Weekend coach trip to London (From York Press)

Weekend coach trip to London

11:12am Saturday 19th November 2011 in Holiday reviews By Richard Johns

RICHARD JOHNS made a break for it on a weekend coach trip to London.

DESPITE having worked and lived in London in the early 1980s, I realised I’d never visited the capital as a “proper” tourist.

I had made regular weekend forays in the 1970s when it was “de rigueur” to check out the latest fashions in the Kings Road and Kensington Market. But despite my away-days in London, I had never seen the real “sights”.

And no sightseeing trip to the city would be complete without a visit to the magnificent Tower Of London.

Work was started on this imposing stronghold by William the Conqueror in 1078.

A three-year £2 million cleaning and restoration project was completed this year and the iconic edifice positively shines – as do the Tower’s Crown Jewels. The priceless collection includes the largest top-quality cut diamond in the world, the First Star of Africa, or Cullinan I, which adorns the royal sceptre. The Queen Mother’s Crown features in this vast array of bling with probably the most famous diamond in the world, the Koh-I-Noor.

There is a brilliant collection of armour at the Tower’s Royal Armouries, including tiny metal suits made for young princes. Then there are the famous ravens. Tradition has it that if they should ever leave, the White Tower would fall and the kingdom would suffer a great disaster. Having their flight feathers clipped slightly reduces the chances of that happening.

The Beauchamp Tower was fascinating, with poignant graffiti carved into the walls by former political prisoners. In the Bloody Tower, there were gruesome tools of torture, including the infamous rack and an horrendous crushing device known as the Scavenger’s Daughter.

Alongside the tower, the mighty Thames powers its way through the heart of London and viewing a city from its river is always a great way to explore.

World-famous landmarks line the riverbanks and formed a wonderful panorama for my twilight voyage on the Millennium Dawn riverboat. Fellow travellers crowded the top deck to photograph the glittering silhouettes of the city. The vessel left Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in its wake as it sailed past the London Eye, the Tower of London, the Globe Theatre and the 02 Arena before slipping gently between the bulwarks of the Thames flood barrier. A laser beam pierced the night sky to mark the Greenwich Meridian as the craft drifted by Sir Christopher Wren’s beautiful baroque Old Royal Naval College.

Back on dry land, Greenwich Park was a delight. This UNESCO World Heritage Site with its sumptuous views across the Thames toward Canary Wharf was a revelation. The parkland setting of the college is magnificent.

The National Maritime Museum features a wonderful collection of naval history including Admiral Lord Nelson’s coat, complete with fatal bullet hole, after he was cut down by a sniper from the French ship Redoutable at the Battle Of Trafalgar in 1805.

Up on the hill stands Flamsteed House and the Royal Observatory. Carpenter-turned-clockmaker John Harrison helped solve the problem of longitude there with his exquisite sea clocks and the house is the home of Greenwich Mean Time.

You can straddle two hemispheres on a dividing line in the Meridian Courtyard, with one foot in the east and the other in the west.

Returning to the northern side of the Thames, I took the well-trodden tourist trail with a tour around the Houses of Parliament. In the House of Commons, I stood behind the despatch box as “Leader Of The Opposition”. Not being an MP, I was not allowed to sit down on the green leather.

Passing through the House of Lords debating chamber and Central Lobby took me to the wonderfully historic Westminster Hall, a cavernous, heavily timbered building which was completed in 1099.

The capital is one of the most popular destinations for coach journeys in the UK. Despite the recession, there has been a resurgence in weekend visitors. Nearly all my fellow travellers were on theatre breaks, with the rising price of rail fares making coach travel a cost-effective alternative.

The days of the seaside charabanc are long gone. New coaches feature reclining seats, air conditioning, double glazed windows and onboard facilities.

You can take in a West End show as well as visit the sights and enjoy the multitude of attractions the city has to offer.

Returning to London after all these years away was a refreshing experience, but over far too quickly. Oh well, I suppose there’s always next weekend.

Fact file

To find a coach trip, go to findacoachholiday.com where you will also find some late deals.

A local operator who can help with your travel plans is Eddie Brown Tours; contact via email on sales@eddiebrowntours.com, or by phone on 01423 321248, or on the website eddiebrowntours.com