HP sites (visiting)

[Carol]

SSS wrote:
> As a few of you know, I will be--finally!--taking the trip I've 
dreamt of most of my life (probably at least since I discovered 
Agatha Christie's little village paths in her Miss Marple stories, 
anyway) and heading to England in April, with my family in tow.
> 
> We've got our itinerary pretty much set and are planning to see a 
couple of HP-related sites, namely Leadenhall Market and Gloucester 
Cathedral.  Have any of you also visited these places?  If you have,
would you share any thoughts you might have about them?  Any tips or 
suggestions? <snip>

>
Carol responds:

Congratulations and enjoy your trip!

Based on my own experiences with Westminster Cathedral, I'd recommend
visiting Gloucester on a Saturday or weekday. Otherwise, you'll find
religious services in progress and access to parts of the cathedral
blocked off. 

Oh, and if you tour the Tower of London, don't believe anything the
guide says about Richard III and the supposed murder of his nephews.
It's all from the highly improbable version of events given by Sir
Thomas More (who admits himself that he's heard many other versions
and doesn't know which, if any, is true).

I went to London in the summer of 1995, the notoriously hot and dry
summer that JKR depicts in OoP. (Being from Tucson, I was quite
comfortable.) I brought my umbrella and used it only once. If you're
traveling in February or March, your experience will probably be
rather different!

Oh. The London Underground is really easy to get around on. I managed
alone, and I'd never been on a subway in my life. The lines are all
color coded, so you just find the line that takes you where you want
to go. Here's a map (Dumbledore's scar in living color!):

http://www.afn.org/~alplatt/tube.html

The bus system, in contrast, is a nightmare (IMO) because London is
emphatically not laid out on a grid.

http://www.mylondonmap.com/

Carol, who would love to return to England, this time for a year and
with lots of money