The ABC trip to London... ABBA, Belfast and a cruise ship! COMPLETED 8/6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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The ABC trip to London... ABBA, Belfast and a cruise ship! COMPLETED 8/6
Saturday 23 June – part one: shall we make a day of it?
This trip started a couple of months ago when I read about an ABBA exhibition taking place in London. I love ABBA, as anyone who read my trip report from our Baltic cruise a couple of years ago will know. Back then, one of our stops was Stockholm and, having been there before, that time I went to the ABBA museum, as it was new since our last visit. When I read about this, I decided I’d really like to visit it, even though it was a hefty charge - £25 ($33) per person. It had better be good for that price!
Anyway, as we were going up to London, I figured we’d make a day of it. I deliberately booked the exhibition for 2:30pm, as that would allow us to do whatever we wanted in the morning. Like any Disney veteran, we know to get up and at ‘em early on in the day, before things get busy.
Now we had talked about going to the Churchill War Rooms, as it had been many years (and I mean about 20 in my case) since we visited it. I did some research into it, as first I was thinking of travelling by train, as then you can get a two for the price of one offer, but the more I looked into it, the more it wasn’t worth it. The train fare would be something like £40 ($52) to save £21 ($27), so that wasn’t working out for me.
Then, when I went on the Churchill War Rooms website, I discovered that it was part of the Imperial War Museum. Now, we had also talked about visiting HMS Belfast, a Second World War battleship, and I knew that was part of the Imperial War Museum too. On the website, details came up about membership, so I clicked on that. Usually membership is a stupid price, but not on this occasion. I looked and saw adult membership for £35 each ($45). Now given that admission to HMS Belfast is about £18 ($24), this seemed like a good deal.
However, better was to come a couple of days later when I went to purchase the membership. Joint membership for two adults was only £55 ($72). Bargain! I went ahead and purchased it, so we were good to go and could visit either attraction, plus RAF Duxford, which we’d been to once before, near Cambridge.
On the morning we were heading into London, we heard news about anti-Brexit protests taking place and, as we were driving up, I thought I’d check where it would be going and what time it was starting. I knew it would finish at Parliament, which is literally around the corner from the Churchill War Rooms. There were due to be tens of thousands of people attending and they were all rallying, again just round the corner from the Churchill War Rooms at midday. I think you can see where this is going…
We talked in the car and decided that perhaps going there wasn’t such a good idea any longer. Instead, perhaps we should go to HMS Belfast? We decided to do that. Thank goodness the Tube runs directly there from where we were heading, which was this place – the Millennium Dome, or the O2 as it’s now known. I’m sure it’s the same in the States – stadiums/arenas over here are all now named as part of sponsorship deals.
As you can see, the building still continues on the London skyline…
We headed up to London Bridge and when we came out of the Tube station, the first thing we saw was this amazing building….
From what was written on it, it appears that it was once the London Bridge Hospital. And, along with the old, there’s also the new… this is the Shard, which we’ve been up a few times before – the last time with Jan in September last year. The views from there are amazing, as I’m sure you can imagine…
I was thinking you must have a new TR somewhere!
We still haven’t made it to the Churchill War Rooms. We tried last trip but the lines were insane, and it wouldn’t have given us enough time. Everyone I know who has gone has said how worthwhile they are.
Yay! A day trip to London. I'm taking notes...
Good thing you could change your plans on the fly like that.
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From your title, I was thinking you were planning a trip to Sweden, then Germany, & then going on a cruise. How neat you can do it all in a day :wink:
Smart to avoid the Brexit crowds. I love old re-purposed buildings like that former hospital.
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Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow, for all you know, tomorrow, the dream that you wish will come true.
I was thinking you must have a new TR somewhere!
We still haven’t made it to the Churchill War Rooms. We tried last trip but the lines were insane, and it wouldn’t have given us enough time. Everyone I know who has gone has said how worthwhile they are.
At least the bonus we've got, now we're members, is that we can skip the line.
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Sounds like a great day in the making with the ABBA Museum and a visit to the HMS Belfast. The latter will be something Mark may enjoy more than you. I remember the Shard from some of your previous day trips to London. Too bad you won't be going to the Churchill War Rooms with the Brexit protest. I'm sure you'll get to do it in the not so distant future with the great deal you got on the dual membership!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
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It had better be good for that price! 
I went ahead and purchased it, so we were good to go and could visit either attraction, plus RAF Duxford, which we’d been to once before, near Cambridge. 
I think you can see where this is going… 
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Pixie Dust
Waiting for our next adventure after enjoying our Alaska cruise. 
Jenn
The latter will be something Mark may enjoy more than you. I remember the Shard from some of your previous day trips to London. Too bad you won't be going to the Churchill War Rooms with the Brexit protest. 
I'm sure you'll get to do it in the not so distant future with the great deal you got on the dual membership! 
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