Search The Archive

Search form

Collection Search
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in oa_core_visibility_data() (line 607 of /app/profiles/viu/modules/contrib/oa_core/includes/oa_core.access.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in oa_core_visibility_data() (line 607 of /app/profiles/viu/modules/contrib/oa_core/includes/oa_core.access.inc).
Date: April 21st 1915
Letter

Buster Sees London.

Writing from Shorncliffe Camp on March 30, Corporal "Buster" thus describes a visit to London:

"After leaving Charing Cross station we ran into a fine old fellow who took us all over the city. He turned out to be a printer too. .Under his guidance we saw the guard changed at Whitehall, the war, foreign, and local government offices, the residences of Lord Kitchener, Admiral Jellicoe, Premier Asquith and Lloyd George where the suffragettes broke the windows. We also took a flying visit to St. Paul's, the Old Curiosity Shop which Dickens wrote about and also the house in which Dr. Samuel Johnston died and the street (Leather Lane) where he stood bare-headed in the heat of the day. We also visited Temple Bar and I saw the resting of Oliver Goldsmith, the little Crusader's church where Richard I took the vow. We went down the Strand, Piccadilly, Leicester Sy.. the Mall, Pall Mall, Cannon streets and crossed over London, Westminster and Tower Bridges. I had a meal at the Tiger Inn where Queen Elizabeth stayed for a few hours and then went to Buckingham Palace and saw the Queen Victoria memorial, Hyde Park, and the famous Rotten Row. We then took the tube for Mr. Hay's residence. He has two swell girls between the ages of 18 and 23 years.

On Saturday I went through Westminster Abbey, saw through the Royal tombs and the wax likeness of Queen Elizabeth and Lord Nelson and a couple others whose names I have forgotten. We went through the Houses of Parliament, the Royal robing room, the queen's robing room the House of Lords and the House of Commons. I saw some of the best paintings there that I've ever seen in my life and I think the best of them all is the "Death of Nelson." We went through the Tower, saw the traitor's gate, crown jewels, the armory and the site of the execution block where Lady Jane Grey and Anne Bolyn and many others were beheaded.