www.RogerWendell.com
Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
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Map of the United Kingdom
Click on map for Flag of England  (UK flag is Here)
The United Kingdom
of Great Britain

- England

In October, 2006 we drove 1,719 miles (2,766 kilometres) throughout the U.K. Our route, as is typical of us, was unplanned and unscheduled - resulting in maximum spontaneity and enjoyment! Along the way we got a really close-up look at Wales, Scotland, England and everything inbetween - including some "Beatlemania" at Liverpool and Abbey Road, a thorough study of Stonehenge, a tour of Dover and its secret tunnels, and stops all over London via the "Tube." As has been our experience around most of the world, the people of Great Britain treated the two of us with courtesy and kindness everywhere we went - we were anxious to return! On this trip we took a total of 2,061 photographs throughout the United Kingdom (I took 1,440 of them...)

On December 7, 2008 we had the good fortune of a layover, in London, and took the opportuntiy to explore the regular London neighborhood burough of Hammersmith. Most of those pix are near the bottom of this page...

 

 

Yellow Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for my pictures of Wales and Scotland...
Yellow Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for our overnighter to Dublin...
Yellow Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for our daytrip to France...
Audio Listen Icon Click Here for the U.K. dialing tone!

 

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II The ueen (born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926) passed on Thursday, September 8th, 2022 at age 96. She was queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other sovereign countries. Her reign of 70 years and seven months, which began on 6 February 1952, was the longest of any British monarch in history.
 
Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, making Elizabeth the heir presumptive. She was educated privately at home and began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In November 1947, she married Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark, and their marriage lasted 73 years until his death in April 2021. They had four children together: Charles, King of the United Kingdom; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

 

Brexit

Brexit On Thursday, June 23, 2016 the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union!
 
On Friday, January 31, 2020 (1,316 days later) the UK now stands alone as the first nation to have ever left the European Union.

 

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(Click on any of this page's "thumbnail" images for a larger view...)
[Also, a "mouseover" will provide additional information at each photograph]

 

Stonehenge:

Stonehenge was a surprise in that not only is it so ancient (construction started 5,000 years ago) but that it was used
for religious purposes for such a long time (1,500 years). It's been abandoned, for the last 35 centuries, but parts of
it still stand firm. I think this is due, in part, to the mortise and tenon and a tongue and groove joints the ancients used
during construction (you can see a tenon sticking up in the first photo in the upper left of this series). Additionally,
I felt it interesting to capture some of the road and parking around Stonehenge as plans are underway to eliminate the
view of most modern activity around the site. Most of this will be achieved through the construction of a tunnel to keep
traffic and parking out of view of visitors...
Stone with tenon joint at Stonehenge - 10-07-2006 Tami and Roger Wendell at Stonehenge - 10-07-2006 Roger J. Wendell photographing Stonehenge - 10-07-2006 Walking around Stonehenge - 10-07-2006 The walk to Stonehenge - 10-07-2006
Bird between stones at Stonehenge - 10-07-2006
Bird between stones
Tami Wendell at Stonehenge - 10-07-2006 Stonehenge Parking Lot - 10-07-2006
Stonehenge parking...
Roger J. Wendell walks towards Stonehenge mounds - 10-07-2006
Stonehenge mounds
Roger J. Wendell photographs mounds at Stonehenge - 10-07-2006
Roger photographs mounds...

 

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Beatlemania
Beatlemania!

Abbey Road:

We were able to take the "Tube" to within just a couple of blocks of that very famous Abbey Road zebra (crosswalk) and Abbey Road recording studios made famous by the 1969 Beatles' album cover. The intersection has actually turned into a continuous social gathering, and memorial, so there's now a webcam that lets you watch all of the tourists (including me!) crossing the world's most famous zebra! While there, I also learned a lot from the Building Manager for Abbey House, immediately adjacent the studios. His name is Bob Wilson and he's gained some fame because so many people recognize him from the webcam that they stop to meet him as well! [Note: I've removed the webcam link because the URL changes a lot so please do a search for it!!]

The last two photographs are of Brazil's Fantastico Globo interviewer and film crew. They were at Abbey Road to follow Brazil's top rock stars as they toured the UK. The interviewer, who I'm speaking to in the second-from-last photo, is Zeca Camargo and has a TV viewing audience of 50 to 60 million each broadcast!!

Beatles' 1969 Abbey Road album cover
Beatles' 1969 Album Cover
Tami and Roger Wendell crossing Abbey Road - 10-17-2006
That's me in front...
Building Manager, for the Abbey House, Bob Wilson - 10-17-2006
Me and Bob Wilson
Abbey Road Studios - 10-17-2006
Abbey Road Studios
Brazil's Zeca Camargo at Abbey Road - 10-17-2006
Me and Zeca Camargo!
Brazil's Fantastico Globo film crew at Abbey Road - 10-17-2006
Fantastico Globo's film crew

Yellow Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for the Abbey Road webcam...
Liverpool:
Is it the Cavern Club or the Cavern Pub? For us it was a bit confusing to figure out exactly where the Beatles played their first 274 professional gigs since both establishments are across the "street" (it's more like an alleyway) from each other. Nevertheless, we were assured that although the original "Cavern Club" had been demolished, in the early 1970s, its original bricks were used to reconstruct the stage and audience area exactly as they existed during the Beatle era. And, apparently, in the exact location although nobody seemed willing to swear to it. Either way, Liverpool is where it all started and we were happy to be there!
The Cavern Pub - 10-10-2006
The Cavern Pub
Tami Wendell and the Liverpool Statue of John Lenon - 10-10-2006
Statue of John Lenon
Roger J. Wendell photographs Liverpool's John Lenon Statue - 10-10-2006
Roger the photographer...
Roger Wendell on stage at Liverpool's Cavern Club - 10-10-2006
Roger on stage...
Liverpool's Cavern Club - 10-10-2006
Cavern Club
Going down the stairs at Liverpool's Cavern Club - 10-10-2006
Going down the stairs

 

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The B&B Experience:

The Bed and Breakfast experience, outside the U.S., can't be beat - and the U.K. is no exception! Although we had no specific timetable or route, we were fortunate to encounter some delightful B&B's that we'll not soon forget. Each is unique because you're staying in a home that's actually occupied by owner's who are eager to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Each, without exception, provided a full English-style breakfast that offered great vegetarian options for those so inclined!
Western House Bed and Breakdfast, Lancing West Sussex - 10-07-2006
Western House B&B
Roge J. Wendell and a small doorway at Springbank Cottage B&B, Scotland - October, 2006 Roger and the owners of a Dover, United Kingdom Bed and Breakfast - October, 2006
Me and the owners!
Tami in a United Kingdom Bed and Breakfast - October, 2006
Comfortable bed
Table setting at a United Kingdom Bed and Breakfast - October, 2006
Comfortable dinning
United Kingdom B&B Vegetarian Breakfast - October, 2006
Vegetarian breakfast*
Tami Wendell at East Lee Bed and Breakfast - October, 2006
East Lee
Prospect Villa Bed and Breakfast - October, 2006
Prospect Villa
Springfield House Bed and Breakfast - October, 2006
Springfield House
Springbank Cottage, Scotland - October, 2006
Springbank Cottage, Scotland
* This particular breakfast, in the photograph
above, is a good example of the soy substitutes
offered by some of the B&Bs we stayed in. In this
case there we no actual meat products on this plate!

 

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Castles:

We had the pleasure of touring a number of castles and their associated
museums. Entry fees can be a little steep, at anywhere from £4 to £15 ($8 to $30 USD)
but well worth the expense as the interiors are so rich with relics and history. Also,
they didn't seem to be too shy about showing us the garderobes (toilets), either!
You won't be surprised to know that I have an entire web page devoted to garderobes!)
On a more serious note, many of the castles (and other monuments) we visited are maintained
The National Trust - a charitable organization
that has been the United Kingdom's heritage guardian for over a century...
Warkworth Castle, United Kingdom - October 2006
Warkworth
Warkworth Castle, United Kingdom - October 2006
Warkworth
Bamburgh Castle, United Kingdom - October 2006
Bamburgh
Dunstanburgh Castle, United Kingdom - October 2006
Dunstanburgh
Dunstanburgh Castle, United Kingdom - October 2006
Dunstanburgh

Each castle is fascinating in its own way. Some have roots that go back to Roman times while others are huge, magnificent structures that dominated the landscape just a few hundred years ago. For me, Dunstanburgh (the last two photos on the right) was one of the more interesting castles in that its craggy ruins haunt the east coast of England just below the Scottish border.

The Dunstanburgh website says it in a way that helps us Coloradoan mountain folk understand the historical placement of castles on the European landscape; "The castle was built on a grand scale, providing plenty of space to harbour local people and their livestock in the event of a Scottish raid. Thick walls surrounded the site and the steep cliffs and sea provided protection from attack on two sides. The impressive three-story gatehouse was built between 1313 and 1325 using the finest materials."

"The second gatehouse was added 60 years later by the powerful John Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. The third son of Edward III, the duke was involved in negotiations with the Scots. He took the opportunity to strengthen his fortress and provide more accommodation for his entourage. "

"During the Wars of the Roses the castle was besieged by Yorkists. However in the Civil War the castle played little part as it was unable to withstand artillery bombardment. "

"Today the ruins of the great fortress are stranded on a hill top only accessible by foot."

 

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Tower of London:
"Beefeaters" are the Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London...

While touring the Tower of London, I took this quick 6 mb video of a Beefeater explaining an ancient beheading that took place on the premises. The Beefeaters are the "Yeomen Warders," or ceremonial guard of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress at the Tower of London. There are 36 of 'em and each has had to have had at least 22 years of honorable military service before being accepted to the position. With such a distinguished history I was a little surprised, but pleased, to find the Beefeaters injecting some humor into their presentations!
Tower of London Beefeater - October 2006
Beefeater
Tami Wendell at the Tower of London - October 2006
Entering
Tower of London Water Control - October 2006
Water control
YouTube Logo - Small Click Here for my YouTube video on a bit of Beefeater-Tower-of-London humor!

 

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Cars:

Despite the plethora of roundabouts, throughout the country, the highway system is very modern and fast paced. Typical speed limits are 70 mph (110+ km/h) with many folks passing us (on the right!) even when we were going 80 mph (125+ km/h). Our rented Fiat had a manual transmission so it took a day or two to get used to both driving and shifting on the left. It got even more complicated after I broke my left ring finger falling on a morning jog. Still, we made a good driving team with one person reading the maps and the other driving! And, the roundabouts start to make a lot of sense after you get used to them - they're efficient and a whole lot less dangerous than a typical American intersection where "T-bone" crashes and fatalities are all too common...
[Note: about a decade after I created this page aroundabouts were becoming increasingly more popular around my state of Colorado and other parts of the U.S.A.]
United Kingdom Police Car - October 2006 Small Cars in the United Kingdom - October 2006 Car parked at St Abb's Head, Scotland - October 2006 Our rented Fiat in the United Kingdom - October 2006 Traffic Camera in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Royal Mail Delivery Vehicle - 10-06-2006
Royal Mail
Carbon Neutral Taxi Cabs in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Carbon Neutral Taxi
Small Car in the United Kingdom - October 2006
My favorite
Three Wheeled car, United Kingdom - October 2006
3 Wheels!!!
Three Wheeled car, United Kingdom - October 2006
3 Wheels up close!
Note: At the time of our visit we were impressed with vehicles around the U.K. because they were generally smaller and more efficient than the huge gasoline hogs that plugged (and plagued!) America's highways at the time. However, since adding these two sentences, after the 2008 oil shock, vehicles like the "My Favorite" (above) started appearing on America's highways as well!

 

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Walls and Fences:

Wall and Fence Restoration in the United Kingdom - October 13, 2006 Wall and Fence Restoration in the United Kingdom - October 13, 2006 Wall and Fence Restoration in the United Kingdom - October 13, 2006 This retired gentleman, and his helper, were very enthusiastic to talk about the fences/walls they rebuild. He said that he charges 10 pounds per hour ($20.00 USD exchange rate at the time of our visit) while the property owner receives 25 pounds per metre of repaired wall. Apparently there's a government program underway to restore old walls and fences. In this particular case the local folks believed this wall to have been in disrepair for over 40 years...

 

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Signs:

I've always found signage, in other states, provinces, and countries to be
very interesting. I'm sure anyone visiting Colorado would find our signs,
warning of a goose crossing, or the location of Buffalo Bill's grave, to be
equally strange!
United Kingdom Zebra Crossing Sign - October 2006 United Kingdom Highway Speed Sign - October 2006 United Kingdom Highway Sign, Give Way - October 2006 United Kingdom Dual Carriageway Sign - October 2006 United Kingdom Dual Carriageway Sign - October 2006
UK Danger of Death Sign - 10-10-2006
Danger of Death
United Kingdom Bicycle Sign - October 2006
Bike route
United Kingdom Highway Sign, 3 Way Control - October 2006
3 Way control
UK Selfish Zig Zag Parking Sign - 10-10-2006
Selfish Zig Zag Parking
Night-Light Pedestrian Pillar, United Kingdom - October 2006
Nite-Lite Ped Pillars

 

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Grocery Stores:

Whenever traveling, I usually enjoy the local stores and marketplaces as
opposed to established restaurants and chains - it< seems to help me, and
those who I am travelling with, gain a better "feeling" for the local community
in addition to being a lot of fun!
Waters and Squashes at a Store in the United Kingdom - October 2006 Mixers and Cordials in the United Kingdom - October 2006 Morrison's in the United Kingdom - October 2006 Somerfield in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Check-out Clerks Sit down in Stores in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Sitting down!
Dunbar CO-OP, Scotland - October 2006
CO-OP - Dunbar, Scotland
Dunbar CO-OP, Scotland - October 2006 Coffee Witener in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Coffee Whitener
Crisps at a stores in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Crisps! (potato chips)
Tami shopping for tea in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Shopping for tea...
Spotted Dick (steamed suet pudding) in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Steamed Suet Pudding
Liquor Security in the United Kingdom - October 2006
Liquor security bottle tops
Two years later we shopped in the borough of Hammersmith:
(December 7, 2008)
Groceries at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Hammersmith Groceries
Meal Deal at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Meal Deal
Cadbury Fingers at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Cadbury Fingers
Butter and Cheese at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Butter and Cheese

 

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London:
One of the World's greatest cities!

A little overcast, while we were there, but you get the idea!
London Telephone Booth - October 2006
Traditional Phone Booth
Lion at Trafalgar Square, London - October 2006
Trafalgar Square
Pigeons at Trafalgar Square, London - October 2006
Trafalgar Pigeons...
London's Big Ben Clock - October 2006
Big Ben
Yellow Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for a live webcam at Trafalagar square...
National Gallery at London - October 2006
National Gallery
London Tower Bridge - October 2006
Tower Bridge
River Thames, London - October 2006
River Thames
London's Millenium Wheel - October 2006
Millenium Wheel

 

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London Underground Logo Mind the gap! (watch your step while boarding!)

London's bus and subway (the "Tube") system is simply superb! We've been on a number of really great transit systems (San Francisco's BART and Washington DC's METRO) but found London's Underground to be the most convenient and user-friendly. The Tube runs continuously and covers all of London - there's no need for a car, especially with parking fees at over £20 and a daily "congestion fee" of £8 per vehicle!

London Tube - 10-17-2006 London Tube - October 2006 London Tube - October 2006 London Tube - October 2006 London Tube - October 2006
London Tube - 10-17-2006 London Tube - October 2006 London Tube - October 2006 London Tube - October 2006 London Tube - October 2006

Piccadilly Line

This next set of photos were taken early on Sunday morning, December 07, '08. Since it was
so early there weren't many people riding yet so we were able to watch sunrise from the tube!
London Tube Piccadilly Line, Mind the Gap - 12-07-2008
Mind the gap!
London Tube Piccadilly Line, Tami Wendell - 12-07-2008
Getting onboard
London Tube Piccadilly Line, Tami Wendell - 12-07-2008
Plenty of seating
London Tube Piccadilly Line - 12-07-2008
Waiting
Sunrise on the London Tube, Piccadilly Line - 12-07-2008
Sunrise on the Piccadilly line!
London Tube Piccadilly Line, Tami going through the entrance - 12-07-2008
Entering the turnstile
London Tube Piccadilly Line, Tami waiting at Hounslow West - 12-07-2008
Waiting at Hounslow West
London Tube Piccadilly Line, empty seats - 12-07-2008
Empty seats
London Tube Piccadilly Line, empty seats - 12-07-2008
Empty seats
London Tube Piccadilly Line, Subway entrance at Hammersmith - 12-07-2008
Hammersmith subway entrance
YouTube Logo - Small Click Here for my YouTube "Mind the Gap" video!

 

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Hammersmith:

On December 07, 2008 we were coming back from India and had a bit of a layover in London. We used the time to explore what we hoped would represent a "regular" neighborhood and believe we found it in the bourough of Hammersmith off the Tube's Piccadilly line. It was an early Sunday morning and a bit cold (but nothing like what we're accustomed to in Colorado - many of the locals telling us it was "frosty" out! (to their credit, there was frost on the ground...) Anyway, we had a pleasant walk through the comfortable community of Hammersmith just a few miles outside of downtown London.
The London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Hammersmith
Police car at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Police
Post Office at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Post Office
Petrol Station at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Petrol Station
The London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Hammersmith
The London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Hammersmith Broadway
Corner at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Corner
Plumber at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Laing & Company Plumber
Double Decker bus at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
Double decker bus
Tami Wendell keeps warm at the London Borough of Hammersmith, United Kingdom - 12-07-2008
A "Frosty" morning according to locals!
YouTube Logo - Small Click Here for a YouTube walk through Hammersmith...

 

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Final Notes:

 

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Links:

  1. AA of the UK - Automobile Association Travel Planner
  2. Abbey Road webcam
  3. Aconcagua
  4. Africa (Eastern) - Kenya, Tanzania, and my Kilimanjaro climb
  5. Africa (Southern) - Our trip through Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  6. Amazonia
  7. Antarctica
  8. Argentina and Brazil
  9. Australia Main Page
  10. Australia Part Two Page
  11. BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation
  12. China
  13. CIA World Factbook on the United Kingdom
  14. Climbing
  15. Ecuador
  16. France
  17. Hawai'i
  1. Hiking
  2. India
  3. India Two (overflow)
  4. Ireland
  5. Japan
  6. London Underground - Transport of London "The Tube"
  7. Mexico
  8. National Trust - The United Kingdom's heritage guardian
  9. Russia
  10. San Francisco
  11. Silk Road
  12. Stonehenge official site (English Heritage)
  13. Tibet
  14. Travel
  15. Travel Two
  16. United Kingdom - Wales and Scotland
  17. Waypoints

 

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