London Log Day 2 (April 3rd)

Day Two was spent just at Hampton court. This time i had all day and so i started by walking the gardens. The Gardens are all now Georgian design with its own little maze... I got lucky and found my way threw it on my first try. The thought came to me if i ever get my own house with a lawn that i will have to make up a maze...

The Palace is a classic of early 16th century brick contraction with Gothic decorative elements. Turns out that they had a showing of paintings from Henry VIII period including the field of cloth of gold. As imagine I took a lot of photos. Its hard to take photo of these pictures as the paintings have four hundred year old layer of glossy varnish. It drove the automatic optics in my camera nuts trying to make sense of the lighting. I Got to take a close look at the camps kitchens and it looks that they had purpose built tents with a buffet style serving as there is little sign of chairs around the serving tables.

Again i spent most of the day in the kitchen picking the brains of the reactors a number of which are professional historians and archaeologist. I got to sit and chat and was informed the table in front of me was put in the early 17th century. It mad how close the history is.

Once the tourists had gone i was invited to the the back office and parts of the castle not normally open to the public. They showed how the castle had been expanded and that there was a window in there office that had bin closed off since Elizabeth the first time. It how makes a lovely Gothic style book shelf. Even offered to help out then next time I'm there if i can get the right garb.

The castle had been expanded threw the seventeenth and early Georgian periods but what makes it different is that very little was removed in the process. The courts stands on a very large peace of real estate so they just added another peace. I was shown that one of the long buildings that now houses the offices and gift stores is the oldest garrison barracks in England but nothing is mentioned in the number of pamphlets given out. Turns out there is a number of examples of this threw out the castle.

Oh before i forgot when i got there the main court yards were full of BBC props. They were using them for the background for some upcoming fantasy TV show. It was interesting to walk around the made up castle market and giggle at some the incorrect items but all so how they have mastered the ten foot rule. The Market looks great when you first step in but once you are walking among the fake stalls and well placed peaces of fake wood it becomes very plastic like a flock of pink plastic flamingos. The only thing that seems to save it is the 30 feet of real castle looming over you on all four sides.

Oh on a side notes on every castle movie and tv show they put two great long banners on each side of the main gate of the caste. They are hide the assortment of modern signs and modern hardware that enviable gets mounted on ether side of the gate for modern security. A place name plaque, the little this way to the washrooms or that way to the gift shops. All washed away with to long stretches of broad cloth and some paint.

A couple of the reactors played name that prop. Ohh that’s from the new Merlin show or from robin hood or harry potter. It scary how well they could spot the origin of the different objects. I gather from a few comments that they been approached a few times about helping out as with the popularity of HD the old 10 foot rule is not working as well.

Hampton court is stands as my favourite castle from the week and will stand for a while, its not the fanciest or biggest but you can tell its the most lived in. It feels more alive then any of the other castles.