In the War Rooms

Let's travel back in time 3 1/2 weeks to our first museum stop in London...

I was really excited about visiting here.  I like reading and learning about this period in history.

Notice what is on top of the roof of this building.

The man himself

This building was chosen as a shelter for government officials

because of its proximity to Downing Street and Parliament.

It was just a few blocks away from each.

The War Room, in preparation for a briefing

Everything has been left in the War Rooms in almost the exact condition it was left when WWII ended.  I reminded myself constantly of the people who walked the dark, narrow halls and stood in the exact places I was standing.

I don't know if you're able to zoom in on what the sign says about the "Dock."  The floor where we were standing was already one level underground, and so this would have been even farther down where there were bedrooms for members of the cabinet, including secretaries and typists, to sleep at night when London was being bombed.  The place was dark and dank and had rats; the sign says most of the people took their chances and went home at night.  Would you have taken your chances with the bombs or with the rats?

This gave me butterflies in my stomach when I looked at it again.

It is hard to comprehend that I was so close to such a huge day in history.

The Prime Minister's Office

I mean, you have to love a good Churchill quote.

The posters and war memorabilia were some of my favorite things to see.

I found the German propaganda interesting, funny, and horrible all at the same time.

Churchill's watch and a few quotes

I thought it was interesting that Churchill was considered such an alarmist that no one listened to his warnings about Hitler.

Of course this was my favorite quote.

The door to 10 Downing Street when Churchill lived there

I was glad we got to see it here, because these days Downing Street is gated off; you can't just go take a picture of the door anymore.

I just liked this sign.  Nice title, eh?  But this was where they slept.

We were able to see several bedrooms, including one for Churchill's wife, 

though I don't think she stayed there often.

I'm not sure how maps in modern-day war rooms show the movements of troops, but I'm guessing they no longer use different shades of yarn.

The gift shop was full of these posters and books filled with instructions on how to make over your clothes and grow your own vegetables.  There was an especial push toward growing your own potatoes.  There were all kinds of posters about how good potatoes were for you.

The fact that the war affected the everyday lives of almost every citizen has always been interesting to me, compared to what my generation has experienced.  There seemed to be an attitude of, "We're all in this together."  Perhaps it is similar to what we felt after September 11; we just didn't have to do without things the way this generation did.

I really enjoyed the museum a lot, despite the fact that at times I felt like I was going to pass out from lack of sleep.  I only had a couple of hours sleep on the plane, and it was 7 a.m. Central time.  I finally had to tell KJ I needed to get out of the dungeon and into the fresh air and light of day.  I felt much better out of doors.