LONDON DAY 3, A MORNING TRIP TO WINDSOR CASTLE AND A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE

 Hello again my dear readers,

I am picking up the pace, trying my best to avoid long gaps between the postings of the narrative of our trip so you will not lose the plot😜.

For our third day in London we planned a visit to Windsor Castle in the morning and in the evening going to the theatre to see The Mousetrap.

The easiest way to get to Windsor Castle is to take a train.  As I mentioned earlier, our hotel in Aldgate was just two minutes away from the train station which was extremely convenient.  We alighted at Waterloo Station to change for the GWR train that took us directly to Windsor and Eaton riverside.  From there, it was just a 10 minutes walk to the gates of the castle.

Windsor Castle is one of the oldest and largest occupied castles in the world.  It was founded in the 11th century by William the Conqueror and has been a home for 40 monarchs ever since.

It's architecture is based on a medieval structure with Gothic features reinvented in the modern style.  As you walk towards it, you become aware of how big and imposing this castle is.  

There are a few rooms that are open to the public such as the State Apartments, Ceremonial and  Historic Rooms, Queen Mary's Dolls House, you can explore the Precincts or watch the Changing of the Guards.

Unfortunately the photography is not permitted inside the castle so I can't share with you any images but I can assure you that the interiors of the castle look as grand as its exterior.  You wouldn't expect anything less of the royal residence, naturally.

When it comes to food and drinks, there are a few small outdoor cafes where you can get coffee and sandwiches but if you really want to enhance your experience, have your lunch in the Undercroft Cafe at Windsor Castle.

Situated underneath St George's Hall, it dates back to 14th century and has a medieval interior that reflects the architecture style of the castle.  The cafe serves delicious set meals comprised of a hot soup, a main course and a delicious pud at a very reasonable price which for us, Australians, was an icing on the cake considering the weakness of our $ against the British £.

After lunch we took a walk around the grounds and then made our way to the train station to get back to the hotel to refresh ourselves for the evening.  I know that it sounds like a cliché but we were going to see the play, The Mousetrap.  You know the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"?  Well, I have my own spin on it and whenever we are in a foreign city, I would always say "When in such and such, do as the tourists do" and so we did.

The play has an interesting history.  It was written by the master of mystery, Agatha Christie.  The play has a twisted ending which the audience are traditionally asked not to reveal after leaving the theatre.  It is not only the longest-running West End show but it also has by far the longest run of any play in the world reaching its 30,000 performances on the 19 of March 2025.  Christie herself didn't expect Mousetrap to run for such a long time.  When her impresario was going to give it fourteen months, she contradicted him giving the play only eight months.

The play was performed at Theatre Royal in Nottingham in October 1952 but moved to St Martin's Theatre in 1975 where it has been performed ever since.  

It might not be the most thrilling, nail-biting plot as I expected it to be but we thoroughly enjoy our evening.  When the show ended,  we stopped at the box office to get one of the theatre attendants to stamp our playbill showing that we had just watched performance number 30,197!!!

After the leaving the theater, we stopped at a local pub for a night cap and then took the train back to the hotel.  Day 3 was done and dusted.  

Have you seen this play and what is your opinion about it?  Please share your thoughts in the section below.  

Until then,

Anna

xoxox