London, England - Churchill War Rooms & The Blackfriar Pub - August 2024

We ended our first full day in London (second overall) with a couple of great events - first we went to the Churchill War Rooms, and then ate at the Blackfriar Pub. When I asked A if she'd like to visit the War Rooms, she'd been very excited. My boss at work had let me know of Blackfriar Pub. All of these are phone photos, so the quality will not be very high - neither of these locations was very well-lit.

Obviously Winston Churchill was the head of the resistance force in Europe in World War II. As such, for the first time, the British government had to worry about having a safe place from which to conduct business. Some officials moved to the suburbs of London, but the primary officials instead repurposed the basement of the New Public Offices (now the HM Treasury) in August of 1939. With the Blitz ramping up in October of 1940, this basement was made much larger and reinforced with a five-foot concrete slab above it.

There were many fascinating rooms. The map room was preserved as it was, and it was the place from which many strategic decisions were made. The transatlantic telephone was also preserved - it was originally disguised as a toilet, but it was from there that Churchill would call President Franklin D. Roosevelt using cutting-edge technology. There were phone banks and rooms used for BBC broadcasts, as well as bedrooms for several top dignitaries, Churchill, and his wife.

This was a meeting room where the council would hold meetings.

The aforementioned Transatlantic Telephone Room, from which Churchill would hold calls with the President.

No big deal, just a Nobel Prize.

This is the original oak door from 10 Downing Street, since 1735. However, after an IRA attack on it in 1991 (see the gouges), it was replaced with a blast-proof door and the original was moved here. This is not in the actual Council War Rooms, but is in the accompanying Churchill Museum (similar to the Nobel Prize above).

The Map Room - so many battles and attacks were planned here.

It amuses me that there are chairs for people to hang out in Churchill's bedroom while he was working. I assume the cigar smoke was thick in there.

I liked these people day-drinking on the Tube on a Friday night.

The Blackfriar Pub and Restaurant was built on the site of an old Dominican monastery. The shape is fascinating.

Not sure if it was an insult or a compliment that we were seated under the "Wisdom Is Rare" sign.

All of the decor features friars as an homage to the monastery. It's really interesting that there are reliefs, sculptures, etc.

I got the macaroni and cheese, while A got fish and chips.

Mind the gap!