This England: Bletchley Park

Rick ticked off a bucket list activity when he went to Wigmore Hall. For me, the bucket list item to tick was a visit to Bletchley Park. This place, where some say "England won the war" by deciphering the German codes, has intrigued me through countless books, films ("The Imitation Game," among others) and television ("The Bletchley Circle).

This England: Remembering the Veterans

Those of us in America may well have had parents or grandparents who served overseas in World War I or World War II, and many did not return home. But our country was not physically attacked. We may have had blackouts or rations, our men and women and working to support the war effort. But we were not bombed, with entire cities and towns being destroyed. Many in my own generation may or may not have served in the military. In Europe, it was a different story.

 On November 11, 1918, World War I ended. One year later in the U.S., president Woodrow Wilson introduced Armistice Day, which honored the end of that way. In the UK, Remembrance Day (or Poppy Day, because people wear red poppies that day) evolved from Armistice Day. It was during World War II that the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day in the U.S. Now we honor all veterans on this holiday. But many are remembered every day through memorials, and we saw many during our recent trip to England.