Lifestyle: History Fun at Hampton Court

Jacket: Topshop
Jumper: Primark
Bag: LK Bennett
Jeans: Topshop
Boots: Missguided

Considering History was one half of my degree I think it is pretty safe to say I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to the subject. I think it gets a bad rap for being 'boring' but in my opinion it is just like the gossip magazines of the past, full of interesting stories plus there are so many different eras and perspectives to look at I think you just need to find the particular part that you enjoy the most. For me it is the Tudor period as it is full of love affairs, notorious personalities, blood and guts and embroiled in mystery. One of the best things about History is visiting land marks or museums as when you see the artifacts or walk down the same corridor as a late monarch or servant it is really humbling and interesting to imagine yourself in that period and bring it all to life. 

Therefore, when Matt surprised me around a month ago with tickets to visit Hampton Court palace I was very excited! Having visited once before many years ago (I think it was year 7) I could only remember a little, so it was great to refresh my memory especially on such a lovely sunny day. Matt is quite indifferent to History but even he really enjoyed immersing himself in the rich atmosphere that Hampton Court has to offer.

The building itself and the grounds are very impressive - there is so much to explore that we couldn't do it all in one day. We learnt a lot about Henry VIII's early life through to the end of his reign which was an education for both of us as I have concentrated more on Elizabeth I in the past. We got to see the rooms that decisions that shaped England where made, bedrooms where the Royals slept, the chapel which was beautiful (you couldn't take pictures in there though boo!), the exact place Henry married Katherine Parr, original documents and portraits, the Royal kitchens and servant quarters amongst many other things. There was even a very convincing Henry VIII look a like strolling about who embarked in role play with other actors every so often. There are lots of different gift shops dotted around at various stages which offered a great deal of paraphernalia - I thought the blog book was very funny and apt!

Where Henry sat in council meetings

Each part had convincing props and sounds, with staff members on hand who were fountains of knowledge if you needed answers. You could also get an audio guide which we used and there was costumes you could wear to really get in the spirit if you wanted to! Finally a thought on the food - we stopped off for lunch in the larger cafe set in the gardens which kept to the theme really well and served really delicious food. Sometimes at places like this it can be over priced and disappointing but we had a really tasty stew and lemon and chocolate cake washed down with a cup of tea and a cappuccino, all of which was fantastic.

If you are at a loose end one weekend or just want to try something different then I urge you to try a day out like this as you learn a lot and have fun too! 

Do you like history? xxx

P.S. Once I had uploaded these pictures to blogger the resolution has been ruined as they are so much clearer and sharp on my laptop - can anyone help me fix this?