Today was a day
for the books. Starting off at the Imperial War Museum, we visited numerous
displays and exhibits that detailed the history of British warfare and the
effects it has had on its citizens. A small segment on Secret Warfare displayed
for the public the details of Britain’s secret intelligence agencies and their
work since the start of World War I.
The exhibit for
World War I was especially interesting as it has geared up for the 100th
anniversary of its end to come in November 2018. The first World War began in June
1914 when a Serbian activist assassinated Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, heir to
the Austro-Hungarian throne. As Austria-Hungary declared war on the young nation
of Serbia, alliances were tested with Germany joining the fight for
Austria-Hungary while Russia and France were loyal to Serbia. Britain, however,
remained outside the lines of war till August 1914; Germany had invaded neutral
Belgium to attack France and hundreds of innocent civilians had been killed. 
Fearing for the safety
of their own citizens, Britain joined the fight.
Over the next
four years, hundreds of thousands of men from all across Europe and the vast,
global empires it held would fight. Modern weapons of warfare like trenches,
heavy artillery guns, and toxic gasses were used for one of the first times and
causalities were immeasurably large. German submarines, known as U-boats, spread
terror through the seas; their usage to attack ships sparked the United States’
entry into the war in 1917.
Consequently,
our propaganda to inspire men to enlist closely resembled that which Britain
had used!
The Imperial War
Museum also hosts exhibits on World War II, with a special, separate site
focused on the Holocaust. The highly interactive and immersive displays looked
into the causes and reality of what was happening in Europe. It was emotional
for many of us to read and experience new perspectives that we had not learned
in our American classrooms.
After the museum,
we traveled to Tower Pier for our afternoon of Tea on the Thames! A much needed
break after the heaviness of our morning, we sipped on tea and munched on a
variety of sweets and sandwiches, making sure to get our artsy photos as well.
Tea time concluded with an audio boat tour of London as seen from the Thames. I
highly recommend doing some sort of boat tour while in London. It really is the
best way to see many of the sights of London (and get some iconic photos)!
A quick river
taxi ride away from our port at Tower Pier is the Globe Theatre and home of our
entertainment for the evening, William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night! After a pre-show lecture from a Shakespeare
historian from Oxford College, I expected great things from this comedy; I had
no reckoning of the level of enjoyment I could get (even while standing for its
entire three hours)!
Our tickets were
for “Groundling seats,” located in a pit at the base of the stage with plenty
of room for standing. Having no chairs, benches, or roofs nearby, these tickets
are the cheapest entertainment I have yet to find in London: 5 Pounds for a night of Shakespeare, dancing, singing, and a Drag Queen. Yes, your eyes have read that correctly. The current interpretation of Twelfth Night puts a spin on the story of Viola, her twin brother Sebastian, and those around them who fall in love in a tangled web of pairs where no two people have fallen for each other, but complex love triangles and trickery abound. Sound familiar at all? American's may recognize the plot line from a 2006 film starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum: She's the Man.
Needless to say, many of us left speechless and in awe after a performance that was anything but expected. We capped the night off with a stroll across the Millennium Bridge (featured in the Harry Potter films) where we were able to see tiny sculptures carved into chewing gum on the floor of the bridge. Don't believe me? You'll have to come and see for yourself (because I forgot to take a picture)!
A quick jaunt past St. Paul's Cathedral and a ride on the Underground was all that was left of our day before climbing dazedly into bed to await tomorrow's new adventures!
Cheers!
Abbi Primus
The WWI exhibit was probably the most extensive exhibit I've seen in a museum about any war. I thought it was really interesting to read about it all from a different perspective since I'm so used to learning everything from the American point of view.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved Twelfth Night and was surprised that standing for three hours wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. I think it was definitely worth the five pounds to have that experience. The way the cast interacted with the audience kept me hooked and I barely noticed how badly my feet hurt by the end of the first half of the performance.
Abbi, you so accurately captured the organized chaos of this day. While it was quite busy, it was easily one of my most enjoyable days in London thus far. Afternoon Tea was excellent, but I found the sandwiches and treats to be even more delectable. ;) Twelfth Night was stunning. Never have I seen a queen in so much glitter, and my life is better for it. I thought my three hours as a groundling were going to be challenging and exhausting, but the show was so fun I had no problem! It seems as though you found the same. As we were leaving, Shayna chimed, "how are we supposed to go to sleep after a show like that!" While smiling brilliantly, it was clear she was also quite excited about the show. I think it is safe to say the group had a fun filled evening.
ReplyDeleteMost definitely!
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