Editor’s note: Part 2 is a continuation of What’s New and Old in London, Part 1.

Somerset House

As I sat in the courtyard of Somerset House’s Georgian-era quadrangle, it was easy to bask in the memories from my past week in London: Trafalgar Square, the Charles Dickens’ Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Garden Museum, the East End, and plenty of pub grub. And now, with the morning sun finally breaking through England’s clouds, my new week in London had begun.

Somerset’s Georgian-era quadrangle was built on the site of a Tudor palace originally belonging to the Duke of Somerset. It was designed to be a grand public building, housing government and public-benefit offices. Its current occupants are a mixture of various organizations, generally centered around the arts and education. “As the home of cultural innovators, Somerset House connects creativity and the arts with wider society.”

Inside, I found the Courtauld Gallery to be small in space, and just the right size to see all of the gallery’s permanent display of paintings: Renoir, Monet, Sisley, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Pissaro, Gauguin, van Gogh, Seurat, Matisse, Braque, Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec, Soutine, and other paintings which could only be called masterpieces. It was akin to seeing my greatest hits in a condensed 30-minute time frame, which was perfect for the small time I had alotted.
See a Gallery Virtual Tours – The Courtauld

Churchill War Rooms

Located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall area of Westminster is the Churchill War Rooms. Previously called the Cabinet War Rooms, this is where Prime Minister Winston Churchill, military strategists, government ministers and a dedicated staff of approximately 500 men and women conducted war operations during WW II. The cost of your admission will also include a tour of the adjacent Churchill Museum.

From a network of underground rooms, you’ll see how they lived, where they strategized and how they managed to survive attacks by Nazi Germany. In a period of five-long years, they endured the Battle of Britain: where the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom’s ports and infrastructure against aerial assaults by Hermann Goring’s Luftwaffe; The Blitz: indiscriminate German bombings which pounded London for 57 consecutive days and nights; and Hitler’s Vengeance Weapons: V-1 flying bombs and V-2 ballistic missiles, launched from mainland Europe in the waning days of the war. When World War II ended, the staff simply walked away leaving everything just as it had been: maps, phone banks, typewriters, ‘No whistling inside’ signs, and sun lamps for staffers who never saw daylight for months.

In the course of my self-guided tour, it was noted that Churchill could be harsh and demanding, and many of the staff feared his presence. Even a whiff of his cigar smoke seeping into their stations caused anxiety. It’s estimated Churchill went through an average of 8-10 cigars a day, and stockpiled thousands for his use in a period where the average British citizen faced strict tobacco rationing. ‘Silent’ typewriters were used near Churchill’s office for he detested the clicking sound of conventional ones. He did not enjoy being forced to live underground. His bedroom is displayed in the War Rooms, but with the exception of four-nights, he refused to sleep there, preferring his bed at 10 Downing, or a flat above the Cabinet War Rooms. Against the advice of his steadfast wife, Clementine – who also had a bedroom and small office in the complex – he would recklessly climb a ladder to the roof of the Treasury, and watch night time air raids, complete with a Royal Army tin helmet, binoculars and a bottle of brandy.

Today, Churchill has a carefully orchestrated image as ‘The man who stood alone against Hitler.’ But history tells us there are many dark things in his past: his earlier views on involuntary sterilization of the ‘feeble mind’; his resignation as the First Lord of the Admiralty, due to creating a disastrous second front during World War I; and his branding of all Germans as Nazis to justify the RAF’s strategic terrorist bombings of German working-class neighborhoods.  

Nevertheless, it was Churchill’s rousing oratorial speeches delivered at the British House of Commons, where excerpts were plastered across walls and windows throughout Britain, that he is best remembered. Most importantly he had the ear of FDR, who had been desperately fighting the America First Committee’s isolationist policy, whose fascistic members blamed FDR, Churchill, and World Jewry as the perpetrators who started WW2.

But it took Churchill’s inspirational, ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ address for FDR to be finally convinced of Britain’s resolve. Soon, the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 between the U.S. and Britain was enacted, where the U.S. would exchange more than 50 outdated American destroyers for 99-year leases on British bases in the Caribbean and Newfoundland. With this agreement, Churchill knew Hitler would be ultimately defeated in Western Europe. Over the succeeding months, FDR, along with Churchill’s help, exercised a similar Act with U.S. aid to the Soviet Union, China, Australia, New Zealand, and the governments-in-exile of Poland, the Netherlands and Norway.

In 1945 Churchill was voted out of office. He was considered a good Prime Minister in wartime, but perhaps not one in peacetime as Britain still faced heavy rationing, massive debt and reconstruction. Churchill became Prime Minster again in 1951. He was close to 77 and not in good health following several minor strokes. He remained in office until his resignation in 1955.

Was Churchill a great man? Well, he did prophesize that he would be one and it was his destiny to change the course of human history. But with all great men and women, things are never that clearly divided between the profound and the profane.

Temple, London

Spread over three-blocks on the traditional western boundary of London, the Temple is the main legal district in London and a center for English Law since the middle-ages. It will serve you well to book a tour with a guide who will point out facts generally not found in tour books. You’ll see the Temple Church and the Royal Courts of Justice, where the former Mrs McCartney, Heather Mills, poured a container of water on Paul McCartney’s attorney after the court’s divorce settlement, giving her a mere 46.4 million dollars, while she alleged that the former Beatle was worth $1.6 billion at the time.

The Royal Courts of Justice is the place where French diplomats confronted the Tony Blair government’s 2003 September Dossier for ‘sexing up’ their erroneous report that Iraq’s Sadaam Hussein was in search of weapons of mass destruction. Six months later, Britain, the U.S. and a small congregation of Polish and Australian troops invaded Iraq. Despite an intense pressure campaign by the George W. Bush adminisration, France, Canada, Germany and Russia were among the nations who refused to participate in what would prove to be a one-sided slaughter. Without exception, all of the allegations included within the September Dossier have been since proven to be false. The Iraq Body Count Project documents 186,901 – 210,296 violent civilian deaths, confirmed by the British newspaper, The Guardian.

Theatre

MacBeth at the Globe: The production was a little different from Shakespeare’s time; women now played women and characters used machine guns, not swords. But it was The Globe, though reconstructed and modeled from the original, which had burned to the ground.

The Pillowman: Martin McDonagh’s futuristic play, seen from a 1950’s perspective of a horrorific future. The question he asks, are artists responsible if there are any copy-cat crimes based on their writings? In the U.S., McDonagh is best known as a film director and writer due to his movies: In Bruges (2008), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

Tina -The Musical: Part narrative and part concert, and, yes, life reaffirming. It was a timely event due to Tina’s recent passing that year.

Food on the Table

I first noticed that many young adult Londoners had the makings of a pot belly, and some older citizens were succumbing to obesity. This I soon understood as I loosened my own belt, that you could never go wrong with pub grub, but there will always be a price to pay. Dishes included Steak and Ale Pie, Fish and Chips, Fish Pie, Cheese and Onion Pie, Macaroni Pie – yes, Macaroni Pie – generally washed down with a solid pint of ale. In my case that solid pint would be Fuller’s London Pride.

A Londoner will exclaim that their Anglo-Indian food is the best in the world, which they refer to as Asian food, i.e., Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi. Dishes from Japan, China, South Korea are called Oriental; a name which is considered somewhat impolite in the U.S.

Interestingly, Lamb or Chicken Tikka Masala has replaced Fish and Chips as London’s unofficial dish; an indication of a changing London in 2023.

New for me: Burmese Curry Mutton. How could I have forgotten that Burma was once part of the British Empire; but now officially known as Myanmar.

See Yorkshire Pudding history and recipe

Twining Tea

Today, there are almost 1,500 different teas in Britain, where they all vary in style, taste and color. British coffee culture was the thing before tea was introduced to England in the 1650s, when Dutch traders brought it from China to Europe. Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, spearheaded the ritual of tea drinking to the English Royal Court; a habit soon adopted by the upper class. The first London tea shop opened in 1706 by Thomas Twining at No. 216 Strand, London. Its location remains the same today. Other tea establishments began to appear, making it less expensive and available to everyone. Later, some began adding milk to the beverage thanks to the British Empire’s colonization of India.

Yet, a debate continues about whether to put milk in the cup before pouring tea or after. Some add milk first to prevent the hot beverage from cracking the bone china cups, while others prefer pouring milk into the hot tea. But then, some countered that adding milk alters its flavor. As you can see, it still remains a very delicate matter in England today.

For more, see John Clayton’s Afternoon Tea at The Ritz Hotel London.

Next up: Part III: Beyond London – Carlilse Castle, Carlilse Cathedral, Hadrian’s Wall; and The Lake District, Keswick, William Wordsworth pilgrimages, Derwenterwater lake cruise, Castlerigg Stone Circle and Cumberland Sausage.

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Interruption

As I shared last week, I was on an extended travel to a beach house in a little village named Dalipuga in Southern Philippines. While I was there, so many things happened back in the States (both in business and personal matters) that needed my attention so by the first week I was already pinning to go back home. It was an excruciating countdown to return to the USA.

Despite the short “prison term” I made good use of my time. Almost every morning I had a goal to accomplish for that day. And so for the next couple of weeks, I intend to share some lessons from my stay over there. I hope that’s okay.

My brother Paco
That isn’t his real name but that’s what his friends called him. To me he was always Gary, my little brother who thought a lot, laughed a lot and dreamed a lot. His philosophy in life was greatly influenced by Atticus in the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In fact, that was one of his names. He became a lawyer and a scientist … a Director for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in Washington DC for about 30 years. A series of events (like his dissatisfaction with the previous administration who “didn’t believe in science”) made him quit his job and he found himself alone in a village called Mindo in the jungles of Ecuador which is the northernmost tip of the great Amazon Rain Forest. All throughout his career, he saw the importance of preservation. He made feasibility studies of Ecuador, and then plans which he presented to scientific bodies and received a huge grant from MIT. Two of his articles are published in Travelingboy.com. He was building his dream of a sanctuary for birds and lost souls (people with broken hearts). He invited all of us siblings to retire there. He would shoulder all expenses –“come … just come … all I want is your presence here” he said with excitement. One of my sisters and Paco’s daughters planned a trip this September. I too was seriously considering a trip early next year.

In the morning of June 9, I got a call from my sister. She was sobbing uncontrollably. “Raoul, I need you to sit down. I have some very bad news … Gary is dead. He’s dead!”

“What?!? We were just talking to him a few days ago. Dead?!? How?! Why?!?” My questions rattled out in rapid succession.

The hotel maid found Paco dead in his room just a few hours ago:  his face peaceful; his body wrapped inside his blanket; his right hand clenched. Apparently, it was his first and last heart attack. Paco had no enemies. In fact, the whole village knew him and loved him. He was last seen alive playing with the children of the village. Later, we learned from his wife that Paco had a history of unchecked high blood pressure and cholesterol. We assumed he was healthy because he would hike 45 minutes up and down the hill that he purchased almost everyday. We were wrong. And he was gone. My dear sweet genius of a brother had gone on to be with the Lord.

Night fell and I could not sleep. I crept out of the house around 2 in the morning and walked to the beach and looked at the dark horizon. The stars were hidden by the clouds. I asked God so many questions. I started to write a song with the thought that “it should have been me.” Gary had so many wonderful plans for mankind. My dreams were nothing compared to his. It should have been me. I’ve lived a long enough life. No more mountains to climb. I’m near retirement. My kids are grown and independent. My wife could survive without me … in fact, I always joke around that she could benefit from my insurance. My different circle of friends (including YOU) would miss me for a time and then life would go on. Life is short.

In the gospel of Luke chapter 20, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool who had plans to increase his storage for more profit:
v.20
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Paco had done his research. Out of all the spots in this great big planet, Ecuador was where he could make the biggest impact for society. But beautiful and noble though his plans were, they were not God’s plan.

What, may I ask, are your plans? What are you to do today? Tomorrow? What does your big picture look like? Is it centered around you?

Luke 20
³³ “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

I’m thinking about this myself. Perhaps our plans may not be as grandiose as saving the planet but take heart —we are not all called to save the planet. God called some of us to be Kings and some to be pawns.  Both are important. Some of our plans are never meant to come to fruition but the process is meant for us to grow closer to the Lord. Let’s not miss the sign posts in our life journey. Think about it: Why have you survived Covid? Why do you still occupy space among the living?  Whatever our purpose, let’s do it well.  Let’s ponder it together.

TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA for these riddles.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Maling of Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Efren of Manila

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