Burlington High School - Rarebits Yearbook (Burlington, Ontario Canada)

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RARE statues are everywhere in the Abbey. After wandering around the nave we come to the South Transept, better known as the Poets' Corner. We now find it necessary to enlist a guide to take us around the Royal Tombs. Guides are pests who allow one no time to look at things. However, in this case we must make the best of it, for no one is allowed to enter the Royal area without a guide. We trail this disciple of Charlie Paddock through the South Ambulatory, past little chapels, up some wide stairs and into Henry VII's Chapel. Here rest kings and queens of ancient might, but the most novel tomb is that of a baby daughter of Charles II. She was found dead in her cradle one day, and a sculptor was en- listed to carve her effigy and cradle in stone. The body is in the cradle under its effigy. Henry VII, founder of the chapel, is interred in an elaborate tomb in the middle of tlie chapel. The chapel is also the chapter house of the Knights of the Bath. Above their oak stalls are their swords, helmets, crests, and ban- ners. The roof is especially famous for its stone carving. We will now pass out of this chapel and enter Edward the Confessor's Chapel, which is immediately behind the Altar. Around the sides of the chapel are Royal Tombs. One claims attention because the silver head of the effigy was stolen during the Commonwealth. Another claims notice by its size. Its occupant is Edward I, known as Longshanks , who was six feet two inches tall. The tomb of Edward the Confessor is in the middle of the chapel and was also badly mutilated during the Commonwealth. At the west of the chapel is the Coronation Chair and the long two-handed sword of Edward III, a sword seven feet long. On leaving the guide we walk toward the Western Door, within a few feet of which we stop to examine a flower- bedecked slab of black marble. The inscription tells simply and effectively of the person below. It starts thus:- Beneath this stone rests the body of a British Warrior Unknowniby name or rank. There a few more lines and the in- scription ends as follows- They buried him among the Kings BITS 47 because he had done good toward God, and toward His house. To those who have had patience to follow me thus far, my article may be becoming dry and dull. Therefore, to relieve the monotony, I shall now tell you some of the things about London which are seldom heard of. To become critical, London, with all its magnificence and pomp, has several very annoying features. To begin with, the omnibuses rarely, if ever, stop for people and it is rather a reckless practice to mount one on the run because of the dense traffic. The theatres of London are very ex- pensive, ridiculously so. There are very few middle-class theatres. They are mostly either low, with noise and arguments, or very high class, with ex- tremely formal evening dress. About the finest middle-class theatre in London is north of Trafalgar Square and is called the Empire . The general run of restaurants in London are a curse. When one enters a restaurant and wants some water with his meal he must ask for it as though it were tea or coffeeg it is never placed on the table. There is a three-penny charge for each serviette. Worst of all, the use of cream in tea is almost unheard of. Many a time have I mixed up a stiff whipping cream with milk to use the lumpy mess as table-cream. After a fortnight's practice Icould have claimed the admiration of the finest plaster- mixer in London. There is one good thing about the poor servicegit gives you time to read your guide-books. In about a week I found a good high- class restaurant on Holborn Street, where the service and prices were fairly rea- sonable. However, when the unsuspecting tourist stalks the streets of London for a place to eat, let him beware. I learned my lesson early. In fact, my first meal in London taught me that the poorest external appearance may hide the most expensive and renowned place. My place of execution was a humble looking restaurant on Oxford Street called the Trochedero . Inside, the room was gorgeously decorated in George III style. There were auto- graphed photographs of knights, lords, earls, and dukes and all branches of the

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46 RAREBITS Duke of Buckingham and was later bought by George HI. Let us return again to Charing Cross. We will turn to the broad avenue to our Whitehall, the ancient On the right as we go right, for it is lists of London. down the street we come to the Horse Guards. There is a mounted man under each arch of the entrance, and another six and a half feet of masculinity stands with shouldered sword in the driveway. As we continue we pass the Cenotaph and noticing that every gentleman who passes it removes his hat, we do the same. When we reach the bottom of White- hall we have a glorious view. To our left is St. Stephen's, better known as Westminster, still better known as the Houses of Parliament. Straight ahead of us is Westminster Abbey. Since Saturday morning is the only time that entrance to St. Stephen's is permitted to tourists, we shall pretend that it is Saturday morning and we shall go through Parliament first. As we advance towards the Old Palace Yard we pass an equestrian statue of Richard the Lion-Hearted. He is in full armour, and the bronze is green with the fogs and rains of London. We enter the buildings just north of the Victoria Tower, which is the Royal Entrance. Aiounting some low wide steps, we enter a large room called the Royal Gallery, the long walls of which are covered by two huge murals. Passing through the north door, we enter a small room called the Princes Chamber. The walls here are covered with age-darkened portraits which seem ghostly in the gloom. We pass through the north door and find ourselves in the House of Lords, a very sumptuous chamber. At the south end stand the thrones of the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales. Those of the King and Queen are on a dais, while that of the Prince is on the floor level at the right of the King's throne. The roof is of finely carved oak. The walls are pierced by large gothic windows. The House seats five hundred and fifty lords and their seats are upholstered in red leather. The Lord Chancellor sits before the Throne on a strange four- sided seat called the Woolsack. The next room north is the Peers' Lobby, where visitors find interest in the cloak-pegs, with the names of the Peers above them. We next pass through a corridor lined with historical paintings and enter the Central Hall, which con- tains statues of statesmen. Another corridor brings us to the House of Commons. This House though magnificent is very plain in comparison with the House of Lords. It seats four hundred and fifty members and has a large gallery. Retracing our steps to the Central Hall we turn west into St. Stephen's Hall. It is rather old. The Commons met here for centuries. On the walls are large paintings, illustrating British His- tory from the time of Alfred the Great, to the Articles of Union, 1707. Above the paintings are tall gothic windows and between the paintings are statues of statesmen. Passing through the west entrance we enter St. Stephen's Porch. The left wall contains a massive stained-glass window, under which is a memorial containing the names of the lords, knights and commoners of the parlia- ment who were killed in the World War. Crossing under the arch opposite the window we walk down two low wide flights of stairs into Westminster Hall. It is a tremendous structure, begun in 1097 by William Rufus. The floor and walls are of stone, the roof is a master- piece of carpentry in oak. Windows are almost entirely lacking. It is a very historical place. Charles I was tried and condemned here. Cromwell's head was impaled for about twenty-five years on an iron spike on the south gable. The latest great chapter of its history was written last fall, when the victims of the R-101 rested here in state. We shall now pass through the north door and stroll across to Westminster Abbey. We enter the Abbey through the North Transept. The lofty grandeur of the place is astounding. The roof seems to be lost in a bluish mist. Once sitting down on a chair in the Nave to wonder at such majesty, I chanced to look at the floor and there under my feet was the name, David Livingstone. Indeed, it seems very strange to walk over the mortal remains of such renowned people. Tombs and

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48 RAREBITS nobility, upon the walls. Yvaiters in dress suits and curling moustaches glided about. The meal was fairly good, but I left the place between the bowing waiters and steward about twelve shill- ings poorer than I was before the meal. lt was rather an expensive lesson, but it was well learned. The last and most disgusting things in London are the tourists of the sheep type. These pitiable creatures go about in large flocks, presided over by a swift moving guide. They advance through the galleries, castles and churches, bleating and bah-ing, and scratching upon scraps of paper. Whenever they stop, the guide belabours them with a series of vocal noises resembling blah, In the churches they seem to be a sacrilege. Instead of perusing quietly a book and strolling about in one's or two,s they form little armies and depend upon the sing-song monotonous voice of the guide. These parties do London in a day or two, and Europe in a month. They then return to America with their valises Covered with bills, and account themselves highly educated travellers. How can this be so, when London alone takes years to see and understand?-Lezzgfzlon. LOWER, MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL DEBATING CHAMPIONS Sitting-Pauline Tancock, Iolene Macklin. Standing-lack Manzer, Reg. Cozens.