Today we are met by the amazing Barry Houlston, one of Tours by Locals best and brightest when it comes to Tudor architecture and history, and all things London.
Barry met us at the Waldorf Hilton where we have spent the past two days for a short respite before boarding the Island Princess tomorrow. The hotel has unfortunately fallen into poor management of late and is no longer up to its former 5-star standard. We were unable to reach ANYONE at the front desk for 6+ hours last evening, very scary and quite frustrating in light of the protests taking place across town all day yesterday when we arrived. No worries, we know now never to recommend this property again for our valued clients - it is just a bit sad to see the place fallen so far, so fast.
Despite a serious vehicular accident last night at 3:30 am which resulted in a street closing and the front door being barred during the police investigation, Barry found his way in through the rear entrance and was somehow early to the lobby!
Off we go, and he patiently escorts us (we are not so fast anymore) to the Waterloo station where we get tickets and train it to Hampton Court via London's clean and very efficient railway system. A significant savings over driving given the cost of petrol, it is a relaxing and lovely ride, and we are there in nearly 35 minutes!
We arrive to some rain, but on queue, Barry produces umbrellas and commences to regale us with stories that are a mix of the Tudor history and architecture, transforming us back in time to the age of Henry VIII. It is incredible to think that the King, Cardinal Woolsey, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Moore, Catherine of Aragon, and in fact all Henry's unfortunate brides and his children, who each went on to be Monarchs of England, walked these paths, kept time and tide by these clocks, strolled these gardens and lived, and in some cases even died right here.
Having binge-watched The Tudors, The White Queen, The White Princess and Wolf Hall, as well as read most everything Philippa Gregory ever wrote on this fascinating period in British history, this palace has been a bucket list item since our first trip to London years ago, and we are so pleased to have finally made it here!
Our visit is made all the more special as it is Sunday before Halloween, and little ones from 5 to 15 are here today in costumes. The palace is converted to an unparalleled haunted castle occupied by the "spirits" of nearly everyone who died (and there were LOTS of them!) during the Tudor Era. Adorned in stage-quality clothing and makeup, they pass slowly and silently between tourists, through courtyards, gardens and inner halls all the while staring blankly ahead. While I am scared out of my wits by my first unexpected encounter one of these phantoms, the little ones are fully engaged! No one is screaming and running away, but rather delight in approaching these ghosts, who stop only for them to cheerfully compare notes on the relative authenticity of their costumes! Keep calm and carry on indeed! In the States, the kids would have been screaming holy hell while their parents filed suit for irrevocable emotional harm! It is so awesome to see how flawlessly these professionals executed this charade (pun fully intended!).
We see the kitchens where fires still burn, and while no food is served today due to the hauntings, it is incredible to think Henry, Elizabeth and the lot once had their meals prepared right here.
On to the Great Hall, I imagine the ambassadors waiting their turn for a few precious moments with the King to attempt to change the course of history, or the masques held by young Henry and the ladies, indeed the sheer luxury that the court experienced inside this otherworld, shielded from the abject poverty and harsh reality of life outside these palace walls.
The vast gardens, stables, tennis courts and tiltyards are all still here, and I can now understand how lavish the Field of Cloth of Gold must have been! Wealth like theirs made anything possible, even fountains flowing with wine! It is interesting that all of the great Roman Emperors are memorialized in stone rondels set into the outer walls, as clearly the Cardinal Woolsey and Tudors thought themselves the Caesars of their time and made sure anyone entering the Palace knew as much!
Barry explains the structure, bringing life to the brick itself as he weaves the tale of how and why Hampton Court was built, how hallways which pass the kitchens ensured modern heating in winter, how this was just one of 60 Palaces, and none could be inhabited by the Court for more than a few weeks at a time, as some 800 people ate the land bare and needed to move on regularly or risk starving out the peasants entirely!
Considering Bill Gates has bought up most of the farmland in the mid-west, I can't help but wonder how close we are today to repeating this vicious cycle, but as we are on holiday, I will return to reality in a few short weeks - for now, preferring to savor the fantasy that was Tudor life with all of its opulence and intrigues. We are truly blessed to have been guided today by so brilliant, friendly and knowledgeable a guide as Barry, and to have been transported back some 600 years in time while enjoying a good haunting as only this season can bring!