London May 2011

Houses of Parlament



Tower of London



Big Ben



Westminister Abbey













37 members of B.A.R.A boarded McGinley’s coach at 4.30 a.m. on May 16th’11 . Despite the unearthly hour, we were wide awake and eagerly looking forward to our 4 day trip to London.
After our short flight we were met at Gatwick Airport and taken by coach to the “Ibis Hotel” in Earls Court which proved to be very comfortable and central. Having booked in, some were glad to rest while others battled with the tiredness and went on to visit the famous Harrods store mainly to see how the other half lives!. It was an experience not to be missed. The grandeur, the magnificent displays and the exorbitant price tags took our breath away. Then we came across the beautiful monument which was erected in memory of Princess Diana and Al Fayad who died so tragically. This made us realise that extreme wealth does not always bring happiness.
Starting at 9 a.m.next day, we set off by coach on our guided tour taking in the sights and sounds of the Capital. We were accompanied by Andrew, an Oxford graduate , excellent guide and historian. While we attempted to take in some of the history of the Monarchy, we viewed the 320 ft. high Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Sq. St. Paul’s Cathedral etc. etc. That evening we attended the West End sensational show “Wicked” packed with Sorcery, special effects and incredible costumes.
Next day, we travelled to Windsor, home to the Queen for 900 years, just in time to witness the changing of the Guards. We finished off the evening with a cruise on the Thames. Some of the more adventurous went on to experience the panoramic views from one of the world’s tallest observation wheels the “London Eye”
On our last day, there was time for some last minute shopping before bidding farewell to this wonderful, buzzing city of 7.7 million people
All in all it was yet another enjoyable ,successful trip to add to our memories. Once again the weather was very kind to us. It was an added bonus that some of the group had the opportunity to re-unite with friends and relations.

Chris O’Flynn