Four days in London

In the summer of 1998 I had the opportunity to travel with the Boy Scouts of America to an international Jamboree in Blair Atholl, Scotland.

Including myself, we totaled seven; two leaders and five scouts. I spent most of my trip with my good friend Chris Bennett.

The London Dungeon. A paradise for the disgusting and grotesque...

Before the Jamboree started we took the opportunity to see a small portion of England (very small) as none of us had ever been overseas before. We started in London staying at the Baden Powell House, a sort of Hostel for Scouts to stay very cheap. With that as our base we set off each day to see what made England so different from the United States, we were not disappointed.

As our group consisted of boys in the teens, we opted to forego some of the usual tourist spots like Madame Tussauds wax museum, in favor of some more gruesome entertainment. Instead of Ooh-ing and Aah-ing over the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, we chose instead to take the Blood and Guts tour lead by a staunch old Beef Eater, where we learned about all the wonderful things that they did to people when the tower was still in operation. I had no idea that moats were so disgusting! The Royal chopping block was particularly interesting, one story I remember better than the others was about an old lady accused of treason; insisting that the block was for traitors and not nobility, she chose to stand as the executioner mercilessly whacked away. It only took 40-something hits to finish her off (Or maybe I am mixing Harry Potter in there on accident).

The other attraction that stands out most vividly was the London Dungeon. A paradise for the disgusting and grotesque; we boys were in heaven. Blood and guts filled every corner, from the disemboweled man hanging upside down while waiting in line, to the alley filled with realistic reproductions of Jack the Rippers victims as they were found, to a functioning guillotine and gift shop that would be quiet in place on Knockturn Alley. Needless to say we were quite impressed with the audacious display of torture and death.

As we had two adult leaders along to chaperone us, they felt the need to drag us to some of the more respectable institutions so our parents would not consider the trip a complete waste. We visited the Royal British Museum which had an awesome display of weaponry, as well as other things of probably greater importance but less interest to a fourteen year old male. I do remember seeing the Rosetta stone somewhere near the front, and as I was quite impressed that I knew what it was, I felt inclined to touch it.