07 Mar, 2010 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: I am in London, where should I go? |
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| Adam D. Kent-Isaac wrote: | | In addition, can someone recommend a good bar that is small and not "touristy", like an old school type pub? |
See if you can find a place called Gordon's Wine Bar. I saw it featured in a book I recently purchased aptly titled "The Most Beautiful Wine Cellars in the World" (VdH Books, 2008). According to the authors, it's located at 47 Villiers Street in London but it's also described as one of those hole-in-the-wall places that you can walk right past it and not notice it. It appears to be lit only be candlelight and there's a bottle of wine that they have on display that dates to 1630! Very intimate setting.
You're taking non-flash photos at the Wallace Collection? Wow, I thought photography was totally prohibited at the WC.
"The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest." Thomas Jefferson
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Adam D. Kent-Isaac
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| Posted: Mon 08 Mar, 2010 2:26 am Post subject: |
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It's not. I asked several staff people there and they all said it's fine as long as you don't use flash.
Pastime With Good Company
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Mon 08 Mar, 2010 4:47 am Post subject: Re: I am in London, where should I go? |
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| Edward Hitchens wrote: | | You're taking non-flash photos at the Wallace Collection? Wow, I thought photography was totally prohibited at the WC. |
That changed at some point in the last several years. I wish it was permitted when Nathan and I were there several years ago.
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Artis Aboltins
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| Posted: Mon 08 Mar, 2010 5:05 am Post subject: |
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Well at least you know what to ask Adam to take photos off, Chad!
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Julien M
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| Posted: Mon 08 Mar, 2010 6:36 am Post subject: |
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| Adam D. Kent-Isaac wrote: | | It's not. I asked several staff people there and they all said it's fine as long as you don't use flash. |
What?? I've always taken for granted that taking pictures was not allowed...in fact, I've never seen anyone even try. This is great if that's true...so many iconic swords in there! I'll go and check for myself next week!
J
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Mon 08 Mar, 2010 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| Julien M wrote: |
What?? I've always taken for granted that taking pictures was not allowed...in fact, I've never seen anyone even try. This is great if that's true...so many iconic swords in there! I'll go and check for myself next week!
J |
Last I heard, you needed to kind of check in at the front desk so they know what you're doing.
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Edward Hitchens
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| Posted: Mon 08 Mar, 2010 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Chad Arnow wrote: | | Julien M wrote: |
What?? I've always taken for granted that taking pictures was not allowed...in fact, I've never seen anyone even try. This is great if that's true...so many iconic swords in there! I'll go and check for myself next week!
J |
Last I heard, you needed to kind of check in at the front desk so they know what you're doing. |
I'll definitely keep that in mind because my girlfriend and I will be in London this summer and I definitely plan on checking out the Wallace Collection.
Besides London itself, we also want to make it to Canterbury, Bath, and a village called 'Chawton' which is where Jane Austen's house is. All three seem to be within reasonable distance from London that they could be day trips. Adam, you should check out St. George's Chapel also; I believe it's conjoined to Windsor Castle.
"The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest." Thomas Jefferson
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Adam D. Kent-Isaac
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| Posted: Tue 09 Mar, 2010 10:18 am Post subject: |
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I spent about 3 hours at the Wallace today taking photos. It was difficult to do, because of the low lighting and no flash allowed (they didn't let me use my tripod either) but with some tweaking, got a good exposure setting that worked well and wound up taking lots and lots of nice shots. I will begin the long process of cropping them all and uploading them tonight; will post them when done. There were some amazing visored sallets but they were in a really dark area and it was damn hard to get good shots of them without mad reflection off of the display case but I did my best. A lot of other amazing stuff too, coming soon.
Pastime With Good Company
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