I grew up in Sussex as a kid , got a green rover on the bus . Got to Croydon got a red rover ticket. Went all around London visiting museums great. We are talking early sixties. My parents didn’t even know where we were. Times change
@tankrsАй бұрын
I grew up in London (mid sixties) and did the same, from about 8 years old but without the green rover. The red rovers were a godsend. If there was a sight to be seen or a museum to visit, I was there. Some of the best times I ever spent. Sadly, I wouldn't want my grandkids to grow up there nowadays.
@Derek_SАй бұрын
The same here. From about 8 years old onwards, my friends and I used to get a Red Rover ticket from Cockfosters tube station, catch a 29 bus and go all over London on our own in the school holidays. We went to almost all the museums at that time. My favourites were the Science Museum, which had loads of models you could operate by turning handles and the Imperial War Museum. I didn't like the Victoria and Albert Museum as it was full of clothing and furniture, which wasn't of interest to me at that age. Strangely, I've never ever been to the British Museum. My mother suggested I wouldn't like it so I never went. I left London for Cambridgeshire in my mid twenties, so probably will never go now even though I would probably love it now I'm older. Unfortunately, the London of my childhood is long gone now. It's not even safe for adults, yet alone for kids to travel around on their own. I can't believe how it's been destroyed when I see what's going on in the news.
@gillianbrown4913Ай бұрын
Same here. I grew up in North west London and used to get a rover ticket and travel around exploring places I’d never been. Sometimes with my friend, sometimes alone.
@markmiller6402Ай бұрын
Those were the days mate, I was an early 80’s kid, we just up and went, went all over the place, museums, galleries, parks.👍👍
@timothybird4264Ай бұрын
The red bus rover was fantastic
@BRiiXEY27 күн бұрын
The best thing about doing something on your own, is being able to see and do what you want to see/do 😆
@QuizzyWhizzyАй бұрын
if you are at all "costume" or "clothes" interested... the Victoria & Albert museum is a definite "must do"
@AdventuresAndNapsАй бұрын
I think I went back in 2015 but not since - definitely need to add it to the list!
@daftphil9706Ай бұрын
The British Museum is worth a visit. Actually, all the museums should be visited at least once.❤
@spacechannelfiverАй бұрын
@@daftphil9706 The V&A and the British Museum are my favorites; if you are at the V&A then you are next to Natural History and Science which are also great.
@daftphil9706Ай бұрын
@@spacechannelfiver I used to love the science museum as a kid when the exhibits were relevent to what I was being taught at my school. But I went as an adult some 40 years later and It had all changed.😞 Full of stuff even the Museum couldn't get me to understand. What's Quantum Physics?? Nevermind. The kids that were there seemed to be having a great, boisterous time.
@HedgeWitch-st3yyАй бұрын
When we visited the natural History museum we got to see the labs and meet someone who worked there who gave my son a fossilized shark tooth which was a treasured possession for ages
@DaveKeenan1956Ай бұрын
I love that you said "a Lancashire" bomber, whilst the majority of those bombers were built in Lancashire, the bomber was named The Lancaster.
@Diamondmine212Ай бұрын
Named after the city of Lancaster in the Duchy of Lancaster a title the sovereign holds regardless of whether it's a King OR Queen. I live there,Lancaster in Lancashire.
@eightiesmusic1984Ай бұрын
@@Diamondmine212One of my favourite artists, John Waite, is a well known son of Lancaster. He had hits in the eighties including Missing You. He had huge success with Bad English from 1988 to 1991 in America.
@seankay8137Ай бұрын
It was also built in Canada during the war as the factories could not be bombed.
@johnlbirchАй бұрын
One thing worth adding about the Imperial War Museum is the building it is in. The museum opened just after WW1 but the building is much, much older and was originally the Bethlehem Hospital for (what we would call today) the mentally ill, or "Bedlam". It was the the place that gave us the word
@vickylewis8558Ай бұрын
I had no idea it was the old Bethlehem hospital!
@tonys1636Ай бұрын
@@vickylewis8558 Also one just off Smithfield, Bethlehem was a popular name for Asylums in Victorian times. A place of safety for the inmates they were not, the name sounded safe for local residents.
@normanwallace7658Ай бұрын
The Bethlehem Hospital was a Medieval Monastic Spital (hospital) for what was those deemed possessed in mind & spirit ,that was situated where the Liverpool Street RailTerminus stands , It was moved around the 17Cty to Moorfields & Thence across the River Thames to Lamberth North In the IWM building,then in late Geogian & Victorian times due to over crowding two new hospitals were built to house the Inmates in the West St Bernards (Hanwell) & in the North(Middlesex assylum for paupers) Shenly/London Colney & later close by middlesex assylem for Imbeciles( this meant non Violent) Leavesden Herts, after WW1 the newly formed IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM was housed in the present day building rather fittingly a redundant Asylum housing the abject lunacy of modern warfare ??
@AnthonyValentine-vm1ycАй бұрын
Salute to all Commonwealth Countries who supported UK when we were having a bit of bother. Yes please Alanna, more day trips into the big wide world!
@roughwalkers3 күн бұрын
And most of them are independant and hate the UK 😂😂😂😂😂 hilarious
@MrBlackjimroganАй бұрын
One of my favourite museums in London
@AdventuresAndNapsАй бұрын
A great place!
@alexcrawford6162Ай бұрын
The world really opens up when you get comfortable with doing things for yourself. I just did a week’s holiday rambling about Spanish cities on my own, stuffing my face with local food and meeting local people. It’s a totally different experience when you’re by yourself.
@janiceturton7756Ай бұрын
Im 61 but i remember my Dad took me to this museum when i was a kid. He was in the Navy in WW2 and he was full of stories. i must go back again soon.
@nicholasblackley7591Ай бұрын
Know is a longer trip but highly recommend Duxford by Cambridge, is under the IWM band and is a original ww2 airfield that is now a museum dedicated to both air and land military history. Interesting fact as well as being a key airfield during the battle of Britain, it was also home to the the very first squadron to receive Spitfires and holds the first combat action for that aircraft
@rcflyer158Ай бұрын
I was also going to recommend duxford museum. It's not free,but we'll worth a visit
@matthewsmalley5822Ай бұрын
Got to agree, of all the IWM I find Duxford my favourite. It's extra special when they have an air show on but it's very expensive, but worth every penny.
@jerry2357Ай бұрын
There's also a collection of historic civil airliners at Duxford, including a Comet (the first jet airliner) and a prototype Concorde.
@dees3179Ай бұрын
I I used to work there and never got fed up with it.
@cashtimevideo1501Ай бұрын
@@jerry2357 Yes, that was the only Concorde I ever went aboard! And to watch a real Spitfire land and move into an actual WW2 hangar gave me goosebumps. Unforgettable...
@ashleyupshall7641Ай бұрын
Nice vid. The Canadians made a huge contribution to the Allied cause, resulting in significant casualties. They were involved in very heavy fighting in Normandy with the 12th SS. We thank the Canadians for their help. 🇨🇦
@eightiesmusic1984Ай бұрын
I have not been since it was updated a few years ago and would love to revisit. The Imperial War Museum is commendable for the sensitivity with which it deals with war, not in any way glorifying it. It is incredibly informative and comprehensive. I assume it is still there but last time I was there in about 2008 there was a display focused on the Holocaust which included shoes from the victims. Profoundly disturbing and moving at once. The Imperial War Museum North in Salford also does a good job at educating people about the past. There is a part of the Twin Towers in the entrance to the main space and the floor is uneven by design to convey the sense of dislocation engendered by war and conflict through the ages.
@guysmith6039Ай бұрын
The Mary Rose exhibit at Portsmouth historic dockyard is amazing. It’s an incredible experience
@Dafmeister197814 күн бұрын
Not to mention that you've got HMS Victory and HMS Warrior right there as well.
@SteveMikre44Ай бұрын
The Tank Museum comes to mind as a destination for this series...
@ayethein7681Ай бұрын
There's the transport museum..but you have to pay. But there's the artillery museum at Woolwich which is better than one might think - and if you sow interest you may be allowed to look at the shed with Coldwar monster vehicles.
@SteveMikre44Ай бұрын
@@ayethein7681 Great suggestions...👍
@f0rth3l0v30fchr15tАй бұрын
Tiger Day! Tiger Day!
@simonmeadows7961Ай бұрын
Suggestions for future visits: the collection of museums in Greenwich is great for a day out (National Maritime, the Royal Observatory, the Queen's House and the Old Royal Naval College). For something other than a museum, you could try a few days walking on the North Downs Way or a visit to Knole Park on the outskirts of Sevenoaks. If you're interested in the history of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster, my dear friend, Dr Bex Lewis, wrote a book on the topic; it was probably in the gift shop.
@AdventuresAndNapsАй бұрын
Great suggestions, thank you!
@olivergambrell9763Ай бұрын
@@AdventuresAndNaps Another walk suggestion could be the Saxon shore way or a visit to the gunpowder works.
@Thanetian577Ай бұрын
Alanna you missed out on one of the best exhibits in the museum. The collection of Victoria Cross medals and the powerful stories of how they were earned. Moving stuff
@michaellovell1368Ай бұрын
That was going to be my comment 🙂 As you say a fascinating part of this fantastic museum.
@andybrown428413 күн бұрын
That could be a whole follow up given the stories behind the medal and recipients
@amyb7070Ай бұрын
I like the solo museum trip. With the amount of history in the UK you could probably visit a different place every week for a year.
@paulcarey2482Ай бұрын
That’s certainly a full on museum experience and worthy of multiple visits because there is a hell of a lot to take in and appreciate, great video
@Temeraire101Ай бұрын
Another good place is the RAF Museum in Hendon London. Also a hidden gem is The Wallace Collection, a little bit behind Selfridges Central London. It’s free to go into, has a fantastic paintings gallery upstairs, downstairs is quite a few rooms with plenty of historical artifacts, arms and armoury (suits of armour, swords, very old guns). And in the middle is a glass covered cafe and restaurant where you can sit and relax. And as it’s a hidden gem it’s normally not busy, and no school kids!
@spacechannelfiverАй бұрын
+1 for the RAF museum, its well off the beaten path but super interesting.
@tigerpawdesignsАй бұрын
@@spacechannelfiver You can get a bus from edgware station that stops right outside - I went there with the wife and we both love it.
@hughtube5154Ай бұрын
Does that cafe you mentioned charge £7.50 for a half-empty chicken Caeser ciabatta?
@Temeraire101Ай бұрын
@@hughtube5154 Been a while since I've been there. Can't recall the prices.
@cacwgmАй бұрын
When I lived in the UK, I would often have an hour or two between or after meetings when I was in London, and I would usually go to one of the smaller London museums. The Wallace Collection really is a gem. I liked the regimental museums, as I was very interested in the Napoleonic Wars at the time. There are also some wonderful specialist museums, based on hobbies, crafts or occupations.
@caw25shaАй бұрын
It's strange how different people find different things nerve wracking. I'd get on a train and go to the IWM without a thought but I'd never film myself and stick it on KZfaq in a million years.
@NiAr658Ай бұрын
Aren't you spicy...!
@ghytredstillghytred7617Ай бұрын
My Canadian WWI story. Sgt Allen Smith came over here with the Canadian Army, in 1916. While waiting to go to France, he met and 'became close with' an English 17-year old girl from a well to do family (not *very* rich, but 'comfortable'). Lucky Stg Allen! Unfortunately, she became pregnant. Sgt Allen must have been an honourable man, because he quickly married her. And then got sent over to France. Where he died during the 2nd battle of the Somme. His son was born in July 1917, after his father had been killed. His wife had an 'adventurous' life, marrying another three times and becoming the Ladies Golf Champion of Mexico, among other things. His son was a piano student in a music school in Vienna when the Germans took over Austria and hightailed back to the UK, where he joined the RAF as a pilot in 1938. He flew Mosquitos as a night-fighter pilot defending London from the V-bombs, amongst other things. After the war, he married and had two sons and a daughter (one was me). He became a computer programmer in the early 1970's, and eventually became the foremost expert in hyphenation in computer typesetting programmes, and spent his later years being flown by his employers (Monotype) all over the world to help customers with computer generated hyphenation (mostly for newspapers) in their various languages and alphabets, before dying in 1990. So Thanks! Sgt Allen and Canada! They could be said to have had a significant positive impact on my life!
@Alan_MacАй бұрын
Thanks for this. Truly amazing story!
@paulklee5790Ай бұрын
As a graphic designer, I can confirm that most people drastically underestimate the true importance of competent hyphenating … hyphen engineers are the backbone and heart of a literate society -
@judithrowe8065Ай бұрын
So pleased you enjoyed going on your own, and hope you make many more solo trips to share with us.. IWM is a brilliant museum, with such human touches throughout- not glorifying war, but showing the cost of conflict. A small museum I love is The Foundling Museum (entry £12:50) and The Wallace Collection, which is huge and free. Both in central London and near tube and bus stops. Love your enthusiasm.
@AdventuresAndNapsАй бұрын
Thank you so much for watching! ☺️
@seanscanlon9067Ай бұрын
@@AdventuresAndNaps You have come a long way since your first anxious bus journey in the UK.
@zhukov43Ай бұрын
Some of my family escaped Estonia, and some of them didn’t, through everything from pogroms to WWII, thank you for being respectful, The Shoah is in my soul.
@davidhawkins4051Ай бұрын
I'm incredibly Proud we had the Canadians,Anzacs, Indians ,Gurkhas ..... on our side
@jcasillas78Ай бұрын
Great video! I enjoy going to museums solo, you don't feel like you have to keep pace with anyone and just focus on the exhibits that interest you.
@AdventuresAndNapsАй бұрын
So true!
@MeMo-ny5bvАй бұрын
I volunteer at IWM. If you look on the website before you go you can usually find something special put on for that day. I do WWT (we were there), as its name suggests we have ex service people telling about their experiences (it includes a lady that grew up in the troubles in Ireland), but the best bit is people that were evacuated as children in WW2. They are all in their 90's now but still draw large crowds. You can also go to HMS Belfast (on the river at Liverpool Street station), or the Churchill War Rooms (next to the Treasury). Although they are part of the IWM they do cost to get in.
@gerrymccartney3561Ай бұрын
London Bridge Station is best for HMS Belfast.
@user-uo3ou3zg9zАй бұрын
I am so jealous. I’m a Brit currently languishing in the US and suffering from severe homesickness 😢. Your videos are amazing. They help take away some of my anxiety and bring a smile to my face and calmness to my heart. Thank you so much and God bless.
@eightiesmusic1984Ай бұрын
Sending you good wishes. My wife is French and has lived in the UK for thirty years but still feels the pull back to France as often as possible. I have great admiration for anyone who moves to another country for however long and starts from scratch in finding their feet. I know how hard she found it and I also do not think I could do it in a million years. I am sure you have the resilience to survive and prosper in the US and in the future wherever it takes you.
@unitedkingdomoffiveeyes9765Ай бұрын
Stay there we have a labour government 😢
@seanscanlon9067Ай бұрын
@@unitedkingdomoffiveeyes9765 Right, because the Tories did such a good job over the past 14 years, didn't they? 🤦♂ And you do know that you are always free to leave, right? 👍
@unitedkingdomoffiveeyes9765Ай бұрын
@@seanscanlon9067 no they didn't but Labour are terrifying 😳....
@seanscanlon9067Ай бұрын
@@unitedkingdomoffiveeyes9765 How do you know, considering that they have been in power for a matter of weeks?
@chrissmith8773Ай бұрын
I don’t mind where you go, but please do more of this style of vid. Loved it ❤.
@JohnSmall314Ай бұрын
Kew Gardens, Natural History Museum, British Museum, & etc
@dees3179Ай бұрын
Bletchley Park.
@dees3179Ай бұрын
Mary Rose
@dees3179Ай бұрын
Shuttleworth Collection
@dees3179Ай бұрын
Hadrians Wall
@dees3179Ай бұрын
The museum at the royal college of surgeons
@Nutrient-GoldАй бұрын
I love going to museums on my own. I used to visit the British Museum (highly recommend!) of a lunchtime which was down the road from my work. You can take your time to really absorb and understand all the exhibits at your own pace without having to think about where friends/family are. 👍
@caw25shaАй бұрын
I also worked nearby and would often pop in at lunchtime. People would sometimes ask me questions about exhibits, where certain things were etc. I then realised that because I was wearing a suit and tie people assumed I worked there 😅 Office workers don't usually dress up these days so it wouldn't happen. I'm not really qualified to give a lecture on Ancient Egyptian funerary customs, although I could direct them to the nearest loo with a high level of competence.
@davidpierce3217Ай бұрын
Very, very interesting. I've never been to the Imperial War Museum! I can see that I am missing out. Thanks for taking us along
@AdventuresAndNapsАй бұрын
Thanks so much!
@dees3179Ай бұрын
They have five sites, all different, all worth visiting. Spread across the country.
@slytheringingerwitchАй бұрын
I love a free museum. I especially this one, I recommend it completely.
@EdmundAcutoАй бұрын
As a long time Western Canadian who was born and grew up in London I would suggest that you visit the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. An amazing Museum and close to others such as the Natural History and Science museums.
@SteveMikre44Ай бұрын
Great idea for a series. I would love to see different museums and perhaps heritage railroads through your perspective...🇨🇦🇬🇧
@speleokeirАй бұрын
There are many excellent heritage railways throughout Britain all run by volunteers including several in Kent for Alanna.
@howardkey1639Ай бұрын
Brilliant video Alanna, I love the IWM, it's a great place to visit. I also have a lot respect for the Canadian Army as they set up and ran a General Hospital for wounded soldiers at the start of WW2 in Leavesden, close to where I live and are now part of the local history. How about a trip to the London Transport museum next, an interesting way to find out about the modern history of the city.
@HappyHammer69Ай бұрын
My mother was a WW11 nurse at Leavesden and lived in Abbots Langley.
@55tranquilityАй бұрын
Nice 👍 many years ago I used to work in central London and I had a really weird shift pattern where I had a four hour gap in the middle of the day between shifts. It wasn't enough time to go home and back again so I got used to visiting museums and galleries in that time as they were all nearby. I would go to the Museum of Moving Image on the South Bank which was my favourite, the Tate Modern, the Tate, the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. I look back now and am really grateful for having that opportunity, because I wouldn't have otherwise done it. Literally nobody notices, or cares in the slightest that you are on your own. In fact I struck up many conversations with other people who were on their own and doing a similar thing. I also went to some interesting talks simply because they were happening when I was there! I got so used to it, sometimes I would go to the cafe in the British museum for lunch and read my book, because I had to get up early one time I fell asleep on the comfy sofa - woke up to a family sitting down next to me lol 🤣🤣🤣
@NickfromNLondonАй бұрын
Sadly MOMI closed down. They had a green screen where my sons could “fly” over London only the younger one's shirt was the right shade of green so he had a disembodied head arms and lower half flying over London.
@55tranquility21 күн бұрын
@@NickfromNLondon Ah shame - showing my age! It was a fantastic place to visit, I also remember the green screen
@MillsyLMАй бұрын
As an introvert and an only child I've always been very happy in my own company. In fact I'd say that it's preferable to me to do things on my own. My dad took me to IWM many times as a child, indeed I knew it so well that when we went there on a school field trip I was almost like a museum guide I knew it so well. I have regularly visited IWM several times on my own and it never bores me.
@BigRichyCАй бұрын
War museum! That sandwich was a war crime! Great video, not sure what I watched and your bonkers but I loved it.
@nigelsailingАй бұрын
It sort of jars when refer to yourself as a foreigner - you are a Canadian which makes you family. I'm so proud of the way Canada came to Britain's aide in troubled times - and offered to look after our children too.
@gerardacronin334Ай бұрын
Watching from Kelowna, BC. Temperature was 37 degrees C today. I am a woman who travels solo all the time and have done since my early 20s (I’m 66 now). I love museums and last week when I was on Vancouver Island I visited the Canadian Air Force Museum at CFB Comox. Loved it! A hidden gem. About exploring solo: just plan for a safe trip and enjoy it!
@errneeАй бұрын
Beamish Museum You will love it!
@Brian3989Ай бұрын
A long way for Alana from Kent but a wonderful museum collection. Similar museums are Black Country Museum in Dudley, West Midlands and Iron Bridge in south Shropshire.
@PaulFellows3430Ай бұрын
How ever harrowing and upsetting it is to learn about the Holocaust 80 years after the event, just spare a thought for all the poor devils who had to live through it and endure it. It just blows my mind and I thank God that we haven't had to live through anything like it. I also pray that we never do.
@Americathebeautiful49Ай бұрын
Prayer is helpful but it is most important to vigilant. Don’t take things for granted. Question your chosen leaders and don’t follow blindly out of fear of the other.
@suttoncoldfield9318Ай бұрын
I've considered watching episode twenty of "The World At War" in 1973 when I was thirteen to be part of my growing up. Heard my parents (who were schoolkids during WW2) mention 'Belsen' and 'Concentration Camp', but I didn't know what it was in any depth.
@PaulFellows3430Ай бұрын
@@suttoncoldfield9318 Episode 1 deals with the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre which is bad enough. The Bergen-Belsen episode you refer to is - and trust me on this - definitely not for the faint of heart. Let's just say that I know all those cruelties happened and I'm glad that future generations are made aware of them (they have to be told for the sake of humanity) but to have to see images of them is an experience I do not plan to repeat. That's my convoluted way of saying that once is enough.
@sarabazlinton9820Ай бұрын
I took my daughter here several years ago while she was studying GCSE history, the period she studied covered WW2, so for her it was her lessons made real. But although I obviously knew about that period in history including the Holocaust, I had never actually learned about it in any depth. Like you, the holocaust floor had me in tears, especially the piles of shoes and personal belongings confiscated by the Nazis from those who ended up in the concentration camps, it made it so personal and really brought home to me that the 6 million murdered by the Nazis were all individuals with different stories, and how important it is that everyone knows the horror of what happened. Even though I found it harrowing I would love to revisit.
@Sidistic_AtheistАй бұрын
The Natural History Museum is a *must see* too..
@BodneyblueАй бұрын
My Grt Uncle (though English) fought as a Canadian in WW1..Was in the 47th Batt. CEF.....He suffered a severe headwound and was evacuated back to Canada. He spent the remainder of his life in the Westminster Hospital, London, Ontario....when in 1927 he died from drinking corrosive acid (possible suicide). He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, London, Ontario, Canada. He had been living in Union Street, Vancouver, British Columbia in 1916. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England...Same place as me.
@beng7845Ай бұрын
Tragic story, we owe our forces and that of our Canadian, and other commonwealth friends so much 😢
@BodneyblueАй бұрын
@@beng7845 Yeah..not great...I was contacted by a lady who's own parents are buried in the same cemetery..and she offered to take a picture of his grave the next time she visited her parents grave....And she did..very kind of her...I also have another Grt Uncle killed on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme...He was 18...It's eye opening what you discover when researching your family tree.
@user-pv6fv6bz4fАй бұрын
I always use the coach to London. It's more comfortable than the train and doesn't take much more time at a much cheaper cost.
@kimbuttress2904Ай бұрын
Back in the 1990's my partner an I bought a house in SW London with a very long garden, at the end of which was a large concrete slab. When we had it lifted there was a fully intact Anderson shelter underneath
@caw25shaАй бұрын
We had one where we lived when I was a child. I wasn't allowed near it because it was basically a muddy hole and bits of rusty metal. Not small child friendly.
@bob_the_bomb4508Ай бұрын
Very unusual as normally they were only half buried, to reduce the risk of flooding. The spoil excavated was piled over the top to provide protection for the exposed area
@rolanddunk5054Ай бұрын
Hi Alana,more please if was very informative thank you,cheers.Roly🇬🇧.
@xneurianxАй бұрын
The Wellcome Collection near Euston Station is great, very interesting and informative and mostly pretty quiet and a good spot for a solo visit. A mix of medical/biological/anatomical science, an art gallery and a collection of just "stuff" collected by a super wealthy Victorian 'World Traveller' (i.e. stuff he nicked from bits of the Empire), including some full sets of tattooed human skins and a small collection of chairs (a birthing chair, a torture chair and I think maybe an electric chair or something as well). It's open to the public for free, but parts of the collection are very academic and accessible either online or by request in person. They also provide a lot of the bits for the Science Museum's medical galleries. They also have possibly the coolest gift shop. Cannot recommend it enough!
@dees3179Ай бұрын
Seconded, brilliant collection. Also, museum at the royal college of surgeons. Fascinating, and after the redevelopment a brilliant sculptural experience too. Although probably not suitable for filming in….
@martinsellman8811Ай бұрын
Absolutely loved your video. Canada did so much for the war effort as did all the commonwealth countries. My Dad was a rear gunner in Lancasters, He had a lot of respect for the Canadians, they were involved in so many of the critical campaigns, battles & escapes.🙂👍❤
@paultapner2769Ай бұрын
There are some great small museums in London. They're not free and you get round them usually in 45 mins to 90 mins. But all the ones I've been to were really worth a look. The museum of garden history. The guards museum. The household cavalry museum. The museum of brands and advertising. The canal museum. The london transport museum. Among others
@MegaMiddsАй бұрын
There's a lot to be said about the good old packed lunch ;)
@PRINCE23062003Ай бұрын
Please do a solo picnic in Hyde Park. You could show us your shopping trip for goodies (but not what you bought), then your travel to and walk around Hyde Park, then finally what you bought and what you think of what you bought. Love your channel. Nice to see the UK through the eyes of others.
@johndaarteestАй бұрын
I used to live near the IWM as a child so was always in there, seeing that nose of the Lancaster brought me back. I have been in there again a few years ago but it's changed too much for me. Glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
@shed66215Ай бұрын
Been over 40 years since my one and only visit there, would love to go back but that would require at least a three day trip (to get there, day to visit, return). My one piece of history I know about part of the collection there is that in Oct 1918 on the reverse of the ration booklets, was a call by the museum for letters, photos and artefacts relative to the present war to be donated so as to tell the story for future generations. If you haven't already,, make the trip up to Leeds to visit the Royal Armouries, the polished metal alone will make your jaw drop!
@andyleighton6969Ай бұрын
The Armouries are great, but train Kent to Leeds and back? KZfaq had better be paying well!
@eddiegaltekАй бұрын
I can't believe you didn't buy the "While there is Tea there is Hope" poster, it sees right up you alley.
@tamkin007Ай бұрын
I love going to museums alone you can take your time and do whatever you want no hassles.
@MAIZE600Ай бұрын
It's a museum that also contains the thoughts of the people of the time.😊
@Sandysand701Ай бұрын
You might like to take a walk around the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, lots of stuff there, will take you all day to see everything.
@speleokeirАй бұрын
An excellent suggestion.
@martinowton7210Ай бұрын
And RHS Wisley
@sie4431Ай бұрын
10:38 Thanks for sharing this. My grandad was Scottish and I recently discovered that his uncle emigrated to Toronto (Degrassi street no less!) before the war and fought in the Canadian Army in WW1
@justcode2822Ай бұрын
The zip line over the quarry at blaenau ffestiniog, which was fun, me and my sisters did it last year.
@timhicks7897Ай бұрын
It's good to travel on your own. From the UK I've travelled to Sydney,Australia, New York, Dallas, Baltimore on my own. Had a great time.
@PaulMcCaffreyfmacАй бұрын
South Kensington might be a good bet next. A clutch of museums with the Victoria and Albert the most broadly interesting and the Brompton Oratory close by, the most beautiful Catholic church outside Italy. They don't allow photography in the Oratory but it is a wonderful place just to see. Walk in one direction from Sth Ken and you have Knightsbridge with all the money and Harrods. Walk another way to find the Royal College of Music, the Royal Albert Hall and Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park. ... or you could forget all that and go to Battersea to see one of London's more interesting parks. As you walk along the edge of the park by the river you can simultaneously get the smell of countryside (from the park) and the smell of seaside ( from the river). It is a most curious sensation.
@michaeldaley5831Ай бұрын
Being that I only live a 10 mins bus ride away,I’ve only been once,I must go again soon.Great vid Alanna.More please.
@SorarseАй бұрын
I wasn't alive during world war II, but one of those children Mickey Mouse gas masks survived in my family into my childhood, and I remember playing with it. When breathing out, your breath escaped through that little rubber flappy thing and made a sound like passing wind. As a kid, I thought it was hilarious. As an adult now, you reflect back on the purpose of that thing and realise that if it was being used for its intended purpose, it would have been anything but funny.
@MrChelseauk1Ай бұрын
25c Wow you used the whole of this years summer visiting a museum :)
@phalanx-itАй бұрын
As a child, I was taken (at my request!) to the IWM in London, every time my family went to London. To see actual tanks, planes and kit that was used during D-Day, or WW1, The Falklands and many other conflicts was mesmerising. I'd urge anyone who's in the UK as a resident or tourist to go and have a look. There's plenty for all the family and one thing I can promise, is that you won't have to worry about the kids being bored! Great video, Alanna!
@garypltn69Ай бұрын
that sandwich looked very grim
@PaulFellows3430Ай бұрын
It totally did. And they charge £7.50 for it!! Extortion.
@Pte1643Ай бұрын
Same with any museum really. Best to call in the one of the local Tesco metro’s and grab a meal deal for a few quid.
@stumccabeАй бұрын
Thank you Alana. Your videos are a pleasant and wholesome break from the real world!
@2461MAGICАй бұрын
We always take our own food when we go to these sort of places. Its so much easier and cheaper.Glad you enjoyed it , about learning about all this.
@MarkPickavanceАй бұрын
V&A, Natural History, British Museum and the National Maritime Museum (at Greenwich) are all worth a visit.
@TukikoTroyАй бұрын
Excellent video; a lot of work went into making it I'm sure. Last time I was in the IWM was 1974 and it's a lot more professional looking than it was back then. I'd like to see more of this kind of vid because it gives people from 'up north' who have never had a chance to travel down to London an impression of what these places are like. Thank you.
@stevo728822Ай бұрын
Two years ago I visited Vimy Ridge in NE France, the most famous site of the Canadians fighting in WW1. It was one of several WW1 sites and cemeteries I visited. Being where the battles took place can be quite overwhelming to experience. You realise how vast the battles were and that 1,000's died just to cover the length of a farmer's field. The most shocking was the remains of the French fortification at Verdun. It truly expressed the meaning of the word apocalypse. And I visited the River Somme, which today is a beautiful river with wooded islands.
@PusangGala04936 күн бұрын
Hi Alana. I love your videos about UK! Me and my brother will move to UK next year and im excited to visit these wonderful places soon!
@phillipfreeston7514Ай бұрын
An excellent video as always from Allan. Brilliantly narrated. Always done with that lovely warm smile. Keep 'em coming.👍
@barryhumphries4514Ай бұрын
A very nice day out! It was very nicely shown. You are so lovely, your partner is a very lucky man. Anyone, would be so blessed to have you in their lives. I love your videos... 👀👍
@michaelwood3529Ай бұрын
Loved this. Try The Caledonian Sleeper to Fort William as a solo experience...can't wait for more from this series.
@ShinjitsuKKАй бұрын
I've been to the British museum on my own, last times have been on a date.. wow awfull.. and with my son when he was young and was fun.. On my own I had me time to really look around and was Great! Hope u had fun xx
@grahamfoster8446Ай бұрын
Thanks Alana very interesting video always wanted to visit the Imperial War Museum myself but never have with living up north perhaps one day.
@bengunns9500Ай бұрын
Have never been there, but as i go to London alot i will go and see it. Thanks for posting.
@robpo4Ай бұрын
There is the IWM Duxford as well, they have more than 1 IWM in the UK, they are so good. Duxford specifically has a very large number of aircraft from throughout
@vladdy8493Ай бұрын
Maybe in the future once you are used to solo day trips you could trying flying up to Edinburgh and staying the night in a hotel. Plenty of free stuff and sites including the national museum of Scotland.
@michaellovell1368Ай бұрын
You have a talent for this kind of video, Alanna. very informative and just the right tone. There will be SO many recommendations here in the comments for other museums, and they are ALL wonderful. . If you like Aircraft from both World Wars and post War then the RAF Museum in Hendon is the way to go. If you research that one you might find a date when they also have Car Auctions. So among the Spitfires and Messerschmitts you will find vintage Bentleys and E Type Jaguars etc. You won't beat that !!
@suttoncoldfield9318Ай бұрын
Alanna, you're never alone with KZfaq 😃
@greypilgrim228Ай бұрын
Would defo love to see this as a SOLO series of its own.
@johnmorris7815Ай бұрын
My father was a Newfoundlander, he along 2,500 of his countrymen volunteered to join the Royal Navy at the outset, he survived the war and stayed in England. As a result I’m a duel national, a proud Brit and a proud Canadian.
@grahamlait1969Ай бұрын
Alana, if your grandad landed in Normandy on D day, you should know (but probably don't because it's not widely known) that the Canadians took higher casualties proportionately than any of the other allied forces, including the Americans on Omaha beach, and advanced further inland as well. The British took the least casualties proportionately, but didn't advance so far, probably because we had to stop for tea. Yes indeed, the British actually landed several tons of tea on the Normandy beaches on D day, but don't worry, we weren't as bad as the Americans who apparently landed a load of filing cabinets. I'll bet that gave the Krauts something to think about.
@gilesgander155Ай бұрын
Thank you, my son and i visited about 6 weeks back. We only had to travel from Fitzrovia :-). I didn't get any Video so this helps. It was a sobering day
@harryminto6048Ай бұрын
I was at IWM recently! Love that place tbh. Definitely one of my favourite museums in London! 👍
@davidjones992Ай бұрын
My last visit was about ten years ago and I believe it was in a lower ground floor but there were two interactive exhibits that were wonderful, no wrong word, more eye opening. One was walking through a WW1 trench, the other was sitting in a bomb shelter during the Blitz WW2. The noise, the dank smells puts how life was like living through this period. Oh you could also walk through the interior of the bomber. Stairs up the back, walk right through the fuselage to the cockpit and out near the front. Best of all museums for me, even the British Museum though the wife prefers the V&A. Good video though 👍
@04nimmotАй бұрын
Doing stuff by yourself is a big step if it’s new, but liberating. 15 years ago, I went on holiday to Washington DC from the UK for a week, best trip ever. As a suggestion a botanical garden is a great shout like Wisley gardens, also Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust places a lovely, wherever you are in the UK should be one relatively close.
@sheilaneedham2848Ай бұрын
How about a country hike? There are hundreds of miles of public footpaths in Kent. Start small e.g. Faversham and Oare creek circular, and work up to the Saxon Shore Way! I'm a lone female walker who started out nervously walking two miles by myself but your confidence soon grows.
@charisse234Ай бұрын
Alanna i have to say i so relate about you going somewhere on your own.i feel exactly the same but i have been going to various different places on my own i still feel kinda nervous but I'm just going to keep on going.thank you for the video it was great! Positivity peace and love ♥️
@Streaky10000111 күн бұрын
A few suggestions for other places you might go (and bear in mind, I don't know where you're based, so some of these may be impractically far away) 1) London - Natural History Museum, same as IWM in terms of getting there, train, tube, short walk 2) London - Science Museum, same as IWM in terms of getting there, train, tube, short walk 3) London - HMS Belfast, same as IWM in terms of getting there, train, tube, short walk 4) London - Cutty Sark, same as IWM in terms of getting there, train, tube, short walk 5) Portsmouth - Historic Dock Yard, this includes several museums rolled into one, you can pay for entry to just one, or get a ticket to the lot combined, includes HMS Victory, Submarine museum across the harbour in Gosport (there's a water Taxi you can use for free with tickets to the museum), and a bunch of other cool stuff. Getting there isn't too difficult, you can get a train to Portsmouth, from London at least, and then it's only a short walk from the Portsmouth Harbour train station. 6) Cambridge - IWM Duxford. This is primarily a military aviation museum, it belongs to the same group that runs the museum you're at in this video, it used to be used as their "large item storage" and wasn't open to the public, but they later opened it as a museum in it's own right. Getting there's a little harder without a vehicle, you can get a train into cambridge easily enough from London, however, the museum isn't in the city itself, it's a little way outside, but I believe there's a bus service you could use. 7) York - National Railway Museum. Getting here is easy enough, there's good train links into York, and the museum is only a short walk from the railway station 8) York - Jorvik Center. This is a museum York as it was in Viking times (They called the city Jorvik). Again, good train links to York, this one isn't so close to the station, but it's definitely walkable, there's plenty of buses too if you'd prefer. 9) York - Eden Camp. This is a museum setup as a 2nd world war military camp. This is a little harder to get too with no vehicle, you can get into the center of York easy enough by train, as noted above, but Eden Camp is outside York. I'm not sure if there's busses that go there. 10) York - The bar walls are worth a visit. They're not a museum as such, they're just the old city walls that were built by the Romans, and are largely still in tact. Walking around the top of the walls, as far as possible, quite nice. Again, transport wise, you can get to York easily enough by train, as you come out of the station main entrance, you'll see the walls right in front of you, you're just outside them at this point, so it's easy enough to pick up the city wall walk, and follow them as far as you want, there will be places you have to deviate from the wall and pick it back up due to modern infrastructure and such, and at certain times they can close the wall off completely for safety, if it's icy or likely to become icy for example. 11) York - If you're in York, the Minister is worth a visit, it's a cathedral, and is, I believe, the biggest in the UK, and is the second largest Gothic Cathedral in Europe. It's impressive to see, although note it is quite often surrounded by scaffolding as there's constant, ongoing preservation work. Again, this is an easy enough walk from the train station 12) York - York Castle Museum. Again, easy enough to get to from York Station 13) York - Cliffords Tower. This is probably worth combining with the castle museum if you're going as you can literally see one from the other, only about a minutes walk (or maybe less if you walk quick) between the entrances. 14) Not sure if you're interested in Hiking/Cycling, but if so - York - Planets cycle route. This is a cycling and walking track that leads from York, most of the way towards Selby (ends at a small place on route to Selby called Riccall) that has models of the planets along it's length, I believe the idea is the planets are scaled, and spaced out such that it is all "to scale" with the real solar system. It's an enjoyable walk or bike ride. In total is a little over 6 miles each way. There is a bus that you could catch from the end back into York though. Anyways, just some things I've enjoyed over the years.
@TG-mr6bcАй бұрын
Good Vid = I was young throughout the second world war- these images brought back memories. Well done.
@MusicgutbucketАй бұрын
Totally recommend Bletchley Park Alaina, sorry for spoiling. 😂
@JonathanB6023Ай бұрын
Great video and tour, glad you enjoyed the Imperial War Museum (if enjoyed is the right word). It's so interesting to see familiar places through different eyes. Other slightly less well known but fascinating places I can recommend: - The Horniman Museum in South London, a great community museum and easy to get to from Kent. It has the biggest collection of historical musical instruments in Britain, a butterfly house and some really beautiful gardens with amazing views across the city - Dulwich Picture Gallery not far from the Horniman, a brilliant art gallery and a lot quieter than all the central London ones And if you're feeling very adventurous and plucky (these can be quite busy): - Sir John Soane's Museum in Lincolns Inn...he was an architect and filled his house with a curated collection of art, architecture and all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff. It looks completely random inside but he designed every square inch of it to be a complete Romantic experience - the centrepiece is an Egyptian sarcophagus in a tall columned room which he would place candles around and have musicians playing ancient music to show it off for full dramatic effect - The Hunterian Museum opposite Soane's Museum is weird but strangely beautiful. It's in the Royal College of Surgeons and is a huge room full of glass cabinets containing specimens from animals and human biology that surgeons would use to learn about anatomy, diseases and finding cures. Not for the faint hearted but really interesting
@Jonet01Ай бұрын
Someplace I’ve always wanted to visit, so after seeing your video I’m going to make such I do indeed visit….and for free, wow I didn’t realise that either!
@donfranktvАй бұрын
Hi, just came across your channel - really enjoying the content so far - subscribed 🙂
@michaelfisher9760Ай бұрын
We went on a school trip a loooooonnnnnggggg time ago. And looking at some of the photographs my friend discovered a picture of his Dad sitting on a tank from the WW2 desert campaign!