London Temple and More...

Saturday, May 16, 2015

After a very large buffet breakfast at the hotel, we got instructions to make our way through the city of London to go an hour west to visit our long-time friends, Elder Joseph & Sister Alisyn Boone before they are released in August.

Making our way through the city of London was quite an adventure! At the train station we watched the back of the train we wanted as it headed out. While waiting for the next train, we wondered why there were so many young people dressed in costumes. 

After we boarded the train, hundreds of these crazy-looking kids piled on and, after about a 20 minute ride, got off at Twickham, the home of English Rugby. It was so crowded the ticket taker couldn't even get through to do his job. 

Elder Boone picked us up at the train station in Datchet after having already made two trips to the Heathrow Airport to take their daughter, Mary and family, as they departed for home in Utah after a visit to England.

This is their 5th mission: Singapore, Counselor of the Provo MTC for two years, then President of the Provo MTC for two years, In Field Representative in the Europe Area Office (dealing with all early-release missionaries from Europe), and now as YSA (Young Single Adult) leaders in the England London South Mission.

We first met the Boones in 1987 when both of our familys (with our six children and their nine) were in upstate New York as participants in the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

We left for the London Temple, about 45 min away. (Thankfully Elder Boone drove because all of the cars were driving on the wrong side of the street!!!)

We enjoyed walking around the beautiful temple grounds (complete with its own pond). This Temple was dedicated in 1958 by Pres. David O McKay and was the 12th operating temple, the 2nd in Europe, after the Swiss Temple. It was closed for major renovations in 1990. The Temple, one of two in England, is located 25 miles south of London.

President McKay took particular interest in one beautiful oak tree, 450 years old, and asked that it be preserved. So a plack was placed on the tree to honor him.

The David O McKay Oak: 

"Giving beauty and inspiration

Great strength and stability

Reaching toward heaven

Responsive to God's sunlight

Casting friendly and comforting shade

Gentle in its contribution to mankind

Unmoved in disturbing winds

To be remembered"

Then we did a session in the Temple which was very nice.

...and enjoyed dinner together at "Fayre and Square," a very family-friendly, fun place. 

Ken's choice was called the "Piggy Platter." Notice the wood platter is in the shape of a pig.

They took us to see Runnymede and the JFK Memorial which we hadn't known anything about...another blog post.

As we headed toward the Windsor train station under the fast-darkening sky, we noticed the British flag, indicating that the Queen was in residence at the castle, her preferred home. (How would it be to have several to choose from?) It is a 45 minute drive for her to go between Windsor and Buckingham Palace. The public can visit the Royal Farm and buy produce there. The family uses a back gate, away from the tourist area. There were many people in town the day we were there because of the Royal Windsor Horse Show being held that week on the Royal Estate, which is three miles long.

On the train back to London, we were surrounded by a ton of rubbish left by the rugby fans as they rode back to London from the rugby game. We were very tired from a long, wonderful day.