Day 21 – October 11, 2016 – Museum of London, Inns of Court and Wyndham Theatre – a day of overkill
London burns - 1666. Painting by Jan Griffier the Elder in 1675 shows Newgate in foreground with old St. Paul's burning in the back. More photos follow the text.
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.
From the Museum of London, clockwise from upper left: view of the Roman city wall, first bridge over the Thames, wooden pontoons that floated with the tide, polished mace-head (probably sacrificial) found in the Thames, elephants used by Romans conquering the Celts - like Pizarro and the Incas only bigger and scarier than horses.
One of many amusing costumes in the Museum of London. Yes, some lucky lady wore this.
Model of the St. Paul's Cathedral prior to the fire. Note the early Romanesque small original churches on the left. The new cathedral, which will you see in future photos, was designed by Christopher Wren and is huge and austere, not Gothic.
Staple Inn, built in mid 16th Century and still in use on Holborn Street. Originally lodging for visiting wool merchants (staplers), it became an inn for law students. Today, it's offices.
Entrance to Gray's Inn is portal in white facade on right. You walk right by these if you don't know what they are.
Interior Gray's Inn - like all four Inns, hundreds of chambers housing barristers and students are built around interior courts. The Inns provide all school and OJT for barristers in the UK. They also house all the judges.
Dining hall, Middle Temple. All Inns have chambers, dining halls, chapels and gardens.
Entrance to Gray's Inn Garden. Public is allowed entry at midday. Lovely urban oases.
Crypts under Lincoln's Inn Chapel. A place to bury the deceased barristers and judges from the Inn, conduct private discussions with clients and colleagues, and for some impoverished women, a place to leave babies who were adopted by the Inn, educated and placed in sustainable positions.
Temple Church of the Inner and Middle Temple dates to the 12th century and the Knights Templar. This was originally their UK HQ, until they were dissolved in the mid-14th century.
Temple courtyard, two Knights Templar riding one horse, their supposed practice of economy. Pity the horse. The London Bar, rising from the middle of Fleet Street, represents the divide between the royals in Westminster and the protected wealthy merchants of the City of London.
Symbols for two of the Inns - griffin for Gray's Inn and Pegasus for Inner Temple.
Obviously signs for uninformed Americans.
Where you purchase your wigs and robes - gently used ones available at a shop round the corner.
Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart in Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land".