Bloomsbury Group and the British Library

January 4, 2013

Hello! This is Emily Fitzsimmons and I am a sophomore at The College of Saint Scholastica. I’m studying biology for middle and secondary education (in layman’s terms, I am studying to teach middle school science classes). I’m very happy to be in the U.K. and I have been thoroughly enjoying all the new experiences, like handling One Pound coins and drinking hot chocolate with breakfast.

               Today started out with the literature class walking to the British Library. On our way, we stopped by a few historical places. The first place was the house(s) where the Bloomsbury Group—which consisted of Virginia Woolf, her husband, the Bells, and the Stracheys—met and enjoyed the intellectual atmosphere created between all of them.

                           

               The second placed we stopped by was a house Charles Dickens lived in, which is now a hotel. There is a similar plaque (like the one seen above) that says that he stayed there from 1851 to 1860, which is when he wrote Bleak House, Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.

               We then continued to the British Library, where we unfortunately could not take pictures of the wonders we saw in the glass cases. However, here is the statue outside of the Library.

              

               Once inside, we found all sorts of amazing things. I saw Lady Jane Grey’s prayer book, which was one of the last things she touched before she was executed on Tower Green, as well as the letter that Elizabeth I sent to her brother, Edward VI, before he died. It bore her signature, with flourished underline and all. I also found Jane Austen’s writing desk and the Magna Carta that was on display in its own little room.

               After touring the British Library, I went shopping in Leicester Square and around Hyde Park. My friends, Laura and Mary, went with me of course and we all bought novelty items from a little souvenir shop. There are a great deal of them in Leicester Square and scattered all around London. We took the Tube back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and the show we saw—Top Hat.

               We ate at a little Indian restaurant that specialized in Southern Indian cuisine and was sadly without Peshwari Naan. The food was still wonderful and we had great service. We rode the Tube to the theatre and watched the play. Top Hat was good but the story line left me wanting more. The singing and dancing was wonderful though and I had a good time. 

               I’m looking forward to a free weekend and all of the other exciting things we have planned for next week. I’m hoping to share many more pleasant times and great jokes with my friends, old and new, while basking in the London experience.