Blackbirds in a Pie

This evening I headed back to Hampton Court Palace for a ghost tour that was well worth the journey and the price. The evening began with the small group of us gathering at the information centre, which had a large, colourful dragon hanging from the ceiling. By the looks of it, it wasn't from the Tudor Dynasty.

We began the tour at the main gate, which opened on its own. The way it opened suggested that it was not opened by one person, as we could've seen them open the massive doors that lead into the palace. The guide took us into Anne Boleyn's former apartments where we saw her secret prayer room that has been notorious for visitors to catch a glimpse of her. None of us saw her, and so we moved on. We were taken in the back where it is off limits to visitors. There, we saw Cardinal Wolsey's apartments that eventually became Anne Boleyn's and finally Jane Seymour's. It had been explained to us that the fire doors that lead to an exhibit occasionally open and unexplained images are caught on CCTV. Below is a photo of the ghost caught on CCTV:

The image is quite chilling and looks like death, if you ask me. Whilst our guide was telling us this story, her colleague thought it would be funny to open the doors and scare us. The woman who was next to me is now legally deaf thanks to me. From there, we proceeded into a corridor that would lead us into the infamous 'Haunted Gallery.' For those who love a thrill and are frequent guests to Cedar Point, this experience was far more thrilling than the Top Thrill Dragster. I went in alone, I think, and it was so horrifying that I swear I could've fainted had I not been walking quickly enough. The heating was on as I walked through it in the dark, and even though the sound of the heater was faint, it was enough to make the hair on my arm stand tall. There were candles that were faintly lit which cast shadows on the walls and one of them looked a bit like Catherine Howard, but that could've been my mind playing tricks on me. Either way, it was an experience I shall never forget. From there the group met in the Great Hall. During the day this magnificent room is my favourite; however, at night it is almost as scary as the Haunted Gallery. Photography was not permitted on this tour, so unfortunately, I have no photos of the inside of Hampton Court Palace at night. The tour was in the dark with dim lighting so it would've been hard to see anything anyway. This has been one of the most memorable things I have ever done and I hope to do it again in the future, but preferably with the living rather than the dead.

Leaving Hampton Court Palace was a bit saddening for me because I have no clue when I'll be back. I hope to visit it at least five more times in my lifetime.

Thank you for reading my blog, Liz F and Forrest!

The Other Boleyn Girl

On Friday I went to the Tower of London where I spent nearly 2-3 hours basking in the history of the Tower. The moment I stepped on the grounds I felt like I was in the Walt Disney World for British historians. I was told that I look like a Boleyn, which I found to be quite interesting (and I guess a compliment?). Wasn't Anne Boleyn known for being ugly? If they mean I look like Natalie Dormer, then fine.  Anyway, I spent much of my time taking photos of cells and where people were executed, except Anne Boleyn. There was a great view of construction where she was executed so I didn't really get to see the spot where she lost her head.  Below is a photo showing only part of what was blocked off. If I could've gone beyond the gates, I could've seen where Anne Boleyn was executed.

On the plus side, I was able to see where Anne Askew spent her last few days!

Below is what her cell looked like. When I walked in it felt like she was in there. Overall, it was just a very depressing place, but still interesting at the same time.

For lunch I ate at one of the cafes at the Tower. They had food where you could 'eat through the ages,' and I opted for beef and ale pie, peas, and apple crumble. All of the Victorian desserts looked amazing, but their prices weren't exactly that great. After lunch I went to the White Tower where I spent a lot of my time learning about the armoury throughout the dynasties. 

The following day I went to Hampton Court Palace. I went alone and I was very pleased with myself for how I managed to navigate my way there. 

I only had 2.5 hours to spend here because of how long it took me to get to Hampton Court Palace and with the time they close. I had my first encounter with a ghost in the Georgian Apartments. I don't know who it was, but it sounded like a little boy whispering something about Mary. Then, in the 'Haunted Gallery' I heard a faint scream. It was probably Catherine Howard, which is a bit erie. Below is a photo of the Haunted Gallery:

After touring the main part of the palace I went outside to the gardens where I stumbled upon the set of 'Sherlock Holmes 2.'

Overall, this was a great weekend. I really enjoy spending my time at historic sites because I personally feel that visiting a site where so much history has happened is worthwhile. In February I will be returning to Hampton Court Palace for a ghost tour that I just booked. I hope it's worth the £25.