Imperial War Museum

Tuesday was the day I set aside for my (first of hopefully multiple) visits to the Imperial War Museum. I actually got out of bed at a decent time for once (jetlag defeated!) and arrived just a little after the 10am opening time. Walking from the Lambeth North tube station to the museum ended up being one of those serendipitous experiences one hopes to experience when traveling. An elderly gentleman walking beside me asked me if I was on my way to the museum. When I replied that I was, he stopped, turned around and pointed to a building just across from the tube station and said "That building, one afternoon in 1945, was hit by one of the first V2 rockets fired by the Germans." He went on to point out other buildings in the area hit during various bombing raids. The man - Bill - was a young boy during the war, lived in the area, and experienced the Blitz first hand. We spent about three-quarters of an hour talking about his experiences before I even entered the museum. What an amazing person to meet and speak to. Turns out he also has some family in Canada as well.

The museum visit itself was excellent, although I confined my visit to the World War II section only (I intend to go back to visit the rest, of course). As some of you may know, I'm a bit of a history nerd, and like to take my time and like take in and read as much as I can. They have a V2 rocket on display on the main floor, as well as aircraft and tanks. One of the highlights was a section called the Blitz Experience in which you sit in a replicable bomb shelter while hearing the bombing outside, after which you walk through a replicable of a bombed-out London street. Brilliant.