SUTTON Travels

23 December 2021

St Mary-le-Bow Church Cheapside City of London England

St Mary-le-Bow church was originally built about 1080 by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. The stone came from Caen and is the same as in the nearby Tower of London.

A tradition has it that people born within the sounds of its church bells (Bow Bells) are Cockneys.

The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed the church. It was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren then destroyed during World War II in 1941. It was rebuilt in reopened in 1964. Below ground, the crypt dates to 1080 and is one of the oldest rooms in London.

Church sign below the Bow Street sign.

Nearby is the churchyard.

Captain John Smith preached here about the settlements in Virginia. His statue is in the courtyard.

John Smith above and text below the statue

A wall plaque marks refers to the birth of John Milton

A view of the western door

And entrance in the courtyard

Church website

History of the Church on AMAZON and elsewhere

Google Map of St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside

16 December 2021

HMS Belfast on the Thames London England UK

The HMS Belfast is a World War II Royal Navy warship on the Thames River in London. It is an IWM (Imperial War Museum) site on the Queen's Walk near Tower Bridge. I took the photo above in 2021.

After paying for my visit at the dockside office, you walk past the small gift shop and down a ramp to the main deck and the commemorative bell. My photos are from 10 November 2021.

The tour route is marked with arrows. Entering a door, I arrive at one of the many gun turrets. HMS Belfast was one of the ships firing over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

As you walk about the ship, you glimpse life

as it was for the sailors decades ago.

Toilets

Workroom

A massive kitchen...

Stores (a nice look back at old products)...

a dentistry

and a bunk for some kip

There's plenty of ammo below.

Of course, there's a ship's cat.

I took a break for a light lunch before seeing a few more rooms and guns.

You can walk about nine decks.

Get a pilot's view...

and appreciate an amazing experience.

So, it's easy for me to recommend a visit to HMS Belfast and the other IWM locations.

Here's a view of HMS Belfast and the area from the Shard, which I took in 2018.

Photo: HMS Belfast on the Thames with the
Tower of London upper right and Tower Bridge to the Right (East)

Notes

On board HMS Belfast

Arrows mark the tour route.

Numbers indicate what numbers to press on the included audio guide

Some areas require ladders or small steps.

There are toilets on board

There is a café on board

There are activities for families--see the website

Tube stations: London Bridge, Tower Hill

Google Map of the area

Address: The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2JH

The 5 IWM (Imperial War Museums)

IWM LONDON
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, LONDON
IWM DUXFORD
IWN NORTH- MANCHESTER
HMS BELFAST, On the Thames in London

Visit Places Nearby

Tower Bridge

The Tower of London

the Shard

Cruise the Thames

Learn More About HMS Belfast

HMS Belfast at D-Day

HMS BELFAST 1938-2018: Commemorating the 80th Anniversary.

HMS Belfast Books Google Link

Models of HMS Belfast on AMAZON

15 December 2021

Imperial War Museum-North Manchester England, UK

The Imperial War Museum-North is in Manchester England. The museum focuses on telling the story of Britain at war since the First World War.

The storyboards, photos, and objects are organised in a timeline. The museum uses more than 2,000 objects, photos and interactive displays to reveal the history and impact of war.

Large objects like the following fill spaces between large pods focused on specific topics.

A letter of welcome to Americans expresses gratitude.

Cultural events mix with war news as in this 1918 poster.

This contact sea mine is a reminder of the war surrounding the UK.

The legacy of war has many dimensions. The tower of luggage reminds us of the homeless, refugees, and immigrants.

There's a café and gift shop with some unique items.

Periodically during my visit, a special 360 presentation was announced. This takes place in a large open area where the walls of the pods serve as giant screens. Some seats are better than other to follow the action or read the captions.

As with many museums, the lighting causes a glare for items under glass and is sometimes too dim to read posted texts.

Some notable items

Tolkien's First World War Revolver
The field gun that fired the first British shots in 1914
A 7-metre piece of steel from the World Trade Center attack in NYC of 911

The 5 IWM (Imperial War Museums)

IWM LONDON
CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS, LONDON
IWM DUXFORD
IWN NORTH- MANCHESTER
HMS BELFAST, On the Thames in London

Link to Website for more information

Address

IWM North, The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester M17 1TZ

In 2021, I took the X50 bus from central Manchester

Google Map for IWM North Manchester

Examples of IWM books

First World War -Poems from the front

World War 2-The Definitive Visual Guide

The First World War Retold

War Report - From D-Day to Berlin as it Happened

Rylands Library Manchester England, UK

The Rylands Library is stunning. After the death of multimillionaire John Rylands in 1888, his widow Enriqueta Rylands had this fabulous neo-Gothic building constructed in his honor.

The collection began with the 1892 purchase of the private library of the Second Earl Spencer. Today the library includes many rare books and prints.

The long name is the John Rylands Research Institute and Library and it's located in central Manchester. As you approach it, it looks like a Cathedral.

Also among the holdings are medieval manuscripts, an original Gutenberg Bible, and the oldest known fragment of the Gospel of John (see fragment link)

The Rylands Library also houses a collection of art works in addition to the art in old prints and manuscripts. Visitors will see paintings, sculptures, ceramics and glass objects. According to artuk, artists represented include: Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach the elder, Andrea Mantegna, Hans Holbein the younger, Rembrandt van Rijn, William Hogarth, William Blake, and William Morris.

The Rylands Library is now part of the University of Manchester.

Notes on the inside

Coffee shop
Book and gift shop
Toilets

Special exhibitions vary - see the website for details

There was no charge to enter in 2021

Please check out my website www.suttong.com

and see my books on AMAZON or GOOGLE STORE

Resources

Rylands Website link

Google Map for the Rylands Library in Manchester

Historic notes

The Rylands Library took 10 years to build.

It opened 1 January 1900.

Enriqueta paid £210,000 in 1892 for the 2nd earl Spencer's collection.

Enriqueta paid £155,000 in 1901for the earl of Crawford's collection.

The Rylands Library is the third largest academic library in the UK.

Enriqueta Augustina Rylands was born in Havana, Cuba 31 May 1843. She lived in New York and Paris before coming to Manchester in the 1860s. She became a companion to Martha who was John Rylands' second wife. After Martha died, Enriqueta and John married 6 October 1875. Read more at this link.

Related Posts

Manchester Art Gallery

Visit Manchester England

14 December 2021

Manchester Art Gallery England, UK

Photo: Adoration of the Golden Calf 1660

by Claude Gelee, called Lorrain

The Manchester Art Gallery was founded by artists in 1823. It is located on Mosley Street.

I visited in October 2021. Following are a few photos.

The Chariot Race c1882 by

Alexander von Wagner (1838-1919)

Oil on canvas

Was he inspired by the novel, Ben Hur published in 1880?

Girl with Beret, 1951

by Lucian Freud (1922-2011)

Oil on Canvas

The Dinner Hour, Wigan 1874

by Eyre Crowe (1824-1910)

Oil on Canvas

A Victorian will scene in the village of Wigan, Lancashire

Into thy hands Lord 1879

Briton Riviere 1840-1920

Oil on Canvas

The knight faces the darkness

Writing Desk designed by William Burges

Made by Gualbert Saunders 1865-67

Painted pine and mahogany with brass and leather

Notes

The Gallery is not open everyday so check for days and hours

Inside the museum

Gallery Cafe
A museum shop
Places to rest
Activities

Location: Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL

Tel 0161 235 8888

Manchester Art Gallery Website

Google map Manchester Art Gallery

National Portrait Gallery London, England

Tate Modern Art Gallery London

Victoria & Albert Museum, London England

Visit Manchester England

Please check out my website www.suttong.com

and see my books on AMAZON or GOOGLE STORE

Also, consider connecting with me on FACEBOOK Geoff W. Sutton

TWITTER @Geoff.W.Sutton

13 December 2021

East Lancashire Railway Bury Greater Manchester, England, UK

If you like historic steam trains, I recommend a ride on the East Lancashire Railway located in Bury, which is part of Greater Manchester and easily reached by the tram.

It's a short walk from the tram stop to the railway station. I bought tickets for an afternoon ride then went across the street to the Transport Museum, which I recommend.