oy, research.

[swan_tower]

As I just said to the boy, I feel like I've e-mailed half the population of London now with research inquiries. So far we've contacted Hardwick Hall (okay, not in London), Hampton Court Palace, the Globe, the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers, and the Tower of London, though that last one bounced and I need to figure out why. I've also made my hostel reservation. The Museum of London I don't have any questions for; I probably don't need a reservation for the Thames River Boat to Hampton Court; Lambeth Palace appears to be almost never open to the public (since the Archbishop of Canterbury still lives there), so I will only be photographing the exterior of the Tudor brick gatehouse.

Oy, research.

If the Londoners who specialize in the Elizabethan period hang out together, I suspect they will make jokes about the crazy American novelist who's been querying all of them.

I still need to look into Westminster Abbey, Whitehall, and various things in Southwark. And yes, this is well in advance of my trip, but I figure the people I'm hoping to ask questions of will be happier if I contact them early.

Comments

[cheshyre]

See if you can't find the book Walking Shakespeare's London : 20 Original Walks In And Around London by Nicholas Robins.
I found it very handy on my trip.
Also, you can email the Rose Theatre Trust and try to arrange a viewing of the site. Not *much* to see -- it's all under a protective layer of mud, with rope lights to show the edges of the walls -- but pretty cool just to be there.

Are you staying at the hostel by St. Paul's? That's where I stayed. I liked it. I'd gladly stay there again, but Ian doesn't sleep well in hostels, so I'm looking at the easyHotel chain instead.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

I think Amazon may have tried to recommend that book to me at some point.

I'm not sure if I'll make it to the Rose, but if I have time I might try. (Still working out my agenda and itinerary, you see.)

Yes, that's the hostel. Good to know you liked it; the location seemed unbeatable, and the price ain't half bad.

[cheshyre]

You can see *where* the Rose is without making arrangements to go in and see the burial ground. It's not much to see, so unless you feel a truly driving need, don't stress too much about it.

When I was there, the hostel had a quite good breakfast in the mornings.
Only one pass thru the hot food line, but I used to fill up on that, walk my feet off exploring, and it would generally hold me until a late lunch at a pub somewheres.

BTW, it is possible to get a library card at the British Library by showing photo id, and even request books. I held in my bare hands an Ovid of Marlowe's published during his lifetime... Their catalog is online if you want to start thinking in those terms...