Thursday, August 5, 2010

TRAINS, BUSES & DICKENS....


London Transport Museum
Museum hopping today!

The London Transport Museum is a must-see! 
wished we had Lydia with us to share our visit!
Website link London Transport Museum

All types of transportation were captured in a time-line that circled two floors of the museum... since we have used the TUBE (or Underground) as our mode of transportation on this visit, I was especially intrigued with the development of this system of transport. 

What I didn't count on was the museum also displaying information about boats (Thames River), trolleys & street-cars & buses! 
Trolley ~ Transport Museum
The green trolley was purchased from a Brit who was using it as a chicken coop - then it was refurbished for the museum. The inside of the trolley could hold 25 people with 18 people on the top section - looked a bit scary riding up there... but times were different then.

London's double-decker buses!

Have you ridden a double-decker bus before?
Tube (Underground) signs

These signs announced the tube stop - 
they were on rollers 
& changed at each stop - 
sounds labor-intensive!
Covent Garden Market Place
Ate our picnic lunch outside
Covent Garden Market Place!
Lots of vendors + picture taking opportunities - 
WILL make another trip to this area 
before we leave London!


Took the TUBE to Russell Square.
NEXT STOP ~ DICKENS HOUSE...
YEP!! Charles Dickens, author of 
 A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Pickwick Papers, etc

Dicken's House Marker
All over London you see homes of well-known people
(& people I've never heard of)
marked with a BLUE historical marker. 
There are a lot markers in our neighborhood, 
Kensington-Chelsea...
I've even "googled" a couple of names to find out more
about their contribution to London history.

JPE outside Charles Dickens Museum ~ London
Too busy reading the exhibit info 
to take many pics!
This is Dickens' only surviving house, 
so artifacts from his other homes 
(he moved around London a lot), 
theaters, & museums 
have been collected & are being displayed here!

On the bottom floor is the Library 
which has copies of all Dickens books; 
including those translated into another language.
The one most often translated??

A CHRISTMAS CAROL!!!

Wooden Midshipman
This wooden figure was donated to the museum in 1946.
Dickens incorporated this character in his book, 
Dombrey and Son (published in 1846).
I'm embarrassed to say, I've never heard of this book!! 

Two more museums checked off the list!
our days are numbered ~ AND we have more to explore!

OFF to CANTERBURY, LEEDS & DOVER tomorrow.

1 comment:

  1. I am a little late on this comment...but I am so excitied that you got to the British Museum! You will definately have to read, "Loot" when you get home. What a wonderful trip you are having - full of such variety.

    ReplyDelete

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