A City of Death

I landed in London on July 6 with one stuffed suitcase, two extra heavy carry-on bags, and a scapular around my neck. “Wear a scapular,” said Joe, my ex-housemate who plans to enter the seminary post graduation. Anxious about lofting 30,000 miles over the Atlantic for six hours in a narrow, plastic tube, I went home and ruffled through the collection of scapulars I had accumulated from both of my Italian grandmothers that had remained untouched, and unwanted, until now. I picked a red scapular out from the tangle of brown strands; the Passion scapular, as it is known, had more intricate images on its panels and also had scripted on it a brief plea for protection. I’m not sure if I believe that scapulars will save their wearers from purgatory as does my housemate Joe, but I was certainly willing to subscribe to a divine protection plan and hope for the best.

London Pride

As I boarded my flight to London with fourth-of-July fireworks still ringing in my ears, it occurred to me that England does not have an independence day. “No,” said the woman next to me on the plane, who was, by chance, a Londoner, “we’re the ones who gave everyone else their independence.”

The King of Syon Park

In the eyes of my American classmates, Christopher King, our tour guide at Syon Park, was just a cranky, American-hating man. “He was just rude,” remarked one student during our post-tour lunch conversation, which revolved entirely around him rather than the actual attraction. “The more I tried to seem engaged, the more he was disgusted by me,” added Brian Rose, a professor on the trip.

Sitting amidst a sea of complaints from my New-World peers, I couldn’t help but wonder about Mr. King’s side of the story. Why was it that he came off as cranky? Did he really hate Americans? And what was a seemingly unfriendly man doing giving tours of Syon Park, the London mansion of the Duke of Northumberland? With the help of my professor, I left our luncheon and wandered back into Syon House to interview him and get some answers.

The Magnificent Museum of London

The Museum of London offers a multi-dimensional mosaic of London’s history. It presents a narrative of London from as early as 300 BC, chronicling both the city’s feats and great misfortunes. It is also extraordinarily interactive (even for a museum) allowing visitors to take a stroll through a life-sized Pleasure Garden, watch a film of the London fire blazing complete with eyewitness accounts, touch a prison door, and listen to a narrative of communication in London through the receiver of an antique telephone. Peering through the window of an antique glass shop on one of the museum’s many true-to-life streets, I felt just plain overwhelmed. Standing amid centuries of London’s artifacts, I recalled Henry James’ take on the city: “It is not a pleasant place; it is not agreeable or cheerful or easy or exempt from reproach. It is only magnificent.”

How Authentic

"I guess campers that love it they think ‘Oh, it’s like the settlers, the explorers, the pioneers!’ I don’t think so. I think they did what they had to do. They built a foundation for us to live on, not in tents. If Lewis and Clark saw a Hilton, they wouldn’t have camped." –Comedian John Pinette

Attending a play at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre is, without a doubt, a culturally enriching experience. The theatre has been a London landmark for over four centuries: located just south of the Thames, the modern replica was reconstructed in 1997 after the original burned down in 1613. As if staging plays by a great playwright weren’t enough, the theatre prides itself on true authenticity: the modern monument was erected only 200 yards from its original site and was built with materials and techniques similar to those employed in Shakespeare’s day. The materials are so historically accurate, in fact, that the Globe is considered a fire hazard even today.

Guided By Law

Before you dismiss the scrappy, dark man audibly sniffing like a hound dog on the corner as a random crazy Londoner, think again; he’s actually actor-turned-tour guide Simon Law giving a London Walks “Jack the Ripper” tour. Miles removed from a dry, historical walk, the “Jack the Ripper” tour gives visitors a compelling narrative of the Ripper’s killings interspersed with stints of improvisational theatre.

Excellence and Originality

In 1986, Bloomsbury Publishing was created “to publish books of excellence and originality,” and, twenty five years later, the company is still doing just that.

After a brief career in publishing, Nigel Newton started the publishing house with the vision to publish excellent writing and physically attractive books. With a mere staff of four people who read through drafts on beanbag chairs, Bloomsbury published only literary fiction, commercial fiction, general nonfiction, and reference. Newton swore never to publish children’s books.

“We were new and brave and plucky,” said Newton, who took out 1.75 million pounds venture capital and dreamed big.

The Joy of London

Westminster Abbey may be composed of rigid stone, but the enthusiasm of the abbey’s employees makes the site warm and enjoyable. In conveying their passion for the site, the faces that illuminate the abbey make its long history come alive.

Gillian Sutch is just one of the many tour guides who shuffle through the Abbey each day, reciting facts and stories that are historical, cultural, and sometimes even comical. Wearing a bright red blazer and speaking in a soft-spoken voice, she complements the historical narrative of the Abbey with interesting factoids not evident to the average visitor.

She shares, for instance, that gems were stolen from Henry III’s tomb by tourists, and that the renowned playwright Ben Johnson is actually buried standing up. It is precisely these touches that make one’s visit not only engaging, but also memorable.

“It all just sort of ties up,” Sutch said wistfully of Poet’s Corner, a nook of the Abbey where British writers are buried. Sutch named the Corner as her favorite part of the site simply because “all the names [of the late poets] mean something.”

“Whether they’re buried here or elsewhere,” she added, “they’re remembered either way.”
After quitting a long career in public relations, Sutch became a certified tour guide in order to pursue history and London, her two passions.

“I love the history,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I hope to continue giving tours for as long as I can.”