Yes, yes, I know...

It has been over a year now since I last came on here and posted something. That is not because I haven't thought of here. It is because I have been doing other things...

I went on another trip this last Summer (Australian, that is), and I will be going overseas again at the end of this year. Europe, of course. I will be uploading more pictures of my last European trip (yes, they are still around, I just haven't been up to loading them on here). Then I will load Tasmanian photos.

In the mean time...see you round!

An interesting situation...

Since last writing on here I have changed a few settings on my computer due to virus scaning software. I have to try and work out how to allow pop-ups (which I thought I had achieved) to be able to add images now. If someone wants to help me out here out there, please, come forward with any ideas to help. Already tried the obvious.

Apart from that, I have been living at my owner's school for the last few weeks. Saying hello to the Kindergarten class, as well as their teddybear. It has been a very interesting time since the beginning of term, and now term is starting to wind down a little and the holidays will soon be here.

Take care to you all!

Boxing Day - again...

Boxing Day saw us wander around London very much, seeing the Royal Horse Guards, after walking through St James's Park, towards Trafalgar Square.

The Royal Horse Guards are known as 'The Blues' because they wore blue as their uniform during the time of King Charles II. They were founded in 1650 by Oliver Cromwell, of all men, but were amalgamated with the Royal Dragoons in 1969, after going through a couple of name changes (but nothing major), in between those times.

Trafalgar Square is named so in honour of the Battle of Trafalgar - a great naval battle that took place in 1805, and won by the British under the leadership of Admiral Nelson. This is why there is Nelson's Column in the centre of it. The four lions are supposedly made from the bronze from the cannons of the French Fleet that was defeated. This battle took place during the Napoleonic War Era. Below is a picture of me with Peter, my owner's brother, sitting near one of the lions.

This is me sitting, taking a break from the walking, outside the Houses of Parliament. The clock is fondly known as Big Ben, but it is actually the bell that rings that is named so. The houses of Parliament, unlike Australia, are known as the House of Commons and the House of Lords. We, on the other hand, have the House of Representatives, and the Senate. This building can date as far back as 1097 and should be known as the Palace of Westminster. However, it hasn't had any royalty living in it since the 16th century, and was almost completely destroyed by a fire in the 19th century. Having been rebuilt in 1834, the present structure is labelled as gothic revival in style. During World War II, it was bombed during 'the Blitz', with the House of Commons having to be rebuilt.

Bibliography: Wikipedia

Westminster Abbey

This and the photo of myself in front of the Houses of Parliament should have come before the photos of Trafalgar Square...but such is life!

This is a photo of me standing in front of the western side of Westminster Abbey. The name, Westminster Abbey, is the original name of the Gothic style cathedral. However, it is actually named the Collegiate Church of St Peter and is the traditional coronation and burial site for British monarchs.

You enter the church from the northern side, and come out the western side, having walked all around the inside, viewing the different tombs of past monarchs and notables. You also see the Coronation Chair, with the Stone of Scone not there...it is in Scotland (where it should be)...And we all know about Hamish Macbeth's involvement in that one!

There are many tomb stones on the floor that have been worn away through the number of people who have walked around the church. You can not make out quite a number of them any more due to the age they are and the wear and tear. The Church can date back to 616AD. The stone abbey can be dated to being built by Edward the Confessor and was completed in time for his burial (he died a week after it was consecrated), and the coronation of Harold (which started problems with William the Conqueror), in 1066. However, Norman monarchs were not buried there until the time of Henry III.

Also buried in the Abbey include: Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Robert Browning, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Lord (Alfred) Tennyson, Rudyard Kipling, Laurence Olivier, Henry Purcell, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. People commemorated in the Abbey include: Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. One of the people removed from the church by Charles II was Oliver Cromwell. I don't blame Charles for doing that at all.

Anyway...enough about the Abbey, I think...Pity you can't take photos inside the Abbey, but I can understand that - flash photography might hurt some of the things...or something.

Bibliography: Wikipedia

Some Places I went on Boxing Day, 2006

Well, everybody...I hope that this comes up clearly for you...

Here I am, sitting on a Postage Box, in St. James's Street. You can just see the sign above my head. I had to come to St. James's Street as it is home to a few exclusive gentlemen's clubs (such as White's and Brooke's) and, well, my owner, she has read novels that have included the names of these clubs. So, I just had to go here too. These clubs, by the way, have been around for a very long time. We walked down to the bottom of St. James's Street to St. James's Palace, and that was very nice to see as well.

Aaahhhh...Here I am with some of the Horse Guards riding by. We saw some of these fellows outside Buckingham Palace also. This was taken beside 'Rotten Row', Hyde Park.

Buckingham Palace: official London residence of the Queen (or King, when we have one). Originally known as Buckingham House (due to being the residence of the Duke of Buckingham), it was acquired by King George III in 1762 through a loophole in the lease. It has been added to since then, quite a bit, to create what we now know at 'Buck House', finishing with the east front refaced in 1913 in Portland Stone for a backdrop to the Victoria Monument. This is the face you see me in front of now, as it is the common entrance that we know today, as well as where you can see the famous 'Changing of the Guard' routine. They were kind enough to play some Christmas Carols for us that day, also.

This is what Buckingham House looked like around 1710, when completed for the first Duke of Buckingham and Normandy. Very different, I think, compared to the above photograph. London at the time must have been a fair amount smaller than what it is today, allowing people to build such houses...or did they just make it that they acquired that land...?

Bibliography: Wikipedia

The Marble Arch

The Marble Arch in London is situated near Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park. We got off the Tube at the station of the same name, coming out on this side of the arch.

The arch is built from Carrara marble, and was originally situated in The Mall, built in 1828 by John Nash. The design was based on a triumphal arch of Constatine in Rome and meant as a gateway to the new Buckingham Palace. The gate was moved to where it is now situated in 1851, but you never know...it may be moved back in the future (though it is more than 150 years since they thought of that, probably...).

One other interesting thing that I love about it's history is that it is located near the site of Tyburn gallows. This was also known as 'Tyburn Tree' where they use to execute people from 1388 to 1793.

This is what the Marble Arch looked like when it was in front of the Palace, in 1837. It was built there for George IV.

Got to love history.

Bibliography: Wikipedia.

Welcome to my blog

This is the first time I've started on this blog, so please, give me time...

My name is Tott, the Tottenham Horspurs Official Merchandise Teddy Bear. I'm only about 30cm tall, so my tours of the world are, currently, on a small scale. However, I have been around some of the northern hemisphere over the New Year break just been (having been given to my owner for Christmas). Places looked at here so far are London, Paris, Munich, Schloss Neuschwanstein, New York, Washington D.C., Salt Lake City, and Hawaii.

I hope you enjoy this blog as I have enjoyed being taken around several interesting sights of the world, appearing at very interesting areas and monuments, and, of course, doing the tourist thing - having my photo taken at these sights.