Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips


National Army Museum, London

Posted: 06 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

While visiting London, army history buffs and general interest seeking visitors will want to stop by the free National Army Museum. Open every day from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM (excluding December 24-26 and January 1) the National Army Museum is committed to accessibility including loan wheelchairs and sign language services and offers a seasonal café with culinary delights made on site, including special meals for children!

With permanent, special and online exhibitions, the wide range of the National Army Museum is of diverse excellence. Permanent exhibitions include an art gallery showcasing a wide variety of interests, a Conflicts of Interest from 1969-present exhibit which explores over 40 years of conflicts, a World Wars from 1905-1947 exhibition examining roles of the British Commonwealth’s civilian armies and a Changing the World exhibition which reveals the British Army’s role during the years 1784-1904.

Those specifically interested in Templer Studies may visit the Templer Study Centre which contains a vast array of research tools allow those to explore the collection in depth. The entrance is free to the Centre and it is open Wednesday through Friday, as well as the first and third Saturday of the month. Visiting the Templer Study Centre requires registering for a Reader’s Ticket and two forms of identification. Visitors to the centre will engage in opportunities to continue their information quest about the social history and campaigns of the British Army. Providing access to around 25,000 photograph and archive collections and 10,000 books, the Centre will be sure to astound traveling scholars.

The museum is a very kid friendly one, with opportunities for children 0-8 to play in a Kids’ Zone which is an inspirational and friendly environment for children. The play areas have costuming, books, interactive toys and displays children may touch and explore. The ticket prices for the one hour sessions in the Kid Zone are affordable (children 1 and under are free; 1 and over are £2.50.) Children and parents are sure to be delighted with the interactive learning set in a safe environment. Family events are also offered throughout the year and can be booked in advance for places in workshops such as War Horse Puppetry Workshops and Draw Your Weapons Art Workshops.

The final part of your visit to the museum should end in a stop at the gift shop which offers toys, food, kits, clothing and souvenir books for purchase. Something can be found for everyone at any budget to memorialize your trip to this fantastic journey into the history and design of the British Army and the significant roles it has played in world history.

National Army Museum address and hours

National Army Museum
Royal Hospital Road
London
SW3 4HT

Open: 10 am to 5.30 pm every day. Closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

Free admission

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/national-army-museum-london/

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Ghost tours of London

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

Ghost tours have long been a popular attraction for London tourists. There are quite a range to choose from: Walking  or bus ghost tours alike, these creepy, haunted, macabre tours will send a chill down your spine and leave you shaking to your core. For a weekend break with a difference, why not head to London and experience some of the ghost tours available in the city?

There are many different companies offering ghost tours tour which include all the haunted and macabre locations London is known for. Look for a tour which appeals to you, includes places you have heard of, and maybe some you haven't, and prepare yourself for creepy ghost stories and tales of spine tingling horror.

Known as the most haunted capital city in the world, London has a choice of over half a dozen fantastic Ghost Walks. Choose from specific walks such as the Jack the Ripper tour, or select one of the many haunted house, ghost hunter, or ghost tours available. Whichever tour you choose, you will be propelled into a world of spookiness, horror, and ghoulishness.

Victorian terror â€" Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper is one of London's most infamous serial murderous and Ripper tours will take you around his local hunting grounds of East London. The stories of the famous Whitechapel Murders dating back to 1888 will make your blood curdle. Discover the full history of the murders and imagine Victorian London back in those terror filled nights as you walk through the atmospheric streets. London Discovery tours operate the Jack the Ripper tours, where you will learn about the history of the notorious killer.

Vampires in London

The Highgate Vampire tour delves into the lives of the undead, including world-famous Count Dracula and his days in London. While Transylvania is more commonly associated with blood-sucking vampires, London became steeped in mystery and intrigue during the 1960s and 1970s when the Highgate Vampire caused a rather large sensation, becoming the cause of several famous court cases.

London bus ghost tours will take you on a tour of London's creepiest, most haunted and infamous locations. The tour will pass through Bank and its haunted vaults, the Old Bailey and the Black Dog of Newgate, the Strand with its haunted theatres, the Tower of London, steeped in murder and execution, Southwark and the crossbones graveyard and Fleet Street and Sweeney Todd.

A sharp cut on Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is a mysterious story about a gruesome, murderous barber and his wife who made pies out of his unexpecting victims. While there is no evidence of him actually existing on Fleet Street, this tale has thrilled and chilled people for many generations. Made famous by the Penny Dreadful periodicals in the mid 19th century, Sweeney Todd's story has become a great London legend.

New Gate’s restless spirits

At the wall of Amen Court, Westminster, where a court and prison existed in the late 17th century, is a section which is believed to be haunted by the Black Dog of Newgate. The Black Dog is said to have been seen on top of the wall and stalking the streets before an execution was due to take place. It is believed to be the ghost of former prisoner Schoiler's, who was eaten by his fellow prisoners, now out looking for revenge.

Honouring the outcast dead, the Cross Bones graveyard in Southwark is an unconsecrated graveyard dating back to medieval times. It was used primarily to bury prostitutes, always some of society's outcasts. Excavations in the 1990s discovered 148 skeletons and predictions are that another 15,000 bodies remain buried at the site.

Alternative ghost bus tours concentrate on the theatre of the ride itself, such as the Necrobus with its on-board trickery and actors performing a sightseeing show while driving non-stop around London, visiting its murkiest and most haunted locations. The bus was originally used for funerals, often referred to as a “carcass coach” to transport the dead to graveyards. Sitting slap bang in the middle of a live ghost story, you will discover the secrets of the mysterious bus and a city of murder, execution, and haunting.

Ghosts at the Tower of London

The Tower of London has a cruel and bloody history and is considered to have the most hauntings and ghosts of any English fortress. Names such as Traitors' Gate, the dungeon called 'Little Ease' and the Bloody Tower indicate the types of events that took place in the Tower of London, leading to so many ghastly stories. Beheading was a popular and barbaric form of execution and explains why so many ghosts are headless.

The most famous of all Tower ghosts is arguably that of Anne Boleyn, former wife of Henry VIII and Queen of England. Beheaded on her husband's order in 1536, her body is buried within the Tower grounds. She is said to roam the grounds and scare the Beefeater guards on a regular basis. Another former queen, Lady Jane Grey, was tortured and beheaded in 1554 and is said to appear yearly on the anniversary of her execution.

Haunted London theaters

There are several haunted London theatres, most in the West End near the best London hotels, from the Adelphi, Lyceum, Dominion, Fortune, Piccadilly and Queen's Theatre, the Theatre Royal, and Victoria Palace Theatre, amongst others. Each comes with its own story of murder and intrigue and many famous actors accept unequivocally that haunted theatres exist, as they have witnessed the ghosts for themselves.

Undoubtedly, the most haunted theatre in the UK is the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. As the oldest theatre in London, it has been built on the site of a previous three theatres. Not only is it the most haunted theatre possibly in the world, but it is home to the most famous ghost worldwide, the Man in Grey.

The Man in Grey is the most famed theatre ghost anywhere on earth. He is predominantly seen in the daytime rather than night and it would appear he likes to watch the rehearsals. Sightings of this ghost are normally met with celebrations as it is thought to signify a successful stage production.

Photos by wallyg (1), and tonyhall (2) on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/ghost-tours-london/

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