SOLO TRIP to Britain’s Imperial War Museum

I grew up in Sussex as a kid , got a green rover on the bus . Got to Croydon got a red rover ticket. Went all around London visiting museums great. We are talking early sixties. My parents didn’t even know where we were. Times change

Alanna you missed out on one of the best exhibits in the museum. The collection of Victoria Cross medals and the powerful stories of how they were earned. Moving stuff

I love that you said "a Lancashire" bomber, whilst the majority of those bombers were built in Lancashire, the bomber was named The Lancaster.

if you are at all "costume" or "clothes" interested... the Victoria & Albert museum is a definite "must do"

One thing worth adding about the Imperial War Museum is the building it is in. The museum opened just after WW1 but the building is much, much older and was originally the Bethlehem Hospital for (what we would call today) the mentally ill, or "Bedlam". It was the the place that gave us the word

I have not been since it was updated a few years ago and would love to revisit. The Imperial War Museum is commendable for the sensitivity with which it deals with war, not in any way glorifying it. It is incredibly informative and comprehensive. I assume it is still there but last time I was there in about 2008 there was a display focused on the Holocaust which included shoes from the victims. Profoundly disturbing and moving at once. The Imperial War Museum North in Salford also does a good job at educating people about the past. There is a part of the Twin Towers in the entrance to the main space and the floor is uneven by design to convey the sense of dislocation engendered by war and conflict through the ages.

Salute to all Commonwealth Countries who supported UK when we were having a bit of bother. Yes please Alanna, more day trips into the big wide world!

One of my favourite museums in London

The Mary Rose exhibit at Portsmouth historic dockyard is amazing. It’s an incredible experience

The Tank Museum comes to mind as a destination for this series...

Know is a longer trip but highly recommend Duxford by Cambridge, is under the IWM band and is a original ww2 airfield that is now a museum dedicated to both air and land military history. Interesting fact as well as being a key airfield during the battle of Britain, it was also home to the the very first squadron to receive Spitfires and holds the first combat action for that aircraft

I've been to the British museum on my own, last times have been on a date.. wow awfull.. and with my son when he was young and was fun.. On my own I had me time to really look around and was Great! Hope u had fun xx

The world really opens up when you get comfortable with doing things for yourself. I just did a week’s holiday rambling about Spanish cities on my own, stuffing my face with local food and meeting local people. It’s a totally different experience when you’re by yourself.

Im 61 but i remember my Dad took me to this museum when i was a kid. He was in the Navy in WW2 and he was full of stories. i must go back again soon.

Suggestions for future visits: the collection of museums in Greenwich is great for a day out (National Maritime, the Royal Observatory, the Queen's House and the Old Royal Naval College). For something other than a museum, you could try a few days walking on the North Downs Way or a visit to Knole Park on the outskirts of Sevenoaks. If you're interested in the history of the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster, my dear friend, Dr Bex Lewis, wrote a book on the topic; it was probably in the gift shop.

It's strange how different people find different things nerve wracking. I'd get on a train and go to the IWM without a thought but I'd never film myself and stick it on YouTube in a million years.

Another good place is the RAF Museum in Hendon London. Also a hidden gem is The Wallace Collection, a little bit behind Selfridges Central London. It’s free to go into, has a fantastic paintings gallery upstairs, downstairs is quite a few rooms with plenty of historical artifacts, arms and armoury (suits of armour, swords, very old guns). And in the middle is a glass covered cafe and restaurant where you can sit and relax. And as it’s a hidden gem it’s normally not busy, and no school kids!

Nice vid. The Canadians made a huge contribution to the Allied cause, resulting in significant casualties. They were involved in very heavy fighting in Normandy with the 12th SS. We thank the Canadians for their help. 🇨🇦

V&A, Natural History, British Museum and the National Maritime Museum (at Greenwich) are all worth a visit.

I wasn't alive during world war II, but one of those children Mickey Mouse gas masks survived in my family into my childhood, and I remember playing with it. When breathing out, your breath escaped through that little rubber flappy thing and made a sound like passing wind. As a kid, I thought it was hilarious. As an adult now, you reflect back on the purpose of that thing and realise that if it was being used for its intended purpose, it would have been anything but funny.