UK Trip 2005
19th March 2005

The last time I was in the United Kingdom, in January 2000, I carried with me a generous-sized hardcover paper notebook, which ended up coming home as blank as it was the day I bought it. That is not going to happen this time.

The main reason for heading to the UK so close to peak season, rather than on another January odyssey (i.e. chilly, but almost queueless and sometimes cheaper for the traveller), is the 60th anniversary of VE Day on May 8, 2005. I sat at home in Australia in 1995 and watched the broadcast of the main commemorative concert for the 50th anniversary and found it a very powerfully affecting experience. In 2004 I had a vague, sentimental idea that it would be an interesting, moving, educational experience just to be in England for VE60, to visit public & semi-personal landmarks, and to participate in the celebrations if possible.

The rest of the journey has grown around this idea, making good use of the airfare! By the time I found the BBC News item on the web from MARCH 2004 which announced that the main national day of commemoration would be July 10 instead (why? More tourist dollars to be had in high summer, I suppose, or perhaps that's unfair), it was too late to give up on the plan. My first trip to the UK was one of the most pleasant and memorable events of my life so far, and it's been too long since then. So let's go. Roll out the tourist packages, rip-off Britain, here comes another willing sucker.

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Some nice places to go
Roobarb's DVD Forums
You are watching:
Name: Andrew L
Email: ukmay05@yahoo.co.uk

IWM One

Museum of Childhood & Royal London Hospital

Brighton

Chiddingstone Daze

Southwark & St Paul's

St Martin & Bromley

Kew