Wax, AFL, Streakers & Lords in London

Weekend in London

21 - 22 October 2006

We left for London on an early bus, leaving Bristol at 7am, arriving at London around 9am.

On what was forecast to be a wet, cold and miserable weekend for London, we survived the weather and it only rained heavily on the Sunday.

Madame Tussauds, the Wax Museum

Upon arriving at the Victoria Bus Station, we headed straight for the Tube, and existed at Baker Street station. Madame Tussauds, the wax museum was right next door. We had bought tickets at the bus station, so we fast tracked into the museum within about 2 minutes. By that time the lineup behind us had grown by another 30 or so people.

When Jacko was white, not sure which nose he has on though


The two Brads...





Beatles





Robbie Williams



Im stuck for words!

Inside the Museum is set up with numerous wax statues on display which you can photograph. Some were done quite well, but some others were shockers. All the A-List Celebrities were there, Royal family members, numerous football players, and David Beckham is the only one to have 2 wax statues of him in the Museum.

The Museum also has a chamber of horrors and a walkthrough of a dungeon like basement with live actors running around scaring you in the dark! There was showground style ride in a black cab, highlighting the history of London, including the Great Fire, the War, etc., and at the end, an animated movie about how to act like a star. Designed for the kids I think?

Little Johnny





Horrors Underground...

There was a Pirates of the Carribean section, (with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley) and the Pommy Big Brother diary room.

After the Museum we stopped at a nearby Café for a light Lunch and drink, then back on the Tube to head to the Oval.

AFL in London

We organised to catch up with Louise (whom I went to University with years ago), Adrian and his daughters prior to heading to the Oval. We had a warm up Pint at the local Pub, where the ICC Champions Trophy match of Australia vs England was playing. This was great as everytime the Poms lost a wicket, a huge cheer went up in the Pub, and this cheer was huge, because just about every Aussie in London was at the Pub like us!

It almost felt like the game was being played in Australia, except for the weather!

We headed into the ground shortly after and found our seats. The game featured was Geelong vs Port Adelaide, but all 16 clubs were represented by many supporters sporting their team colours, with various guernsey, beanies of the all clubs being worn.

The crowd would’ve been at least 60 – 70% Australian, and we even had other people from Adelaide sitting behind us.

AFL at the Oval - A fight starting out


Streaker A'hoy


Running...


Caught!

We were going for Geelong, as no-one likes Port, and the final result was a well earned victory for Geelong, but the best entertainment of the day was a toss up between the 2 fights during the 2nd and 4th quarters and the two (yes 2) different streakers during the match.

I hope no-one is offended by a bit of nudity, but rest assured he will need to save his pennies as the fine is about 1000 pounds (2400 Aussie dollars) for streaking.

At the end of the game, we were all allowed onto the oval for a kick of the footy and it was a great afternoon, with the rain holding off until after we left the ground.

That night we went into London Central, near the Piccadilly Circus Tube Station, where we had dinner at a steakhouse. We then said goodbye to Lou, Ady and the kids, then took the Tube back to our Hotel for the night, the Beaver Hotel. Great named hotel, but fairly rundown and definitely a budget place to stay in London with no frills whatsoever.

Beaver Hotel


Typical London Suburban Street

Sunday

Sunday morning we enjoyed a full English breakfast at the Hotel then packed up and walked back to the Tube Station. We headed to Camden Markets to pick up some souvenirs and some general shopping through the large number of markets and shops.

As the rain started to set in we headed back to the Tube and head towards Regent Street, where Hamleys is situated. It was the largest toy store in the world, until it was recently overtaken by another store in America.

After forcing through the crowds and the endless number of kids in the store, we then headed back to the Tube and headed to the St John Station and walked the next 10 minutes in the pouring rain to get to Lords Cricket Ground.

Lords

Lords Cricket Ground is owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club, and remains the guardian of both the Laws and the Spirit of Cricket. The MCC sides (which play around 500 games a year) perform a key role in promoting cricket - both in Britain and elsewhere.

It is also the setting for the state-of-the-art MCC Indoor School, the unrivalled MCC Library and the world-famous MCC Museum - where exhibits include the Wisden Trophy and, of course, the Ashes urn.


The Lords Tour included a guided tour of the Oval Grounds, including the famous Long Room, the Committee Room, the Long Room Bar, and the visitors changing rooms. No photos were allowed inside these rooms, however as the tour went on into the Stands there was plenty of photo opportunities. We then went into the new Media Centre, which looks like an alien space ship amongst the surrounding classical style stands. Inside it has been painted sky blue (so to reduce the colour clashes of balls, etc for the players) and is a great viewing spot of the ground. A free bar for the journalists during all matches so you know that during the cricket they are all just praying for rain so they can hit the suds at the bar!

You cant tell from this photo, but it is pouring with rain!


The Ashes


Various Cricket History on Display


The Ashes


Lords Cricket Ground, Media Centre in background


Inside the Media Centre

I think becoming a cricket commentator is sounding better and better…

Downstairs at ground level we were able to walk up to the edge of the hallowed turf, but no walking was allowed on the grass, so no use of feet then hands it is!

The fall across the ground is also highly visible at ground level, with it falling around 7 feet (I think) over the width of the oval.

Upon our visit the ashes Urn was in Australia for only the 2nd time in 100 years (what are the odds of that!), but a replica was in its place, of which only the experts could distinguish between the two.

The museum had some great items on display, superb photos, and a global emphasis on cricket history from all countries involved in the sport. Plenty of Aussie photos as we keep winning everything too!

The long room contained numerous paintings of how the game was originally played hundreds of years ago, along with portraits of famous players, including WG Grace, Sir Donald Bradman, and Shane Warne (the last two are displayed in the Bar – typical Aussies I guess)

At Lords...


The Hallowed Turf.

At the end of the Tour there was not enough time for a Pint at the Lords Tavern, but there will always be next time I am sure!

We then headed back to Victoria Station to catch our bus home, which took around 3 hrs in the traffic. Not to help the long ride home, was a guy next to us who prayed out loud the whole way home, as he read from his book in another language – Arabic I am guessing it was… you do indeed get all sorts on buses. Best to fly we say!

Dublin Weekend Trip - day 1

14th and 15th Oct 2006

Saturday

We had booked cheap flights over to Dublin in advance for the weekend, but in doing so we only had 2 days to fit in as much Dublin and Guinness as we could.

Views over Ireland

This was our first trip to Bristol Airport, with an 8 am flight, allowing for check-in and the Express Coach ride from town to the airport (about 20 to 30 mins) we were up at 5.30am and out the door at home at 6am. The Airport Express picked us up near St Mary’s Church, which was only 5 min walk from home – handy. Then off to the airport in the fog and cold. The weather forecast was for 15 degrees but it certainly colder than that in the morning.

After the delay due to fog, our flight in a 737, was only about half full of passengers. We flew with RyanAir, and it was a budget airline flight with no frills, but it only took around 40 minutes to get to Dublin.

Upon landing at the Airport, we checked through Customs and then grabbed our luggage and picked up our ‘Dublin Passes’ for the weekend. These passes let you go to the front of the queues and covers just about everything you can see and do in Dublin – very worth while and we can highly recommend them.

O'Connell Street and the Spire (120m high)

The coach transfer (included in Dublin Pass) into the centre of Dublin took around 30min and dropped us off in O’Connell Street in the centre of Town. You can find this spot easily from afar, as in the middle of the Street is a 120m high Spire made of stainless steel. Neck bendingly impressive it was as you can by the photos.

We decided as time was of the essence that we would carry our backpack with us, which over the length of the weekend started to get heavy!

Dublin Streetscape

A quick visit to the Tourist Information centre then it was off to find the U2 wall. Dublin is cut into northern and southern halves by the River Liffey which runs pretty much east-west. On the way along the River, we passed the Custom House, which began to be constructed in 1871. It is Dublin’s most costly and highly decorated (with the exception of the exchange) building, and is known as the ‘most sumptuous Edifice’ in Europe. Maybe that is why a government department works in there now…

Custom House

While walking towards the U2 wall along the River edge, there were numerous ships and boats moored along with some interesting statues including this one, which I had tug-o-war with. We were in a rush so I let him win!

The maps we were given for Dublin were not very accurate as we were to find out during our long walks through the city, and the U2 wall we passed without even knowing it. We found out later from a local cabbie that the wall is covered in Graffiti, and Nada noticed it, but didn’t think it was the wall so we kept walking. So no pictures unfortunately of the wall, but in 3 years or so, a new U2 building will be complete at the end of the Docklands, maybe next time we’ll see that…

River Liffey


Warship on the River Liffey

Heading back into town we checked out some of the many museums in Dublin, the first being the Museum of Natural History (which opened in 1857), and it is essentially a big building filled with hundreds of stuffed animals. We received a handful of free postcards as we had our Dublin Pass, and many of the tourist spots have deals like this giving away free gifts for Dublin Pass holders.

Museum of Natural History


Lunch at this pond

We next walked past the Museum of Decorative Arts and History, but did not go in (we did not feel like looking at paintings, etc today), so we grabbed some lunch and ate in the park on the pond edge.

Next was the Museum of Archeology (opened in 1890), which contained various displays of Irelands history from 7000BC to the 20th Century. It included displays from the Celtic and Medieval art, Prehistoric and Viking Age Ireland, along with ancient preserved bodies that were buried in Peat. The peat is dug up and dried and then used (like timber logs) for heating, etc. During the hand digging of the peat, these ancient bodies have been recovered, and exhumed for display. A gruesome but fascinating way to see how a human body can stay persevered somewhat in a peat bog for hundreds or thousands of years. Other items on display included Egyptian, Roman artifacts, weapons, traditional Irish dress, jewelry, and many other items of interest.

Museum of Archeology

Heading west we walked through the grounds of the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, which was founded in 1191. We did not enter the Cathedral again due to lack of time, but there are a minimum of 2 services sung in the cathedral every day of the year.

St Patrick's Cathedral


Guinness Tour

The most famous tour in Dublin is now the Guinness Factory Tour, and we indulged in this tour also. As we arrived at around 4pm on Saturday afternoon, and the entry to the factory stops at 5pm, there was a massive lineup people at least 300 in line waiting to get in. Courtesy of the Dublin Pass we went straight to the front of the queue and were inside on the tour within 5 minutes. It is self guided through the old factory where there are numerous displays, information booths, etc. No actual Guinness can be seen being made (except on TV screens) as it is all made in the adjacent newer plant. There were a number of Kegs on a conveyor belt, but I think they were there for display only. There were hops on display, which I had never seen before, it is this green vine like plant that grows to around 6 metres high, and is only grown in 2 places on earth, one being in Good ol’ Australia. There are displays on barrel making, grain selections, and some tastings along the way. There was also on display all of the bottles of brew over the years, and many old advertising signs, adverts, etc. Once we had seen all the displays, etc, we headed to the bar at the very top of the brewery to have our hard earned and complimentary Pint of Guinness. They pour about two thirds then let it settle for a few minutes before they can fill the remainder of the pint glass… but let me tell you it was worth the wait, it was grand!

Guinness Tour


Guinness Tour

You only get one Pint, but there is of course another Bar down a few levels where you can purchase more Guinness, and back down on the ground floor is the souvenir shop.


Tasty Pints!


View from Guinness Bar

As our feet and legs were quite sore from a full on day of walking on hard pavement everywhere, we grabbed a cab from the Guinness Factory to our hotel for the Night. After we had gotten settled, we ducked downstairs for another Guinness and a Pub Dinner.


Guinness Factory

Dublin Weekend Trip - day 2

Sunday

Sunday started with a full cooked English breakfast included in the price of the room. Bacon, eggs, toast, tomatoes, beans, sausage and black pudding together filled our stomachs, along with coffee and juice we were charged for the day ahead.

We checked out of the hotel and took a bus into the city centre. On Sunday most attractions did not open till noon, so we had some time to spare walking around south of the City Centre. We wandered into the University of Dublin - Trinity College grounds, and saw some interesting statues and buildings.

Trinity College


Artwork

We picked up a day bus ticket from the tourist information centre and then walked to Temple Bar, where many interesting Pubs line the streets.

Temple Bar district

From here we bussed it to the Old Jameson Distillery (founded in 1780) for the tour of the old distillery.

Mash getting aerated






Kicking back at the Jameson Bar

The distillery has been restored to its former glory, and within we observed production methods, and learnt a few of the finer points to Irish Whiskey and its main differences to Scottish and other whiskeys. Every Jameson Whiskey is triple distilled, along with a different method of drying the grain. The sampling of the product at the end of the tour in the Jameson Bar was fantastic too.

In the accompanying souvenir shop we found a bottle for sale for 2000 euro’s, equivalent to around $3000 to $4000 Australian!

Next door to the Distillery was The Chimney Viewing Tower standing at 185 feet high. A lift up to the top and a full 360 degree panoramic view of the city can be seen. Being as it was overcast all weekend, we did not see any blue sky, but some good viewing nonetheless.

Chimney Tower


Chimney Tower Views


Chimney Tower Views

Next we walked back into the city spotting the Law Courts on the other side of the River.

Dublin City Hall (opened in 1779) was only open for a few hours on the Sunday, and we managed to get in to see the great hall area (it was totally empty) which had been recently restored to its former glory. 4 solid statues encircled the main hall, and the art and stone work on the roof and walls was something that has to be seen first hand to appreciate. Downstairs was an extensive audio tour of the history of Dublin from 1170 to present day, with many ancient artifacts, the city’s sword, costumes, the great mace, and city treasures.

Town Hall

GAA Museum is located in Croke Park, the 4th largest stadium in Europe. Unfortunately we were informed that the last tour on Sunday started at 4.30, and as we got there by 3.30 we were confident of getting to see the stadium. But not to be, no tours after 3pm on Sundays we were told so we went through just the museum instead.

The museum is a tribute to the development of the Stadium and the main Irish Sports played at the ground, being Gaelic Football and Hurling. There were displays on all forms of the games, video highlights and even a section on international rules football where the Aussies and Irish square off every year.

At the end of the tour, you can try hurling, by whacking the leather ball into a target using the traditional wooden hurley. It was a great workout, and quite difficult to consistently hit the target in the same place. This would be even harder again if you were running at the same time as they do in the game.

Various Guernseys on Display


Swinging and Hitting


Nada showing how its done!


Croke Park

They have green post boxes here in Ireland…

We finished up in Dublin by browsing for souvenirs, before heading back to the airport by bus.

The Plane home was totally full, no surprise being a Sunday night!

Plane Home