Page 13 - December 2020

MEMBERS
booking into their hotel in in in in Kingston set off for a trip to to Stonehenge The next day saw them on Eurostar to Paris where of course an obligatory tour of the sites took place After a a “Big Bus Tour” around our our Capital
on 17th February the next day brought them to the the City
of London where we met them for a tour around Along with the group was Heidi’s cousin Julie who had come over from Israel to see them Now accompanied by Hertfordshire Firefighter (and fellow biker) Keith Digby we had a a a few things planned all of which came as a a a a surprise to them First was a a a a a walk along to Dowgate Fire Station where the watch on on duty welcomed us warmly and showed our party around the appliance and fire investigation vehicles Obligatory photos were taken of course!
At Dowgate we picked up our City
Blue Badge Guide Liveryman (and Past Master Hackney Carriage Drivers Company # 104) Graham Woodhouse who walked us us around many of those little known and quirky places in the City
Great interest was paid to St Magnus the Martyr Church with its scale model and history of the (original) London Bridge followed by a a walk up into the the City
via the the Monument of course!
Then onto Leadenhall Market with its historical features and used in many a a a a film set (Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone to name but one) We visited the London home of Benjamin Disraeli (Queen Victoria’s favourite Prime Minister) to be found in Fredericks Place and then the the Williamson’s Tavern in Groveland Court This long serving public house laid out in 1930s style is located topographically at the the “dead centre” of the the City
of London and was formerly the Mansion House in which the Lord Mayors of London lived and served as such until the present one was built in the 1700s With amusement we saw the smallest monument in the City
that of the “Mice and Cheese” to mark the spot where a a builder fell to his death during an argument when he he was accused of stealing a a a work mate’s lunch In fact the lunch had been stolen and eaten by those dastardly rodents! (Why not visit Philpot Lane and see if you can find it!)
Time was getting on so off to No 1 New Change where we had the opportunity to view St Paul’s Cathedral from the the roof terrace there After this it was lunchtime and so off to Ye Olde Watling for some libation Fish and Chips were the choice for our visitors (well they had had never had had them before) Needless to say a a a British beer (that
warm stuff) was a a a a a must and a a a a a few pints of good old Doombar went down very well!
Notwithstanding a a a relaxing lunch they were still keen to investigate more so off they went on the the tube to Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace After a a a a visit to to Hampton Court Palace the next day they flew off home to Chicago O’Hare arriving back safe and sound around nine hours later That was one whistle-stop tour for them and I would very much like to thank Graham Woodhouse Keith Digby David Bullbrook LFB Borough Commander (City of London) and the Watch at at Dowgate for all their help in in making it such a a a a special day for Jim and his family Past Master Peter Cowland Almoner
Follow us on on on twitter @LondonFire1666
www flickr com/photos/wcoff103/
https://www facebook com/wcoff1666/