Saturday October 14

Started off today mid morning for Piccadilly Circus area. Did some browsing around the area then went to see what was being offered as half-price tickects for the plays in the area. Sue really wanted to see Mama Mia and unfortunately they were not being offered; think the show is still too popular. Thus we decided to go to the theatre's box office. They were sold out for the weekend but we were able to get tickets for Monday at the 7:30 show.

After some more browsing around we were ready for lunch and on the hunt for another neat pub. We found one name Tom Cribb - see the picture link for some pictures. It was definitely a traditional British pub with quite a few locals. The bar tender looked just like you would expect an English pub bartender. A patron sat in the corner of the pub with his wife and I wish I had taken a picture of him. He looked like he could be someone just in from the North Sea - filled with character. We had a traditional Ploughman's lunch which is a basic working man's lunch - ti was great. And of course we had to have a beer, a different one, so I had a cask ale Late Red and Sue had Holsten lager.
Here is a write up about the pub and note the reference to Sherlock Holmes.

Busy little pub, tucked just away from some of the liveliest bits of the West End. Tom Cribb was a highly successful prize fighter of the late Georgian era who took over this actual pub at the end of his career in 1820, when it was called The Union Arms. The pub, which became nicknamed Cribb's Parlour, became a popular meeting place for boxers and aristocrats and was mentioned in Thackeray's Vanity Fair as well as books by Conan-Doyle and Pierce Egan. Although the building dates back to the early 18th century, it has been through several alteration. Happily the fine late Victorian facade, with square tiled Ionic pilaster and wrought iron railings, survives. The interior is rather plain and mostly modern, enlivened by big lamps a-dangling over the bar and old prints, several of which have a pugilistic theme.

Next we took off for the Imperial War museum which houses artifacts and history of World War I and II. It is housed in a building which was the Royal Bethlam Hospital - also know as "the Bedlam asylum" and the place was so wild it gave a new word for chaos bedlam. The museum was really very nice with a lot of information and actual artifacts from the war from medals and paper to tanks, airplanes and submarines. There is even a tour which takes you through a special part of the museum to simulate what it would have been like to be in London during Hitler's bombing runs. We decided not to take that tour.

It was a little after four and we wanted to get to St. Paul's Cathedral for a service they have at 5:00 PM. On weekends they do subway work so some lines are down or have partial closures so we left enough time to get there and find the church. We made it on time and at first sat well back in the church - they had the front blocked off. The church did not have pews, just folding chairs in the huge area where people could sit. About 10 minutes before 5:00 they asked who wanted to attend the service so we moved up but still a long way from the altar. About 5 minutes later we were asked if we wanted to sit in the choir area. So before we knew it we were right up front in the beautiful choir area where the seats are facing eachother on each side of the altar. I told Sue we were now siting where important people sat during Princess Diane's wedding. At 5:00 about 20 young boys and a few older ones came in with the priest and choir director and took seats on each side just like us but to our left (altar to our right). The service is called evensong which is very similar to a mass without communion and prayers and psalms are song by the choir in commemoration of the incarnation of Christ. (Check out the link for more information.) The service was really nice and the church is beautiful - see this link for more information about the cathedral.

It was getting late and this area of London closed up early on Saturday - it appears to be a business district; plus it was getting cooler so we found our way back to the tube. Made it back to the hotel and found a place to get some supper - very hungry at this point.