Ceremony of the Keys
 

Hi, <BR>Is any way ,at least to try, to see "Ceremony of the Keys" - Tower of London if we (3people) do not have tickets? I just found <BR>out that we could write in advance ,but I think it is too late now. We will be in London at <BR>july 30-august 1 and august 8-9. <BR>Thanks <BR>

<BR>I don't think so. We sent for tickets last year for the of August and were extremely fortunate to get them in 10 days. It usually takes 3 -4 weeks. They apparently have to be done by mail only, as far as we could find out. Put that on your list for the next trip.

We found out about the ceremony at the last minute too. We got tickets! Here's what I did: Write a letter (address is posted elsewhere on this forum) giving the dates (offer several if you can) that you want to attend. Ask them to forward the tickets to you at the hotel you will be at in London. At the Post Office, get an international stamp for both the letter you send to them, and address an envelope to yourself at the hotel (with the date you will arrive there - Mark it: Hold for arrival on such-and-such-date), stamp it with the other international stamp, and include it in your envelope. I asked upon arrival at our hotel if there was mail for us, and sure enough there was. I'd try this angle for sure (it just might work for you), but would also try any other suggestions you come across for a sure thing. Good luck. Also look into Bailey's Court. That was another now widely known event. <BR>

Dear Dmitry, <BR> <BR>In case you haven't found the address yet, here it is: <BR> <BR>Ceremony of the Keys <BR>2nd Floor - Waterloo Block <BR>The Tower of London <BR>Her Majesty's Palace and Fortress <BR>EC3N 4AB <BR>London UK <BR> <BR>Don't forget to send "coupon-réponse international" for their reply. Good luck! And hello, Mr Fowler, if you're reading this posting, thank you so much for the invaluable info - you see, I've already started to forward it on to someone else, trying to be as helpful as you were! <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip! <BR>Gláucia Arruda, Recife, Brazil <BR> <BR>

Ceremony of the Keys at Tower of London: can anyone please tell me how long this ceremony is? We will be there end of August and am curious as to exactly what it is. Sounds intriguing. Thank you!

Mimi - I have had the good fortune to attend this age-old ceremony twice and was intrigued both times. I judge it takes about 20 minutes. The Brits are very serious about this and rightfully so.

The Ceremony of the Keys, a 700 year old ritual, involves the nightly lockup of the Tower of London by its Warders. The ceremony is limited to small groups under the guidance of a Tower Warder and is by advanced reservation only. If you'd like to view the ceremony, pick up an International Reply Coupon at your post office. Include it in your request mailed to: <BR> <BR>Ceremony of the Keys <BR>2nd Floor <BR>Waterloo Block <BR>HM Tower of London <BR>EC3N4AB <BR> <BR>In your letter, indicate preferred dates you would like to view the ceremony; be sure to list alternate dates. Indicate the number of persons in your party and their names and addresses. Include a self addressed envelope measuring at least 5"x9" for the tickets. Expect a four to six week delay before receiving the tickets. <BR> <BR>When you arrive at the outer gates of the Tower, to gain a better viewing position, you have two options: at the extreme left of everyone at the cobblestone line by the Bloody Gate so you can see the middle part of the ceremony where the distant outer gates are locked, or dead center at the Bloody Gate where the first and last parts of the ceremony take place. <BR> <BR>For the last part, when the Yeoman instructs you to follow him, do so as closely as possible to see the end of the ceremony. <BR> <BR>For the dialogue involved and pertinent information regarding the ceremony, check the website: <BR> <BR>www.vichotel.demon.co.uk/pages/ceremony.html <BR> <BR>

We attended the ceremony in June. It took less than two weeks to obtain tickets, which we ordered in March. We were told to be at the Tower at 9:30 p.m. We actually went inside at about 9:45. The gates are supposed to be locked at 10:00. So it was probably over shortly after 10.