Old British Motorcycle

London Museums and Art Galleries with Free Entry

My family tree has been traced back to the early Kings of England from the 7th Century AD. This has given me an interest in English History which is great fun to research. I am a direct descendent of Sir Christopher Wren and have many ancestors from London. People from outside England believe that London is an expensive place to visit. This is a fallacy. London's 240 major museums and art galleries offer free admission. Here's a list of the best of the big names you can visit for free all year round. There are lots of free museums and galleries in London, from the large-scale to the single room type. This list also focuses on the best of the small free London museums that are certainly worth a visit. Bank of England Museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the United Kingdom's central bank. British Museum * Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms Courtauld Gallery The Courtauld Gallery is displayed in Somerset House, a stunning 18th century Neoclassical palace. The Courtauld Gallery's art collection covers the 14th century up to today. Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery - Free on Mondays The Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery at Somerset House in London is free every Monday from 10am to 2pm. Geffrye Museum The Geffrye Museum in east London gives an insight into how Londoners have lived over the years. It's a museum of English domestic interiors and has room sets from 1600 right up to today. Grant Museum of Zoology The Grant Museum of Zoology has about 55,000 specimens, covering the whole Animal Kingdom. It's small and spooky and lots of fun, and it's free so you can pop in regularly. * HMS Belfast – 258,941 * Horniman Museum Hunterian Museum The Hunterian Museum is at the Royal College of Surgeons in London. The Museum is inspired by the life and work of the surgeon John Hunter (1728-1793). Imperial War Museum The Imperial War Museum is unique in its coverage of conflicts, from the First World War to the present day. It seeks to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and how it affects our lives. L. Ron Hubbard's Fitzroy House Fitzroy House, in the 1950s, was the London home and office of L. Ron Hubbard the founder of Dianetics and Scientology. The public can visit for free and see the restored building and exhibits of his life and works. Library and Museum of Freemasonry The Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London contains an extensive collection of objects with Masonic decoration including pottery and porcelain, glassware, silver, furniture and clocks, jewels and regalia. Museum of Childhood Find out about the Museum of Childhood including history, contact details, and a review. Museum in Docklands Museum of London National Army Museum The National Army Museum has five floors of exhibits showing the history of the British Army and its impact on others. There are four permanent gallery displays and an extensive program of exhibitions, events, and activities. National Gallery Visitor Information The National Gallery in London takes up the entire north side of Trafalgar Square. Its masterpieces include: Botticelli, Titian, Raphael, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Cezanne, Hogarth, and Gainsborough. Here's all the information you need to plan your visit. Natural History Museum The Natural History Museum is one of the big three museums in South Kensington, London. It is a wonderful Victorian building housing the weird and wonderful of the natural world. World famous for its dinosaur skeletons. * National Maritime Museum – 1,765,814 * National Portrait Gallery – 1,645,680 Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology has 80,000 objects but only has space to display a small percentage. They welcome children and have activities available. Prince Henry's Room and Samuel Pepys Exhibition Prince Henry's Room in Fleet Street is one of the few houses in London which survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. Royal Institution It's free to visit so find what to see at the Royal Institution in London. Saatchi Gallery The Saatchi Gallery moved to its new home in Chelsea in 2008. The 70,000 sq.ft. gallery in the Duke of York HQ building on King's Road, Chelsea offers free admission to all shows as part of the Saatchi Gallery's aim to bring contemporary art to the widest audience possible. Plus you're allowed to photos everywhere in the building. Science Museum The Science Museum was founded in 1857 with objects shown at the Great Exhibition held in the Crystal Palace. The permanent displays are free and they have exceptional temporary exhibitions for all the family. Sir. John Soane's Museum Sir John Soane was an architect and avid collector of antiquities and art. He merged 3 houses on Lincoln's Inn Fields to be his home and museum which he left to the nation in 1837. Smythson of Bond Street Smythson of Bond Street is a luxury stationers and leather goods retailer and their main store is on Bond Street in London. At the back of the store there's a small museum, which though small, is worth seeing. Tate Britain Visitor Information Tate Britain is the national gallery of British art from 1500 to today. Each room is organized around a theme. Displays change regularly. Tate Modern Guide Tate Modern is the UK national gallery of modern art from 1900 onwards. Tate Modern is housed on a converted power station next to the River Thames, opposite St. Paul's Cathedral. Theatre Museum * V&A Museum of Childhood * * Victoria and Albert Museum The Vault The Vault is the rock memorabilia museum in the shop at the Hard Rock Cafe in London. The Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection in London is a national museum displaying eighteenth and nineteenth century European paintings and French objets d'art. Wellcome Collection Wellcome Collection is a modern museum and gallery bringing together science and art. Sir Henry Wellcome enthusiastically collected over a million medical objects and Wellcome Collection displays as many as possible to help visitors discover more about the development of medicine through the ages and across cultures. Whitechapel Bell Foundry Museum The Whitechapel Bell Foundry made the Big Ben bell for the Houses of Parliament and the original Liberty Bell. They have a free museum you can visit on weekdays to find out more. List of other Museums and Galleries with Free Entrance Age Exchange Reminiscence Centre Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum All Hallows-by-the-Tower Crypt Museum Anaesthesia Heritage Centre Apsley House Arsenal Football Club Museum Baden-Powell House Exhibition Bank of England Museum Banqueting House Barbican Art Gallery Barnet Museum Benjamin Franklin House Ben Uri Gallery, The London Jewish Museum of Art Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons Museum Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives and Museum Bexley Museum Black Cultural Archives Boston Manor House Bramah Tea and Coffee Museum Brent Museum British Airways Museum Collection Britain At War Experience British Dental Association Museum British Library British Museum British Music Experience British Optical Association Museum British Postal Museum and Archive British Red Cross Museum and Archives Bromley Museum Brooking Collection of Architectural Detail Bruce Castle Museum Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies Brunel Museum BT Archives Buckingham Palace Building Centre Gallery Burgh House & Hampstead Museum Canada House Gallery Carlyle's House Cartoon Museum Centre for Recent Drawing Charles Dickens Museum Chartered Insurance Institute Museum Chelsea Physic Garden Chiswick House Church Farmhouse Museum Churchill War Rooms Clarence House Clink Prison Museum Clockmakers' Museum Clown Museum and archive College of Arms Couper Collection Courtauld Gallery Crime Museum Crofton Roman Villa Crossness Pumping Station Crown Jewels Croydon Lifetimes Museum Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society Crystal Palace Museum Cuming Museum Cutty Sark Museum Dali Universe Danson House De Morgan Centre Dennis Severs' House Design Museum Dr Johnson's House Dorich House Drapers Company Collections Dulwich Picture Gallery Eastbury Manor House Eastside Community Heritage Eltham Palace Erith Museum Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art Fan Museum Fashion and Textile Museum Fenton House Firepower: The Royal Artillery Museum Florence Nightingale Museum Forty Hall Museum Foundling Museum Freud Museum Fulham Palace Galton Collection Garden Museum Garrick's Temple Geffrye Museum Golden Hinde Grange Museum of Community History Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy Great Ormond Street Hospital Museum and Archive Greenwich Heritage Centre Greenwich Hospital (London) Greenwich Visitor Centre Guards' Museum Guide Heritage Centre Guildhall Art Gallery Guildhall Library Gunnersbury Park Museum Hackney Museum Ham House Hampstead Museum Hampton Court Handel House Museum Harrow Museum The Hayward HMS Belfast Hogarth's House Honeywood Heritage Centre Honourable Artillery Company Museum Horniman Museum House Mill Museum at Three Mills Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons Imperial War Museum Inns of Court and City Yeomanry Museum Institute of Archaeology Collections Island History Trust Islington Museum Jewel Tower Jewish Military Museum and Memorial Room Jewish Museum (Camden) Jewish Museum (Finchley) Keats' House Kennel Club Art Gallery Kensington Palace Kenwood House Kew Bridge Steam Museum Kew Gardens Museum No.1 and Marianne North Gallery Kew Transport Museum Kingston Museum Kirkaldy Testing Museum Leighton House Museum Library and Museum of Freemasonry Linnean Society Collections Linley Sambourne House Little Holland House, Carshalton Livesey Museum for Children London Aquarium London Canal Museum London Dungeon London Fire Brigade Museum London Gas Museum London Motorcycle Museum London Sewing Machine Museum London Transport Museum London Zoo Madame Tussaud's London Magic Circle Museum Manor Park Museum Marble Hill House Markfield Beam Engine and Museum Marx Memorial Library MCC Museum Merton Heritage Centre Michael Faraday Museum Museum of Croydon Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture Museum of Immigration and Diversity Museum of London Museum of London Docklands Museum of Richmond Museum of Rugby Museum of the Order of St John Museum of Veterinary History Musical Museum Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising National Archives National Army Museum National Gallery National Maritime Museum National Portrait Gallery Natural History Museum The Newsroom - Guardian and Observer Archive and Visitor Centre North Woolwich Old Station Museum Old Operating Theatre Old Speech Room Gallery, Harrow School Orleans House Gallery Osterley Park Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology Pitzhanger Manor Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum Pollock's Toy Museum Prince Henry's Room Pumphouse Educational Museum Pushkin House Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge Queen's Gallery Queen's House Ragged School Museum Ranger's House (Wernher Collection) Red House Redbridge Museum Riesco Gallery Rose Theatre Exhibition Royal Academy of Arts Royal Air Force Museum Royal College of Music Archives and Museum of Instruments Royal College of Physicians Collections Royal Fusiliers Museum Royal Hospital Chelsea Royal Institute of British Architects Collections Royal Greenwich Observatory Royal London Hospital Archives and Museum Royal Mews Royal Military School of Music Museum Royal Mint Sovereign Gallery Royal Pharmaceutical Society Museum Royal Philatelic Collection St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum St Paul's Cathedral Crypt Museum Saatchi Gallery Salvation Army International Heritage Centre Science Museum Sherlock Holmes Museum Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition Sir John Soane's Museum Smythson Stationery Museum Somerset House South London Gallery Southside House Spencer House Stephens Collection Sutton House Tate Britain Tate Modern Tower Bridge Tower of London Twinings Museum Two Willow Road Twickenham Museum Type Museum UCL Collections Valence House Museum Vestry House Museum Victoria and Albert Museum V&A Museum of Childhood Wallace Collection Wandle Industrial Museum Wandsworth Museum Wellcome Library Wellcome Collection Wellington Arch Wesley's Chapel and the Museum of Methodism West Ham United Museum Westminster Abbey Museum Westminster Dragoons Museum Whitechapel Gallery Whitehall, Cheam Whitewebbs Museum of Transport William Morris Gallery Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum Wimbledon Society Museum of Local History Wimbledon Windmill Museum Women's Library Young's Brewery

About the Author

Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com

My other website is called Directory of British Icons: http://fabprints.webs.com

To visit the list and links to my other Blogg articles: http://bloggs.resourcez.com

The Chinese call England "The Island of Hero's" which I think sums up what we English are all about.

Touring Quebec's Maggies Via Motorcycle

I arrived at the dock in Souris not knowing what to expect. Even with my research they remained a mystery and, despite stories heard, I'd never met anyone who had actually been there. Basque fishermen had been voyaging to this archipelago to hunt "sea cows" even before Columbus discovered America, but then, as now, the best-kept maritime secrets don't appear on maps. Yet, when the Traversier docked at Prince Edward Island, nine bikes rolled out; when it left, it carried four.

The Magdalen Islands (Iles de la Madeleine) are one of those rare "in" places to ride, but few have heard of them. Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence approximately 134 miles (215 km) east of the Gaspe, 65 miles (105 km) north of Prince Edward Island and 60 miles (95 km) west of Cape Breton, the "Maggies" are considered to be the northernmost portion of the Appalachian Mountains and belong to the province of Quebec. Authoritative sources can't even agree on the extent of their land area (somewhere between 77 and 88 square miles), but there are seven inhabited islands and all but one are connected by a single highway. The sole purpose of my long journey was to ride this road. A five-hour ferry ride establishes a sense of distance and imbues a feeling that one is headed to an exotic location. Rising from a vivid blue ocean off the port side of the ship were emerald-green hills atop red sandstone cliffs a hundred feet high; a finback whale swam parallel to our course. My first view of Entry Island was unlike any other part of the Appalachians I'd ever seen.

Debarking at Grindstone (Cap-aux-Meules), my first stop was just outside the gates of the ferry terminal at the tourist information center. The tourist board had graciously assisted this trip by doing all the hard work in setting up an itinerary based on my specific requests. It appears that tonight I'll be sleeping in a convent.

Imagine a place where every home is painted a different color. Originally an Acadian tradition developed as identifying beacons for fishermen returning home, it has survived and matured into a cultural art form that's actively embraced by the Madelinots. Varied hues of purple, red, blue, orange, green and yellow intermingle with houses painted pastel turquoise, pink, lavender, mint and mauve. Trimmed in contrasting or complementary colors, each differs from its neighbors; it's a photographer's dream. Route 199 is only 54.6 miles (88 km) long and, despite a few sharp corners, it doesn't offer any technical challenges. Its entire length, from the docks in La Grave to the harbor in Grande Entrée, can be easily ridden in an hour and a half. The total mileage of all roads, both gravel and paved, on the archipelago is less than 186 miles (300 km). However, all the time, effort and expense required just to get me to this highway proves to be justified.

One 12-mile segment of Route 199 runs along North Dune and across tiny Seal Point Island (Ile de la Pointe aux Loups—loup-marin being the local name for seal). It's a long, straight stretch of highway. Utility poles line each side of the road, converging in the distance while heat waves add a surrealistic image to the already gentle undulations of an asphalt surface built on a foundation of loose sand. Normally I don't care for long, straight roads, but this is exceptional. Here, the ocean lines both sides of the highway only to disappear behind a long ridge of grass-anchored sand. In other places the powdery sands of transverse dunes crest above the road and spill onto its asphalt shoulders while blue herons stride through the lush saltwater marshes on the opposite side of the highway. I enjoy riding through sand dunes and this offers more miles, more dunes, less traffic and only a tiny fraction of the amount of people found on the National Seashore in Cape Cod.

I pass one of the top-ranked beaches in the world. Arcing around East Point National Wildlife Reserve, East Point Beach and Grande-Échouerie (an échouerie is where walrus, or "sea cows," once hauled themselves ashore to sunbathe) combine to provide 13 continuous miles (22 km) of gorgeous sand beach. Except for two short stretches on either end, this exceptional strip of sand is deserted. I could run naked on many of the islands' 196 miles of pristine beaches and not encounter a single person. The bike can be parked anywhere, since stealing a motorcycle just isn't feasible when the only escape is by ferry.

The highway ends at the quay in Grande-Entrée. Today most of the fishing fleet is docked and the boutiques and restaurants seem to be moderately busy. I take some photos, but since I've managed to cover less than 30 miles this morning, I want to keep riding. La Grave is at the other end of the road so, pulling a U-turn, I head in the opposite direction.

The southern end of Route 199 terminates at another fishing pier, although the island of Albert's Harbor (Ile du Havre-Aubert) continues for many kilometers as Sandy Hook, a long, thin dune that stretches toward Entry Island. The village of La Grave was the first settlement in the islands, established in 1755 by refugees escaping the Acadian Expulsion (Le Grand Derangement) by the British in Nova Scotia (others sought refuge in Louisiana and created Cajun culture).

The village of La Grave has become an artist community. Its tiny cedar-shingled fishing sheds date from the 19th and early 20th centuries, but rather than housing lobster traps, they've been transformed into small boutiques and galleries that feature the work of local artists and artisans. Café de La Grave is in the old general store, and the funky interior with its mismatched chairs and tables and adorned with original art has made this the local hangout. It's the place to order the local specialty, a seafood pie called "pot-en-pot."

In the town of L'Étang-du-Nord a cluster of colorful clapboard-sided boutiques face the sea. The yellow one turns out to be Café la Cote, where salt-cod pizza is the house specialty. From here the angular hulk of Duke of Connaught can be seen resting against the rocks of Savage Head (Cap a Savage). Having rusted to the same red color as the cliffs, I can't figure out what it is and have to ask. The locals joke that it's the work of a contemporary metal sculptor.

As it turns out, a large percentage of the residents are directly descended from the survivors of more than 400 shipwrecks, and many buildings on these islands were constructed from salvaged ship timbers. One such example is the Church of St. Pierre in Lavernière; it also has the distinction of being the second-largest wooden church in North America.

Fishing is the mainstay of the local economy. More than 2 million pounds of lobster are harvested annually, as well as fresh scallops, blue mussels, clams, snow crab and a variety of fish. Smoking fish is an island tradition and a few old-style smokehouses (baraque) made of hay bales are used by farmers. Fumoir d'Antan on Ile du Havre-aux-Maisons has created an excellent little museum in the original smokehouse. This year they're licensed for 60,000 pounds of herring — they also smoke mackerel, eel and scallops — and three quarters of this will be sold on the islands. I purchase vacuum packages to bring home and a couple of "snack-packs" to munch on while riding about — this probably explains why my tankbag smells a little fishy.

Tonight's lodging is Auberge La Salicorne in Grande-Entrée, and kicking back with a foaming mug of the local brew and munching on seal sausage I listened to the other side of the seal hunting controversy and local history. Prior to the creation of Route 199 in 1956, Madelinots had to boat from island to island. This created very diverse communities unique to their particular patch of land. Today this remains evident on Entry Island, the only inhabited one not connected by road. There is a local pedestrian ferry, but I chose to make the six-mile (10 km) trek across open water in a rubber boat (Zodiac) operated by Excursions en mer.

After circumventing the island and looking at the nesting sites of local seabirds, including those of the Razorbill Auk, a couple hours remained to hike up Big Hill for a panoramic view of the archipelago.

It's finally time to leave the islands and I pack the Ducati in the belly of the Vacancier for the trip up the St. Lawrence River to Montreal. Despite their small size, four days in the islands wasn't long enough to take advantage of all they have to offer and I never tired of going back and forth on the same road. I have to be content with this, but it does provide a reason for me to return to Iles de la Madeleine next year.

About the Author

To read more touring stories like this one, go to ridermagazine.com. Rider is also the place for motorcycle news, reviews and other information.

old british silver and gold coins

Related News Snippet...

British punk rocker Billy Idol to play first ever gig in Russia
British punk legend Billy Idol is all set to play his first ever gig in Moscow's SCCH arena on Saturday. "Rehearsals are done. Band is ready to rock.....next stop, Moscow!!!" Idol said on his Twitter blog last week.
Read More...

Frequent Questions...

Anyone know the title of this older horror film?

The film I assume is british and at least 15 years old and in color. It's about a biker gang (I think 5 men and 2 women) that have skulls painted on their helmets. They discover how to come back from the dead (simply believe that you will come back after you kill yourself, as I remember) and they do come back. The leaders mother tries to stop her son because she knows all about it. Two scenes I remember very clearly is that when the leader kills himself the gang buries him on his motorcycle, and in the end of the film most of the gang members are turned to tall stones (they do not look like statues...just tall rocks). I believe the only one that does not turn to stone is the leaders girlfriend who does not kill herself to begin with...think her name may have been Abby but not sure. I miss that movie and really want to see it again! Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!

Answer:

psychomania