There are lots of grave markers and memorials set into the floor of Westminster Abbey. You can walk on all of them EXCEPT the grave of the unknown soldier. No one steps on that; even the Queen walks around it.
That makes sense. Even if you’re a monarch you should still respect the people that have died for your country. I don’t think all leaders always think that way, which is sad.
Thanks for the info! I started to web search some names I came across and then realized I'd be web searching the whole time rather than enjoying the sites.
Yes, in this day and age, William Wilberforce is one of the most revered names from that time period. His activities in Parliament culminated in the abolition of slavery across the British Empire in 1833.
My brother worked at the museum his entire working life. His position in security meant that when we had family or friends from abroad we got a free private tour of the museum after it was closed to the public. Was amazing.
Very enjoyable Vlog, great to see a relaxed tour around London. One thing I found when visiting London and in general most European cities is don’t spend a fortune on accommodation, like you said you are never really there most of the time, the accommodation is really just a place to have a shower and sleep, the time on any holiday or vacation is about seeing the place you are not the accommodation. 👍👍👍👍👍
I agree with this and knowing what I know now I easily could have gotten away with a less expensive hotel more on the outskirts of town. Having said that, I was very happy with the hotel on this trip. I would just make different choices next time.
Thanks for sharing your 3 days in London guys, I’ve really enjoyed following you around. I’m from the UK and lived in London for 20 years so none of this is new to me but it’s always nice to hear how visitors experience our capital city. Hope you have fun in Paris 😊
Thanks for the kind words. It's amazing to me that people just live in that city and are around buildings that are centuries old and it's just normal for them. I'm sure you just get used to it after a while.
@@TwoDisneyDudes Yes, when you’ve lived here your whole life you completely take it for granted and it doesn’t even register with you on a day to day basis that you’re surrounded by things that are centuries or even thousands of years old. It takes an outsider’s perspective like yours for us to realise how special it is.
Without doubt the most informative and entertaining vlogs I have seen of my favourite city! So relaxed, so knowledgeable, and so respectful. I binge watched all your videos of London. Thank you so much ❤
I have just finished all 3 of your London videos. I loved your great balance between pre-planning research and your discovery of the unexpected and new. The result was a tour that was knowledgable without being 'know-it-all'. As someone who lived in and just outside London for many years, it was great to see it through your eyes. Hope the Paris leg goes well!
Thank you for the kind words. I enjoy preplanning but I don’t like to over plan and I want to be spontaneous and surprised in the moment. But at the same time I want to make sure that we get the most out of our time there so it’s a balance.
Hope you are enjoying being here in The UK. Things may be a bit expensive in the capital but I work on the theory that you may never pass this way again and as long as you enjoy the things you do and eat then its money well spent.
That's exactly how we felt: money well spent. We knew we'd be hanging around tourist spots and that prices would be more as a result. But we made sure to save up enough spending money that we weren't grousing about every price of every item or meal we bought.
Just found you guys yesterday (Subscribed immediately). Your London videos have taken me back to my very first visit to the UK in 1968...have been many, many, many times since. Should you ever return to the UK you should try visiting York...(2 hrs by train)...I was always a hardcore London fan until I was introduced to York and North Yorkshire. Eager to see your Paris videos...another of my favorite cities.
Piccadilly used to be festooned with billboards, lights then later neon on every facade and into Leicester Square from the 1920s -70s, but gradually they were taken down to reveal the beautiful buildings beneath, some of which they had no idea what would look like. One corner remains out of 'tradition'.
Thanks for the info! I was expecting it to be more like Times Square with billboards in every direction but Piccadilly was a lot more classy by comparison.
My wife and I spent part of our honeymoon in London about 30 years ago. Thanks for showing me how things have changed as well as awakening precious memories. Yeah, I had to see the Rosetta Stone when we visited the British Museum. A few years later, we did a trip down the Nile and then visited the Egyptian Museum, another unforgettable experience. Great little series of videos...you really make it feel like we are with you on the journey.
Just subscribed! I’ll be going to London in two weeks time and you both hit a lot of the spots I’m planning to see, so it’s been really fun watching! And I also watched Joolz Guides!!! He’s so quirky and fun to watch! 💕 Also seeing the same exact play at the Globe! So excited to see that too!!
I hope you have a great time on your trip. And I hope none of the actors get injured and delay your play. Although it made for a very memorable performance, I feel really bad for the poor actor who had to go to the emergency room.
@@TwoDisneyDudes thank you sweetheart! I hope not, especially since I haven’t seen the play before. I definitely would’ve been one of the confused noobies in the audience. 😅
@@RheaM Oh yeah... the ending of that play is convoluted even if you watch the whole thing so I'm sure it made no sense at all to some of the people in that audience.
Thanks for the video chaps...Great to see you having a good time exploring our little isle...Big fan here of the USA...Travelled extensively throughout the US on vacations...Covered 43 contiguous states by car...numerous road trips since 1990 in the US...Great video chaps...Big thanks for the upload...have fun, safe travelling!
good shout out to Joolz guides his vids are pretty good. I have lived / worked in london all my life and travelled far and wide round the globe - as capital cities go london is a pretty good place to visit - some things very expensive but you can walk around for free and visit lots of galleries and museums for free. I hope you enjoyed it. A play at the globe is a great experience - great choice to pay for the cushions and beer or wine it is well worth it to avoid numb bum. another good theatre choice in summer is the open air theatre in regents park depending on what is showing.
I would have loved to see more theatre while we were there but we didn't want to spend the whole trip in a theatre. If I lived there, I'd go all the time (cost permitting). We prioritized the places that cost money since we had the London Pass but I'd love to go back and see a lot of the free galleries, especially the Tate Modern.
I am so impressed how you managed to cram so much in with just three days to spare. A real balance of activities that were all very interesting. I enjoyed this series of videos, the commentary was nicely paced and informative. I am now off to watch the Paris video!
You should get the Uber taxi boat going west next time and hop off at Battersea Power Station. It's a new development on the old power station site with many restaurants including a Gordon Ramsay pizza restaurant where you can get a bottomless all you can eat pizza for £15. Plus there's a lovely fish restaurant called Wrights overlooking the Thames which offers a 2 course lunch special for less than £20. The views of the architecture along that side of the river are much nicer also. You could probably walk across Battersea Bridge towards the Kings Road back to your hotel from there. The bridge is lit up at night-time with big clear lightbulbs which is beautiful.
We weren't sure which direction to go when we got on the boat and probably made the wrong choice LOL. Wrights sounds like a great place to eat so I'll put that on the list for next time.
A slight correction, the bridge next to the Power Station that's lit up at night is Chelsea Bridge, not Battersea Bridge. Then the next bridge heading west (and also lit up at night) is Albert Bridge, with Battersea Bridge being the next bridge after that.
Uber are the devil incarnate. They are destroying local business, and seriously underpaying their employees wherever they are in the world. Please don't use them
@@andybaker2456 I must have walked over battersea bridge a thousand times in my younger days when I lived on batt bridge road while working for BT on the opposite bank.
The Catholic Cathedral - Westminster Cathedral - is near Victoria Station. It was completed in 1903. The front entrance is interesting. Westminster Abbey is Church of England.
Got it, thanks! I think I was confusing it for a Catholic church because it reminded me so much of other churches I've been in that were Catholic. I think most old churches probably have a lot of similarities, right?
@@TwoDisneyDudes Westminster Abbey was Catholic when it was first built like all medieval churches in England. It only became Anglican after the Reformation (Henry VIII and all that). So your instincts were right.
Hi Guys! Just finished watching your London Vlog series and I absolutely love them! Also, love that you enjoyed your visit(s) to New York City! I’m a proud New Yorker 😊
@@dimplestraveldiary8954 For me,the best Christmas is in Germany (I’m a Londoner) where they start with all the street events roughly from the first week of December. I lived and worked in Bavaria for 4 years. Gluewein is very more-ish but then your legs disobey you. The food is great and the people are super happy,spent 4 Christmasses there and loved it. Had a week in Vienna one year and that was also amazing. But as a native Londoner,I think we edge it overall simply for our meticulous protection of history,in fact,the entire country outside of the cities is utterly beautiful with protected land,monuments,architecture and wildlife. Most European countries are easy and cheap to travel to from the London hub,fly,train,drive or boat. Great vlog,very professional shooting. Good job fellas. Welcome back anytime.
@@TheCornishCockney London is on my bucket list to visit at Christmas time! I’ve seen all a lot of pics and see the beauty of it. I would love to do a Christmas vacation in Europe. I’ve read that the Christmas markets are amazing. Thank you Cockney Red!
What a great video! I live just outside London and always wanted to visit Westminster Abbey. I’m definitely going to visit now! Thank you for taking us with you!
Hey guys. Loved your blog of London, hope you had a good time. About the TKMaxx thing....there’s company here called TJ Hughes. So to avoid confusion TJMaxx was called TKMaxx over here.
Yes, Westminster Abbey, actually called The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican (Episcopal) church, like Washington National Cathedral, and not a Roman Catholic church. I sang evensing here, five evenings a week, from aged eight to 13, plus Sung Eucharist on Sundays, and lots of state services, etc. Even after six years, it was still a rush to lead worship at this 1100 yr old church, especially at royal weddings, and other big events. We 28 boys attended a school, just for us, right next to the Abbey. Our subject class sizes were just four to six boys. I had two roomies, and as we often got into little scrapes over the years, we were called the three terrors by some masters. Choir robes hid very unangelic kids!
You won't regret it if you can swing a trip. How long does it take to fly from Australia to England? Coincidentally, my younger brother is flying to Australia tomorrow.
@@TwoDisneyDudes It takes 22 hours to get to the UK from Australia. Yikes! LOL Hope your brother has fun in Australia and is not landing in a flood affected area :)
I went to school with someone whose dad was a steeplejack and fell off Westminster Abbey and survived by landing on all the bags of pigeon crap they had collected. Late 60's early 70's.
"In Memory of This guy". -William Wilberforce! the famous abolitionist. I dont blame you for missing that though, you are absolutely surrounded by so much history in London. Great videos, really interesting.
Oh yeah, I watched some videos of other people visiting London and I tried to absorb as much information as I could but I couldn’t remember every single tidbit. There’s so much history there. But that’s one of the things I loved about it.
@@TwoDisneyDudes I took the kids to see the British Museum during the last summer holidays ..we had to go back the 2nd day as they were trying to absorb most of it..there is alot there and I am happy that I got them away from the PS4! :)
@@selfaware3940 I don't think I would have been that interested if I was a kid either. I remember I went to Washington DC as a kid and it didn't really register for me. Whereas now I would would enjoy the heck out of it because of all the history. Thankfully as an adult, I can enjoy PS4 and still be a history nerd :-)
William Wilberforce from Yorkshire (MP member of Parliament) lead the fight against slavery - just for your information, one of so many great Yorkshire Folk xxx
That was such a good vlog! I have not been to the British Museum since I was about 10 years old! (100 years ago now 😉😩😄) - the Rosetta Stone was not in a glass case back then! But it was just fab “virtually” wandering around with you, seeing new exhibits etc and a trip to Westminster was also a deep joy - not been there for 30 years either! And what is sooo shocking, is that I love only 15 miles from Central London, a mere 25 minute train ride away! and like most Londoners, we don’t visit it! Seeing the Globe in all its glory was good too - are you aware that it was a fellow American who commandeered the “saving” of the Globe theatre? He has a playhouse named in his honour and his daughter, Zoe, is a well loved and popular actress here. If you did know all this - apologies for stating “the bleeding obvious”! 😫🤣. Have a lovely time in Paris - hope you have a smattering of Parle Francais, as the Parisians CAN be quite a bit rude and will ignore you, if you cannot speak “their” language (and I say this, as I visited with a friend who speaks French fluently, and I know a little bit and they were just sooooo rude with their facial expressions and mannerisms!) and if you think London is expensive, Disneyland Paris is off the scale!! 😱😱😵💫looking forward to your next episode! Xx
Both my husband and I are history nerds and my husband is an art nerd so the British Museum ticked all the boxes for us. And I get it. I live in Colorado but I don't do any of the touristy things here and barely ever go into the mountains unless someone comes to visit. Having said that, if I lived in or near London I would probably go to the museums every so often. I did not know that about the Globe. We were in the process of booking a tour when we realized Much Ado About Nothing was playing so the tour turned into buying tickets for the performance instead.
@@TwoDisneyDudes forgot to give his name! Sam Wanamaker! - much respect to him for saving the Globe, Mr Shakespeare would have bee dead proud! On your next visit you will HAVE to go to Stratford upon Avon! You will see Shakey’s house!
@@weedle30 Oh... I know of Zoe Wanamaker. I didn't realize that was the Zoe you were talking about. I know her from many things but I love her playing Ariadne Oliver in the Poirot series.
I remember that! I'm from Spain but I lived in London for some years as a pre-teen and early teen, about half a century ago (literally) and I was fond of visiting the British Museum. I have touched the Rosetta Stone with my hand. The Disney Dudes really bring back memories.
The reason I thought they were fake planes is because it seem like the same sound over and over like it was a sound effect. But many people have mentioned that it was real plans including Josh in the videos so I was wrong.
As mentioned, Westminster Abbey is an Anglian church. However it is worth visiting the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral, which was completed at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is brick-built in a neo-Byzantine style, and the interior walls are covered in fantastic mosaics and marble. However the upper walls and ceiling are mainly just brick, which provides a contrast to the more colourful lower parts.
It sure reminded me a lot of Catholic churches I've visited in the past so it was easy for me to make that mistake. I guess there's probably a lot of similarities between all old Christian-style churches though, right?
@@TwoDisneyDudes Not surprising as Westminster Abbey would have been a Roman Catholic Church until the sixteenth century, when Henry VIII broke away from Rome. However Westminster Abbey is one of the foremost Anglican churches, where monarchs are crowned and are buried.
We only had a few days so we never got outside the city. However, the next trip we take to England will be entirely outside the city of London. I’d love to see more of the countryside.
Really enjoyed these videos. I live about 40 minutes outside London and I go to London once or twice a month for specific purposes, but there's so much of the touristy areas I've never visited or haven't visited for a long time, so it's cool to see on video like this from an visitor's point of view.
I understand completely. We don’t do the touristy things where I live either. We only go to those places if somebody comes to visit. I guess when you live so close it’s just not that special, right? Even though you know it really is special.
You were not far from Foyles bookstore which I think is the worlds biggest. An identical Globe theatre has been built in Rome. Big shock when I saw that in a park.
The Globe theatre shape is pretty good and a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be. I can see how they'd want to reproduce that all over the world.
@@TwoDisneyDudes The cheap seats (ie no seats at all) are an interesting experience. You are stood right under the stage front for 3.5 hours. Great view of the actors though.
Beautiful, I will be in London in Oct cant wait. Dont know if you have ever been but the Vatican, and Saint Peter’s Basilica, is amazing. That is one church not to miss.
We almost added a couple of days in Rome to this trip but then realized it would be way to crowded of a trip. Our next European trip will be at least a week in Italy so we can go to several different cities. Both my husband and I are history nerds and my husband is a art nerd so we wanted to give Italy an appropriate amount of time rather than try to rush it.
Westminster Abbey is not our most beautiful cathedral, but it was founded in 970 and the first king to be crowned there was King Harold II who was killed at the Battle of Hastings. The crypt of St Martin in the Fields (Trafalgar Square) serves good food. In Whitehall is a memorial to the all the women who served in WW2 - not just in the services, but on the land, and in the factories (it took a man to get it for us :)). Visit St Paul's and look at the inside wall at the West End. They recently cleaned up the Cathedral to get rid of the FILTH left on the walls by all the coal smoke. You would not believe how filthy London was prior to WW2. You can walk down from St. Paul's pass the memorial to the London Fire Brigades which saved the Cathedral in WW2 then cross the River Thames via a foot bridge and your at The Globe Shakespeare Theatre - great productions. Enjoy.
I enjoyed you video, however, I would point out that Westminster Abbey is not a Catholic Cathedral, it is Anglican. Westminster Cathedral nearby, is the Catholic Cathedral for London.
Got it, thanks! As you mentioned, I think I was confusing it for Westminster Cathedral. It sure reminded me a lot of Catholic churches I've visited in the past. I guess there's probably a lot of similarities between all old churches, right?
@Hereandthere andnowinyourface Thanks for defending me but I did say something like "...at most Catholic churches" when we were lighting the candle. But now I know better. The church really did remind me of Catholic churches I had visited in the past but I guess most old Christian-style churches have a similarity.
king henry the eighth fell outwith the then pope and separated the catholic church and the Anglican church so the oldest churches were formally catholic
Thank you so much for the videos. I'm going to London soon and I your video gave me alot to think about. I'm now more excited to see as much as I can ❤️❤️
@@TwoDisneyDudes I've been doing the same thing but your videos have been the most informative so far for me. Im so excited to finally go. 🤗🤗 Thanks again for fantastic content 🤗🤗🤗
The first lions for Trafalgar Square were too small, and they were bought by Titus Salt for his mill village Saltaire near Bradford… where they are still on display, just up from the David Hockney gallery in his (former) mill.
Ahh... good advice. I noticed after a while that I could avoid the flickering by zooming in or out a little so it wasn't too bad. But I didn't know about the Pal setting.
We didn't do everything we would have liked to but were happy with what we were able to accomplish. But not doing everything in one go gives us a reason to go back.
I've just seen your videos. As a Londoner I'd like to say it was fab to watch such a lovely couple enjoying my city's history - i even learn't a couple of things myself. No disrespect to noisey french school kids but if all tourists were like yourselves I'd spend more time in town having a chat with the city visitors!
Thanks for the kind words. No matter where I'm travelling I just try to be polite and respectful. We tried very hard not to be "typical" American tourists but I'm sure we failed on occasion.
The trouble is with London there is so much to see museums history green parks there's history each corner you turn around but you have to know. But I hope you enjoyed yourselves 🇺🇲♥️🇬🇧
That’s how we felt. Everywhere we turned there was some old building that I knew must have an incredible history but I would be spending my entire day looking buildings up on Google so it wouldn’t be practical. Sometimes you just have to enjoy it without knowing everything about it, right.
Really nice vids. So much more you could have seen! The Victoria and Albert museum! Sunset from the Shard beats the London eye hands down! The natural history museum, the Tate gallery and Tate Modern! Camden market as well as Covent Garden! I know you didnt have much time - round two is a must !
Incredible the names of people buried at Westminster. You may not have known all of em yourselves, but just the writers alone , are many of the biggest names in literature ever.
Did you guys know that if you get a license to go mudlarking in the Thames, then it's entirely possible that you would find pottery /coins/ pipes/ hairpins etc etc that are hundreds of years old! 🤗 the Thames is literally a treasure trove just waiting to be explored.... But incredibly muddy! 😳😂 I actually used to go fishing down in the mud, right next to where I lived near hammersmith bridge as a child and I've gotten stuck knee deep into that mud on multiple occasions! 😂 I also once found a handbag full of cash! 😏❤🇬🇧❤ greetings from London and hopefully you guys return soon? 🙏❤🇬🇧❤
Wow... I had no idea you could do this. That does sound like a fun, non-standard activity to do when on vacation. If I had my wish, I'd be on the next flight to London but I have to work to afford my vacations. Now that we've been away a few months, I find myself missing London a lot.
Oooohhh. You missed "Gordon's Wine Bar". It's right there by Charring Cross Station. I know you couldn't hit everything, but it's a very special wine bar. London's oldest, I think.
William Wilberforce was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming an independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire.
I know a lot about this guy now from the comments but I didn't know who he was when I saw his name (obviously). I did do some research but I couldn't remember every single name.
Thoroughly enjoyed your London vlogs. I’m from Manchester and would always recommend as we have so much history & uniqueness here. we are also only an hour or so from the Lake District and 1.5 hours from York. You could definitely get a few amazing cities done over a couple of days here. Have an amazing time in Paris!! 😁
@@TwoDisneyDudes I rarely watch UA-cam videos that are longer than ten minutes but I've watched all your London ones and I'm now waiting for your Paris one(s) to be uploaded. Even though I live in London I didn't get bored once and even picked up the odd fact or two that I didn't know, or had forgotten. Well done!
Another very interesting video from you. The British Museum also houses one of the Seven Wonders of the (ancient) World. Which I always think is extraordinary!
We enjoyed the British museum so much. I could have spent days there but you get to a point in a single day where you just don't want to read another placard. If I lived in London, I would go all the time because I'm a history nerd and my husband is an art history nerd.
I attend a small church that was once in a tiny village called Willen, in Buckinghamshire. Willen is now part of the new city of Milton Keynes in the UK. It was quite an unusual church for a village, as most villages have churches that date back to medieval times. Ours dates back to only 1660. The person who owned most of the land around that area and who paid for the church to be built was a chap called William Busby and his tomb is in Westminster Abbey. He was the headmaster of Westminster School, and he set up a trust in Westminster to look after his church. So, a link has remained to this day between Westminster Abbey and Willen Church. A few years ago our church members were invited to attend an evensong at Westminster, and afterwards were given a private tour of the abbey, when it was closed to other visitors. So I have some wonderful photos of Westminster Abbey without the tourists. I felt very privileged.
That sounds like an incredible experience. I can only imagine what it would be like to wander around in there with only a few people rather than trying to navigate all the crowds and trying to not being someone’s way all the time.
It's called TK Maxx in the UK because there is a similar store called TJ Hughes and when TJ Maxx launched in the UK in the 90s they didn't want people to confuse the two
I absolutely agree. I’d like to do some more London but I’d really like to get outside of the city to see the countryside as well as Ireland and Scotland.
Pre covid a NZer created a replica Globe and for several summer seasons we were lucky enough to experience Shakespeare's plays in the round. They were so successful they extended the run before taking it around the world to do the same thing. However, Covid came along so I don't think they got very far.
Someone else had mentioned that in the comments and that his daughter is the actress, Zoe Wanamaker. What great info! We were originally going to book the tour, where we probably would have heard this info. But when we found out that the show was going, we booked that instead.
I am glad you were able to watch a performance at The Globe Theatre. There are times that you are under the flight path of Heathrow airport. So those planes you heard were real.
I thought they were fake because it seemed like the same sound every time like it was a sound effect. But many people have said that it was real planes so I believe them.
Yes, it was expensive for a single meal but it was worth it for the experience one time. I'll never do it again though. Also, it was that much for two people, which is still a lot but not as much as many other afternoon teas that I looked into prior to the trip.
If you're traveling around Europe. Get a o2 sim card (major network in uk) or look for the smaller ones as they will for about £15 (20usd) get you unlimited text/calls/data in the UK but also across most of Europe too (data capped at 25gb per month in Europe). Note Vodafone, 3, and we do not include European roaming)
I did a lot of research before we went and was planning on either O2 or Orange since they were highly recommended by various websites. But we settled on Google Fi. We got to keep our number rather than have a different number on the sim card and it was cheaper than our existing service.
@@TwoDisneyDudes oh yeah of course, but for those without traveling to UK these are the best along with voxi (piggyback off Vodafone) and smarty (piggyback off Three) . Orange technically don't exhist and merged with T-Mobile and became EE but does not offer inclusive roaming in UK. (Might do from France.) If you ever need a UK number with Google fi I reccomed hush. It's how to get in virtual Ques in Disney as Ur get a USA number for just 2usd.
the British Museum exhibits were collected with the approval of the local rulers unfortunately they were not either Greek or Egyptian so there is an ownership problem
I'm conflicted about the items there. On the one hand, they belong to the people of the origin country. On the other hand, they are well cared for and free for anyone to enjoy. If they were returned to their home countries, would that still be true? Probably not. So I'm more in favor of keeping them in the British Museum but I also understand why some people may feel differently.
@@TwoDisneyDudes I agree, and as I’ve just said in another comment, many of these artefacts were discovered by British archaeologists in the first place, and much of the interest in them has only developed retrospectively in their countries of origin since they now realise the world wants to see them, so I think the whole debate is rather hypocritical and disingenuous.
I’m glad you liked my terrible joke. I really did think that the planes were part of the soundtrack but I guess I was wrong. It just seemed like the same plane noise all the time like it was a recording.
Stumbled across your videos by accident and, as a Londoner, am really enjoying this series…makes me want to explore my own city a bit more! One point though….Westminster Abbey is Anglican / Church of England, not Catholic. The Catholic Westminster Cathedral is down the road, towards Victoria Station….
I was told by other commenters that it was built as a Catholic church originally so that's way it has so many Catholic-like influences. But I guess almost all very old churches have a similar feel no matter the denomination.
@@TwoDisneyDudes You’re right, it’s all Henry VIII's fault, breaking away from the Catholic Church & creating the Church of England, just so he could divorce wife number 1 and remarry… Westminster Abbey was Catholic before his reformation. Thanks agin for the videos - I’m really enjoying them!
I enjoyed your video! I was at the Globe on the same night when the guy broke his ankle! Did you also notice that Beatrice cut her arm during the volleyball scene? It was certainly eventful - I have seen many show there and never such real life drama. The planes flying overhead are absolutely real - not special effects. One time a helicopter hovered above the globe for the whole play. The night you were there was only the second or third performance and I agree the water was distracting - I told the staff and I think they will change it. Nothing they can do about the flight path! You should have seen the play in the pit for the authentic experience - I always do and it has always made it so special. Glad you enjoyed your time in London!
Thanks for watching! No, I didn't see Beatrice cut her arm. Wow... so much going on in that one performance. We thought about getting spots in the pit but decided that after walking around so much the three days prior that it might be nice to sit for the length of the play. But it did seem to be more exciting down by the stage.
This is so strange you had that happen at the play, i had something similar when i went to see Finding Neverland in New York City, we had a member of the audience collapse and the play was stopped while medics and firemen arrived to collect them!
It made for a memorable performance. We've seen a lot of plays at community, regional, national, and now London theaters and this was the first time something like this happened so it was noteworthy.
TK Maxx is so named in the UK because we used to have a chain store called TJ Hughes, so they wanted to avoid any confusion. That said, apparently it's called TK Maxx everywhere but North America, so I don't know how that happened! 🤷 😁
When you're in Trafalgar Square look at the plinth at the base of Nelson's Column. On the side facing up The Strand you will see a Black man bottom left - part of the Royal Navy crew. In the West Indies in 18th century slaves might escape from the plantations and make for the Royal Navy ships because the decks of those ships were classed as British soil, where slavery did not exist. They would ask if crew were required, and were generally welcomed because of their strength, discipline and attitude.
Very good video! I've not been to Westminster, looked lovely. I am not a religious person either but I love cathedrals and old churches especially roman they have an amazing atmosphere and they are always cold LOL
That’s exactly how I feel. You don’t have to be a religious person to appreciate gorgeous religious art or beautiful architecture. Those kinds of things transcend religion or spirituality. Anyone can enjoy them.
There were so many other parks we would have like to visit. So much to see and so little time. It's on the list for the next trip. Thanks for the suggestion!
No idea how you got here but glad i did , Thank you for the positive and honest reviews you have gave to our great city. Please re-visit the rest of the UK . we have so much more to show you ( If USA had paid its taxes this history could of been yours too lol ) Happy travels
Thanks for watching! Our next trip will be outside London. I'd like to see more of the countryside and get to Ireland and Scotland. We thought about it on this trip but we were already trying to cram too much into the trip as it was.
It only rained a little bit and we were fairly dry by the time we got to the Globe. I don't mind being a little we but I hate it when my shoes and socks get soaked. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
There are lots of grave markers and memorials set into the floor of Westminster Abbey. You can walk on all of them EXCEPT the grave of the unknown soldier. No one steps on that; even the Queen walks around it.
That makes sense. Even if you’re a monarch you should still respect the people that have died for your country. I don’t think all leaders always think that way, which is sad.
William Wilberforce was the man who as a Member of Parliament led the abolition of slavery.
Thanks for the info! I started to web search some names I came across and then realized I'd be web searching the whole time rather than enjoying the sites.
@@TwoDisneyDudes You should also visit St Paul's Cathedral. The dome is 360 ft high. Pretty impressive for a 17th century building.
From my home city
Yes, in this day and age, William Wilberforce is one of the most revered names from that time period. His activities in Parliament culminated in the abolition of slavery across the British Empire in 1833.
Came from Hull East Yorkshire
My brother worked at the museum his entire working life. His position in security meant that when we had family or friends from abroad we got a free private tour of the museum after it was closed to the public. Was amazing.
Oh wow... a private tour would be amazing. Dang... I never know the right people. LOL
Very enjoyable Vlog, great to see a relaxed tour around London.
One thing I found when visiting London and in general most European cities is don’t spend a fortune on accommodation, like you said you are never really there most of the time, the accommodation is really just a place to have a shower and sleep, the time on any holiday or vacation is about seeing the place you are not the accommodation.
👍👍👍👍👍
I agree with this and knowing what I know now I easily could have gotten away with a less expensive hotel more on the outskirts of town. Having said that, I was very happy with the hotel on this trip. I would just make different choices next time.
Thanks for sharing your 3 days in London guys, I’ve really enjoyed following you around. I’m from the UK and lived in London for 20 years so none of this is new to me but it’s always nice to hear how visitors experience our capital city. Hope you have fun in Paris 😊
Thanks for the kind words. It's amazing to me that people just live in that city and are around buildings that are centuries old and it's just normal for them. I'm sure you just get used to it after a while.
@@TwoDisneyDudes Yes, when you’ve lived here your whole life you completely take it for granted and it doesn’t even register with you on a day to day basis that you’re surrounded by things that are centuries or even thousands of years old. It takes an outsider’s perspective like yours for us to realise how special it is.
Without doubt the most informative and entertaining vlogs I have seen of my favourite city! So relaxed, so knowledgeable, and so respectful. I binge watched all your videos of London. Thank you so much ❤
Thank you for watching! I really enjoyed my time in London and can’t wait to go back.
Me too 👍🏻
Your Vlogs are amazing can not wait for the next one thank you i had a great time watching from Scotland xx
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the kind words.
I have just finished all 3 of your London videos. I loved your great balance between pre-planning research and your discovery of the unexpected and new. The result was a tour that was knowledgable without being 'know-it-all'. As someone who lived in and just outside London for many years, it was great to see it through your eyes. Hope the Paris leg goes well!
Thank you for the kind words. I enjoy preplanning but I don’t like to over plan and I want to be spontaneous and surprised in the moment. But at the same time I want to make sure that we get the most out of our time there so it’s a balance.
Hope you are enjoying being here in The UK. Things may be a bit expensive in the capital but I work on the theory that you may never pass this way again and as long as you enjoy the things you do and eat then its money well spent.
That's exactly how we felt: money well spent. We knew we'd be hanging around tourist spots and that prices would be more as a result. But we made sure to save up enough spending money that we weren't grousing about every price of every item or meal we bought.
Just found you guys yesterday (Subscribed immediately). Your London videos have taken me back to my very first visit to the UK in 1968...have been many, many, many times since. Should you ever return to the UK you should try visiting York...(2 hrs by train)...I was always a hardcore London fan until I was introduced to York and North Yorkshire. Eager to see your Paris videos...another of my favorite cities.
Our next trip will be almost exclusively outside the city. York is on the list now.
I was born/live in North Yorkshire ~ so glad you love it too 😍
Piccadilly used to be festooned with billboards, lights then later neon on every facade and into Leicester Square from the 1920s -70s, but gradually they were taken down to reveal the beautiful buildings beneath, some of which they had no idea what would look like. One corner remains out of 'tradition'.
Thanks for the info! I was expecting it to be more like Times Square with billboards in every direction but Piccadilly was a lot more classy by comparison.
Great videos, thank you for sharing. Heading to London next month and your videos have been a great help 😍
Thanks for the kind words! I hope you have a great of a time as we did on your trip.
My wife and I spent part of our honeymoon in London about 30 years ago. Thanks for showing me how things have changed as well as awakening precious memories. Yeah, I had to see the Rosetta Stone when we visited the British Museum. A few years later, we did a trip down the Nile and then visited the Egyptian Museum, another unforgettable experience. Great little series of videos...you really make it feel like we are with you on the journey.
Thank you for the kind words! I hope that in 30 years Josh and I can look back on this trip as fondly as you remember yours.
Just subscribed! I’ll be going to London in two weeks time and you both hit a lot of the spots I’m planning to see, so it’s been really fun watching! And I also watched Joolz Guides!!! He’s so quirky and fun to watch! 💕
Also seeing the same exact play at the Globe! So excited to see that too!!
I hope you have a great time on your trip. And I hope none of the actors get injured and delay your play. Although it made for a very memorable performance, I feel really bad for the poor actor who had to go to the emergency room.
@@TwoDisneyDudes thank you sweetheart! I hope not, especially since I haven’t seen the play before. I definitely would’ve been one of the confused noobies in the audience. 😅
@@RheaM Oh yeah... the ending of that play is convoluted even if you watch the whole thing so I'm sure it made no sense at all to some of the people in that audience.
Thank you - lovely to sit in saigon and remember living in london with your informative and entertaining videos
Thank you for watching! Saigon is on the list of cities I would love to visit sometime.
Loved you love history. Great vlog😊
Ha ha... I'm a history nerd so I enjoy looking and exploring historical items and sites. And London has a bunch!
Thanks for the video chaps...Great to see you having a good time exploring our little isle...Big fan here of the USA...Travelled extensively throughout the US on vacations...Covered 43 contiguous states by car...numerous road trips since 1990 in the US...Great video chaps...Big thanks for the upload...have fun, safe travelling!
Wow… You’ve seen more of the United States and I have and I live here. Lol
good shout out to Joolz guides his vids are pretty good. I have lived / worked in london all my life and travelled far and wide round the globe - as capital cities go london is a pretty good place to visit - some things very expensive but you can walk around for free and visit lots of galleries and museums for free. I hope you enjoyed it. A play at the globe is a great experience - great choice to pay for the cushions and beer or wine it is well worth it to avoid numb bum. another good theatre choice in summer is the open air theatre in regents park depending on what is showing.
I would have loved to see more theatre while we were there but we didn't want to spend the whole trip in a theatre. If I lived there, I'd go all the time (cost permitting). We prioritized the places that cost money since we had the London Pass but I'd love to go back and see a lot of the free galleries, especially the Tate Modern.
So much to see and so much history and tradition.
Saw Romeo and Juliet at the Globe one summer evening, grab a cushion when in the seated area.
£2 for a cushion was a great investment. I don’t think it would have been terrible but the cushion definitely made it better.
@@TwoDisneyDudes - I once did the £10 ticket standing, 3 hours lol....... killed me.
I am so impressed how you managed to cram so much in with just three days to spare. A real balance of activities that were all very interesting. I enjoyed this series of videos, the commentary was nicely paced and informative. I am now off to watch the Paris video!
Thanks so much for the kind words. I think I've gotten better with my videos over time but I'm sure sometimes it's still very amateurish.
You should get the Uber taxi boat going west next time and hop off at Battersea Power Station. It's a new development on the old power station site with many restaurants including a Gordon Ramsay pizza restaurant where you can get a bottomless all you can eat pizza for £15. Plus there's a lovely fish restaurant called Wrights overlooking the Thames which offers a 2 course lunch special for less than £20. The views of the architecture along that side of the river are much nicer also. You could probably walk across Battersea Bridge towards the Kings Road back to your hotel from there. The bridge is lit up at night-time with big clear lightbulbs which is beautiful.
We weren't sure which direction to go when we got on the boat and probably made the wrong choice LOL. Wrights sounds like a great place to eat so I'll put that on the list for next time.
A slight correction, the bridge next to the Power Station that's lit up at night is Chelsea Bridge, not Battersea Bridge. Then the next bridge heading west (and also lit up at night) is Albert Bridge, with Battersea Bridge being the next bridge after that.
Uber are the devil incarnate. They are destroying local business, and seriously underpaying their employees wherever they are in the world. Please don't use them
@@andybaker2456 I must have walked over battersea bridge a thousand times in my younger days when I lived on batt bridge road while working for BT on the opposite bank.
@@TheCornishCockney I lived just off Battersea Bridge Road, in Westbridge Road. 😊
The Catholic Cathedral - Westminster Cathedral - is near Victoria Station. It was completed in 1903. The front entrance is interesting. Westminster Abbey is Church of England.
Got it, thanks! I think I was confusing it for a Catholic church because it reminded me so much of other churches I've been in that were Catholic. I think most old churches probably have a lot of similarities, right?
@@TwoDisneyDudes an easy mistake to make.
@@TwoDisneyDudes yes. A few CoE cathedrals have the candles. There’s a few CoE churches with incense swirling overhead, too.
@@TwoDisneyDudes Westminster Abbey was Catholic when it was first built like all medieval churches in England. It only became Anglican after the Reformation (Henry VIII and all that). So your instincts were right.
Love your videos guys
Hi Guys! Just finished watching your London Vlog series and I absolutely love them!
Also, love that you enjoyed your visit(s) to New York City! I’m a proud New Yorker 😊
Thanks for the kind words! I love visiting New York. We probably won't be back to NY until Christmas this year though.
@@TwoDisneyDudes My pleasure! Cannot wait to see the rest of your trip!
NYC is amazing during Christmas time! Take care, D
@@dimplestraveldiary8954 For me,the best Christmas is in Germany (I’m a Londoner) where they start with all the street events roughly from the first week of December.
I lived and worked in Bavaria for 4 years.
Gluewein is very more-ish but then your legs disobey you.
The food is great and the people are super happy,spent 4 Christmasses there and loved it.
Had a week in Vienna one year and that was also amazing.
But as a native Londoner,I think we edge it overall simply for our meticulous protection of history,in fact,the entire country outside of the cities is utterly beautiful with protected land,monuments,architecture and wildlife.
Most European countries are easy and cheap to travel to from the London hub,fly,train,drive or boat.
Great vlog,very professional shooting.
Good job fellas.
Welcome back anytime.
@@TheCornishCockney London is on my bucket list to visit at Christmas time! I’ve seen all a lot of pics and see the beauty of it. I would love to do a Christmas vacation in Europe. I’ve read that the Christmas markets are amazing. Thank you Cockney Red!
In glasgow it was police box Linda like dr who I remember left uk 75 for canada
What a great video! I live just outside London and always wanted to visit Westminster Abbey. I’m definitely going to visit now! Thank you for taking us with you!
Westminster Abbey was a highlight of the trip. I hope you like it as much as I did.
Baker st we did years ago stayed bed breakfast hotel
Hey guys. Loved your blog of London, hope you had a good time.
About the TKMaxx thing....there’s company here called TJ Hughes. So to avoid confusion TJMaxx was called TKMaxx over here.
Thanks for the info! I knew there must be some reason but I never looked it up.
@@TwoDisneyDudes you're welcome! Have a fabulous time in Paris. Look forward to the blog 😀
Yes, Westminster Abbey, actually called The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican (Episcopal) church, like Washington National Cathedral, and not a Roman Catholic church. I sang evensing here, five evenings a week, from aged eight to 13, plus Sung Eucharist on Sundays, and lots of state services, etc. Even after six years, it was still a rush to lead worship at this 1100 yr old church, especially at royal weddings, and other big events. We 28 boys attended a school, just for us, right next to the Abbey. Our subject class sizes were just four to six boys. I had two roomies, and as we often got into little scrapes over the years, we were called the three terrors by some masters. Choir robes hid very unangelic kids!
I thought it was incredible experience just touring the building. What an even more incredible experience it must be to sing in that church.
Great 3 day tour guys. I'll have to get over there from Australia one day :)
You won't regret it if you can swing a trip. How long does it take to fly from Australia to England? Coincidentally, my younger brother is flying to Australia tomorrow.
@@TwoDisneyDudes It takes 22 hours to get to the UK from Australia. Yikes! LOL Hope your brother has fun in Australia and is not landing in a flood affected area :)
I think this is the beautiful musiem hope many people enjoying visit and thanks you for your share my friend 💚🎉!!
Yes, all the art inside is amazing but the building is also a work of art in and of itself.
Brilliant again gents, love your style of travel vlog.
Thanks so much for the kind words!
I went to school with someone whose dad was a steeplejack and fell off Westminster Abbey and survived by landing on all the bags of pigeon crap they had collected. Late 60's early 70's.
Ha… that’s unlucky and lucky at the same time.
"In Memory of This guy". -William Wilberforce! the famous abolitionist. I dont blame you for missing that though, you are absolutely surrounded by so much history in London.
Great videos, really interesting.
Oh yeah, I watched some videos of other people visiting London and I tried to absorb as much information as I could but I couldn’t remember every single tidbit. There’s so much history there. But that’s one of the things I loved about it.
@@TwoDisneyDudes I took the kids to see the British Museum during the last summer holidays ..we had to go back the 2nd day as they were trying to absorb most of it..there is alot there and I am happy that I got them away from the PS4! :)
@@selfaware3940 I don't think I would have been that interested if I was a kid either. I remember I went to Washington DC as a kid and it didn't really register for me. Whereas now I would would enjoy the heck out of it because of all the history. Thankfully as an adult, I can enjoy PS4 and still be a history nerd :-)
William Wilberforce from Yorkshire (MP member of Parliament) lead the fight against slavery - just for your information, one of so many great Yorkshire Folk xxx
Love the music you used around the 20:00 mark. Very soothing.
Thanks! It seemed like good music for scenes from a church.
That was such a good vlog! I have not been to the British Museum since I was about 10 years old! (100 years ago now 😉😩😄) - the Rosetta Stone was not in a glass case back then! But it was just fab “virtually” wandering around with you, seeing new exhibits etc and a trip to Westminster was also a deep joy - not been there for 30 years either! And what is sooo shocking, is that I love only 15 miles from Central London, a mere 25 minute train ride away! and like most Londoners, we don’t visit it! Seeing the Globe in all its glory was good too - are you aware that it was a fellow American who commandeered the “saving” of the Globe theatre? He has a playhouse named in his honour and his daughter, Zoe, is a well loved and popular actress here. If you did know all this - apologies for stating “the bleeding obvious”! 😫🤣. Have a lovely time in Paris - hope you have a smattering of Parle Francais, as the Parisians CAN be quite a bit rude and will ignore you, if you cannot speak “their” language (and I say this, as I visited with a friend who speaks French fluently, and I know a little bit and they were just sooooo rude with their facial expressions and mannerisms!) and if you think London is expensive, Disneyland Paris is off the scale!! 😱😱😵💫looking forward to your next episode! Xx
Both my husband and I are history nerds and my husband is an art nerd so the British Museum ticked all the boxes for us. And I get it. I live in Colorado but I don't do any of the touristy things here and barely ever go into the mountains unless someone comes to visit. Having said that, if I lived in or near London I would probably go to the museums every so often. I did not know that about the Globe. We were in the process of booking a tour when we realized Much Ado About Nothing was playing so the tour turned into buying tickets for the performance instead.
@@TwoDisneyDudes forgot to give his name! Sam Wanamaker! - much respect to him for saving the Globe, Mr Shakespeare would have bee dead proud! On your next visit you will HAVE to go to Stratford upon Avon! You will see Shakey’s house!
@@weedle30 Oh... I know of Zoe Wanamaker. I didn't realize that was the Zoe you were talking about. I know her from many things but I love her playing Ariadne Oliver in the Poirot series.
@@TwoDisneyDudes she was in Harry Potter too my grandad got to work with her and she’s super sweet
I remember that! I'm from Spain but I lived in London for some years as a pre-teen and early teen, about half a century ago (literally) and I was fond of visiting the British Museum. I have touched the Rosetta Stone with my hand. The Disney Dudes really bring back memories.
Love the history of England
I am a history nerd so I love all history but I don’t always remember exactly correctly.
Another enjoyable tour of London in good company. Hope ye have a great time in Paris.
Thanks so much! The first Paris video will be out next week.
The Globe Theatre (UK spelling) is under the flight path for City airport, so you were definitely hearing actual planes
The reason I thought they were fake planes is because it seem like the same sound over and over like it was a sound effect. But many people have mentioned that it was real plans including Josh in the videos so I was wrong.
As mentioned, Westminster Abbey is an Anglian church. However it is worth visiting the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral, which was completed at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is brick-built in a neo-Byzantine style, and the interior walls are covered in fantastic mosaics and marble. However the upper walls and ceiling are mainly just brick, which provides a contrast to the more colourful lower parts.
It sure reminded me a lot of Catholic churches I've visited in the past so it was easy for me to make that mistake. I guess there's probably a lot of similarities between all old Christian-style churches though, right?
@@TwoDisneyDudes Not surprising as Westminster Abbey would have been a Roman Catholic Church until the sixteenth century, when Henry VIII broke away from Rome. However Westminster Abbey is one of the foremost Anglican churches, where monarchs are crowned and are buried.
@@chrismackett9044 Not to mention married, e.g. The Princess Royal, Prince William, and not least the Queen herself.
hope you guys have time to visit Liverpool?
We only had a few days so we never got outside the city. However, the next trip we take to England will be entirely outside the city of London. I’d love to see more of the countryside.
Really enjoyed these videos. I live about 40 minutes outside London and I go to London once or twice a month for specific purposes, but there's so much of the touristy areas I've never visited or haven't visited for a long time, so it's cool to see on video like this from an visitor's point of view.
I understand completely. We don’t do the touristy things where I live either. We only go to those places if somebody comes to visit. I guess when you live so close it’s just not that special, right? Even though you know it really is special.
You were not far from Foyles bookstore which I think is the worlds biggest. An identical Globe theatre has been built in Rome. Big shock when I saw that in a park.
The Globe theatre shape is pretty good and a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be. I can see how they'd want to reproduce that all over the world.
@@TwoDisneyDudes The cheap seats (ie no seats at all) are an interesting experience. You are stood right under the stage front for 3.5 hours. Great view of the actors though.
Beautiful, I will be in London in Oct cant wait. Dont know if you have ever been but the Vatican, and Saint Peter’s Basilica, is amazing. That is one church not to miss.
We almost added a couple of days in Rome to this trip but then realized it would be way to crowded of a trip. Our next European trip will be at least a week in Italy so we can go to several different cities. Both my husband and I are history nerds and my husband is a art nerd so we wanted to give Italy an appropriate amount of time rather than try to rush it.
@@TwoDisneyDudes It's a shame Notre Dame Cathedral isn't reopening until 2024 because it's spectacular inside. Worth returning to Paris for.
@@pureb7235 I agree. I would really have liked to go inside just in case I never get back to Paris.
Westminster Abbey is not our most beautiful cathedral, but it was founded in 970 and the first king to be crowned there was King Harold II who was killed at the Battle of Hastings. The crypt of St Martin in the Fields (Trafalgar Square) serves good food. In Whitehall is a memorial to the all the women who served in WW2 - not just in the services, but on the land, and in the factories (it took a man to get it for us :)). Visit St Paul's and look at the inside wall at the West End. They recently cleaned up the Cathedral to get rid of the FILTH left on the walls by all the coal smoke. You would not believe how filthy London was prior to WW2. You can walk down from St. Paul's pass the memorial to the London Fire Brigades which saved the Cathedral in WW2 then cross the River Thames via a foot bridge and your at The Globe Shakespeare Theatre - great productions. Enjoy.
@@Insperato62 thanks for the information
I enjoyed you video, however, I would point out that Westminster Abbey is not a Catholic Cathedral, it is Anglican. Westminster Cathedral nearby, is the Catholic Cathedral for London.
Got it, thanks! As you mentioned, I think I was confusing it for Westminster Cathedral. It sure reminded me a lot of Catholic churches I've visited in the past. I guess there's probably a lot of similarities between all old churches, right?
Yea when england broke away from the Catholic Church and started the church of england many of the same practices were kept
@Hereandthere andnowinyourface Thanks for defending me but I did say something like "...at most Catholic churches" when we were lighting the candle. But now I know better. The church really did remind me of Catholic churches I had visited in the past but I guess most old Christian-style churches have a similarity.
king henry the eighth fell outwith the then pope and separated the catholic church and the Anglican church so the oldest churches were formally catholic
called the reformation
Rotunda is such a great word☺
Haha… Vocabulary it’s fun.
Thank you so much for the videos. I'm going to London soon and I your video gave me alot to think about. I'm now more excited to see as much as I can
❤️❤️
Thanks for the kind words. I watched a lot of videos like these before I went and they were very helpful in planning the trip.
@@TwoDisneyDudes I've been doing the same thing but your videos have been the most informative so far for me. Im so excited to finally go. 🤗🤗 Thanks again for fantastic content 🤗🤗🤗
The lions in Trafalgar Square are built from the French Napoleonic ships cannons that were captured by Nelsons Fleet.
Wow... that is a great tidbit of info. Thanks for sharing.
A source of major pride,but then,there are so many.
I thank God I was born and grew up on our magnificent rock in the North Atlantic.
The first lions for Trafalgar Square were too small, and they were bought by Titus Salt for his mill village Saltaire near Bradford… where they are still on display, just up from the David Hockney gallery in his (former) mill.
Wow, great info! I didn't know there were original lions.
you can change your camera settings to "Pal" that will sort out the flickering
Ahh... good advice. I noticed after a while that I could avoid the flickering by zooming in or out a little so it wasn't too bad. But I didn't know about the Pal setting.
@@TwoDisneyDudes just remember to change it back to NTSC when back in US
I hope our City offered you all you expected. Lovely to have you here.
We didn't do everything we would have liked to but were happy with what we were able to accomplish. But not doing everything in one go gives us a reason to go back.
Really enjoyed your films guys..
Really interesting..thanks.
Thank you for the kind words!
I've just seen your videos. As a Londoner I'd like to say it was fab to watch such a lovely couple enjoying my city's history - i even learn't a couple of things myself. No disrespect to noisey french school kids but if all tourists were like yourselves I'd spend more time in town having a chat with the city visitors!
Thanks for the kind words. No matter where I'm travelling I just try to be polite and respectful. We tried very hard not to be "typical" American tourists but I'm sure we failed on occasion.
The trouble is with London there is so much to see museums history green parks there's history each corner you turn around but you have to know. But I hope you enjoyed yourselves 🇺🇲♥️🇬🇧
That’s how we felt. Everywhere we turned there was some old building that I knew must have an incredible history but I would be spending my entire day looking buildings up on Google so it wouldn’t be practical. Sometimes you just have to enjoy it without knowing everything about it, right.
Really nice vids. So much more you could have seen! The Victoria and Albert museum! Sunset from the Shard beats the London eye hands down! The natural history museum, the Tate gallery and Tate Modern! Camden market as well as Covent Garden! I know you didnt have much time - round two is a must !
I especially would have liked to have seen the Tate Modern but only so much time and so much to do already. It's just an excuse to go back, right?
Very enjoyable V logs. Have a safe trip to Paris.
Thanks so much!
Incredible the names of people buried at Westminster. You may not have known all of em yourselves, but just the writers alone , are many of the biggest names in literature ever.
I knew some but not all of them. It really was mind-boggling the greats that are either buried or honored there.
Did you guys know that if you get a license to go mudlarking in the Thames, then it's entirely possible that you would find pottery /coins/ pipes/ hairpins etc etc that are hundreds of years old! 🤗 the Thames is literally a treasure trove just waiting to be explored.... But incredibly muddy! 😳😂
I actually used to go fishing down in the mud, right next to where I lived near hammersmith bridge as a child and I've gotten stuck knee deep into that mud on multiple occasions! 😂 I also once found a handbag full of cash! 😏❤🇬🇧❤ greetings from London and hopefully you guys return soon? 🙏❤🇬🇧❤
Wow... I had no idea you could do this. That does sound like a fun, non-standard activity to do when on vacation. If I had my wish, I'd be on the next flight to London but I have to work to afford my vacations. Now that we've been away a few months, I find myself missing London a lot.
When did you guys go over there ?
We were in London from April 23 through April 26 and then we went to Paris until May 1.
@@TwoDisneyDudes Oh wow, you really did experience the UK.
Oooohhh. You missed "Gordon's Wine Bar". It's right there by Charring Cross Station. I know you couldn't hit everything, but it's a very special wine bar. London's oldest, I think.
Thanks for the suggestion! It's on the list for next time. There is so much to do but so little time.
@@TwoDisneyDudes Just watching "First Day in Paris. Most enjoyable. Thank you.
William Wilberforce was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming an independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire.
I know a lot about this guy now from the comments but I didn't know who he was when I saw his name (obviously). I did do some research but I couldn't remember every single name.
Thoroughly enjoyed your London vlogs. I’m from Manchester and would always recommend as we have so much history & uniqueness here. we are also only an hour or so from the Lake District and 1.5 hours from York. You could definitely get a few amazing cities done over a couple of days here. Have an amazing time in Paris!! 😁
Our next trip will be fully outside London. I'd love to see other cities and more of the countryside. So much to see in so little time, right?
Funny you mention Joolz. I was there in 2018 and out of no where I see him in Kensington. He’s huge! He’s least 7 feet tall
He does seem pretty tall in his videos. Like when he standing next to someone they always seem so short but I think it’s because he’s so tall.
Well presented Thank you.
Thanks so much for watching!
@@TwoDisneyDudes I rarely watch UA-cam videos that are longer than ten minutes but I've watched all your London ones and I'm now waiting for your Paris one(s) to be uploaded. Even though I live in London I didn't get bored once and even picked up the odd fact or two that I didn't know, or had forgotten. Well done!
64 years ago, I was baptised in Westminster Cathedral, which is about 10 mins walk from Westminster Abbey.
Wow... it would be amazing to have been baptized in a centuries old church.
Another very interesting video from you. The British Museum also houses one of the Seven Wonders of the (ancient) World. Which I always think is extraordinary!
We enjoyed the British museum so much. I could have spent days there but you get to a point in a single day where you just don't want to read another placard. If I lived in London, I would go all the time because I'm a history nerd and my husband is an art history nerd.
TJ Maxx is called TK Maxx because there is another chain in the uk called ‘TJ Hughes’. So they had to change it to avoid confusion.
This makes sense. I knew there must be a reason but I never looked it up.
I attend a small church that was once in a tiny village called Willen, in Buckinghamshire. Willen is now part of the new city of Milton Keynes in the UK. It was quite an unusual church for a village, as most villages have churches that date back to medieval times. Ours dates back to only 1660. The person who owned most of the land around that area and who paid for the church to be built was a chap called William Busby and his tomb is in Westminster Abbey. He was the headmaster of Westminster School, and he set up a trust in Westminster to look after his church. So, a link has remained to this day between Westminster Abbey and Willen Church. A few years ago our church members were invited to attend an evensong at Westminster, and afterwards were given a private tour of the abbey, when it was closed to other visitors. So I have some wonderful photos of Westminster Abbey without the tourists. I felt very privileged.
That sounds like an incredible experience. I can only imagine what it would be like to wander around in there with only a few people rather than trying to navigate all the crowds and trying to not being someone’s way all the time.
All museum are free in glasgow smart folk will spend money on food drinks shop win win for all
It's called TK Maxx in the UK because there is a similar store called TJ Hughes and when TJ Maxx launched in the UK in the 90s they didn't want people to confuse the two
I knew there must be a reason but I just never looked it up. Thanks for the info. That’s very interesting.
Great video. Three days is no way long enough to visit London. You need to come back. LOL
I absolutely agree. I’d like to do some more London but I’d really like to get outside of the city to see the countryside as well as Ireland and Scotland.
@@TwoDisneyDudes try Cornwall. That's where I live.
Pre covid a NZer created a replica Globe and for several summer seasons we were lucky enough to experience Shakespeare's plays in the round. They were so successful they extended the run before taking it around the world to do the same thing. However, Covid came along so I don't think they got very far.
Wow... that sounds amazing. Yeah, Covid was devastating to many theaters and playhouses here. They are finally starting to come back.
This new Globe Theatre only exists because of Sam Wannamaker (an American) Who got it built a few years ago.
Someone else had mentioned that in the comments and that his daughter is the actress, Zoe Wanamaker. What great info! We were originally going to book the tour, where we probably would have heard this info. But when we found out that the show was going, we booked that instead.
I am glad you were able to watch a performance at The Globe Theatre. There are times that you are under the flight path of Heathrow airport. So those planes you heard were real.
I thought they were fake because it seemed like the same sound every time like it was a sound effect. But many people have said that it was real planes so I believe them.
Nice video. Still can’t believe how much you paid for your afternoon tea. Wow!
I’m still in shock too!! 😳😳😂😂
Yes, it was expensive for a single meal but it was worth it for the experience one time. I'll never do it again though. Also, it was that much for two people, which is still a lot but not as much as many other afternoon teas that I looked into prior to the trip.
The crazy thing is people were actually trying to sell a banksy for a tenner 😂😂
I'm sure it's worth so much more than that as an art piece
If you're traveling around Europe. Get a o2 sim card (major network in uk) or look for the smaller ones as they will for about £15 (20usd) get you unlimited text/calls/data in the UK but also across most of Europe too (data capped at 25gb per month in Europe). Note Vodafone, 3, and we do not include European roaming)
I did a lot of research before we went and was planning on either O2 or Orange since they were highly recommended by various websites. But we settled on Google Fi. We got to keep our number rather than have a different number on the sim card and it was cheaper than our existing service.
@@TwoDisneyDudes oh yeah of course, but for those without traveling to UK these are the best along with voxi (piggyback off Vodafone) and smarty (piggyback off Three) . Orange technically don't exhist and merged with T-Mobile and became EE but does not offer inclusive roaming in UK. (Might do from France.) If you ever need a UK number with Google fi I reccomed hush. It's how to get in virtual Ques in Disney as Ur get a USA number for just 2usd.
All those old buildings built by hand with a hammer and chisel - now power tools. Imagine!
I know. On top of being very old, they are also marvels of construction.
Think they were actual planes. London right under approach to Heathrow airport and and aircraft are only few thousand feet high. Loved your video.
Since the play was set right after WW2 it made sense to me that they might have plane sounds but it turns out you're right... those were real planes!
the British Museum exhibits were collected with the approval of the local rulers unfortunately they were not either Greek or Egyptian so there is an ownership problem
I'm conflicted about the items there. On the one hand, they belong to the people of the origin country. On the other hand, they are well cared for and free for anyone to enjoy. If they were returned to their home countries, would that still be true? Probably not. So I'm more in favor of keeping them in the British Museum but I also understand why some people may feel differently.
@@TwoDisneyDudes I agree, and as I’ve just said in another comment, many of these artefacts were discovered by British archaeologists in the first place, and much of the interest in them has only developed retrospectively in their countries of origin since they now realise the world wants to see them, so I think the whole debate is rather hypocritical and disingenuous.
OK, your Ramesses joke actually made me LOL!
The airplanes were real, just something you have to deal with at open-air theatres.
I’m glad you liked my terrible joke. I really did think that the planes were part of the soundtrack but I guess I was wrong. It just seemed like the same plane noise all the time like it was a recording.
The Globe burned down about ?1610?
I knew this was a replica but I don't know what the circumstances were that caused the old Globe to be destroyed.
great vid, very informative
Thanks for the kind words!
thanks for clearing that up !
Stumbled across your videos by accident and, as a Londoner, am really enjoying this series…makes me want to explore my own city a bit more!
One point though….Westminster Abbey is Anglican / Church of England, not Catholic. The Catholic Westminster Cathedral is down the road, towards Victoria Station….
I was told by other commenters that it was built as a Catholic church originally so that's way it has so many Catholic-like influences. But I guess almost all very old churches have a similar feel no matter the denomination.
@@TwoDisneyDudes You’re right, it’s all Henry VIII's fault, breaking away from the Catholic Church & creating the Church of England, just so he could divorce wife number 1 and remarry… Westminster Abbey was Catholic before his reformation. Thanks agin for the videos - I’m really enjoying them!
LOVE THIS ,
Thank you for watching and the kind words.
They allow photos in the Abbey now?
Yes, you can take photos and some video so long as you're not narrating.
I enjoyed your video! I was at the Globe on the same night when the guy broke his ankle! Did you also notice that Beatrice cut her arm during the volleyball scene? It was certainly eventful - I have seen many show there and never such real life drama. The planes flying overhead are absolutely real - not special effects. One time a helicopter hovered above the globe for the whole play. The night you were there was only the second or third performance and I agree the water was distracting - I told the staff and I think they will change it. Nothing they can do about the flight path! You should have seen the play in the pit for the authentic experience - I always do and it has always made it so special. Glad you enjoyed your time in London!
Thanks for watching! No, I didn't see Beatrice cut her arm. Wow... so much going on in that one performance. We thought about getting spots in the pit but decided that after walking around so much the three days prior that it might be nice to sit for the length of the play. But it did seem to be more exciting down by the stage.
This is so strange you had that happen at the play, i had something similar when i went to see Finding Neverland in New York City, we had a member of the audience collapse and the play was stopped while medics and firemen arrived to collect them!
It made for a memorable performance. We've seen a lot of plays at community, regional, national, and now London theaters and this was the first time something like this happened so it was noteworthy.
Would love to show you / other Americans or other tourists around London or other parts of the UK! It’s so beautiful seeing it through your eyes!
That's a great offer. We did a lot of research but I'm sure it wouldn't equal a tour of London with a local.
I’ll be there in 17 days
I hope you have a great time!
TK Maxx is so named in the UK because we used to have a chain store called TJ Hughes, so they wanted to avoid any confusion. That said, apparently it's called TK Maxx everywhere but North America, so I don't know how that happened! 🤷 😁
Oh, that make sense. I knew there must be an explanation for it.
There’s a vegan place down that side road off Chinatown. Surprisingly good!
I'm not a vegan but there are some vegan dishes that are fantastic.
When you're in Trafalgar Square look at the plinth at the base of Nelson's Column. On the side facing up The Strand you will see a Black man bottom left - part of the Royal Navy crew. In the West Indies in 18th century slaves might escape from the plantations and make for the Royal Navy ships because the decks of those ships were classed as British soil, where slavery did not exist. They would ask if crew were required, and were generally welcomed because of their strength, discipline and attitude.
Wow... this is great info. So much history in every little detail. Thanks for sharing.
Very good video! I've not been to Westminster, looked lovely. I am not a religious person either but I love cathedrals and old churches especially roman they have an amazing atmosphere and they are always cold LOL
That’s exactly how I feel. You don’t have to be a religious person to appreciate gorgeous religious art or beautiful architecture. Those kinds of things transcend religion or spirituality. Anyone can enjoy them.
Welcome to London. Traffic Droid says Hi.👍👍👍
Thanks! Hello.
@@TwoDisneyDudes Enjoy !
Glad you got schooled by Joolz, he’s a fine guide!
His videos were so helpful in planning our trip. Once we decided to do something, we immediately looked to see if he had a guide about it.
Visit postman's park by the barbican
There were so many other parks we would have like to visit. So much to see and so little time. It's on the list for the next trip. Thanks for the suggestion!
No idea how you got here but glad i did , Thank you for the positive and honest reviews you have gave to our great city. Please re-visit the rest of the UK . we have so much more to show you ( If USA had paid its taxes this history could of been yours too lol ) Happy travels
Thanks for watching! Our next trip will be outside London. I'd like to see more of the countryside and get to Ireland and Scotland. We thought about it on this trip but we were already trying to cram too much into the trip as it was.
So you went to the Globe slightly wet?
It only rained a little bit and we were fairly dry by the time we got to the Globe. I don't mind being a little we but I hate it when my shoes and socks get soaked. Thankfully, that didn't happen.