Keep Buggering On

Went to the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum today. First place I’ve really been to this trip that I hadn’t already been to, which probably explains why it took me so bloody long in them. This is one of the very few museums that you have to pay for, but in my opinion it was worth it. I learned a little bit about the British and how they were involved and yes I already knew that Churchill was Prime Minister and along with Roosevelt got everything done to try and end the war in Europe, but I NEVER knew so much about him before! Did you know that he was a journalist during the Boer War and he was captured by the Boers? As a prisoner of war he eventually escaped and then the ZAR (South African Republic)/Transvaal had a reward for his capture and return to the authorities?! Also he made Rompers popular. They were easy to put on during air raids (and they were comfortable) and the political cartoons drew him in them. Soon afterward Londoners began to wear them as well. ALSO he switched political parties twice throughout his career. ALSO he married his wife, Clementine, after about 5 months of dating (even though they had met before but Winston was a bit of a weirdo and didn’t make a very strong impression the first time they met). Clementine was 16 years younger than him too.

Churchill's talking with FDR in a room disguised as a toilet.

Something that I found so interesting is that the war rooms themselves weren’t actually that strong. If there was a bomb that hit close enough or was powerful enough the shelter would have collapsed, killing everyone inside. It is a miracle it survived. But when the war ended in ’45 everyone just turned off the lights (for the first time in 6 years) and left, leaving everything the way it was until someone came back in the ‘70’s to make it a museum.

Map of the world with army movements and interests.

What I learned in general? Churchill was a badass, though he may have made a lot of enemies and he could be a jerk at times, he was still a badass. Also Britain went through some heavy, heavy stuff that America (yes I know that the tragedy at Pearl Harbor was horrible and it shouldn’t have happened) just didn’t have to go through. Imagine your capital city getting the crap bombed out of them day after day after day. But through it all the carried on.

Dinner at Wagamama Noodle Bar. Super good.