March 12-18, 2019  Jessica and Mike's Visit

Jessica, Mike, Benson, Grace and Sabrina came to visit us during the second week of the London Temple shutdown and we had a fun and busy time together visiting sites in London, Canterbury, Dover as well as Church History sites in the Midlands and Shakespeare's home in Stratford-on-Avon.  Here are some pictures of our adventures!

Our world-travelers arriving after a 10 hour flight from Chicago!

Sabrina, Grace, Jessica, Ben, Elder Burkinshaw and Mike.

Greenwich:  Royal Observatory, Maritime Museum, Footbridge Under the Thames

Whilst Jessica and Mike went into London, Elder and Sister Burkinshaw (aka Grandpa and Grandma) took Benson, Grace and Sabrina into London (after a short nap to catch up their clock with the flight across the pond) to see some of the Greenwich sites.

 Ben, Sabrina and Grace in front of the The Shepherd Gate Clock. The clock by the gate was the first to display Greenwich Mean Time to the public, and is unusual in using the 24-hour analog dial.  Below the clock are standards for lengths including a yard, two feet, one foot, six inches and one inch.

At the Prime Meridian (0°) with Grace on the East side, Sabrina on the West side and Benson straddling with one foot on either side!

Sabrina, Grace and Benson in front of the Greenwich Time Ball.  The Time Ball on the roof of the Flamsteed House was installed in 1833 and drops every day at 1:00pm.  By the 1830's, most British sailors navigate using chronometers.  These needed to be set accurately before sailing, and the Time Ball allowed anyone in sight of the Royal Observatory to obtain Greenwich Time.

Grace and Sabina with the "Ship in a Bottle" in front of the Royal Maritime Museum just down the hill from the Royal Observatory.  The ship is a scaled-down replica of Nelson's flagship HMS Victory, on which the British hero died during the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.

On 21 October 1805, two years into the Napoleonic War, a British fleet commanded by Admiral Lord Nelson Intercepted a combined French and Spanish force off Cape Trafalgar, in southwest Spain.  The battle that followed involved sixty ships and approximately 50,000 men.  The result was an important victory for the Royal Navy, and one that subsequently came to define Britain's naval might.  The men who achieved this success were from every corner of the British Isles.  "The Battle of Trafalgar, 1805,"  in the Royal Maritime Museum, was painted by JMW Turner in 1822-24 to define and celebrate Britain's relationship with naval power.  In this scene, painted in a period of post-war triumphalism following Napoleon's final defeat in 1815, Nelson's flagship Victory symbolizes British society as a whole, damaged but victorious in the midst of a great struggle.  

Benson, Grace and Sabrina inside the stained-glass dome that was at one time located in the Baltic Exchange where merchants and naval officer met to plan their trade missions.

Benson, Grace, Sister Burkinshaw and Sabrina walking through the Greenwich foot tunnel which passes underneath the Thames River near the Maritime Museum.  The 1902 tunnel replaced an expensive and unreliable ferry service which allowed workers living south of the Thames to reach their workplaces in the London docks and shipyards in or near the Isle of Dogs.  It is about one-third mile long and is located 50 feet below the Thames River. 

Sister Burkinshaw, Benson, Sabrina and Grace at the edge of the River Thames after crossing underneath the Greenwich foot tunnel. 

Sister Burkinshaw, Grace, Sabrina and Benson in front of the Cutty Sark, a British cutter ship built in 1869.  "Cutty Sark" is 18th-century Scots for "short undergarment".  It represented the best design available for a faster sailing ship.  Unfortunately it was the last design of it's kind as sailing ships gave way to steam propulsion.  It was sold to a Portuguese company and renamed the Ferreira but eventually found it's way back to the Royal Maritime Museum.

Grace, Benson, Sister Burkinshaw (aka Grandma) and Sabrina enjoying lunch at  Five Guys in the O2 arena in North Greenwich.

Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, and Lion King

Here are a few of Jessica and Mike's adventure into London.

Mike and Jessica at Trafalgar Square which commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars with France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar, Spain.  Nelson's 170' column, in the background, was built to honor Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, noted for his inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of decisive British naval victories. He was wounded several times in combat, losing the sight in one eye at age 36, as well as most of one arm at the age of 47 and he was killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar which secured his position as one of Britain's most heroic figures. His final signal during the battle, "England expects that every man will do his duty," has become embedded in the English psyche and Trafalgar Square has been the center of national celebrations following the world wars and of each new year.

Jessica in front of the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square.  The National Gallery was founded in 1824 and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.  It is among the most visited art museums in the world, after the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mike with Vincent Van Gogh's  famous 1887 painting "Sunflowers."  Van Gogh associated the color yellow with hope and friendship.  He suggested that this painting expresses 'an idea symbolizing gratitude".

Jessica with the famous painting "At the Theater" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  A young girl and her chaperone are seated in a theater box.  They, not the stage, are the subject of the artist's and the audience's attention.  The bright gold of the box emphasizes their separation from the audience.

Jessica in front of the Lyceum Theatre in London's West End where she and Mike saw "The Lion King."

Tower of London

Ben, Sabrina and Grace pose on London Bridge, which fortunately, was not falling down! ;-)

London Bridge with Grace, Sister Burkinshaw (AKA Grandma), Sabrina and Benson with the Tower Bridge in the background on the River Thames, thee was a little wind.

The Richards family in front of Tower of London or the White Tower as it is known.  The White Tower was begun in the early 1080s by William the Conqueror as a massive symbol of strength and deterrent to those who might oppose him.  It was later extended and the familiar color was added in 1280 when Henry III had the tower whitewashed.  The White Tower was the castle's strongest point militarily, and provided accommodation for the king and his representatives, as well as a chapel. 

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the Line of Kings where historic armors were displayed on life-like wooden figures, including those of Henry VIII, Charles I and later James II, in a parade of beautifully-carved horses, which was created in the 17th century.  It was installed for King Charles II by the Royal Armouries to promote the restored monarchy.

Jessica and Sabrina in front of the dragon which is an old tradition of showing off Britain’s might by creating statues from weaponry.  The materials used for the dragon statue represent the six functions of the Tower including an armory, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England.

It is well known that the Tower of London has been a place of imprisonment, torture and execution over the centuries. The prisoner was shown the rack first and then questioned; only if the prisoner refused to answer was the rack used. It is known that the sheer sight of the rack was often enough for people to surrender!

The Crown Jewels are housed in the Tower of London.  Here are the regalia from Charles II's coronation in 1661 which forms the central pieces of the crown jewels, including St Edwards crown, the Sovereign's Orb, the Stirrups, the Sovereign's Scepters with a Dove, a Cross and a Diamond, the Ampulla and the bracelets.  

Mike, Jessica, Sabrina, Benson and Grace outside the Tower of London with the Tower Bridge in the background.

Harry Potter Walking Tour for Muggles

Here are photos of London sites from some of the Harry Potter movies. We will just let you Harry Potter fans enjoy the pictures as Elder and Sister Burkinshaw (Grandma and Grandpa) are not familiar with the sites having never read the Harry Potter books or watched the movies. Maybe after the mission we will do a binge read and watch. It was reported their tour guide was great and they got to see some parts of London off the beaten path, so it was a great experience for these "muggles".

Benson, Grace, Sabrina, Jessica and Mike in front of the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus in the background.  The name Piccadilly comes from Robert Baker's tailor shop in the early 1600's famous for piccadills or shirt collars.

Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station

The Richards at Buckingham Palace. It was obviously the end of the day by the time we stopped at Buckingham palace, but worth the walk. We are learning that google maps can take you down some dark streets if you're not careful.

A close-up of the Richards at Buckingham Palace.

The Richards in front of  the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.  It is a monument to Queen Victoria.  At the top of the central pylon stands a gilded bronze Winged Victory, standing on a globe and with a victor's palm in one hand. Beneath her are personifications of Constancy, holding a compass with its needle pointing true north, and Courage, holding a club.  The Memorial was dedicated to the "qualities which made our Queen so great and so much beloved."

The Richards family in front of Victoria Station, our destination each time we came in from Lingfield on the train.  

Jessica and Mike in front of one of the ubiquitous red phone booths near Victoria Station.  Although the functionality of phone booths has long passed, there are many that still remain in the greater London area, probably for photo ops.

Canterbury Cathedral

The Richards Family and Sister Burkinshaw (aka Grandma) at Christchurch Gate which is the entrance to Canterbury Cathedral.  If you zoom in on the gate you can see the statue of Christ in the center (blue-green copper) as well as the Tudor and other coats of arms.  

The Richards family and Sister Burkinshaw at Canterbury Cathedral.  It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  It was founded in 597 AD, was completely rebuilt in 1070 AD and is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England..  

The Richard Family in Canterbury Cathedral, with its unique Gothic architecture looking towards the alter and beyond that the location of the shrine of St Thomas Becket.

These are some of the "miracle" windows which illustrate the miracles that came to the pilgrims that sought special blessings from St Thomas Becket.  Note that in each picture circle there is a green box which was the donation box for those who received blessings.  It was understood that this was a "Pay to Play" or perhaps more appropriately "Pay to Pray" operation and that miracles could be taken back if an appropriate donation to the church was note received. We had a wonderful tour guide for the "miracle windows".

This is a four part sequence which tells the story of a sick monk that made a pilgrimage to Canterbury for a miracle.  At 9:00 you can see the sick monk.  At 12:00 you can see the sick monk is given some holy water to drink to cure him.  At 3:00 you can see the monk is vomiting blood or something after drinking the holy water.  At 6:00 you can see that the monk is healed and there on the alter is the green donation box as a reminder. ;-)

Sister Burkinshaw, Sabrina and Grace near the Chapel of the Martyrs in Canterbury Cathedral where they purchased and lit a candle which is done as a reminder from Matt. 5:14-16 to be "a light to the world", these girls are doing a great job of that.

This is the 1450 stone choir screen which demarcated the area used by monks (the choir) from that available for public worship (the nave).  It  displays statues of six royal figures:  Henry V, Richard II, Ethelbert (holding a model of the cathedral), Edward the Confessor, Henry IV and Henry VI.

This is "The Martyrdom" where the archbishop, Thomas Becket, was murdered  on Tuesday 29 December 1170, by knights of King Henry II. The king had frequent conflicts with the strong-willed Becket and is said to have exclaimed in frustration, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" Four knights took it literally and murdered Becket in his own cathedral.  Becket was quickly made a Saint of the Catholic Church (and later the Church of England) which drew many pilgrims to his shrine in the Cathedral.  The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1387 are 24 tales presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. 

Dove Castle

Elder Burkinshaw, Benson, Sabrina, Grace and Sister Burkinshaw with Dover Castle in the background.  Because of it's strategic location as the closest location to France (21 miles) it was described as the "Key to England."

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw at the entrance to Dover Castle.  Henry II (1133-1189) was England's greatest castle builder and Dover Castle (1180) was his greatest monument.  It was both modern and old-fashioned at the same time.  Dover was the first castle in western Europe with concentric layers of defenses but the square design of the Great Tower was deliberately old-fashioned intending to associate Henry with the strong kings of earlier ages.  It's primary aim was display rather than defense and as such was very successful, the castle is huge!

The Richards Family at the gate to Dover Castle

The Great Tower of Dover Castle also knows as "the keep".  

Sister Burkinshaw at the front entrance to the Great Tower at Dover Castle.  The Great Tower rises 80 feet above the castle grounds. It was very easy to get lost inside and we decided next time we would designate a time and locations to meet.

Sabrina stirring a large cauldron in the ground floor kitchen of the Great Tower, Dover Castle.

Grace at a food preparation table in the kitchen on the ground floor of the Great Tower of Dover Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in one of the pantries off the ground floor kitchen of the Great Tower at Dover Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw in the banquet room of Dover Castle.  The coat of arms (six rampant lions) above the fireplace are those of Geoffrey Plantagenet (also called "The Handsome) who was the father of King Henry II. Grandma sitting by herself because by this time we had all gotten separated exploring the "great tower".

Grace and Sister Burkinshaw (aka Grandma) in the kings bedroom at the Great Tower of Dover Castle.  Note that in that epoch, the rooms were insulated by tapestries on the walls.

Sabrina reading at a desk in a small study room.

Another of the bedrooms in the Castle.

Sister Burkinshaw on top of Dover Castle with it's impressive battlements.

The view from the top of Dover Castle looking across the English Channel toward Calais, France.

Another view of the view of the Dover Castle complex and the English Channel.

Another view from the top of Dover Castle overlooking the Port of Dover which is the nearest English port to France (21 mi) away, and is one of the world's busiest passenger ports, with 11.7 million passengers, 2.6 million trucks, 2.2 million cars and motorcycles and 80,000 buses. The Channel Tunnel in nearby Cheriton now takes an estimated 20 million passengers and 1.6 million trucks.

The Richards Family below Dover Castle in one of the complex system of ancient tunnels.  The tunnels were used as shelters during World War II.

White Cliffs of Dover

The Richards Family with the White Cliffs of Dover in the background.  If Ben looks like he is leaning, it's because the winds were blowing at 25-30 mph.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw at the White Cliffs.  Sister Burkinshaw does not have a new hair do but it is the high winds.  Fortunately we were not blown off the cliffs.

Mike and Benson at the White Cliffs of Dover.  The chalk is largely comprised of calcium from the skeletal remains of billions of tiny planktonic algae, which, as they died, fell to the bed of the sea where, over millions of years, they accumulated to form a white calcium ooze on the seafloor. This soft sediment was gradually compacted and hardened to form chalk - a relatively soft but extremely pure rock.

Grace, Sabrina and Sister Burkinshaw with the English Channel in the background.

Sabrina and Grace with the English Channel.  If you look carefully, you can see Calais France on the other side of the channel.

Mike and Jessica at the White Cliffs of Dover.

A view of the English Channel with France in the distance. 

Benson with Dover Castle in the background from the path along the White Cliffs of Dover.

Gadfield Elm Chapel

The plaque at the Gadfield Elm Chapel Historic Site. We were blessed to have Sister Haw (a church service missionary, who lives about 30 mins. from the chapel) cleaning the chapel when we arrived so we had a wonderful tour guide which was awesome. The chapel is locked, but has a key pad on the door and the code is on the paper posted on the front window. 

Elder Burkinshaw, Sabrina, Sister Burkinshaw, Benson, Jessica, Mike and Grace in front of the Gadfield Elm Chapel

The Richards Family in front of the Gadfield Elm Chapel.  The door at the left enters the back of the chapel and this is where members would enter for meetings.

The plaque that explains the history of the Gadfield Elm Chapel.

Benson playing the organ at the Gadfield Elm Chapel on his 15th birthday on March 15th.  Williard Richard (who Benson is of course related to) preached in the Chapel.

There is a small visitors center in the back of the Gadfield Elm Chapel which explains some of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England.

Benbow's Pond at Hill Farm

The sign marking the location of The Hill Farm which continues a working farm today.

A plaque which explains the significance and the history of Benbow's Pond at Hill Farm.

The Richards Family at Benbow's Pond.

Close-up of the Richards Family with Benbow's Pond in the background.

A picture of Benbow's Pond and some of the neighbors.  There are herds of sheep surrounding the pond but the pond is fenced off to preserve it. Although a little cold it was a beautiful day for pictures.

Herefordshire Beacon 

Wilford Woodruff came to this beautiful spot at least four times for prayer and contemplation.  On May 9, 1840 he was admiring the view from the top when it began to thunder and lightning in the “vale beneath while I was in the midst or above the clouds”. On 20 May 1840, he, Brigham Young and Willard Richards met there and decided to print the Book of Mormon and a hymnal with funds donated by John and Jane Benbow and Thomas Kingston. Wilford Woodruff recording this in his journal:  "“We walked to Wind Point and Elders Young, Richards and myself walked on to the top of the part of Malvern Hills called Herefordshire     Beacon.  Here we united in prayer and held a council and unitedly felt that it was the will of God that Elder Young should go immediately to Manchester to assist in publishing in a collection of hymns...and also to immediately print and finish 3000 copies of the Book of Mormon...We walked from the hill into the valley and took the parting hand with Elder Young, who started for Manchester.”     

The plaque at the beginning of the trail to Herefordshire Beacon.  It says,
Herefordshire Beacon (Height 1115 ft)  One of the finest earthworks in Britain built about the second century B.C.  Later enlarged and altered before the Roman Conquest, it dominates the vicinty and commands magnificent panoramic views.  Esteemed by John Evely, the diarist, to be one of the goodliest vistas in England.  The Red Earl's Dyke running along the crest of the Hills was made by Gilbert deClare, Earl of Gloucester circa 1287 to mark the boundary between his teritory and that of the Bishop of Hereford.  At a spring nearby, William Langland, the famous 14th century poet 'slombred in a sleping and deamt his vision of Piers Plowman.'"  

The Richards Family at the top of Herefordshire Beacon.  The winds were 30-40 mph that day so it was a challenge to pose for this photo.

A second picture of the Richards Family in an area more protected from the high winds.

A panoramic shot of the English Midlands to the north.

Sabrina reading with a backdrop of the Roman earthworks at Herefordshire Beacon.

Sister Burkinshaw bundled up with her Scottish scarf, the Black line tartan, with the English Midlands in the background near the top of Herefordshire Beacon.

Birmingham

From the British Church History sites, we drove to Birmingham to Cadbury World and spent the night at the Birmingham Marriott.

The Richards Family in front of Cadbury World near Cadbury's Bournville Estate in Birmingham, their manufacturing site.  In 1824, brothers John and Benjamin Cadbury, Quakers, began selling drinking chocolate in Bull Street in Birmingham, England.  By 1854 they received the Royal Warrant as manufacturers of chocolate and cocoa to Queen Victoria.  In 1861, the company created Fancy Boxes — a decorated box of chocolates — and in 1868 they were sold in boxes in the shape of a heart for Valentine's Day. Boxes of filled chocolates quickly became associated with the holiday.

The Richards Family at "The World's Biggest Cadbury Shop."  A large quantity of British pounds were spent on Cadbury chocolates!

Following our trip to Cadbury World, we checked into the Birmingham Marriott, had Benson's 15th Birthday dinner at Five Guys and played games!

Benson with his 15th Birthday Cake, complete with Cadbury chocolate with Cadbury eggs on top!

Shakespeare Birthplace

Shakespeare's Birthplace is a restored 16th-century half-timbered house situated in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years.  It is now a small museum  owned and managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. It has been referred to as "a Mecca for all lovers of literature".

Sister Burkinshaw at the entrance to William Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon with a display of various sculptures of the Bard of Avon.

The Richards Family in front of the home where William Shakespeare was born in 1564.

The Shakespeare family would have enjoyed their main meal here in the hall, around 11:00am.  William attended school from 6:00am and traveled home for lunch.  In Tudor England, detailed 'sumptuary laws' dictated what clothes could be worn and how food should be consumed for each social class.  The middle classes, including the Shakespeares, were permitted two courses for the main meal, each consisting of several shared dishes.  The meal would include bread, pies, pottage, fish, and meat - although Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays were classified as 'fasting' or 'fish' days where eating meat was prohibited.  

Benson in the bedroom where William Shakespeare would have slept as a boy.

Nearly all of the rooms in the house would have had a fireplace like this one to keep it warm during the winter.

The loft above the bedroom was used for sewing.

The view towards Henley Street from the upper floor of Shakespeare's Stratford upon Avon birthplace.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the Shakespeare Birthplace home on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, which is now a main street of the town.

Shakespeare's "New Place"

William Shakespeare bought New Place in 1597.  It was the only home he ever purchased for himself and his family - his wife Anne and their daughters Susanna and Judith.  His son Hamnet died age 11 in 1596, the year before the house was purchased.

It is thought Shakespeare paid about £120 for New Place.  At the time, the yearly income of a Stratford schoolmaster was about £20.  New Place was the largest house in the center of Stratford-upon-Avon.  Located next to the Guild Chapel, it was an impressive property appropriate to Shakespeare's wealth and social standing.  Shakespeare owned New Place for 19 years until his death in 1616.  During this time he wrote more than half of his plays.

A drawing of Shakespeare's New Place.  The five-gabled gatehouse with its long gallery on the upper floor faced onto Chapel Street where the Guild Chapel is still located.

In 2009, the only portrait of William Shakespeare painted during his lifetime was discovered.   It is believed to be have been painted in about 1610, when he was age 46. 

Benson in the Shakespeare New Place memorial gardens with Guild Chapel in the background.

The Richards Family in Shakespeare's New Place memorial gardens.

Close-up of the Richards Family in the New Place garden alcove.

The Richards Family in front of the alto relievo sculpture with Shakespeare and the Dramatic Muse to the left and the Genius of Painting is to the right. The outcrop stands on a rectangular plinth with a panel inscribed with a quotation from Hamlet Act I, Scene ii:  “He was a man, take him for all in all; I shall not look upon his like again." 

Richards Family in Shakespeare's New Place memorial gardens in front of Guild Chapel.

Sabrina (cat) and Grace (bunny) in masks at the New Place visitors center. 

Grace and Sabrina crossing wooden swords in the New Place visitors center.

Sabrina and Grace performing a puppet show in the New Place visitors center.

Halls Croft

Hall's Croft is a home in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, which was owned by William Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna Hall, and her husband Dr John Hall whom she married in 1607.  It was located between Shakespeare's New Place and the Holy Trinity Cathedral where he would have worshiped, so it is likely that he would have regularly stopped at the home before he died in 1616.  It provides an example of what a home of that period would have looked like.

The Richards Family and Sister Burkinshaw in front of Hall's Croft, the home of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna.

Bedroom and clothing in Hall's Croft.  Note the painting with the collars of that period, the more layers you had the wealthier you were.

Another bedroom with dresses of the era at Hall's Croft.

Elder Burkinshaw in front of a fireplace in Hall's Croft.

Ann Hathaway Cottage
The wife of William Shakespeare, Anne Hathaway was 8 years his senior. William married Anne in November 1582 and they remained married until Shakespeare's death. At the time of their marriage William was 18, while Anne was 26—and pregnant with their first child. The average age of marriage was 26 years of age, so Anne would have been an eligible young lady of her time. William, on the other hand, was still a minor in the eyes of the law. Richard Hathaway, was a yeoman farmer who died in September 1581 and left his daughter the sum of £6 to be paid "at the day of her marriage" which was a year later.  She had grown up in a farmhouse that was the Hathaway family home for two previous generations.  The earliest part of the house was built prior to the 15th century; the upper part is 17th century.  It is a wonderful example of the home of a prosperous farmer in that period.

The Richards Family with the Ann Hathaway Cottage framed in a unique wicker chair.

The Anne Hathaway Cottage.  The lower portion of the cottage on the right was the original home and the upper part was built over one hundred years later.

Sister Burkinshaw with Grace, Sabrina and Benson in front of the new part of the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

Sister Burkinshaw loved the beautiful flowers planted in front of the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

More flowers in front of the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

The cooking fireplace in the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

The kitchen/food preparation room/pantry of the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

One of the bedrooms in the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

Another of the bedrooms in the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

A small room used as an office in the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

The washroom of the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

Holy Trinity Church: Shakespeare's Burial Site
The Holy Trinity Church is a parish church of the Church of England in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It is often known simply as Shakespeare's Church, due to its fame as the place of baptism and burial of William Shakespeare. More than 200,000 tourists visit the church each year.

The Holy Trinity Church dates from 1210 and is built on the site of a Saxon monastery. It is Stratford's oldest building, is situated on the banks of the River Avon, and is one of England's most visited churches. In the fourteenth century, John de Stratford founded the chapel. The building is believed to have originally had a wooden spire, replaced  in 1763.

The Richards Family in the back of the Holy Trinity Church where you can see the organ in the loft.  It is a large three manual pipe organ which dates from 1841.

The front of the Holy Trinity Church with the altar and stained glass windows featuring the stories of major English and Biblical saints.

The burial site of William Shakespeare 1564-1616.

Shakespeare's Funeral
The decades of Shakespeare's life were a time of great change in what people believed about heaven, hell and the human soul.  Belief in purgatory, a place where those who died went to have their souls cleansed of sin, often torturous measures, hung on in common belief despite official reforms.  In Hamlet, the dead king is depicted in purgatory.  Prayers for the dead were phased out in an attempt to remove from prayer books a belief which protestant reformers felt was un-Biblical.

The last months of Shakespeare's life were very difficult.  His family became embroiled in a scandal after his daughter Judith's husband was brought before the church court here in Holy Trinity.  He was made to do penance for getting another woman pregnant, who then died in childbirth.  A new will was quickly drawn up, excluding Judith's husband, but poor handwriting on the will suggests that Shakespeare may have already been ill and within weeks he was on his deathbed.  Life was precarious for the Tudors and any illness could be your last.

On 23 April 1616, William Shakespeare died.  He would have been surrounded by his family and might have been attended by his daughter Susanna's husband, Dr. Hall.  What would he have felt was going to happen to his soul?  He had purchased the right to be buried in the chancel by buying some church land.  His body was carried into the church through the 14th century rood screen (still present today) and the funeral service was held at the graveside.  He was buried on 25 April 1616, aged 52 years, in a newly built family vault.

Death is a constant presence in Shakespeare's works.  His characters feel intense grief and their reflections on death explore ultimate truths of life and faith.

Today's clergy at Holy Trinity still carry out funerals, seek to prepare the dying for death, commend souls to God and give comfort to the bereaved.  Much like baptism is the door into the living church, death is the gateway to eternal life.  What might that mean for you?
(from Holy Trinity Church posters adjacent to Shakespeare's grave)

Shakespeare's grave relative to the altar at the front of the Holy Trinity Chapel.

The Shakespeare funerary monument located inside Holy Trinity Church at Stratford-upon-Avon, the church in which Shakespeare was baptised and where he was buried two days after his death.  

The Richards Family at the bank of the Avon River which runs just behind the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Toby Carvery - Home of the English Roast
Following a busy day at Stratford-upon-Avon, we stopped at the Toby Carvery restaurant just outside Oxford, which was about half-way back to the London Temple, for a very traditional English dinner.

Sister Burkinshaw and Benson with Elder Burkinshaw's plate in the foreground.  The meal included Yorkshire Pudding (looks like a taco salad bowl), mashed potatoes, roast beef, roast turkey, roast pork and roast gammon which we would call ham, peas, carrots and lots of Toby Carvery's famous brown gravy.

Sabrina and Grace with their slightly less full plates. ;-)

Benson, Mike and Jessica with their loaded plates at Toby Carvery.

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and Exhibition Road
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) was one of England's most popular monarchs and her rule of 63 years (1837 to 1901 - longer than any of her predecessors) is fondly known as the Victorian era.  She a national icon for strict standards of personal morality and her reign was marked by a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military advancement within the United Kingdom and a great expansion of the British Empire.


Her husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861), was equally well-loved and supported causes for the public welfare such as educational reform and the abolition of slavery worldwide.  He was entrusted with running the Queen's household, office and estates. He was heavily involved with the organization of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first Worlds Fair, which was a resounding success.  The Great Exhibition was built along Exhibition Road which became a nexus of science and the arts.  The Natural History Museum, Royal Albert Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, Imperial College London are all within a stones throw of each other there.  The Hyde Park Chapel is also in the midst of these iconic locations and has thousands of visitors pass by every day.  

Hyde Park Chapel
The Hyde Park Chapel is the Stake Center for the Hyde Park Stake where three wards meet (Hyde Park 1st Ward, Hyde Park 2nd Ward and Hyde Park YSA Ward).  Under the visionary direction of President David O. McKay, the property was purchased in the late 1950's and the chapel was dedicated in 1961 by President McKay.  It is also headquarters for the London England Mission and has a wonderful visitors center on the first floor.

We took the train from Lingfield into London to attend church at the Hyde Park Chapel.

The Richards Family at the Hyde Park Chapel on Exhibition Road.

Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum in London is a natural history museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road, the others being the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology and zoology.  We had time for only a small fraction of the museum.

The Richards Family in front of the London Museum of Natural History.  The Museum was built in 1880.

Benson, Sabrina and Grace with the "live" Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Sabrina and Grace with different lights on the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

A display of what a dinosaur nest with hatching eggs might have looked like.

Elder Burkinshaw was chased by a large Tyrannosaurus Rex!!

A full-size Triceratops skeleton with a small model of what it may have looked like in the flesh.

Grace in the Mammal Hall with a life-sized model of a blue whale (largest of living mammals) along with elephants and other mammals.

The Richards Family in the Mammal Hall.

Sister Burkinshaw and the Richards with another view of the mammals in the Mammal Hall.

Sabrina with a life-sized leopard cub.

Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall
The Albert Memorial, directly north of the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington Gardens, London, was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband Prince Albert, who died in 1861 at the young age of 42.

The Richards Family in front of the Albert Memorial.  The golden statue in the center is Prince Albert.  

The Richards Family with the complete Albert Memorial visible.  At the corners of the central area, and at the corners of the outer area, there are two allegorical sculpture programs: four groups depicting Victorian industrial arts and sciences (agriculture, commerce, engineering and manufacturing), and four more groups representing Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe at the four corners, each continent-group including several ethnographic figures and a large animal. (A camel for Africa, a bison for the Americas, an elephant for Asia and a bull for Europe.)

The Richards Family in front of Royal Albert Hall which can hold 5,267.  Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres have appeared on its stage. It is the venue for some of the most notable events in British culture, in particular the Proms concerts, which have been held there every summer since 1941. It is host to more than 390 shows in the main auditorium annually, including classical, rock and pop concerts, ballet, opera, film screenings with live orchestral accompaniment, sports, awards ceremonies, school and community events, and charity performances and banquets.

The Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design, as well as sculpture, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Richards family at the entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Close up of the Richards' family in front of the entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Richards Family in front of the famous painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851) entitled "Life-Boat and Manby Apparatus Going off to a Stranded Vessel Making Signal (Blue Lights) of Distress" (1881).  In April 2001, President Thomas S. Monson gave a seminal talk called "To the Rescue" and described this painting and the need for us to care for the poor and the needy.  Serving the poor and needy would eventually be added as the fourth mission of the Church in the 2010 Handbook 2 2.2:
In fulfilling its purpose to help individuals and families qualify for exaltation, the Church focuses on divinely appointed responsibilities. These include
1) helping members live the gospel of Jesus Christ,
2) gathering Israel through missionary work,
3) caring for the poor and needy, and
4) enabling the salvation of the dead by building temples and performing vicarious ordinances.  

St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London.  Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present cathedral, dating from the late 17th century, was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren.

The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognizable sights of London. Its dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City churches, has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1967. 

Services held at St Paul's have included the funerals of Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Baroness Margaret Thatcher; jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer; the launch of the Festival of Britain; and the thanksgiving services for the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees and the 80th and 90th birthdays of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Richards Family with St Paul's Cathedral in the background.

The Richards Family at St Paul's Cathedral.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw at St. Paul's Cathedral

The Richards Family in front of the steps at St Paul's Cathedral.

Sabrina and Jessica on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral.  It was here that the "Bird Woman" in the Mary Poppins movie sat selling bags of breadcrumbs to passers-by for twopence a bag so that they can feed the many pigeons there. (Feed the Birds) 

The London Temple
In April 1952, newly called President of the Church David O. McKay, his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles made the historic decision to build the temples in Europe.  The concept was that “the Church could bring temples to these people by building smaller edifices for this purpose and more of them.” (“Pres. M’Kay Approves Berne Temple Plans,” Church News, April 11, 1953, 7)  The Bern Switzerland Temple was first to be announced and the London England Temple was second.  By August 1953, a 32-acre estate in Newchapel, Surrey was purchased.  On August 10, 1953 President McKay dedicated the site and spoke enthusiastically of the site’s beauty, suggesting that being there “is like entering into a little paradise” and that the stream along the southern border of the property, Eden Brook, was appropriately named.

Twenty-four acres of the property were farmland, including a slight rise where the architects favored placing the temple. The local agricultural agent, however, would not approve sacrificing any farmland. Instead, he insisted that the temple be built on the former tennis courts. This created a problem. As reported in the Millennial Star, a lily pond had earlier covered this site, so now construction engineers were concerned about this swampy ground. Nevertheless, President McKay insisted that the temple be located on the spot he had approved. After much discussion, holes were drilled to determine if the soil could hold the temple’s weight. Surprisingly, bedrock was found that would support the foundation. One of the engineers said it was so stable that, “You could build the city of London on that site.”  The thirty-four-thousand-square-foot temple was completed in 1958 at a cost of 1.25 million dollars.  

President David O. McKay dedicated the new temple in six sessions held on Sunday through Tuesday, September 7-9, 1958.  With “tears rolling down his cheeks.” he said, “Imagine me living long enough to build a temple in England, in Surrey where the Magna Carta was signed, where people can come and take out their endowments without traveling to America."

The London Temple has become a landmark but more importantly it continues to provide the ordinances that seal families together for time and all eternity.  It is "The House of the Lord."

The Richards Family in front of "The Lodge" where Elder and Sister Burkinshaw and 21 other London Temple missionary couples live.

The Richards Family on the steps at the (north) entrance door to the London Temple.

The Richards Family in front of the main (north) door to the London Temple.  Over the door you can see the phrases "Holiness to the Lord" and "The House of the Lord."

The Richards Family in front of the east doors of the London Temple.  Originally, these were to be the main doors but when the local authorities would not authorize a parking lot across the street, they moved the main door to the north.

The Richards Family on the east steps of the London Temple

The Richards Family at the reflection pond on the south side of the London Temple

Mike and Jessica at the London Temple reflection pond.

The London Temple in the reflection pond.

It is in one these temples (Salt Lake City) that almost 40 years ago the Burkinshaw's became a "Forever Family" and we are so very grateful for our seven children, their spouses and our 28 soon to be 30+ grandchildren. We had such a wonderful week with Jess and Mike and especially enjoyed having Benson, Grace and Sabrina here, they were wonderful!! Our weather was a little rainy, cold and windy (unusually windy), we walked a lot, and our eating schedule was a little erratic, but there was no complaining, fighting or unhappy campers and it was just such fun having them come across the "pond" for a visit. We love serving here at the temple and we have appreciated our children's efforts and sacrifice to come for visits.

Recently President Russell M. Nelson said,

"Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, 'To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!'" (Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, General Conference, April 2018)

To which we add, the Temple is the place where most of these "secrets of the universe" are taught to those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw