The Content Reader

A while ago, when in London, I visited The Tower for the first time. All of you who have been there know that it is a very nice experience to visit today. This was not always the case. Somehow the Tower of London has been the synonym for a prison with torture, often leading to execution in the end. A place of horror! As this excellent book, that I found in the museum shop, tells us,  The Tower  is much more than that. If you want to know more about the place, this is the book. Reading the history of The Tower is like reading the history of the kings and queens of England. This was their turf and many, if not all, have put their marks on the grey stones that, still today, give an impression of power and glory, mixed with the darker sides of power. In the beginning it was William the Conqueror who began building the White Tower, which to start with was just a timber fortification. Not much is known about it, but its name comes from the whitish stones by which it was bu...

I have been several times outside the Tower of London, but never ventured inside. This was the time to do it. I was alone and I could spend as much time as I wanted and needed. I think most people have an idea about the Tower as a terrible place, where kings and queens used to put people that offended them, using torture to get them to say what they wanted their victims to say. We all know about Henry VIII and his use of the Tower for his own wives. It was during his time that the gate where they use to bring the people by boat, was named  'Traitor's Gate'. However, looking at all the history, most of it has nothing to do with the harsher sides of life. Here people lived and worked, and most of the time it was quite a peaceful place. Just like it is today. This was a wonderful, sunny day, a lot of people, but probably not as many as would normally be there in the peak season. I walked around, with my audio phone around my neck, and a map in the hand, to get a bearing of t...