lent

Hi. My family will be in London in August, and I was wondering if I should write for the reservations for the 9:30 p.m. Ceremony of the Keys. Have you been and what did you think?

cheryl

It all depends! It was exciting to be out at night with a selected "few". My 12 and 13 year old boys enjoyed it.My husband still says it was a waste..better than going to bed early. If you can get the tickets I would do it again especially if you have children in this age range! have fun

Henry

Lent,I've seen it twice.It's free so unless you have other evening plans,why not check it out.Enjoy.

elaine

I've been twice, with and without children, recommend it. <BR>It doesn't take long, it is very precise and well organized, it is easy to do, and it conveys a sense of history and pageantry. You will be finished by 10pm or so. Don't wait any longer to write for tickets if you want to go.

Bob Brown

I think if you view the ceremony as a piece of history, and try to take it in the context of the Tower of London, it is an interesting event. Although the ceremony may be perpetuated as a tourist attraction, it was not designed for that purpose. Accept it as a tiny slice of British tradition, view sit as a snippet of history, and, above all, try to place it in time. Take yourself back to the days of the Tower when it used to incarcerate political prisoners -- even kill them. And I think those dead walls will come alive with ghosts of the past. <BR> <BR>The gates to the Tower will be securely bolted, with you inside!! And the gate is not unbolted until the next morning. <BR>But not to worry, the Chief Yoeman lets you out.

nickie

Love the way you write Bob - really makes the tower come alive.

Lori

If you and family do not have a real interest in history then don't go. If you are interested in history you will enjoy it. We've been and enjoyed it greatly. It's a ritual that has been done for ages and they are quite serious about it. The attendees are asked to be silent throughout (hard for some people, we had a few talkers that persisted despite being shhhhh-ed from all sides when we attended). It's really quite fascinating and the added plus of going into the tower at night lends itself to experience I think. Again tho, if you are not interested in history or if you feel the kids would be bored don't go, as I said you are requested to remain silent throughout the procedure and also no picture taking. It all comes down to what you are really interested in seeing and doing.

Linda

I agree with all the above posts. Plus, it's really cool to see the Tower at night - I would recommend you see the Tower during the day and then see the Ceremony the same night. The contrast is very interesting.

David White

Yes, the Ceremony of the Keys is "worth it," although I don't know if you'll be able to get tickets at this point for the busy month of August. When you request tickets, be sure to give alternative dates (if your schedule allows) to increase your odds of getting tickets. <BR> <BR>I've written an article on the Ceremony that you can read at: <BR> <BR>http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-...387C9417-prod1 <BR> <BR>(sorry for the long address...) <BR> <BR>Feel free to take a look at my website for more info on family travel to London. It is located at: <BR> <BR> www.KidsToLondon.com <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip! <BR> <BR>David White

Tammy

If you can get tickets, by all means do it. Not only do I think it is worth your time, but it is free! Definitely take the above advice and visit the tower during the day, you'll have a completely different perspective being there at night versus the day. I'm a history buff, so I enjoyed hearing about the historical significance of the ceremony, plus you get an up close look at the pomp and circumstance of Britian.

Dorothy

<BR>We saw the Ceremony of the Keys the first night in London then felt the Tower was much more meaninful when we spent the next day seeing it. I would recommend it and as others said it is free and interesting at night. Don't wait to send for tickets although ours for the end of August came in 10 days.

kathy

We enjoyed the ceremony twice; once in February and another time in June. It had a different feeling each time because of the weather, and we will go again on our next trip. It would be a shame to be so close and miss that part of British history. Be sure to visit again either before or after to get the full impact. Do it! You'll wish you had if you pass.

Rose

Where can we order tickets for "Ceremony of the keys"? We'll be in London the latter part of September. Thanks. Great forum. Could spend days just reading information.

Penny

I can't really add much to what the previous posters have said--I think it's worth it. I was just there for the first time with my 14-year-old daughter, and she enjoyed it as well. <BR> <BR>We'd seen the movie "Man for All Seasons" before going to London. I'm not sure how much of it made an impact on her, but there's a scene where Sir Thomas More is brought to the Tower at Traitor's Gate at night. We stood right by the gate during the ceremony, and it was really easy to envision myself back in time, thanks to that movie. <BR> <BR>I do have one recommendation, though, if you go to the Tower during the day and do the ceremony at night: leave the area to eat dinner. We had trouble finding a good place to eat in between. It would have been worth it to hop back on the tube to a more central location--around Piccadilly or Covent Garden, say--eaten dinner and then taken the tube back for the ceremony. <BR> <BR>I wrote ahead for tickets and asked that they be delivered directly to my hotel. There they were, waiting for me. <BR> <BR>If you search this forum for "ceremony of the keys," I'm sure you'll get the address for your ticket request. <BR> <BR>