D-Day Museum 70 Years of the Normandy landings

Lego Museums visited the D-day Museum on the 6th June 2014 on the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings in 1944. Let’s remember those who sacrificed everything for the greater good on D-Day. Let’s commemorate those thousands who lost their lives so others may live in freedom.

Will with his D-Day 70 year's badge.

Will entering the D-day Museum.

The museum is pact with WW2 history from Portsmouth and other aspects of the Operation Overlord. Going into the museum you come across first is the large and long Overlord Embroidery, which is the modern-day comparison to the Bayeux Tapestry of 1066. This 272ft long piece of art (33ft longer than its 11th century counter-part), looks back upon the dark days before the operation of 1940 to the victory in Normandy in 1944.

The embroidery itself is worth going into the museum alone to see. Although through-out the museum there is a number of other great and interesting galleries to see.

These galleries display a large number of real artefacts for the war alongside some life-like wax works, which gives the objects a life of their own as well giving the visitor a feel of what it was like in times of war within the late 30s and early 40s. Also using their personal objects of the men who lived it gives a touching look into the lives of all who were involved, with the stories of home with the blitz to the life at the front-line in France. This museum also looks at the aspects of both sides, from the Allies and the Germans.

For those military armament fans; there are a large rang of weapons and vehicles what are dotted around the museum. This small museum is fantastically laid-out to easily show the visitors all what the museum has to offer. 

BANG!!!

Will looking out from a landing boat.

Will is driving a U.S. Jeep.

If you are a large WW2 and/or military buff you should go to the D-day Museum to enjoy what they have to offer.

Royal Garrison Church

The Lego Museums visited the Royal Garrison Church on the 7th May 2014. The small but lovely church is located within the city of Portsmouth. This such a small and not well known about church had its part to play in English history, by evolving from a hostel and hospital to becoming hit by a WW2 bomb. However, in between this it became a lovely place for a Royal Wedding.

Will visits the Royal Garrison Church.

The Church was founded in 1212 by the Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches. Built a number of buildings to serve as a hostel for pilgrims and a hospital for the sick and elderly.

Flying through time to 1540, after Henry VIII's Reformation, the builds where used as a ammunition store. The buildings were neglected and started to decay.

Moving to Henry's daughter, Elizabeth I. In 1559 there was a grand building project for the defence of Portsmouth began. The small medieval hospital buildings were used to create the Governors house. Within this house in latter year; two significant events of historic importance happened.

The first was in 1662 there was a surprising thing for that time and even for now, there was a Royal Wedding held here. This was a marriage between Charles II and Catherine of Braganza. The second was in 1814 on which there was a grand receptions held to celebrate the death of Napoleon. This was attended by many famous people at that time; these included the Prince Regent, the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia (Germany).

Now moving to the 19th Century, the architect G. E. Street spent ten years in repairing the Church. This was completed by 1871.

However, in 1933 the church was given to the Office of Works in which it was hit be a firebomb raid in 1941. This destroyed the roof of the building and which is now visible as a reminder of the war.

There is a little chapel at the back of the church that has a lot more information about the history of this lovely, small place. Although it might be seen be a small and insignificant church that is not interesting because it is a ruin but that ruin you see today has miles upon miles of history on its back so it is worth going to have a good look around. 

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Lego Museums visited the historic dockyard on the 25th April 2014. The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard contains a number of attractions and historic naval ships. These all include HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, National Museum Royal Navy Portsmouth and the Mary Rose Museums.

The first place we visited in the Dockyard was the famous iron armoured warship, HMS Warrior. Launched in 1860, it was the pride of the Victorian fleet. Powered by steam and sail. She was Britain's first iron-hulled, armoured warship. With all this, making her the largest, fastest and most powerful ship of her day. Even so after a few years she sadly became obsolete.

Will is about to go abroad upon the HMS Warrior.

Now restored and sailed back home to Portsmouth, the Warrior serves as a museum to the Victorian industrial age and sea warfare. This is a great ship to even to see from the outside but even better inside with all its armaments and interior.

Moving on to the National Museum Royal Navy Portsmouth, which is farther up the dockyard placed in this lovely historic buildings. These builds hold many exhibits about the Royal Navy through-out history. The recently re-opened on was the Hear My Story gallery. The exhibition tells the undiscovered personal stories from real men and women who lived the naval history over 100 years. You and discover these stories through many interactive touch screens and their own items they have left behind.

Will looking through the Hear My Story Exhibit at the National Museum Royal Navy Portsmouth.

The other exhibits and galleries at this large museum was Race to War Exhibition, the Victory Gallery, the Nelson Gallery and the Sailing Navy Gallery. Looking at the Race to War Exhibition, this is to commemorate the First World War. Telling the stories of the war by sea and years of peace, the arms race with Germany and the naval leadership of Winston Churchill. Moving to the Victory Gallery, which looks at the story of the famous ship, HMS Victory. This looks from the day she was launched, 1759 to the day she was restored. This goes through the many stories of the people who lived and died on her when she was in service. Going to the Nelson Gallery, this houses a large number of Nelson objects that contrasts his public hero with his private life. Now with the Sailing Navy Gallery, housed in a lovely 18th Century Naval storehouse. With the building itself can tell the visitors a story was well as what is inside the galleries; with the original floor are made of the timbers captured from French and Spanish ships. The exhibit gives a new light on the Sailing Navy.

Slightly moving on, to the famous naval sailing ship, HMS Victory. The jewel of naval history as being the ship that lead the Battle of Trafalgar by being the flagship and accompanied with Lord Nelson in 1805. This beautiful ship shows what was life like on board a 18th Century ships and where Nelson fell and died during the Battle of Trafalgar. With the reconstructed interior of the ship really makes the visitor feel to have gone back in time.

Will is boarding the famous HMS Victory.

Will is living the history aboard the Victory.

FIRE!!!

Finally looking at the NEW Mary Rose Museum that contains the 500 year old Tudor ship is a amazing museum. The architecture of the building works with the ship itself. The Mary Rose fits in perfectly within the building and its historic dry-dock where it has been ever since it was raised in 1982. Re-discovered in 1972 it took them ten years to excavate the ship and it's artefacts of about 19,000. With all these artefacts are now next to the hull of the ship which help the visitors understand the life on board this historic ship that sank on 19th July 1545 during the Battle of the Solent. As many of the museums within the Dockyard it has a number of interactive screens that people can use to learn about the ship while having fun at the same time. After being under the sea and silt for over 400 years it was found by Alexander McKee and then raised by Margret Rule. After it was raised and placed in the dock it has been going through about 30 years of conservation. Now it is in its last stages of conservation the new museum was opened in 31st May 2013. This painstaking conservation should be finished in about 2016 or 2017 when all the walls of the case of the ship will be taken down so visitors will be able to view the ship with no interruptions.

Will is having a good look a the Tudor Warship the Mary Rose.