Kathleen Reed: How I Saw Hitler on My Summer Vacation

Date: August 10, 1938

Place: London and Vicinity

Weather: Raining!

Authentic London weather presided, as we splashed around all day in the rain. This morning we took a tour of the city and viewed the exteriors of many important buildings. Because of the weather, we regrettably missed the ceremony of the changing of the guard. Thank goodness, the rain could not keep us from seeing the inside of St Paul’s Cathedral. It appeared so huge that I wondered how the congregations could hear the services. The beautiful stained glass windows were rivaled only by the delicate oak woodcarvings.

An inside visit to the Tower of London, where Royal Jewels worth $25,000,000 are displayed, dazzled our eyes. I never dreamed there were so many jeweled crowns, tiaras, scepters, and swords in the world! We viewed the other six towers, the moat and surrounding grounds. Our guide pointed out the spot where persons of royalty were executed on the gallows. As you gaze about the Tower of London grounds, you see large black birds that are called ravens. We were informed that ravens have always lived here. In fact as legend has it, if the ravens ever leave, the monarchy and the tower itself will fall.

After lunch at Lyons, we joined a tour to Windsor, Eton, plus the Hampton Court Palace. The rain was relentless. It is hard to conceive of the antiquity of things over here. The mammoth Windsor Castle is magnificent, and it fully lives up to any storybook description of a palace built for a king. Our last stop was Hampton Court Palace, which was constructed in 1515. The park is 750 acres in size, and contains gardens, ponds, and many varieties of birds. It was a nice surprise to see the resident herd of deer that were strolling the grounds. Our guide said that they are quite tame.

This evening Margy and I hopped a bus to Madame Tussauds Wax Works. The full size wax figures appear so lifelike that you expect them to move. It is easy to feel embarrassed when a man of wax seems to be staring at you intently. One of the figures actually has a breathing contraption. The chamber of horrors is horrible indeed, and I certainly preferred the other displays. We are becoming quite the experts on the London busses now and can exit without having to be told “when.” I think we will try the subway, next.

Date: August 11, 1938

Place: London, England

Weather: Chilly in a.m., warm in p.m.

Today was the busiest day yet! We explored on our own and returned home this evening, thoroughly tired. Our first stop was The British Museum, with its ancient Egyptian sculptures, mummies, and the Rosetta Stone. As time was fleeting by, we hurried to see the National Art Gallery at Trafalgar Square. There we viewed the originals of many well-known paintings by artists such as Gainsborough, Titian and Van Dyke.

The next stop was Westminster Abbey, where we were very fortunate! One of the ministerial assistants there took an interest in us and he escorted us on a thorough tour of the Abbey! It was a perfect way to see the place and we learned much more than we would have on our own. I loved the chapel of King Henry VII. The morning light was streaming through the breathtaking stained glass windows. The great organ with its four keyboards and hundreds of stops amazed us. Londoners seem to recognize that we are Americans, and are very kind in directing us. I cannot tell you how grateful we are! We had lunch at the famous Cheshire Cheese restaurant, feasting on roast beef, Cheshire cheese and cider. Well, I thought I would keep my senses by choosing the cider instead of ale. Alas, one sip revealed that my drink was a very hard cider, indeed.

Strolling along the Thames embankment, we stopped to enjoy the Royal Sussex band in concert. A long ride out to Kensington Gardens was next on the list, where we saw hundreds of children playing about and feeding the birds. The sweet little tots frolicked beneath a delightful Statue of Peter Pan! A visitor is welcome to sit anywhere they choose, but they must pay 2D for a seat. We hurried back to town, stopping for a small tea, before going to the Victoria Palace Theater to see a stage play featuring Lupino Lane and George Graves in “Me and My Girl.” Lupino Lane is the comedian who popularized the song “The Lambeth Walk.” The difference between the English and American entertainment style certainly manifested itself in this musical comedy. The English sense of humor is distinctly along the slapstick line. They are just about where we in America were, ten years ago. Their humor was a bit raw at times, however quite amusing. The audience just howled! They actually fell out of their seats! At the end of the performance, they all stood up to sing. We sang “America” right along with them but they thought we were singing “God Save the King.” (Same melody)

Date: August 12, 1938

Place: London

Weather: Cold and raining.

Just to be different, I started out the morning with a big dish of English porridge, served by the prettiest waitress. She was like a little English rose, in spite of the awful costume she has to wear. We were very excited about exploring the Caledonian Market, also known as the rag market. They say it is one of THE sights of London! Open only on Tuesdays and Fridays, it draws all sorts and all classes of people. Word was flying around that Edward Everett Horton and Sylvia Sidney were spotted there this morning. The merchants put up stalls, and then sell all sorts of things — mostly second hand. We were very tempted by the many offerings of antiques, silverware, and jewelry. It was so much fun examining the items, and trying to decide if they were worth purchasing. A shopper never considers paying the price that the merchants ask; he bargains with them until the amount is reduced 40% to 50%. I bought a set of little silver spoons with Shakespearian characters molded on the handles, a turquoise matrix ring, and a curious little silver filigree pin. I hope that they were bargains but a good polishing and a jeweler’s verdict will tell.

Soon after we finished lunch, the storm clouds gathered, so we hurried to a bus and rode downtown to Selfridges. This is London’s largest department store, where Margy did some purchasing and I did some looking. One could spend an entire day in this enormous store. The variety of things to select from is beyond compare. We had planned to purchase something to wear, but the clothes were so hopelessly old fashioned and drab, we decided to wait until we are in Paris. How can Londoners be so particular about their gardens and parks, yet dress so ordinary looking as a people? This is especially noticeable in the general dowdy appearance of the women. As one Frenchman put it — they are so solid ! That is a perfect description. The British men are good looking, but they run around with such plainly dressed females! Oh well! The Englishmen seem to like them that way, and that is what matters.

A short visit to a Woolworth’s 3D & 6D store revealed that it is very similar to our American Woolworth's 5 & 10¢ Stores. Since it was raining hard, we went to a Newsreel Theater to pass the time before dinner. I guess we were tired, because I slept through the first part of the show and Margy dozed through the remainder. By now, we were ready for a special dinner at the popular Simpsons in the Strand. Their meat carver man wheels his little cart of delicious beef right up to your chair and asks you what part you wish to have sliced. There is an open fire under the platter that keeps food hot, and cooks some pieces more than others. Everyone in the restaurant — both the waiters and diners — seemed to be staring at us. We decided that they were looking at our funny American hats. After dinner, listening again to the Royal Sussex Regiment Band in the Victoria Embankment Gardens was the perfect way to finish the evening.