Hampton Court



Photos of England, 1994

In 1994, I had to go to London, England, for work. At about the time I was supposed to go, there was someone lobbing mortars into Heathrow airport. None of them exploded, but I decided to fly into Gatwick just in case. I took the Gatwick Express into London's Victoria Station, and walked to the hotel from there.

When I was setting up the travel arrangements, I decided that I wanted to see at least one area outside of London. I looked at the map and saw that Brighton was south of Gatwick on the same train line, so I chose to stay there the next to last night of my trip. Then I took the train back and stayed at a hotel near Gatwick on the last night in England.

I recently found some photos I took on that trip. It appears that in addition to a regular camera, I also had a camera with me that took panoramic photos. There are some of both here. However, to get the panoramic effect, it looks like it just cropped the height of the photo and didn't get a wider field of view.

Also, the following year, 1995, Karen and I took a holiday to England.

London

Here are some photos that I took as I wandered around London.

Mailbox in London I had to take this photo of a mailbox in London



Buckingham Palace in London Buckingham Palace — I remember thinking that the building itself looked like an office building



Buckingham Palace in London Buckingham Palace — looks like I got my finger in the way



Victoria Memorial in London Victoria Memorial — this is just off to the right of the previous photos



Tower of London

One of my favorite places in London (that I have been to so far) is the Tower of London.

Tower Bridge in London Tower Bridge — this is the bridge nearest to the Tower of London



Tower of London The Tower of London is not just a tower, it is an entire castle complex



Tower of London Tower of London as I approached from the north



Tower of London Tower of London



Tower of London Tower of London — a portion of the wall seen as I walked along the side of the castle towards the ticket booth



Tower of London A view of the "moat"

The moat was originally built by a clergyman who created something that more resembled a cesspit than a moat, so it was drained and abandonded




Tower of London Tower of London — looking towards the entrance from the area of the ticket booth

After buying a ticket, you wait here and a Yoeman Warder (Beefeater) will come along and be your guide — there's one on the left




Tower of London Inside the Tower of London

The White Tower is on the right, the building with the crown jewels is straight ahead. The White Tower is the King's palace within the Tower of London complex, and is where it gets its name. It is now used as a museum, with mostly various forms of weaponry inside. There is little to show what it was like when it was used as a palace.




Tower of London Inside the Tower of London
taken from about the same place as the photo above, looking in the oposite direction



Tower of London Inside the Tower of London — a Yoeman Warder describing history and sights in the castle
The bridge in the background is Tower Bridge.



Tower of London Inside the Tower of London

Part of the tour is a visit to the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, where many of the people who were beheaded on Tower Hill were buried. Tower Hill is located outside the castle, but Anne Boylen was executed near the chapel on Tower Green. In this photo, the chapel is on the left and the White Tower is on the right




Tower of London This area was used as a residence for the Queen (looks like I got my finger in the way again)



Tower of London This area is used as lodging for the Yoeman Warders and their families

The Yoeman Warders are retired military personnel, and are rewarded for good service with this duty on their retirement




Tower of London A cannon



Tower of London An arrow slit in the wall of the castle, angled so arrows can be shot toward any spot outside



Tower of London A view from the top of the wall, on the river side of the castle



Tower of London The White Tower is on the right, and the chapel is a little to the left ahead

The larger building ahead is the building that houses the crown jewels.




Tower of London Ravens

Here you can see the houses where the ravens live — legend says that if the ravens leave, the Tower and the Monarchy will fall




London Bridge

London Bridge is just a plain bridge, so I do not have any photos of it. But the next couple of photos are views of Tower Bridge taken from London Bridge.

Tower Bridge Tower Bridge as seen from London Bridge



Tower Bridge Tower Bridge as seen from London Bridge



The London Dungeon London Dungeon

This is a view of a street at the southern end of London Bridge. Down below, on the right, is The London Dungeon, a museum displaying various torture techniques used throughout history.




The Monument to the Great Fire of London The Monument to the Great Fire of London

Located near the northern end of London Bridge. I didn't know what it was at the time, I just saw it and snapped a quick photo of it. It is 202 feet tall and has 311 steps up to the viewing platform.




Hampton Court

I took the train or underground from London, and probably walked from the station to Hampton Court.

Hampton Court The entrance to the palace of Hampton Court as seen from the road
The ticket booth is on the left.



Hampton Court This is a photo of the clock inside the inner courtyard at Hampton Court



Brighton

I took a train from Victoria Station in London south to Brighton. Because of the time of year, there were not many people there but it was still very interesting.

I can not find the photos I took of the Lanes in Brighton, which are streets that are too narrow for autos so the area has become full of shops and some restaurants. It is interesting to walk around in because you frequently come upon squares as you walk through the area.

Also, I'm sure I took some photos of the Royal Pavilion that I visted while I was there.

Built for George, Prince Regent, at the turn of the 19th century, the Royal Pavilion is remarkable for its exotic oriental appearance both inside and out. This magnificent royal pleasure palace was revered by fashionable Regency society and is still a distinctive landmark for vibrant Brighton & Hove today. The Royal Pavilion is home to some of the finest collections and examples of the chinoiserie style in Britain.

The Royal Pavilion is a former royal residence located in Brighton, England. It was built in the early 19th Century as a seaside retreat for the then Prince Regent. It is built in the Indo-Saracenic style prevalent in India for most of the 19th Century.

Brighton, England The boardwalk in Brighton



Brighton, England The Grand Hotel



Brighton, England The Metropole and the Cannon Pub



Brighton, England The west pier, no longer in use



Brighton, England Storefronts



Brighton, England The beach and the East Pier

Looking in the direction of the aquarium and the east pier. There are shops and restaurants on the pier, along with a game room, and at the end of the pier is a fairground with amusement rides. I had some fish & chips and spotted dick at a restaurant on the pier. In February of 2003, there was a fire that destroyed one of the rides in the fairground. Then, in March of 2003, most of the structures on the west pier were destroyed by fire.




Brighton, England More of the beach and boardwalk



Brighton, England A better view of the aquarium and pier



Brighton, England The Old Ship Hotel, where I spent the night



Brighton, England Shops

In this photo, the Old Ship Hotel is to the right. These are some of the shops selling Brighton Rock (candy) and Fish & Chips, along with other treats and souvenirs. This reminded me a lot of places like Atlantic City (before the casinos.)










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Contents © Copyright 2001 Author: Lee Briggs except where noted. All rights reserved.