First Day in Boston

Park Street Church just across from our apartment and next to Boston Common

Massachusetts State House at the other end of Boston Common

Early arrival for this afternoon's rally on Boston Common

As Nancy and I walked through the common this couple asked if we could take their photo. It turned out that they were from Landshut in southern Germany. This town is twinned with Elgin, my nearby town. It is also where my daughter, Anja went to high school. She spent two weeks in Landshut on a school exchange visit.

 







Statue of Union General Hooker who fought during the Civil War. There is a myth that the slang term for prostitutes, 'hooker' came from his army's use of prostitutes but the term actually pre-dates his time as general.

 

This is a memorial to fallen firefighters



 

Interesting Swedish church building

This bar is named after the 21st Amendment which abolished the prohibition on alcohol in the United States

This well-known burial ground is the resting place of many famous Bostonians including the victims of the Boston Massacre. There is more information on this massacre further down this page.

 

 

Memorial to Benjamin Franklin

 



Nancy checking out information on the burial ground

Could this be a ghost of a resident of the burial ground... or a guide in period costume?

The tomb of Paul Revere who made the famous midnight ride through Massachusetts warning that the 'British are coming'. We wondered about the significance of the pennies on his stone and another visitor explained that Paul Revere donated the copper for the first coins.

On hearing this piece of interesting numismatics history Nancy stood on a ledge and gave a lecture on this to a grateful crowd.

Various items are left at Paul Revere's tomb including this folded note. Nancy was deterred in the act of picking it up and opening it after I informed her that the colour orange did not suit her.

 

Information panel along with images of representative stones.

A panel explains why US political parties are represented by an elephant and a donkey while Nancy discusses with a visitor the relative merits of the respective parties.

This is the site of the first American school, founded in 1635. The sidewalk memorial is located appropriately in School Street.

Period dressed guide giving an historical talk on Boston.

This the site of the Boston Massacre where five local people were shot by British troops during a demonstration. Nancy is staging a re-enactment.

This brick trail runs through Boston to highlight the Freedom Trail. If Nancy is around she will expound at length on the condition of Boston's sidewalks.

 

This is the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party began in 1773. Nancy is holding up a postcard of the church which was sent to Scotland from Boston by my Uncle John who served on Atlantic convoys during World War 2.

 

  



This is the Old State House, built in 1713 as the seat of the colonial government. The Boston Massacre took place outside its doors and the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from its balcony. Nancy is holding up another wartime postcard showing the building.

 

  

Interior staircase of the Old State House.

 

 

 

This is the Council Chamber where the Royal Governor of Massachusetts would meet his council.

 

 



Old musket found at Bunker Hill, the site of a battle fought in 1775.

 

 

This case houses the coat and belongings of John Hancock, one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence. He was known for his flamboyant signature with the result today that Americans refer to a signature as a 'John Hancock'

 

 

This controversial sculpture commemorates the Irish Famine which occurred in the mid nineteenth century.

 

One of Boston's famous DUKWs, AKA ducks, an amphibious vehicle from World War 2 now used to give people trips around Boston.

Interesting Boston architecture.

View of Boston Common from our apartment just as people begin to turn up for the March for Our Lives protest for gun control begun by Florida school students and taking place across the country.

Line of police motorcycles at Boston Common.

There were many school students at the protest carrying homemade signs.

This gentleman added his sign to the protest.

This protestor's sign reads 'My outrage can't fit on this sign'

This gentleman had 'Luke Cook, Kingston High School' on his sign. This references a 17 year old who committed suicide with a gun in the bathroom of his school.

One teacher amongst many who will not be carrying a gun in school.

 

After the protest we had a meal in the Grotto restaurant where photography was difficult due to the low lighting. Menus had to be read by candlelight and phone light. Afterwards we went on to the Cheers Restaurant and Bar. The exterior was used in the opening credits of the TV show.

 

This is the 'Make Way for Ducklings' parade of ducklings from the children's story. Someone had left an appropriate poster on one of the ducklings.