We took a trip on the high speed rail line out to Ramsgate located on the English Channel side. The town was great and had a beautiful harbor. We stumbled upon the HMS Bulldog Sea Cadet Academy while walking around town. The former commander was nice enough to give us a tour and it happened that many of the former staff and cadets were present for a social. We spoke to many of them and had a good visit. I was also impressed with the current cadets and how they handled themselves. The program is sponsored by the Royal Navy and is basically an after school program for boys and girls who are at risk. It is structured in a para-military fashion and the young cadets learn such skills as sailing, drill and ceremony, marksmanship, knots, etc... It gives the kids a positive place and solid role models when those things are lacking at home.
The folks we spoke to were in their 70s and 80s and provided great detail about the town of Ramsgate during WWII and other interesting facts. It was a great day trip and I hope to return again some day.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Olympic gold its not but I will take the pin!
A small group of us were allowed to tour the Olympic village today. Kevin was our host and did a great job in showing us around the huge complex and answering many questions. The park has been purposefully located in some of the poorest Burroughs in the UK and the hope is it will usher in Urban renewal to the area. The buildings were amazing and we were told the project is under budget and ahead of schedule.
At the end of our visit Kevin gave each one of us lapel pins with the 2012 Olympic symbol, this particular pin will not be issued to the public so I am sure it will gain in value over night. I may use it to finance my next visit to London in 2016; actually it will be a great keep sake from this trip and I really appreciate our host and his willingness to spend the afternoon with us.
At the end of our visit Kevin gave each one of us lapel pins with the 2012 Olympic symbol, this particular pin will not be issued to the public so I am sure it will gain in value over night. I may use it to finance my next visit to London in 2016; actually it will be a great keep sake from this trip and I really appreciate our host and his willingness to spend the afternoon with us.
Hand to Hand and Hidden Cameras
Yesterday we split our time between Central Command and a Met training facility used for Officer Safety training. The briefing and tour at CCC was informative as well as the tour but the best was the officer safety training conducted by Kaz and Richard. They did a great job in explaining the Met's approach to training officer in dealing with citizens, especially those who become violent. The hands on training was great and the man in the angry suit did a great job terrorizing all the participants.
I stopped by the British Museum on the way back to the hotel and was amazed at the size and all the diverse items on display. A person could spend a week and not cover the entire museum. I will be going back before the trip is over hopefully.
I stopped by the British Museum on the way back to the hotel and was amazed at the size and all the diverse items on display. A person could spend a week and not cover the entire museum. I will be going back before the trip is over hopefully.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
All things Five-O!
Today we had a steady diet of Metropolitan Police information. This morning we started off at the Metropolitan Central Training Center which is located in a very fancy office building which also houses a newspaper and other various businesses. Ironically, the Met. police service is paying millions of pounds rent on the building space when a number of police buildings currently set vacant due to budget cuts. It would appear the mentality of English and American politicians is frightening similar.
We had two veteran officers share some of their experiences while serving on the Met as well as some of the major changes which have taken place over the 20-30 years during which they have been police officers. Listening to them explain their training, and use or assignment of equipment or "kit", clearly demonstrated a great difference between American police mentality and that of the English policeman.
In the afternoon we traveled over to the Charing Cross Police Station and Constable R. Watson was our host. We were allowed to tour some of the facility as well as handle equipment and vehicles. The tour through the custody area went smoothly and I am pleased to report that no one was shanked.
A side note about Metropolitan Police Service and their donuts; they have better sweets than American cops. They don't get to carry firearms for the most part but they get much better donuts; it would be hard for me to decide which would be more desirable.
Hope some vid will be available soon but no promises. Cheers! (The use of vid and cheers is so English).
PS. Rick and I went on an adventure this evening; we went to Green Park and after walking across the park I noticed a rather large building which seemed familiar, it turned out to be Buckingham Palace. The Queen did not invite us in so we moved on to St James Park and then on to Westminster Abbey. We covered a lot of ground and saw some beautiful sites. I look forward to going back next week to watch the changing of the Guard.
We had two veteran officers share some of their experiences while serving on the Met as well as some of the major changes which have taken place over the 20-30 years during which they have been police officers. Listening to them explain their training, and use or assignment of equipment or "kit", clearly demonstrated a great difference between American police mentality and that of the English policeman.
In the afternoon we traveled over to the Charing Cross Police Station and Constable R. Watson was our host. We were allowed to tour some of the facility as well as handle equipment and vehicles. The tour through the custody area went smoothly and I am pleased to report that no one was shanked.
A side note about Metropolitan Police Service and their donuts; they have better sweets than American cops. They don't get to carry firearms for the most part but they get much better donuts; it would be hard for me to decide which would be more desirable.
Hope some vid will be available soon but no promises. Cheers! (The use of vid and cheers is so English).
PS. Rick and I went on an adventure this evening; we went to Green Park and after walking across the park I noticed a rather large building which seemed familiar, it turned out to be Buckingham Palace. The Queen did not invite us in so we moved on to St James Park and then on to Westminster Abbey. We covered a lot of ground and saw some beautiful sites. I look forward to going back next week to watch the changing of the Guard.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
So to begin with I apologize for the lack of video, we are having some issues with down loading but hopefully it will get worked out and I can give you something more exciting then just my written words.
Today was full of interesting locations. We began with a stop at Oxford and the old structures in that city are amazing; beautiful architecture and the chapel we toured was really a pleasant surprise. The wood work and the ceiling were my favorite and our guide explained that "fan vaulting" found in this particular chapel was unique to England. You could just feel the history all around us as we walked through a local college and along the streets.
Stratford upon Avon was a good stop. We were able to check out W. Shakespeare's home and even had lunch in the pub where the old playwright fell dead. My Plowman's Lunch was especially tasty with the knowledge I was consuming it at the same spot where such a talented man had probably enjoyed his last meal.
The last stop for the day was Warwick castle and what a stop it was. I hit my head twice while maneuvering through the small passage ways and through the low built doors. It became painfully obvious that the castle was not constructed for someone of my height or girth. The climb to the top of the tower left me breathless for two reasons, the first being the 100 plus steps required to reach the tower and secondly due to the amazing view of the countryside. The historical background surrounding one of the castle's former owners, Richard Nevil (The King Maker), was very interesting and a reminder that political intrigue is not a new idea.
The day was great and the weather perfect, the only thing lacking was my 6 year old son who had to celebrate his birthday without his dad today. Maybe we can get him into Oxford some day and then he can celebrate his 19 birthday in England.
Today was full of interesting locations. We began with a stop at Oxford and the old structures in that city are amazing; beautiful architecture and the chapel we toured was really a pleasant surprise. The wood work and the ceiling were my favorite and our guide explained that "fan vaulting" found in this particular chapel was unique to England. You could just feel the history all around us as we walked through a local college and along the streets.
Stratford upon Avon was a good stop. We were able to check out W. Shakespeare's home and even had lunch in the pub where the old playwright fell dead. My Plowman's Lunch was especially tasty with the knowledge I was consuming it at the same spot where such a talented man had probably enjoyed his last meal.
The last stop for the day was Warwick castle and what a stop it was. I hit my head twice while maneuvering through the small passage ways and through the low built doors. It became painfully obvious that the castle was not constructed for someone of my height or girth. The climb to the top of the tower left me breathless for two reasons, the first being the 100 plus steps required to reach the tower and secondly due to the amazing view of the countryside. The historical background surrounding one of the castle's former owners, Richard Nevil (The King Maker), was very interesting and a reminder that political intrigue is not a new idea.
The day was great and the weather perfect, the only thing lacking was my 6 year old son who had to celebrate his birthday without his dad today. Maybe we can get him into Oxford some day and then he can celebrate his 19 birthday in England.
Monday, May 9, 2011
What a day! We arrived in London after a long but good flight. The first stop after Heathrow was Windsor Castle. The castle was amazinig and te city of Windsor interesting. We all were dealing with soe jet lag but te new sights and sounds were enough to keep us awake. One day in and I am ffurther convinced this is a trip of a life time. I will attempt a video download soon.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The packing is really starting to stress me a little. I have packed and re-packed hoping to not leave something of importance behind.
I finished my last final this morning and the thought struck me that a trip to London immediately after graduation sounded like a really good deal. I have enjoyed my time at CSC and this study abroad program is going to add some great finishing touches to an already quality experience.
I finished my last final this morning and the thought struck me that a trip to London immediately after graduation sounded like a really good deal. I have enjoyed my time at CSC and this study abroad program is going to add some great finishing touches to an already quality experience.
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