Return to the Tower

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Off to the Capital today – and a return visit to the Tower of London and more specifically, the Crown Jewels.

Ann and I last visited back in February 2016 but we met good mates Roy, Susan, Lauren and Loki there today, who’d never been before! It meant an early start (for a Saturday) for us, catching the 9.02 out of Kettering. Predictably, the monopolistic Midland Mainline was running late – but only by a few minutes meaning that we arrived at St Pancras International just after 10.05.
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It was then just a short Tube journey round to Tower Hill. Roy, Susan, Lauren  and Loki were just ahead and we could see them as we arrived at the Tower’s Ticket Booth.

With tickets in hand, we made our way to the Tower. It was slightly chilly, with a bit a rain in the air and as a result, it wasn’t too busy. We passed through the security check in a matter of seconds and were soon at our first stop: Traitors’ Gate listening to the Beefeater Yeoman Warder do his thing!


Next stop: a short spell in ‘reverse gear’ and we were at The Medieval Palace

Then it was a walk round the Battlements (which we DIDN’T DO last time we were here) and into the cold air and the rain…



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..taking in the sights along the way!
Back inside and some impressive exhibits followed…
 
Then it was back into the elements…


…before taking a well-earned pit-stop to warm up!

With coffees, cakes and conversation behind us, it was back to the history…






A lot of people moan about the entrance fee being too high (£25 for Ann, £19.50 for the ‘oldie’) but we used a two-for-one offer associated with our rail ticket, so it made it even better value. More two-for-one offers HERE – but even without the offer, there is shed-loads to see here and even if you only have a passing interest in history, it’s worth the trip.
..and finally, it was the main attraction – the actual Crown Jewels

…but unfortunately, once inside, all photography was forbidden. But take it from us, if you like a bit of bling, this is the place to see the ultimate collection. Astounding!


We finished up in the same place as everyone else who visits here – the gifte shoppe! The Beefeater bears were tempting, but I resisted!
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Wow! What a day! We’d spent almost three hours there and still didn’t manage to see everything. Our timed rail ticket meant that Lunch was going to be a bit late – and we only had around 45 minutes to find somewhere, eat and then get back to the Station. We love a challenge (especially when we’re hungry!)

Luckily, the local Wagamama’s just round the corner came to the rescue, and we were soon seated and placing our order. After a quick scoff we said our goodbyes leaving our friends to enjoy their meal at a more leisurely pace.


It was a great day and with all our connections running to time, we arrived back at Kettering around 5pm. After a quick pop into Aldi for some essentials, we were soon home, reflecting on the day.
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