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Losing our heads at the Tower of London

By Mara

Executioner at the Tower of London

Well, not really. But can you tell that the boys had a low level of enthusiasm for standing next to this guy? This despite the fact that he had just about the most cheerful voice I’ve ever heard, to say nothing of a sunny demeanor, which is no small feat when one is wearing a black mask over one’s head.

I found it a little funny that while the curators at this London museum  are clearly trying to move away from the Victorian Gothic notion that the place was awash in blood from beheadings (the fact that very few people were actually executed there is reinforced continually in all of the panels I read) there is an executioner wandering around among the other historical reenactors. The Yeoman Warders I overheard also like to emphasize the macabre in their tours – I guess gore sells.

This executioner cheerfully informed us about the importance of technique when beheading – apparently it was all about the swing, kind of like in golf. This did not endear him to Teddy who really couldn’t get away fast enough. He was much happier to pose for this picture:

Giant teddy at the Tower of London

Much more about our trip to the Tower of London next week! Have a wonderful weekend.

Filed Under: England, London, Tower of London, We've been here

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Comments

  1. Natalia says

    September 26, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    You’re right about gore selling, at least in London – the London Dungeon Experience (or whatever it is called) is one of the most popular things for tourists to do in London, despite the inflated ticket price and four hour waiting lines. I can’t see the appeal myself 🙂

  2. Brian says

    August 30, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    I thought the Tower of London was one of the coolest things I saw in England. How did you get the sun to come out though?!

I'm a family travel expert & award-winning writer who loves to eat. Explore this site and you'll find lots of stories about my adventures, and family travel tips. More about Mara

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