England 2018: Jack the Ripper Tour with Ripper Vision

Since high school, I’ve enjoyed reading true crime books and in particular, anything involving the mystery of Jack the Ripper. In the late 1800’s five prostitutes were brutally murdered in London’s Whitechapel neighborhood. A serial killer, whose identity has never been solved, taunted the police with cryptic letters signed “Jack the Ripper.” Not only is the identity of the murderer still a mystery, but he may have killed more than five people.

One of my London tourist goals was to take a Jack the Ripper crime tour. Even though his crimes occurred nearly a hundred and fifty years ago, the Ripper lore still captures the public’s imagination. To this end, there were many different Ripper tours to choose from. So many different tour companies in fact, that we shared space with other tours for a majority of the evening.

Naturally, a Ripper tour takes place at dusk for maximum effect.

I took the tour with my niece, Pippa, who lives in England. Pippa has been a great sport, joining me for various London outings. She was coming from class, so we met at the Whitechapel tube station. The Whitechapel tube station has several entrances/exits, on opposite sides of the street, so we had some confusion with meeting each other. If you’re taking the tube to a Ripper tour, I recommend allowing for extra time.

We planned to meet early enough for dinner and decided on sushi. I adore sushi and I have to say, we have awesome sushi in California. Even cheap sushi, is usually top-notch. I’ve not experienced good sushi in Europe or even within the US, when traveling outside of California.

Dinner was at a quick-serve chain restaurant called Wasabi Bento & Sushi. My visit was just two weeks after the royal wedding and I couldn’t resist trying the When Harry Met Meghan box. I have no idea what spicy tuna had to do with the royal couple, but it was a fun tie-in. That said, this was very much “not yummy California sushi,” but to be fair, it was also not freshly made.

For dessert, we had lattes and cakes at the ExMouth Coffee Company. I highly recommend this cute cafe, plus for a bonus, head to the bathroom where they have fun art on the wall and a nod to Jack.

Our guide was Ripper expert M.P. Priestley, who is also author of the book, Jack the Ripper: One Autumn in Whitechapel. As you might expect, he was selling copies of his book at the end of the tour. I like to always support authors, so I bought a copy, although I’ve not had the chance to read it. Throughout the tour, Priestley gave plenty of background information regarding the leading suspects, but when he gave the pitch to buy his book, he basically teased that the book would give his real, expert opinion on the true identity of the killer.

Here is Priestley in action, the guy in the grey cap.

I was pumped for this tour and after decades of interest, how could I not be? I’m not sure what I was actually expecting, but it definitely wasn’t even in the top twenty of favorite things that I’ve done in London. Priestley was a good tour guide: energetic, enthusiastic, and knowledgable. The walking tour lasted about 90 minutes and he was a good storyteller, setting the stage for the events as he took us to crime scene locations. In addition, he pointed out other London landmarks, like the Gherkin Building.

The Whitechapel area is certainly worth a visit. It has historic buildings and cobblestone streets that mix with modern businesses. Here are a few pictures.

As odd as it sounds to say this, I enjoyed seeing the crime scene sites and walking around Whitechapel. It brought to life everything that I had previously read. However, the tour didn’t add any new information to what I already knew. If anything, the information felt basic, like Wikipedia level and was perhaps best-suited for those with limited knowledge of the case.

Everyone on our tour was intrigued by the promise of “Ripper Vision.” We didn’t know what to expect, but it felt like it would give added value when compared to other tour operators. We were taken under a bridge and Priestley cast pictures from the Ripper case on to a wall. This was “Ripper Vision.” I guess it was nice, but they hype made me think it would be more impressive. It really wasn’t much better than if he had passed around a few laminated photos.

Behold! Ripper Vision!

The tour wasn’t very expensive. I think about twenty pounds each. I’m glad that I took it, otherwise it would have always been on my London bucket list. That said, I’m not sure that I would recommend it. There are so many amazing things to do in London, including great tours, that the Ripper Tour didn’t come close to matching with regarding to the quality or being memorable.

England 2018: Grant Museum of Zoology

Although small in size, the Grant Museum of Zoology is packed with wonders of natural science.

Located on the University College London campus, this free museum is filled with rare and interesting zoological specimens. This “dead zoo” has the vibe of walking into a Victorian curiosity cabinet.

It’s sublime. I spent about forty-five minutes engrossed in the exhibits.

Although free, nothing in life is truly free, and many of the specimens in the Grant Museum of Zoology are very old. The collection began in 1827 and it is one of the oldest natural history museums in England. These delicate treasures need care and although Trump has made “great again” a negative phrase, I think it works in this context.

One of the first exhibits is the Quagga: The rarest skeleton in the world. This alone was worth the visit. Unfortunately, I could not get a great picture of it for this review, however seeing it in person is far more impressive. The absence of a picture and promise of something incredible is the nudge I’m giving you to visit the Grant Museum of Zoology for yourself.

Besides the very rare, the museum also houses the smallest of specimens in its Micrarium. The Micrarium is filled with slides of tiny species from the animal kingdom.

The Grant Museum of Zoology is absolutely stuffed ( pun intended) with animals. This one-room museum has a second floor that is not for visitors, yet animals peer down from above. Here are several pictures that I took while exploring.

You might have noticed on the above pictures, that some of the exhibits are “adopted” by individuals. In addition to the collection box for “Making Taxidermy Great Again,” the museum has a program where people can donate to sponsor a particular exhibit. As soon as I have some spare funds, I’m going to do this and I know what I need to adopt.

I’m pushing Becca Valentine aside and getting my Flamingo skull. I have a love/hate relationship with flamingos. As a child, they were my favorite animal. In sixth grade, we had to write a report regarding what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wanted to work at the zoo and I wrote to the Los Angeles Zoo, enlisting a keeper to answer my questions. The front of my report had a photograph of the Flamingo exhibit.

Be careful what you wish for…

Flash-forward a few decades and I found myself volunteering for the zoo’s behavioral research department. I ended up on a project where I spent over 2000 hours observing flamingos. They are foul fowl! I’m no longer enchanted by flamingos, but of course flamingos persist in my life. Flamingo themed items are everywhere and now, to friends and family, I am associated with flamingos. So, I fear there is no other choice, but to adopt the flamingo skull.

Or perhaps the other creature of my nightmares…

I didn’t know about Lampreys until a few years ago and they are the real-life monsters from a B-Horror film. I wrote all about living ones that we saw at the Bonneville Dam in Oregon. Check it out.

To some, it may seem creepy, morbid, or perhaps even unethical to keep a collection of animal specimens. However, many of items in the collection are generations old and animal specimens are a vital way that scientists can study animals, both those that are currently living and those that have become extinct.

Studying animals can help to understand and preserve species that are still roaming the planet. It can help us better understand ourselves and our environment. I highly recommend the Grant Museum of Zoology as an educational, fascinating, and important place to visit in London.

England 2018: Hilton Double Tree West End and Virginia Woolf

In late spring of 2018, I had the good fortune to accompany my husband on his business trip to England. This included nearly a week in London, where I attempted to see as much as possible before my feet fell off! On one the days, I logged nearly 20,000 steps. Even though my feet were swollen and it felt like I was walking on glass, I was happy. London is one of my favorite cities and it never fails to utterly delight me.

Prior to London, I spent a week staying with my mother-in-law, while my husband traveled throughout Europe, so for the London portion of the trip, I had to take a bus from the town of Newbury to Paddington Station. It only takes about an hour, but it is just far enough that it is not a given that we visit London, every time we travel to England. London is a treat. A big treat!

At Paddington Station, I found a few nods to the famous bear of the same name.

in a kiosk at Paddington Station, I purchased an Oyster Card, which is reloadable and serves as a public transportation pass for London. Since we often visit England, I opted for the Oyster Card, rather than a London City Pass. The city pass is great if you have a limited number of days in London and won’t likely return in the near future. I’ve visited England so many times since I’ve been with my husband, that it is really beginning to feel like a second home.

Another tip for using the tube is to download the London Tube App. My niece Pippa, a local, told me about the app and it was a lifesaver. You just need to type in where you are and where you want to go, and the app will set the route for you. it makes navigating the tube- Easy-peasy!

The only taxi that I took all week was from Paddington Station to our hotel, The Hilton Double Tree West End. I planned to walk and use public transportation while touring, but with all of my suitcases, it would have been a nightmare to get from Paddington to the Double Tree.

We spend a lot of time in Hilton hotels and the Double Tree West End is nearly identical to my experiences of Double Trees stateside. They even served the customary warm walnut chocolate chip cookie. Our room was comfortable and clean with a view of the main road below.

Location is the biggest plus about this property. It’s in a safe neighborhood, with tons of restaurants and shops just feet away. I often returned to the hotel late at night, alone, and never felt in danger. The Holborn Tube Station is just a five minute walk, making it easy to connect to all of the London attractions.

My phone plan didn’t penalize me for using my phone abroad and I essentially had the same access to data as if I had been using my phone in the states. However, this is not the case with everyone and speaking from personal experience from when we had an eight-hundred dollar phone bill (gulp!) from using our phone data in the UK ( previous phone carrier), I’ve often simply not used my phone. The Hilton Double Tree West End solves that issue, by offering a free-to-use phone for tourists. Such a great idea!

My husband was already hard at work and I basically didn’t see him for a majority of our time in London. I dumped off the luggage and headed out to explore.

I discovered an adorable street bizarrely named Lambs Conduit, that was filled with boutiques and cafes. I felt very much in England while admiring a clothing store with an Alice in Wonderland themed window display.

I went to a cafe called Tutti’s for lunch and sat by a large glass window, where I people watched and ate quiche with a Greek salad.

While enjoying my lunch, I researched the area and discovered that I was very close to Tavistock Square and Gordon Square Garden. Which, my bibliophile readers will appreciate is the area where celebrated author Virginia Woolf and The Bloomsbury Group lived. Belly full, I set off on a literary adventure.

Even if this was not an area famous for its literary past, it would still have been a very lovely place to visit. The garden, the size of a city block, is a gorgeous green space in the city and many Londoners were out enjoying a sunny day. As I looked for the Virginia Woolf bust, I admired colorful spring flowers and a serene Buddha statue.

And nearby…

London is full of blue circular markers that identify the homes of historic famous or important people. Sometimes the names are unfamiliar, yet intriguing.

and others are very familiar.

Switching gears, but also nearby, is a showroom for my favorite furniture designer: Timothy Oulton. To say that my husband and I love Timothy Oulton would be an understatement. We have filled our home and wiped out our bank account in the pursuit of collecting his gorgeous pieces. I headed over to Heal’s, a designer home furnishings store, to check-out their Oulton offerings.

I always love Timothy Oulton showrooms, but as an overall impression, Heal’s, which sells many designers, its a fabulous place. I explored it all and ended up parched. It was time for afternoon tea, which having married a Brit, I’ve grown to require.

The Ambrose Cafe, located inside Heal’s was filled with designers sipping tea as they worked on projects or took meetings with clients. The vibe was definitely artsy! I had a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of cake.

The best part of the experience was when a very happy designer popped a few bottles of champagne and insisted that everyone in the room have a glass. I’m not sure what he was celebrating, but we all toasted him and enjoyed a splash of bubbly.

My 2018 London trip was off to a smashing start!