June Scavenger Hunt: London, UK

Happy summer, everyone!
This June Terry and I had the good fortune to spend two weeks 
in Terry's sister's and brother-in-law's flat in Notting Hill, London.

London Skyline

The Old and the New

View From Our Flat in Notting Hill

Junes's List

1.  B is for ?

London Double Decker Buses

B is for … Buses, 

and so many iconic London things:  

Beefeaters, Buckingham Palace, street buskers, the British Museum, 

bobbies, telephone booths, Big Ben, Anne Boleyn, bearskin hats, 
and Barbour stores (iconic for me ~ I'm a Barbour).  

I could do a whole post on Bs!

Beefeater ~ Yeoman Warder in Daily Uniform

 Tower of London

B is for … Beefeater, 
and we had a fascinating yeoman warder as our guide.
Their official duties include looking after Tower prisoners, 
safeguarding the crown jewels, and guarding the Tower of London.

Today they also act as tour guides
and are tourist attractions themselves.
The yeoman warders were formed by Henry VII in 1845,
but their origins can be traced back to the eleventh century
when the Tower of London was constructed.

Two interesting things I learned from our guide
were that the yeoman warders 
must live in the Tower of London
and that one of them guards the Tower ravens,
because legend has it that the tower and monarchy will fall
if the ravens ever leave the tower grounds.
Source:  britannica.com

A Barbour in Her New Barbour Trench Coat

 Trafalgar Square
(This is for Kezzie!  My favorite London Fashionista!)



2.   10 a.m.

10:00 Hour in the Morning on Portobello Road

Sewing Supplies on Portobello Road
(10:00 a.m. London Time ~ 4:00 a.m. Colorado Time) 

A Very Famous Clock Tower
Nicknamed Big Ben

(Technically, Big Ben is the bell inside Elizabeth Tower)

3. Spoon

Silver Spoons ~ Portobello Road

4.   Puppet

King Henry VI

Source:  Wikimedia

King Henry VI was the last Lancastrian king,

reigning from 1422-1461 and from 1470-1471.

His mental instability and his gentle, pious personality 

led in part to the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VI was deposed and imprisoned in 1461.

Nine years later he was restored to the throne as a puppet king. 

He was murdered in the Tower of London 

on the night of May 21st/22nd, 1471.

Source:  englishmonarchs  

The Chapel Where Tradition Says
That Henry VI Was Murdered

                         

This is one event in the Tower of London's Bloody History

5. You Again

The E-P Suffering from Museum Overload

You Again!  Poor Terry ~ I found him waiting for me,

yet again, while I visited the magnificent 

Assyrian Lion Hunts Gallery (You Again!)

one more time (this day). 

King Ashurbanipal Hunts Lions
Narrative Panels
North Palace, Ninevah
668-627 B.C. 


6.   Water

Cygnets Swim in the Serpentine
Hyde Park, London

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain
Hyde Park, London

7.   Habitat

The Long Water Reed Beds and the Serpentine Bridge
Kensington Park, London 

This beautiful habitat, the Long Water Reed Beds, 

was established in 2010 to improve 

the water quality and the biodiversity potential 

of the Long Water in Kensington Garden.

Reed beds are found at the margins of many waterbodies.

They stabilize banks and act as natural water filters.

The UK lost about 40% of its reed beds between 1945 and 1990.

Source:  Sign by the Reed Beds in the Park

8.   Soccer

Pringles' Giant 'Lucky' Football Boot

Soccer Balls

in a Poundland Window

on Portobello Road

 

England was gearing

up for the World Cup

while we were in London.

9.   Calm

The Geological Society
is a calm oasis near 
busy Piccadilly Circus

The Geological Society, London

Terry walks past William Smith's famous 
1815 Geological Map of Britain.
A bust of Smith, the Father of English Geology, is in front of Terry.

10.   Man Made

Blaschka Radiolarian Model
Natural History Museum
Treasures in the Cadogan Gallery

Out all the man made marvels in London,

I chose this extremely fragile glass model 

of a radiolarian (Aulosphaera elegantissima).

It was crafted by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka in the 19th century. 
The techniques they used were lost when they died. 

The model is displayed in the Cadogan Gallery 

which contains some of the Natural History Museum's 

most important artifacts chosen for their 

scientific, historical, aesthetic and cultural significance. 

11.   Open

Mounted Sentries at Horse Guards

The Household Cavalry guards the official entrance 

to St James's Palace and Buckingham Palace 

outside Horse Guards in Whitehall.

The mounted sentry in back is relieving the sentry in front

by riding through the open door at the back of the guard box.

12.  Steam

Steam Rises as This Crepe Cooks on the Griddle

Portobello Road

July's List

C is for?,  9pm,  Stem,  Pool,  Dough,  Liquid,  Lever,  On the wall,

Together,  In your bag,  Your view of today,  and Sweet

Thanks to Jill (Greenthumb) 

and her Made with Love blog 

for setting up the scavenger hunt.