Adventure #6, continued

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Did you know?  Oliver Cromwell ordered the destruction of the statue of Charles I that now looks down Whitehall from Trafalgar Square.  Fortunately, the statue was not destroyed, but it was buried in a garden until the Restoration. 

There is a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph every year on Remembrance Sunday (the Sunday closest to our Veteran's Day).

Downing Street gets its name from George Downing, a Harvard graduate and property speculator during the Parliamentary period (1649-1660).  Sir Robert Walpole, generally thought of as the first Prime Minister, moved into #10 in 1735.

Tube:  If you wish to start in Trafalgar Square, use Charing Cross station.  If you wish to start in Parliament Square, use Westminster station.

Admission:  Watching the Horse Guards is free.  Hours of opening and admission prices for the Banqueting House and Westminster Abbey are in the text of this adventure.

In the surrounding area:  The War Cabinet Rooms are nearby. You can walk from Whitehall through King Charles Street to the entrance.  This bunker was home to the Government from 1939 through VJ day (August, 1945).  At the end of the war, it was simply closed up and left as is, providing a snapshot of the era frozen in time.  The maps on the walls, the furniture, the signposts - all are original.   Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was instrumental in getting it opened to the public in the 1980's.  Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  £5.80 for adults, £4.20 for over 60.

British Airways London Eye is also just across the river from Westminster Palace and Parliament Square.  This HUGE "ferris wheel" is about five stories high (450 feet) and your "flight" will last approximately thirty minutes, the wheel rotating once in that time.  Each compartment is big enough to hold at least twenty-five people comfortably.  Booking ahead is a good idea, but you have to know precisely when you intend to be there as the tickets are "timed".  You can now book tickets online here:

http://www.londoneye.com/non_dynamicNet/frameset.htm

To book by phone (automated), call: 011-44-870-5000-600.  You can also drop by the ticket office and purchase tickets for a later date (or perhaps for the same day).   £9.50 adults, £7.50 over 60.

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