Built by Messrs Harland & Wolff of Belfast in 1936, Anne Chamberlain, wife of the then Prime Minister launched Belfast on St Patrick’s Day 1938. After fitting out and builder’s trials HMS Belfast was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 5 August 1939 under the command of Captain G A Scott DSO RN. Designed for the protection of trade and offensive action she was immediately called into service patrolling the northern waters in efforts to impose a maritime blockade on Germany. However, disaster struck after only two months at sea when HMS Belfast hit a magnetic mine. There were few casualties but the damage to her hull was so severe she was out of action for three years. On rejoining the home fleet in 1942 she was still the largest and most powerful cruiser in the Royal Navy and most importantly she was equipped with the most advanced radar systems. HMS Belfast was immediately called into action and played a crucial role in protecting the arctic convoys, Russia’s supply route throughout the war. Most notably in her role during the Battle of North Cape which saw the sinking of the German battle cruiser Scharnhorst and the loss of all but 36 of her 1,963 crew. HMS Belfast remained protecting the arctic convoys until 1944 when she spent five weeks supporting the D-Day landings and reportedly fired one of the first shots on D-Day itself. After the Second World War HMS Belfast played an active role in the Korean War from 1950-1952 working with other Allied Forces to support the retreating American and South Korean troops. Her final years were spent performing peace-keeping duties until she was retired from service in 1963. As early as 1967 the Imperial War Museum had been investigating the possibility of preserving a Second World War cruiser. This led to the formation of a trust, headed up by one of HMS Belfast’s former captains Rear-Admiral Sir Morgan Morgan-Giles. After some years the trust was successful and HMS Belfast was brought to London opening to the public on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1971. Today she is the last remaining vessel of her type – one of the largest and most powerful light cruisers ever built. She is permanently docked on the south bank of the Thames in between Tower Bridge and London Bridge. Tourist Information HMS Belfast The Queen's Walk London, SE1 2JH Phone: 020 7940 6300 Opening Hours 3 November to 28 February 10am – 5pm (last admission 4pm) 1 March to 31 October 10am – 6pm (last admission 5pm) They are closed 24, 25, and 26 December. During adverse weather, it may become necessary for certain ladders and upper decks on HMS Belfast to be closed at short notice. Please ask a member of staff on board for more information. Occasionally they may need to close early – any planned closures will be noted on the official website. Tickets Adults £15.50 Child (under 16) Free Concessions (Senior, Student, Disabled) £12.40 IWM Members Free Admission prices excluding voluntary donation: Adult £14.05, Concessions £11.25 *HMS Belfast is part of Imperial War Museums, which is a registered charity. Your ticket price includes a 10% voluntary donation. By making a donation, you will be making a valuable contribution to the care and conservation of this historic site. And, if you are a UK tax payer, your donation will enable us to claim Gift Aid on your entire admission payment. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult! For more information including current opening times, closures, exhibits and what to see, check out the official website below. Cheers!
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As a major Harry Potter fanatic, this is one of the stops on my seven day trip to London. As many fans will know, King's Cross Station is the home to the Hogwarts Express, caught at Platform 9 3/4. To celebrate this wonderful phenomenon, King's Cross station opened this store adjacent to Platform 9 3/4. On December 15, 2013, the store was opened by actor Warwick Davis, who portrayed both the choir directing Charms Teacher, Professor Filius Flitwick, and the Gringotts goblin, Griphook in the film series. The shop carries a wide variety of Harry Potter and Platform 9 3/4 collectibles. The apparel section contains t-shirts, sweaters, ties, scarves, and costumes. The Souvenirs collection includes mugs, keychains, stationery, toys, phone cases, etc. The Collectibles include wands, prop replicas, jewelry,and other treasures. They also carry the books and DVDs, as well as the different sweets as seen in the movies and books. After you have finished shopping you can walk just outside of the shop to have a picture with the trolley disappearing into the wall at Platform 9 3/4, as seen below with Prince Charles and Camilla! Store Information
The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4 Kings Cross Station London • N1 9AP Phone: 0207 803 0500 Store Hours Monday-Saturday 8am - 10pm Sunday 9am - 9pm For more information about products, delivery charges, and even online ordering, check out the official website below! Cheers! This is one of the more recent museums in London. Rick Steves really promotes this site in his tours and talks for one reason...it is really interesting. It tells the stories of the dark days of the Blitz of WWII and tells the story of Britain's greatest war leader, Sir Winston Churchill! The Cabinet War Rooms provided the secret underground headquarters for the core of the British government throughout the Second World War. The fear that London would be the target of aerial bombardment had troubled the government since the First World War and in 1938 the basement of a Whitehall building was chosen as the site for the Cabinet War Rooms. From 1940 – 1945 hundreds of men and women would spend thousands of vital hours here and it soon became the inner sanctum of British government. Following the surrender of the Japanese Forces the doors to the Cabinet War Rooms were locked on 16 August 1945 and the complex was left undisturbed until Parliament ensured its preservation as a historic site in 1948. Knowledge of the site and access to it remained highly restricted until the late 1970s when the Imperial War Museum began the task of preserving the site and its contents, making them accessible to as wide an audience as possible. In 1984 the main war rooms opened to the public. In 2003 further restoration work opened the ‘Courtyard Rooms’, the rooms where staff would eat, sleep and work in safety. As part of a renovation in 2005, they added the only museum in the world dedicated to Winston Churchill. It gives an in depth look at the life of Mr. Churchill. Tourist Information
Churchill War Rooms Clive Steps King Charles Street London SW1A 2AQ Phone: 020 7930 6961 Opening Times Open daily 9:30am - 6pm Last admission 5pm Closed 24, 25 and 26 December *Please check the official website or call the museum for unexpected closures or events. Tickets Adults £17.50 Child (under 16) Free Concessions (Senior, Student, Disabled) £14.00 *Churchill War Rooms is part of Imperial War Museums, which is a registered charity. Your ticket price includes a voluntary donation. By making a donation, you will be making a valuable contribution to the care and conservation of this historic site. You can purchase tickets on-site or it is preferred to buy them online! As my grandmother can tell you, I am a huge fan of the 90's early 2000's British Romantic sitcom, "As Time Goes By". It stars Judi Dench (middle) as Jean Pargeter (later Hardcastle), a woman in her early sixties who runs a secretarial agency with her daughter Judy (Moira Brooker, on Judi Dench's right), and Geoffrey Palmer (next to Judi Dench) as Lionel Hardcastle, a man in his late sixties who is a writer, and formerly ran a coffee plantation in Kenya. Lionel and Jean were sweethearts when they were teenagers. They were separated when Lionel went off to serve in Korea. 38 years later they reunite and rekindle their romance. The series also stars Philip Bretherton (far left) as Lionel's book publisher and Judy's love interest, Alistair Deacon. Jenny Funnell (far right) as Jean's secretary and Judy's best friend. It would take too long to explain the whole show. Just take my word for it, it is wonderful, funny, and romantic. Well, my point to this is that, while I was planning my trip to London, I got to thinking..."I wonder if you can find these real places they used in the series. I searched for a while online until I found a site that displays where TV series and movies were filmed. Below is what I have found. I shall only provide the picture of the location as well as its address. Note: most of these locations are probably public residents, NOT MUSEUMS! To see the complete list of "As Time Goes By" locations in and out of London click the link below. Also, to watch "As Time Goes By" click on the You Tube link below. An account named "bklyngyrl75" was nice enough to publish the whole series into a series of playlists based on seasons. But a few of them have been removed. If you wish to buy them, they are all on Amazon on DVD or instant video. I really suggest you watch it. It is quintessential British Romantic Comedy! Cheers!
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