It's been a while since I checked one off my challenge list and I took the opportunity having a free day in London Town to do just that. Challenge number 83 to visit the Greenwich Royal Observatory. This one is all about celebrating the geek in me, with a touch of nationalistic pride.
Commissioned in 1675 by the reinstated King Charles II, it turned out to be the home of modern astronomy and of course it's the home of the prime meridian line and where Greenwich Mean Time is set from. Nestled on top of what is one of the highest points in London, in Greenwich Park it was a beacon of research with the greatest minds of the discipline in the country coming together to try and aid our maritime workers in the pursuit of actually knowing where the hell they were! I'm not going to bore you with more details I'm sure if your interested enough then you can research it or maybe even pay your own visit to the observatory.
These days the place is not used for research, it's purely a museum,celebrating it past illustrious history, so why did this place make my list? Being a nerd that loves sciense and history it had always irked me somewhat that I'd never got here. There was a school trip during my time at QEGS that allowed those people who were doing the single science option to come here as part of the physics branch of their course, whilst us mere double award students ended up going to the BP refinery at Hull instead. I'd done river cruises down the Thames and had seen it in the distance and been told it's got one of the best views over London, which is very true, see the attached photos for proof! I've always been proud of being British, and this is a throwback to those days when we were one of the worlds superpowers, we were expanding our interests worldwide and the British Empire was in full swing, now I don't want to get into a debate about us taking over indigenous people and the rights and wrongs associated with colonialism, lets just agree it wasn't the greatest ok? With that being said this was a time when we were at the centre of the world and simply being British was a reason to be thankful so it taps into that side of me as well.
The walk through the park was a good enough reason to take this trip and the view with the Maritime museum, the Cutty Sark and the River Thames in the background. The chance to watch dozens of Japanese tourists doing there best star fish impression was also quite impressive but the personal highlight of mine was seeing John Harrisons H collection, including the H4 which was the timepiece that earnt him his fame. It was a monumental achievement and one that changed the world for the better. It's rather unassuming and looks like a slightly large pocket watch but the fact that it could keep time so accurately on the seas meant that that sailors lives were saved, the seas became a slightly safer place for all those who dared venture on it. He dedicated his life to the pursuit and even then when he was successful he still didn't receive the £20,000 reward that was promised to whoever conquered the problem.
The old instruments on display gave a sense of gravitas to the place, some of the cleverest minds had been in those walls, working away, observing the stars, developing the knowledge we take for granted these days. Telescopes, sextants all valuable pieces used in the day to day observations of the stars , pieces of living history and we all know I do love my history!
Yes I did the picture on the meridian line and chuckled to myself about jumping between the Eastern and Western hemispheres, who could resist? I toured the houses and workshops they have on offer there with the aid of the excellent audio guide , the only negative thing I can say about the day is that the planetarium, which is a modern addition was closed and I was unable to go and explore that area, maybe an excuse for me to go back sometime!
So there we have it another one crossed off the list.....I wonder which one will be next? Until next time, peace and chicken grease peoce
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