We arrive at the Museum of London as it opens at ten am. Forewarned by the attendants, Ed and I head for the special exhibit on the London Fire of 1666 before the school children arrive. Norah delves into other parts of the Museum. Good exhibit, especially the part that illustrates where the fire began and how far it spread. Then the children arrive – probably third or fourth graders – and they are set free to roam the floor because it’s a “discovery” exhibit. Yikes, they invade like William the Conqueror and his Norman hordes.
The book London by Rutherfurd is the Museum of London brought to life. He wrote it with their guidance. It was so informative to see the Museum’s relics and interpretative displays. And, as you go through the Roman section, suddenly there is a large window and you are overlooking the original Roman city wall. Ok, is was rebuilt from rubble, but the effect is stunning. For any history buff, this museum is a must. Like most museums organized on a chronological basis, the modern detritus lacks the editing of time, so to me is mostly junk. It’s always interesting to see what survives hundreds of years. Not likely to be videos of pop stars.
We lunched at a nice restaurant next to the museum, fortifying ourselves before our walking tour of the Inns of Court. The Inns were a revelation in so many ways. They are BIG, covering acres. We walked through all four: Gray’s Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. You would never realize the complexity of their quarters viewing the small gateways off Chancery Row or Fleet Street. Every bit of the tour enlightened past reading and all future reading. Though I suspected that Rowling based Harry Potter’s Hogwarts on the Inns, it is clear to see how cleverly she used the history of the Inns to create the four houses, represented by their emblems. Now I need to find a contact in the US who has a barrister contact in the UK who can invite me to dine at one of the halls. We did not have time to go through the ancient church at Middle Temple, originally founded by the Knights Templar, so we will return.
We are so exhausted, that we cab home, as we have theater tonight. Quick dinner and Ed and I walk down Tottenham Court Road to the theatre. Norah is not feeling up to yet another outing, so she puts her feet up for a good rest. Tonight it’s Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in Pinter’s “No Man’s Land.” Excellent. The play is not for everyone. A bit of Samuel Becket shows through this 1974 revival. There is malice, humor – just one set and four actors. What a pleasure to watch fine actors deliver well-crafted lines, and we had great seats.