Thursday, July 15, 2010

locking up the tower



I read about the Ceremony of the Keys, mentioned in passing on a travel forum. It sounded interesting, and Miss Tizz was keen (although whether for the ceremony or for being allowed to stay out later than usual I'm not sure), so I did some research.

The ceremony is the official locking up of the Tower of London for the night, and it is thought to have been performed (apparently without fail) every night for about 700 years - although one night during WWII it was a little late, as the Germans bombed the Tower.

One of the big drawcards for me, apart from witnessing the centuries-old ceremony, is the opportunity to get inside the Tower at night, without the crowds. We'll do a daytime visit as well, but I think a visit at night will be very special.

Entrance to the ceremony is by dated ticket only, and you need to apply in writing (no emails, faxes or telephone calls) at least two to three months in advance. Places are limited, so I sent our letter off today, addressed to the Tower of London - that in itself is a bit exciting to us! Hopefully we'll be lucky!

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