London - City Tour Take II

'The Old Baily'

The next day they picked up their tour at ‘The Old Baily’ courthouse right where they left off the night before.

"Really? We saw the inside. Do we need to go in again?" Beth asked feeling stressed about finishing the tour and thinking about how little they completed the day before.

"15 minutes... That's all. I would like to look around."

Once past security -where Rob left his Swiss Army knife- they were free to wander the halls seemingly at will. They climbed the stairs and turned down a hall where the courtrooms were found. They immediately were disappointed that no photography was allowed because the hallway was populated with clients in consultation with barristers many of whom wore the traditional legal attire complete with black robes, white shirts with long square collars and silver wigs with pressed curls sitting atop their heads. Although the conversation seemed quite serious they couldn't help feel that the wigs added a comical aspect to their appearance.

Pub pit stop.

They entered one of the courtrooms where the crown was presenting her argument to the judge. After about ten minutes of rather uninteresting procedures, they quietly ducked back into the hall.

"Only five minutes left." alerted Beth.

"OK. Lets check out this courtroom." Rob said as he gestured to a different courtroom. "It looks like there is a witness on the stand. It may be more interesting."

Samuel Johnson's cat
Hodge

They slipped in the back and watched the witness on the stand, who turned out to be the defendant and was also defending himself. They watched for 15 minutes while Mr. Edwards was cross-examined by the crown and as he tried to explain, with some rather colourful language, his side of a story. The issue at hand was whether or not he’d threatened a police officer.

When the cross-examination was finished the judge began his final words. When ten minutes passed of the judge summarizing the case, Rob whispered, "OK. We can get going."

"Not now." responded Beth quietly. "The judge is about to make his ruling."

We stand on guard for thee...

After another five minutes the judge said in no uncertain terms that he believed the police officer's statement. He trusted that Mr. Edwards had indeed threatened Mr. Mullins especially when he asked how Emma, his wife, was doing and sentenced him to a year in Pentonville Jail commencing immediately.

Rob and Beth walked out of the courtroom followed by Mr. Edward's girlfriend who looked none too happy.

"That was interesting." they agreed as they walked out an hour late to recommence their tour.

London Stock Exchange

They continued on the city tour sticking more or less to the route only stopping once at ‘Ye Old Cheshire Cheese’ pub for a pint and typical pub fare of fish and chips. Since the pub had once been frequented by Charles Dickens, they didn't feel like it was a distraction to the tour.

Beth and St. Paul

Passing by St. Paul’s Cathedral, the site of the famous Charles and Diana wedding, they entered Fleet Streets in the financial district which was once the main market area and still maintains street names Milk, Pork, and Bread. As they made their way to the old London Stock Exchange Building, they watched as posh dressed men and women drank cocktails in a lounge set in the middle of the building’s shops selling top end watches and clothing.

They’d finished their walking tour when they finally reached the Tower of London just in time for one hour and a half of tower viewing. While in the ‘Jewel House’ an attendant standing guard over the crown jewels display asked Beth to put away her iPad.

Tower of london left of Tower Bridge

"I'm sorry... I wasn't taking photos. I was just using it to read the information on the Jewels." Beth explained as she quickly returned it to her bag.

The attendant sweetly apologized several times but explained that no electronics were allowed at all. She then followed them into the room where the Royal Crown Jewels lay in all their splendour and proceeded to give Rob and Beth a private tour of each of the items.

New City Centre

They took the long way home, walking across the picturesque Tower Bridge, along the more modern north side of the Thames following the recently christened Queen's Jubilee path, and back on London bridge where they walked to Charing Cross Road. Having a final pint, they collected their thoughts on the day before heading to their residence content with a feeling that they had, at last, accomplished the London city walk.