Back home!

Just a short note to say that I'm back home safe and sound. The trip to Minneapolis, like the many little expeditions I took over the last two weeks, went smoothly. I'm very thankful for health and safety during my trip. A cold, the flu, a sprained ankle or anything of the sort could have put a real damper on my time. But nothing like that happened. Sure, I had to deal with a couple of sore feet and blisters early on, but those didn't hinder me from doing what I wanted to do and seeing what I wanted to see. And they (my feet) got better as the trip progressed (plus, they were self-inflicted injuries and therefore something I could control, to some extent). Anyway, all of this is just to acknowledge thankfulness for a trip that went through the two weeks without a glitch, hitch or hindrance.

As for the final hours in London, I tried to nap between midnight and five in the morning, but wasn't very successful. Everything was packed and waiting by the door, so at five I headed down to the desk, checked out (I was told the afternoon before that the desk was always open, 24 hours a day, but I'm afraid I disturbed the slumber of the one on duty when I wanted to check out) and walked over to the Russell Square Underground station. It didn't open until 5:30 (something I hadn't been aware of before hand), so waited about twenty minutes until they opened the gates. From there is was down the lift to the platform and then off in the train for terminal 4 at Heathrow. I think it took about an hour from Russell Square to the airport, so I arrived just as I had hoped, about three hours before flight departure.

I didn't have any luggage to check so got my boarding pass, went through security, and made my way to gate 9. Along the way I spotted a coffee shop so (wanting to use some of the last of my change) I ordered a decaf and blueberry muffin. About twenty minutes later I was back to order another blueberry muffin and a chocolate twist. (My coffee mug was huge, so of course I had to have something to go with it.) Careful planning pretty much paid off; I had less than two pounds left on my Oyster card and about four pounds left in change, most of that in pound coins (that I can use the next time I come to London).

A pleasant surprise, in the person of Phil Styrlund, greeted me at the gate. Phil had been in the UK and other parts of Europe on business, giving a number of keynote addresses to various meetings. He was now on his way home. (We met through our wives; Phil's wife and mine have the exact same birthday and had taught together at Minnehaha Academy.) It was great to see him again and catch up. We both have an interest in C. S. Lewis and English pubs, among other things. He knew about one of the pubs I visited in Portsmouth.

Pretty soon our flight was called and we headed on board and to our seats. We were about ten minutes delayed from our take-off time, but made the time up in the air (cruising most of the time at 40,210 feet, plus or minus a couple of feet). During the flight I watched a couple of movies--Quantum of Solice and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen--and tried to catch a few winks. There was a bit of unexpected turbulence, but all-in-all it was a smooth flight. We had a hard touchdown in Minneapolis, but made it to our gate (G9) without problem. From there it was through Customs and then a call to Beth (who had been skiing earlier in the day with my sister) to pick me up. They were having coffee at IKEA, so it was a short wait for me before they came to get me. And then it was home, to be greeted by Grover (the pooch we've been taking care of for friends).

This was supposed to be a short note--it went on for a bit longer than that--but now I'm home. I'll be back in the office on Monday. Between now and then I'll try to take it easy, watch the high school hockey tournament on television, and try to get my body and spirit back into a new time zone. I was hoping for Spring when I returned. I'll probably get a hint of it this weekend. Yesterday, however, it was about 10 degrees F (-12 C) when we got off the plane. This has been a good old-fashioned Minnesota winter.

Last day in London

Well its just about time to come home. In about ten hours I'll be checking out and heading to the Tube station for the ride to Heathrow airport. I have a mid-morning flight and will arrive back in Minneapolis in the mid-afternoon (I still can't quite work out how that happens when you fly to the west).

I spent most of the day at the Tower of London. That's the White Tower to the left, finished by William the Conqueror sometime around 1100. I walked to the Tower by way of the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange. It was a nice day for a walk; by the time I came back to my digs I'd logged 18,946 steps on my pedometer. I arrived at the Tower shortly after it opened at 9am and investigated some of the grounds on my own before coming back to the main entrance gate for a guided tour by our Yeoman Warder, Bob. He was very good. I probably read and remembered somewhere that the Yeoman Warders live on the grounds of the Tower, with their families. They are locked in every night at 10. What I didn't know or remember is that you have to have put in significant military service (in any branch but the Royal Navy; they're not eligible for consideration, according to Bob) before you can apply and be considered as a Yeoman Warder. Bob had served for thirty-six years. He was both informative and comical as a guide (with a bit of the drill sergeant thrown in) and took us to various locations within the Tower grounds, ending at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula (St. Peter in Chains). After the tour another member of our group took a picture of the two of us. Here's that image for your viewing pleasure.

Our tour with Bob lasted about an hour and then we were free to explore the grounds on our own. I went to see the Crown Jewels first. It did not take long to understand why they are so heavily guarded. I don't think I've seen so many diamonds in my life. One is the size of an egg. Between all the gems and gold it pretty much takes your breath away. Its quite staggering. Its also staggering to think that at least a few of those pieces are used on at least an annual basis by the queen. I wondered how they're transported from the Tower to palace when they're used; under heavy guard, I'm sure. After the Crown Jewels it was off to the other towers and parts of the grounds. Early in the afternoon I popped into the "New Armouries Restaurant" for a hot turkey sandwich, some grilled veggies, apple juice and mineral water. While eating, I contemplated the last few sights I wanted to see.

In the end I decided to take the Tube from Tower Hill to Victoria. This also gave me the chance to check the balance on my Oyster card to make sure I had enough left on the card for my trip to Heathrow in the morning (I do). From Victoria I headed for the Vauxhall Bridge. I had decided that one of my sights would be another fortress on the Thames, the headquarters building of the Secret Intelligence Service, sometimes referred to as MI6 (the counterpart to our CIA). From there I walked up Millbank to find the headquarters of the Security Service, MI5 (similar to our FBI) at Thames House. I then headed across the Lambeth Bridge to get a peek at Lambeth Palace, the official London residence for the Archbishop of Canterbury. I walked entirely around the grounds (I couldn't get into the actual palace grounds) and then went back across the Lambeth Bridge for a final view of the Houses of Parliament, the Thames, and the London Eye. And then it was on to one last sight, one related to Sherlock Holmes. I had seen it on Sunday, but did not have a photograph. It was of the site of Holmes possible lodgings at No. 24 Montague Street, around the corner from the British Museum. I found the building, now the Ruskin Hotel, and took a picture. By then my legs and feet were telling me it was time to head back home. The sun was setting anyway, so I arrived back to my upper floor room and a view of a final sunset in London.

Its been a fantastic trip in terms of work accomplished, people met and sights seen. But I'm ready to head for home. I've got 40+ pages of notes from my research that I need to digest, put into a final report to the Friends of the Library and use for updating my Holmes/Doyle bibliography. But that will wait for later. Now its time to pack things up, take a little bit of a nap, and then get up before the sun and head for the Tube and airport. I hope you've enjoyed following my travels here on this blog. If you're a friend of mine on Facebook you've had a chance to look at my pictures as well. I'll be happy to share those photos with any of you that aren't on Facebook. One small warning in advance--I've taken somewhere around 580 pictures on this trip, so it may take a little time to view them all. Anyway, that's all from London. My next post will probably come from the other side of the Pond (unless I have a late-night inspiring thought to add here before taking off).

Tuesday after the BL

Just wanted to give a quick follow-up on the rest of my day at the British Library. It turned out that the "Three-Quarter" manuscript, designated "Select" by the library, had been sitting in the service area the entire time. A light at my desk was supposed to alert me to its readiness, but such light never shone. But no damage done. I had the chance to see the manuscript anyway. That was after having an afternoon coffee/tea break with Kimberly. I gave her an update on my travels and we had another good chat. I'm really glad we could get together for a second time before I head back home. She's off giving a lecture tomorrow; I'm sure it will go well for her.

After coffee/tea it was back to the manuscript reading room and a chance to look at the "Missing Three-Quarter" work. As you may have noted from the BL catalog description I posted earlier, it was a joint gift to the library, representing both sides of the Pond. It includes Vincent Starrett's bookplate and autograph along with a separate dedication/gift page from the donors. The binding, in vellum, is similar to other ACD manuscripts that I've seen, including our own "Horror of the Heights." I needed to return the manuscript (and get back my reader's card in exchange) a half-hour before the reading room closed, so I was back to the desk just before 4:30. From there it was back to the locker room to collect the rest of my things and then spend a little time out-of-doors on the plaza before meeting Catherine and Andrew.

The three of us met about an hour later; Andrew treated us to coffee (and me a muffin) from the BL cafe. We found a table (it was quite busy when we arrived) and had a good conversation for almost the next two hours. We talked about my visit to Portsmouth, the upcoming conference at Harvard and other things Holmesian and literary. Andrew gave a talk at the BL about a week ago for the Friends of the British Library. We caught up on other threads and before we knew it the time had flown. My only regret was that I'd forgotten to pack the Norwegian Explorers pin to give to Catherine; it was still back in my room. I'll either drop it off at the library tomorrow or give it to her at Harvard in May.

In some ways its hard to believe that I have just one full day left in London before its time to go home. In other ways I'm ready to pack up, head home and stop living out of a suitcase. I've got a few more sights/sites to check out tomorrow (given to me by friends both before and during the trip) related to Holmes. I'm planning on doing those later in the day; the Tower of London is calling and will most likely be the first thing on the agenda. No pictures today. I'm sure there will be some tomorrow. Time to put up my feet.

Still waiting for the Missing Three-Quarter

I'm still waiting for the Holmes story manuscript, but here's a description from the BL manuscript catalog:

50065. 'THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING THREE-QUARTER', by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; bef. 1904. Autograph fair copy with autograph corrections, partly in pencil. Differs slightly from the first edition printed in The Strand Magazine, xxviii, 1904, pp. 123-35, and reprinted in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, 1905, pp. 308-36. See B.M.Q., xxii, 1960, pp. 54-6. Formerly owned by Vincent Starrett (bookplate, f. ii; signature, f. ivb), and, until 1959, by Rollin Van Nostrand Hadley (bookplate, f. iii). Presented (inscription on f. vb) on the occasion of the centenary of the author's birth, 22 May 1859, through the Friends of the National Libraries, jointly by James Bliss Austin, Lew David Feldman, E. T. Guymon, Rollin Van Nostrand Hadley and Edgar Wadsworth Smith, all of the United States, and by the Sherlock Holmes Society of London.
Paper; ff. vi+26. Folio. Circa 1904. White vellum binding.

I'm hoping it will show up soon. We'll see.

Tuesday at the British Library

At the moment I'm at table 1049 in the Manuscripts Reading Room of the British Library. I came right after opening this morning and went first to Reader Registration to get my reader's card. This process goes very quickly, provided you have all the necessary documentation. For me it was driver's license, passport, and business card. You fill out an online form, review and agree to the regulations for use, and then sit for a picture and the production of your card. The card is good for three years. After registration I went down to the locker room, found a locker for my bag, coat and sweater. It costs a pound for use of the locker, but you get your money back when you open your locker with the key; much like our lockers back in Andersen Library. I grabbed my laptop, pencils and notepad, put them in the BL plastic carrier bag, and headed to the Manuscripts Reading Room. I'd done some research last night so knew what manuscripts I wanted to view. After presenting my card to the attendant near the door I found a table, got set up, and then went to the service desk and requested a couple of application tickets to request the items I wanted to see. Then it was back to my desk, fill out the requests, put them in the metal wicker basket back on the counter, wait for the items and do some additional background research on the web. This meant registering for the BL's free wireless service, another quick and easy procedure.

Here's a description from the BL's manuscript catalog of the first item I looked at:

63596. CASEMENT PETITION PAPERS: correspondence and papers of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Clement K. Shorter, editor of The Sphere, concerning their petition to the government to reprieve Roger Casement, sentenced to death for high treason, 29 June 1916; 1916. Partly printed. Purchased from David J. Holmes Autographs, Philadelphia, Cat. II, lot 62, 7 Aug. 1985.
Paper; ff. 176. Individual items mounted and bound in dark green morocco with gilt tooling, including Irish emblems, by Rivière, in a cloth slipcase. 288 x 233mm.
1. ff. 2-3. One of twelve privately printed copies of A Petition to the Prime Minister on behalf of Roger Casement by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1916).
2. ff. 4-22. Correspondence between Conan Doyle and Shorter, July 1916, including a draft, 2 July, to Shorter from G. Gavan Duffy, Casement's solicitor; letters to Doyle and Shorter from the Home Office acknowledging receipt of the Petition; and a letter from Shorter on the same subject, 26, 27 July; 2-30 July 1916, n.d.
3. ff. 23-61. Thirty-seven printed petitions, returned to Shorter, signed by supporters, the latter include: William Archer, Arnold Bennett, G. K. Chesterton, Will Crooks, John Drinkwater, John Galsworthy, Alice Gomme, Maurice Hewlett, Jerome K. Jerome, John Masefield, H. W. Massingham, C. P. Scott, Ben Tillett, Sidney and Beatrice Webb and Israel Zangwill.
4. ff. 62-75. Newscutting from the New York American; 14 March 1915. Printed. Containing Casement's allegation that Britain tried to kidnap him in Norway.
5. ff. 76-176. Eighty-six letters, eighty-four of them to Shorter and two to Conan Doyle, relating to the petition, from supporters and opposers; 1916. The writers include: Alfred Austin, John Burns, Viscount Bryce, Sidney Colvin, Edward Carpenter, J. L. Garvin, Viscount Haldane, Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Pinero, Eden Phillpotts, George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells and W. B. Yeats. Two replies were written copies of the standard letter sent out with the petition by Shorter on 7 July.

I just finished looking at this about a half hour ago. I'm a little concerned about seeing the second manuscript I've requested, one of the Holmes stories, "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter." While working through the Casement manuscript one of the staff members came out to talk to me about my request for the Holmes story. It turns out that this manuscript is a "Select" case that requires a letter of introduction in order to view it. I indicated that I was a curator of rare books at the U of M and asked who would be the person to write on my behalf. Basically, the answer was someone who knows me and could vouch for my character. The staff member indicated that they could sign off on my request as a "one off" but that I would need a letter if I had requests for other such manuscripts. I assured the staff member that this was the only one I was interested in at the moment, so my request could go forward.

That was a few hours ago, however, and I'm now a bit worried that I won't have enough time as I've agreed to meet Kimberly for tea/coffee at about 3:30. I've still got more than an hour, and maybe they'll hold it for me if I have to step out a bit. We'll just have to see. The only other item on my agenda is later, at 5:30, when I'm meeting Andrew and Catherine. Let's see how the afternoon unfolds. More later, but I'll say this for now--its interesting being on the "other side" of the fence as a researcher. The reading room is quite full. It brings back some memories of my undergraduate days when I spent time in the manuscript reading room of the Newberry Library.

Monday in London

I couldn't resist taking this picture yesterday. Its of the "Texas Embassy" cantina near Trafalgar Square. I'm wondering if someone from the "Lone Star State" is behind this. Leave it to a Texan to create their own "embassy" in a world capital. Don Hobbs would be amused. Maybe he's visited?

Not too much to report; its a working day. I've spent most of the day catching up on writing, e-mail, updating my blog, working with photos, and keeping in touch with Andrew Lycett. It looks like we'll be getting together tomorrow. I don't know if Catherine Cooke will be able to join us, but am looking forward to seeing Andrew again. I may still wander up to the British Library for a few hours yet today. Other than that there's not much on in terms of wandering about the City. I'm still hoping to visit the Tower of London (the last item on my checklist of things to do and see), but we'll have to see how things unfold. I thinking at this point that most of tomorrow will be spent at the British Library. I may see if Kimberly is available for coffee. Its now coming up on mid-afternoon, so I may search the BL catalog and put together a list of things I'd like to look at tomorrow. Maybe I'll save the Tower for my last full day. The end of the trip is drawing nearer, but its been very good and productive.

Sunday in London

My day in outline: Charles Dickens' House Museum and Library, Great Ormond Street Hospital, British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Admiralty Arch, Whitehall, No. 10 Downing Street, Horse Guards, Churchill Wartime Cabinet Rooms Museum, Parliament Square and Churchill statue, New Scotland Yard, and evensong at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Pedometer count today: 15,837. My feet are back in working order. And I'm pooped! I'll flesh out these days, but wanted to get the outlines down so you get some sense of what I've been doing since Thursday. The picture at left is of the British Museum.

Here's the fuller version of my day. Last night I plotted a number of sites on my map of London and decided to follow the trail I'd marked out for as long as daylight (and my body) allowed. I'm a very short distance from the Charles Dickens' House Museum and Library so wandered south from my digs to get a couple of photos. The house was not yet open, but I was not planning on an extended visit. From there I headed back to Guilford Street and then south to Great Ormond Street and the Children's Hospital. I had a recollection that there was a Peter Pan sculpture near the entrance to the hospital and wanted to see it, if possible. The author J. M. Barrie bequeathed all his rights to his work, Peter Pan, to the hospital. Over the years those rights have generated quite an income for the hospital, but I believe that Peter Pan has, or is about to, enter the public domain and the income from those rights cease for the hospital. I walked along Great Ormond, found the entrance to the hospital and with it the small garden to the left of the entrance that contains the Peter Pan sculpture. With a few more "snaps" in the camera I headed southwest to Russell Square and then on to the British Museum.

There are a number of references to the British Museum in the Holmes canon. For instance, we have Holmes saying in The Musgrave Ritual, "When I first came up to London I had rooms in Montague Street, just round the corner from the British Museum, and there I waited, filling in my too abundant leisure time by studying all those branches of science which might make me more efficient." I myself walked Montague Street and wondered where Holmes might have stayed. And, on entering the Museum, quickly sensed what riches were housed within its collections. I spent quite a bit of time viewing exhibits from the ancient world, especially Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. And, of course, I had to see the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon. I took a number of pictures, especially of some of the cuneiform inscripts and cylinder seals, but also of some of the more monumental pieces. The old Reading Room is not accessible to the public, but I did enjoy the chance to wander through the Enlightenment exhibit in the area that once housed King George III's library. That library is now at the British Library, displayed much like the books at the Beinecke Library at Yale. One could spend hours, if not days, at the British Museum, but I wanted to see some other sights so after a couple of hours moved on.

From the Museum I headed over to Charing Cross Road, in search of the legendary address of "84 Charing Cross Road." I found the site and noticed a number of other booksellers along the way. I didn't take any pictures during this part of my stroll, but you can check out this website for more information on this famous literary address.

Moving south along Charing Cross Road I came to Garrick Theatre, a statue of Henry Irving, and the National Portrait Gallery. I hadn't intended to visit this gallery, but knew that some of Doyle's family were represented in the collection, so stepped in for a look. I concentrated on the Victorian artists, looking for any portraits by a Doyle. I didn't find any, but there is a way to search the collections through their web site. If you enter "Doyle" as a search term you'll get a number of hits for items related to Doyle family members.

After an hour or so in the gallery I moved on to Trafalgar Square, a view of the National Gallery (sorry, no time to visit, but I'll put it down for a future visit), Nelson's Column, and the Admiralty Arch, where I snapped a few more photographs before moving down Whitehall. I wanted to get a better view of No. 10 Downing Street then I had during my first visit, so headed in that direction. Along the way I stopped at the Horse Guards where both horse and guard(s) were on display and available for pictures. I took advantage of the situation and snapped a few shots. From there it was down Whitehall to catch a glimpse of No. 10 Downing Street. Access is now limited so the best you can do is get a look through the fencing and gates and on down the street. But it was still great to see.

Walking a little farther south I spied a sign directing me towards the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. I had not intended to visit this museum today, but as it was only about 2pm I had plenty of time. So I turned off Whitehall, walked past the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and came to the entrance of the Churchill Museum. This was one of the "must sees" on my list before I left home, so I was thrilled to finally get the chance. I've been a long-time fan of Churchill, so this was a special experience. It was very nice to get an audio guide as part of the admission price; this interpreted much of what I saw in the underground spaces. The biggest surprise for me was the extensive Churchill Museum that is adjacent to the Cabinet War Rooms. I spent a long time looking through the exhibits and videos. One thing that was particularly interesting to see again was a video clip from Churchill's funeral. I remember seeing some of this on television as a young boy. I didn't think of taking pictures during the first part of my visit, so don't have a photographic record of the Cabinet Room or some of the earlier rooms on the tour, but I took a few pictures during the later half of the tour. I think I was worried about conserving my batteries; I wanted to get a picture later on of the Churchill statue in Parliament Square (which I did). This, indeed, is a "must see" for anyone interested in Churchill and WWII; highly recommended.

On coming out of the Churchill Museum I noticed that it had rained while I was underground. But now the sun was out and the sky a deep blue. So I took myself over to Parliament Square and a view of the Churchill statue before moving past Westminster Abbey and down Victoria Street to the last item on my checklist for the day--New Scotland Yard. It wasn't hard to find, although I had to turn the corner before finding the revolving sign that I've seen on some of the mystery programs on television. A short way up the street from Scotland Yard was another surprise, one I wasn't sure I'd find--the earlier headquarters building for the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6). It was located on Broadway and looked just as I'd pictured it in my mind. I thought of all that had gone on in the building as the Kim Philby saga unfolded. I also thought of one of my favorite spy movies, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" based on the book by one of my favorite authors, John le Carré.

From Broadway and spy story memories I moved back up towards Trafalgar Square. Here I was met with another delight and surprise in the form of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Out of curiosity I went up to the church to check their schedule for the day. It was just a few minutes before 5 and an evensong was about to begin. I decided to take the opportunity and went in for the service. I'd missed an evensong in Portsmouth and was determined to get one more in before I left for home. This was the perfect time and place. St. Martin-in-the-Fields seems to be a very active church, with a sensitivity to its surroundings and an outreach to the community. It was a good place to end a very full day.

After evensong I wandered back toward "home," stopping along the way at the same market I'd visited during my first stay to buy a sandwich (crab and sweet corn), some mineral water, and cookies (chocolate chip). Then it was back to my room. I uploaded more pictures from the day and was pleasantly surprised when Clarisa popped up on Facebook Chat. She's on the West coast, in Oregon, with the Gospel Choir from North Park. Apparently her bus is fixed with wireless, so she could communicate while on the road. Pretty neat! It was great to touch base. I also chatted earlier with Steve Forbes, an old friend from North Park days. By 10pm the eyelids were starting to drop and it was time to call it a day.

Saturday: Farewell, Portsmouth; Hello, London

My Saturday in brief outline: check-out at Holiday Inn; 10:20 train from Portsmouth Southsea to Waterloo; Tube from Waterloo to Euston station; walk to Goodenough Club; check-in, catch up, and take it easy. The image to the left is from Waterloo Station.

There's not much to add about my Saturday experience. I arrived at the train station in Portsmouth & Southsea just minutes before the 10:20 train was set to depart for London. It was a faster train then my journey south, with fewer stops, so we made good time. I believe I arrived at Waterloo around noon.

The Tube was busy, but not overcrowded, so it was a fairly painless trip on the Northern Line to Euston station. From there I found my way out of the station, walked east along Euston Road and crossed over near the British Library for the walk south along Judd Street. This was a different route then I'd taken before from the British Library, but it was just right and not as crowded as Gray's Inn Road. At Brunswick Square the road jogged east and south and then to Guilford Street and the walk east to Goodenough College and Club. It was early afternoon and still before check-in time, but it turned out they had a room ready for me. It took a bit of huffing and puffing to make it to the top floor with my luggage, and to work out the maze of corridors and doors, but well worth the struggle. The room is sunny and bright (a welcome change from the basement room I had on my last stay) and overlooks the square.

I settled into the room and spent the rest of the day catching up with e-mail, news and uploading photos to my Facebook page. I had 1,000+ items waiting for me on my Google Reader, but absent a newspaper or much other news from the states for the last week it was a nice way to catch up on happenings back home. (I did get two days of USA Today during my stay in Portsmouth.) All in all a quiet day. I spent the final part of the day mapping out my activities for the remainder of my stay in London. It didn't take much to fall asleep. It was a full week.

Sunday and the first day in Portsmouth

I'm working off line at the moment because I'm waiting to get some things sorted out on my internet connection. As a result, I'll probably post this tomorrow with a little cut and paste. But while my mind is still fresh let me give you a rundown on my Sunday.

Following breakfast in London House at Goodenough College (where I've had my breakfasts since arriving) I went back to my room, finished packing and checked out about 10. From the club I went back to Russell Square and caught the Piccadilly Line to Leicester Square, where I transferred to the Northern Line and on to Waterloo station. Getting my ticket for Portsmouth was a breeze and after locating the platform for the next train I boarded and found a seat for my ride to the south coast. My train left at noon.

Once out of the southern part of the metropolis the country opened up and I was treated to views of farms and pasture land. I even spotted a deer along the rail right-of-way and some alpaca. There were plenty of sheep and horses as well. I was seated on the right (west) side of the train and spotted some highlands here and there. I'll have to check a map to get a better sense of what I was seeing. One of the stops along the way was Rowlands Castle, a place that was familiar to me from a television program I saw some time ago back home that featured Michael Palin of Monty Python fame. The program was about British railroads (and being a train buff that was enough of an excuse for me to watch) coupled with Palin's search for genealogical information about his family. What I remember about Rowlands Castle was that Palin met some lord of the manor who lived thereabouts and who was himself a train buff, to the extent that he had created a miniature steam railway on his land (and offered rides to interested folks, including Palin). (I may be mis-remembering this and conflating a couple of episodes of "Great Railway Journeys"; I can't find an exact reference on the internet.)

Shortly before 2pm my train arrived spot on time at the Portsmouth and Southsea station. My feet are still pretty sore from all the walking in London so I opted for a short cab ride to the Holiday Inn (my home for the next week). Claire's packet of information was awaiting me at the reception desk which I opened and perused after getting to my room. (I didn't get room "221" but I'm close!) After putting some things away and grabbing a couple of glasses of water (I'm trying to keep myself hydrated with all this walking) I headed out to explore Portsmouth (the pedometer count for the day is 9,763; short of my other day counts, but then you've got to take the train ride into consideration).

The Holiday Inn is a short walk from the water; I headed in that direction. One of the things I was glad to receive in Claire's packet was a map of Portsmouth, so it didn't take me too long to get my bearings. One of the first sights to greet me was the ruins of the Royal Garrison Church. From there I moved to a raised walk along the coast. I noticed a trail, marked by distinctive pavers, and so followed it. This, it turns out, is the Millennium Promenade. And it was a perfect way to move from sight to sight (and site to site) near the harbor. An added bonus was the afternoon sunshine (it was cloudy when I left London), and with a slight breeze it was perfect for walking. The promenade led me to the following: the Square Tower, the Round Tower, Bathing Lane and ultimately to a more modern landmark, the Spinnaker Tower. Along the way I saw a variety of fishing boats, tall ships, pilot boats, tugs, hovercraft, ferries, and other watercraft. Off in the distance, past the Spinnaker Tower, was a modern warship, but I didn't discover its name or type. I'll save that for another day.

After a cheap meal at Subway, at the foot of Spinnaker Tower, I headed back towards the hotel. Along the way I came to Portsmouth Cathedral. So far on this trip I've been incredibly fortunate (blessed, lucky, what have you) when it comes to church experiences. Portsmouth Cathedral proved no different. As I entered I heard organ music. So, after a short walk around the sanctuary, I found a seat and enjoyed about twenty minutes of organ music. The organist (who I didn't have the chance to meet) was practicing (possibly for the evensong scheduled later). I don't know what pieces were played, but it was lovely to just sit on a late Sunday afternoon and enjoy the music in that space. I was tempted to stay for evensong, but decided instead to head back to my room and review some things before tomorrow. I'll check the schedule for the Cathedral and see if there's another evensong on for later in the week. The Cathedral is on the same road as the hotel, so its just a short walk.

When I got back to my room I decided to soak my feet in cold water for about twenty minutes. I don't know if that will help with the pain, but it sure felt good in the short term. My boots are very comfortable and I'm glad I broke them in before I left home. The problem is with those dress shoes; I didn't give them the same treatment. (Note to self: never bring new shoes on a trip where you're expecting to do a lot of walking.) I'm looking forward to tomorrow and the chance to meet the Portsmouth staff. They've been ever so kind in helping to arrange this trip. I hope we can return the favor at some time in the future.

Time to call it a day. By tomorrow I should have the internet connection sorted out and be able to post this to the blog. I'm also looking forward to checking e-mail and Facebook and find out how Beth's visit to Clarisa in Chicago turned out. Stay tuned. These first days were a bit of a vacation (combined with some work). This week its mostly business (with some fun thrown in). It will be good.

Treasures at the BL

My feet are still a bit tender from all the walking, so I decided to start the day with a short jaunt back to the British Library and a look at their treasures. Click here to get to the BL web page about the exhibit. It was jaw dropping. My favorites: Magna Carta, Codex Sinaiticus, Lindisfarne Gospels, Gutenberg Bible, Captain Scott's diary with his last entry, Beowulf, and the manuscript lyrics for the Beatles "Help." But there were lots more. It really was an amazing exhibit.

From there I hopped the Underground (I love my Oyster card) to The Green Park where it was a short walk to Buckingham Palace. (The flag was up; I think that means that the Queen is in residence.) I then walked up Constitution Hill to the Wellington Arch and from there across to Hyde Park and the Serpentine. Then it was over to Knightsbridge and a little wandering around before I came to Harrods. I didn't go in because the crowds in that part of the city were the biggest I've seen. Maybe I'll try again when I come back after Portsmouth. Bryce says I should check out the food court. The sidewalks were packed and I felt like I was shuffling my way back to Knightsbridge. I was starting to get hungry and thought about dropping into a restaurant to get a bite to eat, but wanted to see a few more things before it got dark. So I went around the back side of the palace grounds, past the Royal Mews and Queens Gallery to the Victoria Memorial and over to the Mall. From there I caught a glimpse of Clarence House and St. James palace (complete with guards) and then over to Pall Mall and St. James Square, site of the London Library. Its tucked in the northwest corner of the square. I didn't go in as it was near closing, but may try to visit again. I wonder who the sub-Librarian is? (Those of you who know the Holmes stories also know about Lomax, the sub-librarian; there's also a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars that's connected with the American Library Association--The Sub-Librarians. They have a meeting every year during ALA's annual conference. This year they'll be in Chicago; Jon Lellenberg is the guest speaker.)

By this time it was getting dark, so I found the Underground at Picadilly Circus and headed back to Russell Square. I found a little food store nearby and bought some sandwiches and fruit. (I've had a real craving for fresh fruit.) Back in my room, I've been checking e-mail, uploading pictures and catching up on the news.

Tomorrow I head to Portsmouth. I'm looking forward to the train ride and a chance to see another part of the country. I'm also looking forward to meeting the folks at Portsmouth and spending a productive week with them and Richard's collection. But now its late and time for bed. I think my body is finally getting in synch with the time change. Pedometer count today: 13,601.

Before the day is done

Its coming up on midnight and I'm not going to write much at the moment. I just wanted to give you a sense of the day. I took advantage of the first day with sunshine and played tourist. Here are the highlights: Temple Church, Victoria Embankment, London Eye, Thames River cruise, Westminster, Old Scotland Yard, the Ministry of Defense, Big Ben, Parliament, and ended the day with an evensong at Westminster Abbey (I sat in the nave, in one of the stalls right behind one half of the choir; it was glorious).

I've got MPR streaming on my laptop. Sounds like its cold going back home. Here's hoping for warmer weather your way.

Its now midnight. I turn into a pumpkin. Goodnight.

PS Pedometer count was 11,327 steps.

One of those cool moments

Just have to share this before I head out and about; its one of those neat web 2.0 moments. With the time shift I've gone through, and being six hours ahead of the folks back home, I'm getting in the habit of checking e-mail at least twice--in the morning and the evening. That allows me to catch most of the people when I need to, depending on what time zone they're in.

But the neat thing is not about e-mail; its about chat. I went on to my Facebook page this morning just to check on things. I really didn't expect to find anybody up back home (it was 4 in the morning there), but noticed there was one online friend up and about. So I checked. . . and it was my daughter!! She has a part-time job sitting desk overnight in one of the dorms where she's a student. It was just so neat to connect. And so unexpected. We chatted for about twenty minutes or so and caught up on each others' lives a bit. That will be a moment I treasure from this trip.

Speaking of time shifts, she reminded me that when she was little (and had an early bed time) she would ask me what time it was in London. (I don't remember the origin of that question; it might have been related to my hobby of listening to shortwave radio broadcasts and her curiosity about time.) Part of the ritual, once we had established what time it was in London (usually about midnight or 1 am with the time shift) was also to say goodnight to Princess Di. It was a sweet time, and a special memory. Thanks, Kissa Who, for reminding me of that when we chatted.

London Day Two

The British Library, the site of one of my visits today. Before I forget, the pedometer count for today is 13,490, a few more miles! And my feet are telling me the news! Guess I'll rely more on Tube and bus tomorrow.

The BL is about five to ten minutes from where I'm staying, so it was a breeze to get there. I met Kimberly at the front desk; it was great to see her again. (She's been here for five years; it doesn't seem that long.) She was a fabulous host. After getting my visitor's badge we went down to the lockers where I stored my coat and bag. Then it was a little walking tour through some of the library before meeting her colleagues for a "show and tell" on a project she's been part of. The presentation was very interesting. Basically, security photographs are being made of maps that are part of a larger volume. A number of photographs are made, including a backlit version to show any watermarks and stains. These photographs are then linked to a record in the catalog. The purpose is to be able to show the map within the context of the larger work and to provide proof, if needed (and if the map is stolen from the volume) that this map is the property of the BL. There were a number of BL staff present at the meeting; I'm glad they let me sit in on the proceedings.

After the meeting Kimberly took me to the cafeteria for coffee/tea and a chance to visit a little bit more and catch up on people and happenings back in Minnesota. After our table time she took me to see the Conservation Centre and other parts of the library. The morning went way too quickly, but I'm really glad we had the chance to connect. I didn't have enough time to see the Treasures collection or register as a reader, but I'll probably take the opportunity in the next day or so.

After the British Library I wandered down Euston Road to Marylebone Road. Along the way I passed the Wellcome Library, Park Crescent, Regent's Park and Madame Tussaud's before arriving at Baker Street. The first place I went was to see the Sherlock Holmes statue. From there it was a short walk to the Marylebone Library and my meeting with Catherine Cooke. It was great to see her again and to have the opportunity to view the Holmes Collection. Catherine gave me a wonderful tour, opening cabinet after cabinet to reveal interesting volumes. We had a chance to talk a little shop and I'm hoping we can offer some of the duplicates from our collection to the Marylebone collection. It would be wonderful, as well, to explore the contents of all those file cabinets to see what didn't get included in the DeWaal bibliography, but that will have to wait for a later time. Catherine also gave me a peek at the newly received archives of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London. It will be very interesting to see what that collection contains. I'll be getting together with Catherine again during the latter part of my trip, but I was very thankful for the time she gave me this afternoon.

After my meeting with Catherine I wandered up and down Baker Street and eventually found myself at Grosvenor Square and the US embassy. I was tempted to look for the Minnesota flag among the flags of the states, but that would have meant going through security and even then I'm not sure I could have gotten close. So I settled on prowling the square and looking at the FDR and Eisenhower statues.

By this time "my dogs were starting to bark" (as opposed to the dog that did not bark in the nighttime). My feet did take a bit of a beating today (I wore different shoes) so will probably go back to my boots tomorrow and/or rely more on the bus and Tube with my Oyster card.

Well I've been at the computer for at least the last four hours (catching up on e-mail, writing letters and notes, uploading more photos), so I think its about time to call it a day. I think I'm going to wander down towards Westminster Abbey and Buckingham palace tomorrow. I haven't checked the weather yet, but noticed via e-mail that its been snowing back home and that evening classes at the U have been canceled. Must be some storm if the U is shutting things down!

One last note for today

This one's just for the record; I'll make the mileage calculation later: 16,033 steps on the pedometer today. I think that's a few miles.

"What's it got in its pocketses"

Guess I was more tired than I thought! It turns out that I hadn't checked all the pockets in my computer bag (its a new one for me, so I'm not yet used to all its hiding places.) Anyway, I found my missing camera cord!! So I'll be able to upload pictures after all.

I'll probably put the pics in two places: on my Facebook page as a photo album and, for those of you not on Facebook, on my Picasa page. Allow me to collect my wits a bit and then I'll post a link where you can see them on Picasa. If, for some reason, I max out on space in Picasa, I'll put them up on Flikr. Somehow, someway everyone should be able to see my pics from this trip.

Sorry I was a little woozy headed and not able to check ALL the places. But good news in the end. Now, time for a shower and sleep. The first batch of photos should be up tomorrow.

Safe and Sound and Tired in London

Well I made it to London in pretty good shape. I didn't sleep much on the plane, so I'm running a bit on fumes at the moment, but its great to be here. Enjoyed a pasta dinner and "Body of Lies" as my after-dinner movie. We arrived ahead of schedule due to favorable tail winds, so had to wait a little bit in the air until the morning curfew at Heathrow lifted before getting on the ground around 7am. Once at the gate the jetway wasn't working so they rolled up a stairway and we departed the plane via the tarmac. A few flights of stairs later and we were back in the terminal. Then it was a bit of a hike to passport control and customs, but by 8 I was at the Tube station with my newly purchased "Oyster" card, through the turnstile and into the train. I think it was around 9 that I exited Russell Square station and walked a short distance to my accommodation. Check-in wasn't until 3pm so I stored my bags and headed out for a walk.

My original plan was to head west towards Baker Street, but instead I found myself drawn southeast towards St. Paul's. It may have been the threatening weather or my sense of tiredness, but in any event I wandered past the Old Bailey and some other very interesting buildings and streets and soon found myself in St. Paul's churchyard. I took lots of pictures along the way, but had forgotten to bring my fresh batteries with me so the camera gave up the ghost just as I snapped my last exterior shot of St. Paul's. As it turned out, it didn't matter that I was out of juice for the camera because no photography was being allowed inside the cathedral due to Ash Wednesday services. That was fine by me.

So I wandered in and. . . what a space! It was absolutely amazing. And the acoustics are out of this world. Check out the Wikipedia entry for more information on the cathedral. The photo at the beginning of this entry gives you some idea of the space (taken from the WikiCommons image database.) (More on my own pictures later. . .) I arrived at the cathedral during the Sung Mattins and was invited to a seat under the dome. In looking at the program, I saw that there was an Act of Worship scheduled for 11 and a Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes scheduled for 12:30. I decided to stay for both. The 11 o'clock service included readings from Simone Weil and George Herbert along with a reflection by the Reverend Laura Burgess, Minor Canon and Sacrist. That was good, but what I was really waiting for was the organ piece by Cesar Franck. I wasn't disappointed. It was his Choral No. 1 in E major and it was fantastic. The music just travels through that huge space and surrounds you. Earlier, there was another piece by Marc-Antoine Charpentier that was lovely, and played on a smaller organ. I thought of my aunt, Sharon, an organist in Richmond. I wondered, during her organ tour last year, whether or not she was able to play the instrument in St. Paul's. I'll have to check.

The early service melded into the later, with more music by Charles Wesley, Scarlatti and Bach. It was a good way, I thought, to start out this trip. It put me in mind of many things, including Richard Lancelyn Green, the focus of this adventure. After the second service I wandered through the cathedral and came across a list of past Deans of St. Paul's. Now, not to be sacreligious, but there was--surprisingly--a Sherlock connection, if somewhat tenuous. ("You hear of Sherlock everywhere. . .") In the list of Deans I found the following: 1689--John Tillotson; 1691--William Sherlock; and 1707--Henry Godolphin. It was the second name, obviously, that caught my eye.

I wandered back towards my accommodation, without getting too badly lost, and arrived just at the stroke of 3pm. After gathering my bags from the storeroom I headed to my room, where I am now. Unfortunately, it was here that I met with a disappointment. I couldn't find the cord that links my camera to my computer. I'm almost certain that I put it in my computer bag, but when I went to look it was not there. I've been through all my pockets and pouches, but no cord. So at the moment I don't have any way to upload my pictures. I don't see any place on my laptop where I can insert the memory card from the camera, so I'm blocked at the moment. The cord either fell out at some time in the airport or its still sitting at home, left behind. But I'll figure out some way to get my pictures uploaded. But for now, I'm starting to fade, so I think I'll head to the shower, see what's on the tube, and call it day. The rain held off and I think there's sun in the forecast for tomorrow. Cheers!

T-Minus 6 Hours

Well we're in the home stretch. Most everything's packed and ready to go, I've got my ride to the airport set up, and most of the last minute tasks are completed. There are still a few things hanging fire, but those will have to wait until later today or tomorrow in London. But I'm feeling good and fairly relaxed. All is in order.

One of the last things I wanted to do before leaving was to make sure I could upload pictures from my camera. I haven't done it with this laptop before, so wanted to make sure everything would work smoothly. And it did. The wizard took me through a few steps once I connected the camera, and the picture went right where I told it to go. I'm probably going to grab a few more batteries before I leave, just to make sure I've got power.

So here's home sweet home, covered with a bit of snow. We had about 6 inches last Friday and Saturday and the temp went back down to near zero. I'm hoping there will be hints of Spring when I return, but Minnesota has a tradition of big storms right around high school tournament time, so we'll just have to see how things unfold. I was reminded yesterday that daylight savings time will go into effect while I'm gone, so I'll miss an hour somewhere along the way. No big deal. We'll just go with the flow. I've been checking the weather in London and Portsmouth and it looks like mostly 40s and 50s with a bit of rain. I polished and mink oiled my boots this morning and I've got my "brolly" packed so I should be all right.

I received confirmations from Catherine and Kimberly for my visits to Marylebone and the British Library this morning, so those pieces are all set. I'm giving myself plenty of time at the airport so check-in and security should go just fine. I'm a little concerned about the return trip as my flight back home leaves mid-morning. I'll just have to make sure I catch an early Tube ride back to Heathrow. But I'm getting way ahead of myself. Time to sit back and enjoy the ride.

My next post will probably be from London. More later from across the Pond.

T-Minus One to London

For the next sixteen days or so I'm going to turn this blog into a travelogue or diary of what went on during that particular day during my travels in England. I've been sharing my blog url with family and friends in the hope that this will be a fun way to share my experiences in London and Portsmouth. I hope you enjoy the ride and will feel free to share comments along the way. You might have a favorite site that you'd like me to see; send it my way. Each evening I'll be planning my "attack" for the next day and would be delighted to get your feedback and suggestions on places I should visit.

At the same time its fair to say that this trip is not totally "free-form." I've been thinking about this trip since before I sent in my application for a staff development grant and have a number of activities planned already. Indeed, I've been thinking about this trip since I missed out on the chance to attend the unveiling ceremony for the Holmes statue in London some years ago. My thanks, again, to the staff at Portsmouth who have been very helpful in putting together a meaningful and productive itinerary during my week on the south coast. And my thanks to Phil at the Campus Club for his suggestions related to my accommodation in London. My supervisor, Kris, has been very supportive of helping make this trip a reality. My friend and brother in the faith, Bryce, has been a wonderful help and given me some great ideas. Also, it feels good to be able to get away for a couple of weeks knowing that the office will be in good hands through the work of my colleague, Jean, and our student assistants. Thank you, all (and others not named), for making this trip possible!

All right, I'll step away from the Oscar-like thank yous and give you some sense of what's ahead. I spent a good chunk of today trying to tie up as many loose ends as I could at work, touch base or get notes to everyone I needed to talk with or, in other words, nail down as much as I could and make sure the work continues while I'm gone. I'll be finishing off a few other projects at home tonight and think about getting around to packing. Generally, it doesn't take me too long to get my bags together; I might even leave that for the morning (depending on what else needs doing tonight). I'd really like to finish off my taxes before leaving; I'm close, so that will be one of the main priorities tonight. Thank goodness (and the IRS) for e-filing. My aunt gave me a little note case for Christmas; its been getting a good workout today as I've been jotting down little reminders (e.g. don't forget the cord for downloading pictures from the camera; make sure your ATM will work in England. And don't forget your passport!)

My flight leaves late in the day tomorrow. I'll spend the morning finishing off anything here at home, have lunch, and then get to the airport. I arrive early Wednesday morning at Heathrow. I'm planning on taking the Tube into the City and then walking a short distance to where I'm staying. Check-in isn't until 2pm, but I'm going to see if I can get in early or else drop my stuff off for storage and come back later and get settled. After that, unencumbered by my bags, I'm going to go walkabout, scouting out the area and maybe make my way over to Baker Street. I'll stop back at my digs, take a short break, and then head to St. Paul's for an Ash Wednesday service. After that I'll probably look for something to eat, head back to my room, update this blog, check e-mail, and do a little work on my Facebook page. By then I'm sure I'll be ready for sleep.

On Thursday I have an appointment in the morning at the British Library with a colleague who used to work here at the University. She's setting up my visitor's pass and I'll have a chance to meet some of her colleagues from the Rare Books department, find out about a digitizing project she's been working on, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Library. In the afternoon I'll wander west to Marylebone and get my first look at the Doyle Collection. Thanks, Kimberly and Catherine for these opportunities on Thursday!

Well, that's how the first couple of days are shaping up. Time to get to the taxes and the other odds and ends here at home. Oh, and since my wife is working tomorrow, I need to call my sister and see if she can take me to the airport. Or my folks if my sister is busy. Here's to family (at home, work, and play).

Planning for England

Two weeks from today I'll be in London. I'm really looking forward to the trip, funded in part by a staff development grant from the Friends of the Libraries at the University of Minnesota. The trip will have three "legs": the first leg is in London, from my Wednesday arrival until the weekend. During that time I'm planning on meeting with my colleague, Catherine Cooke, of the Marylebone Information Service and viewing their Doyle/Holmes collection. On Sunday I'll take the train down to Portsmouth (the second leg), where I'll be for the following week, looking at the Richard Lancelyn Green Collection and getting to know the staff who have worked so hard in making Richard's collection accessible. The following weekend its back to London and a few more days of research and visits before heading home on March 12.

I'll be posting to this blog during the trip--I hope every day--and probably putting stuff up on my new Facebook site as well. So, if you're interested, you should be able to track my progress day-to-day.