Day Two in London

A compelling sales pitch.

We continue to have great weather in London: sunny and clear with temperatures around 68F. Yesterday was much warmer in the upper 70s, but seemed warmer to me because I was walking everywhere in the afternoon sun. It seems like one does a LOT of walking in London, but that's ok.

Today I spent several hours at the National Army Museum and I must say that with all of the changes in exhibits and the interior remodeling I hardly recognized the place. That said, I think that the museum has improved considerably as it covers the British army's history from the ECW to the present and provides the visitors with a better sense of what it is/was like to be a soldier. 

I think that we all intuitively know it, but War is not glorious, it is dangerous, and can take a dreadful toll on those who survived the experience (PTSD). The exhibits do a good job of driving these points home, rather than focusing on the campaigns and won battles of the army.

Getting back to the glorious wargamey thingy, I took a lot of pictures of the 18th Century and Napoleonic uniforms and equipment. The Siborne Waterloo model is still there but the area is so dark that I could barely make out was going. There is the captured eagle of the French 108th regiment that was taken at Waterloo (I think?) as well as its flag, which has faded almost to white, and a nice cuirassier set of cuirasses and helmet on display. They even have the skeleton of Marengo, Napoleon's horse which was captured at Waterloo.

I took a nice picture of an 18th Century Guards uniform, circa the AWI and snapped some good shots of various cloth mitres and bearskins.

Next on the list was a boat trip up the Thames to Greenwich. It's a good way to see much of London and is quite pleasant on a sunny day. My intention was to visit the Naval Observatory and the Naval Museum, but I got sidetracked by a visit to the Cutty Sark. I'd seen the former before, but never got around to the Cutty Sark. I spent the whole hour there and decided to take the return boat back to Westminster- boats run on the hour. I could have easily remained for another hour, but it was getting late in the day and I thought it prudent to head back to the hotel. 

Well, that's London for me on this trip. Tomorrow I take the train to Coventry where Graham will meet me and take us to see Griffin Moulds on our way to Kenilworth and the Wild Geese weekend.