Although it may be rooted in some early marketing activities, the model train around the Christmas tree is a treasured tradition in many families. In Steve’s family however the American Flyer layout was permanently installed on the underside of the ping pong table in the basement. Our kids remember our Lionel layout on two sheets of plywood during their growing up years. Then there was the great HO layout that Steve and a friend built upstairs in our Woodlawn house after our sons left for college. These days there’s not room here at the house for a permanent setup so bringing out the American Flyer is a treat and a fresh locally grown Fraser fir trimmed with our potpourri of Christmas ornaments is a perfect excuse to set up our circa 1948 set!
London’s Imperial War Museum in Southwark founded even as the First World War raged offers insights into the myriad costs of the wars of the 20th and 21st Centuries. It was a most disquieting but valuable reminder of the myriad costs of war.
The two of us have long been fascinated with the history of canals and their role in the history of transportation, industrialization, and more recently recreation. This stay in London has given us new opportunities to explore and learn more about how canals contributed to the growth of this great city and how they are being used and preserved today.
It was a most educational visit to the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery at Trafalgar Square in Central London. We were intrigued with the contemporary approach to presenting British History.
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