Hello everyone! Today we had a fantastically educational day. It started out at 9 AM sharp, when after a quick breakfast at Regent's College, the class met at the tube station. Our first order of business was to hop on the tube that took us to the
House of Commons. The House is made up of 650 members of Parliament (MP'S) who get elected in every six years. The 650 members represent the major political parties (Torries, Whigs and conservatives) and the number of each in Parliament depends on the political alignment of the Prime Minister. The current British Prime Minister, David Cameron, is head of the Conservative Party, therefore a majority of the 650 members of Parliament are Conservatives. At the House of Commons, we were able to watch government action taking place before our eyes. We got to watch members of Parliament debate on the issue of church budgets, and wither or not they should be raised. Watching this take place was awesome, as the political banter was interesting, and we got to hear about issues affecting the modern day United Kingdom. (Though, as with many other famous British landmarks, no pictures were allowed to be taken inside.)
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| The four nursing major students |
After we went to the House of Commons, the class then went on to see the
Florence Nightingale Museum. The museum showcased the early life and work of famous war nurse Florence Nightingale. Nightingale was famous for revolutionizing the way nursing care was done. She made sure to keep patients sterile, as well as record all instances of death on the war field during the Crimean War. This Exhibit was especially cool because in our group of 16 students, we have four nursing majors- Rosemary Crowley, Paige Fitzgerld, Kimi Girmus and Dana LaVergne.
After our trip to Parliament and the Florence Nightingale Museum, the class then went on a short train ride to
Hampton Court Palace. The Palace, which is home to several museum exhibits and several beautiful gardens. It was built in 1538 for Cardinal Thomas Wosley, a favorite of King Henry VIII's, and was later given to the King himself. The Palace is a beautiful example of English architecture and the splendor by which royalty lived their lives. After a quick lunch, the class walked through the
"Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber" exhibit. This exhibit took its viewers through all of the different bedroom styles of the royalty that lived in the palace, as well as going into great detail over how important the Bedchambers were to the rigid social constructs of palace life.
After being given time to explore the grounds and other beautiful exhibits that lie within the palace, the class met up and did the hedge maze located in the center of the gardens. Professor Wolfe told us that who ever could make it out of the maze first would win a special prize. We all ran through the maze, but it was Nicole Webster who ended up victorious! She won a special Queen Victoria stuffed animal, and the rest of the class was given chocolate medals!
Our last stop of the day was the world famous department store
Harrods! The store is five stories tall, and has everything from a pet shop to a food store. Professor Wolfe gave the class forty minutes to break into small groups and get lost among the glamor of the store. It was a wonderful to see the finest British fashions straight off the runway. Many members of the class loved it, because unlike some of the other things we have done on this trip, it was a totally modern British experience.
After going to Harrods, it was time to call it a night. Today was a fantastic day in which we got to explore many facets of English culture. It was a light hearted day of fun, and I'm sure for many it was one of the best days we've had thus far.
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