Keeping Their Heads At The Tower Of London

No trip to London, would be a proper tourist in your own country trip to London, without visiting the The Tower Of London ........

.......... making this Derek and Eric's first, actual, proper trip to London, if you know what I mean?!!??

I believe they were up at the crack of dawn to make sure they were among the very first to be admitted, as they'd really set their hearts, after being privy to seeing the Queen's clothes yesterday, on now viewing the crown jewels, that she'd also handled and worn! 

Let's just say, it was worth all the effort, as they just sauntered straight on in (sorry, no taking of photos permitted) ......... to have their socks well and truly blown off!  

It was both emotional and awe inspiring, they said afterwards. All that historic history and honestly, all that flipping bling!  They travelled the travellator several times over, just taking it all in and picking out the odd diamond and other precious gems they wouldn't mind owning. They didn't want to be hurried, despite knowing that the queue outside, in the time they'd been in, had grown to completely fill the winding barriers.  This was most a once in a lifetime "thing" for them.

The next big thing was going into the Royal Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula, because, as you know, we all very much like to visit the odd church or two ........

.... however, as Eric thought he'd read somewhere that you have to be on a lead tour to enter its portals, they didn't think they would get in, but that wasn't the case and once again, they found themselves overcome by the history and awe.

Needless to say a candle, as tradition, was lit.

After that, they just followed their guide book and crowds, drinking in every single bit of  information  ......

.....trying to imagine what it was like to actually be there when so many historic  moments were being made, when it was a zoo ........

....... when the Kray twins and Rudolph Hess were incarcerated there ........

....... not to mention Walter Raleigh, Anne Boleyn and Guy Fawkes (to name but a few),  but at the same time not wishing to dwell on the fear, torture and executions it had also witnessed ......

..... as well as keeping their distance from the ravens, especially as they were an awful lot bigger than they anticipated .......

...... and feeling sorry for the Tower Guard and Beefeaters trying to keep cool on really hot summer days! 

It was quite the day out .......

And the gift shops, of which there were quite a few? Well, Derek treated himself to a fridge magnet, replica orb from the crown jewels and Eric a coronation crown badge to wear in future, when watching royal events on the tele! 

He also took inspiration from a display of rather lovely, glittery trinket boxes, something he's always seeing for not a lot of money, in charity shops, that were displayed beautifully, on a cake stand, perhaps ...... just perhaps, he could start collecting them as souvenirs of all that mooching, holidays and days out when he gets home?