KN's World 妮妮看天下

Castles and Cathedrals are the two C's you must visit in the UK and Europe. Last Sunday (18/9/05, it was also Mid-Autumn Festival in the Lunar Calendar) I went to Warwick Castle with Henry (a friend from Perth, Australia).

Warwick Castle is a little bit different from other castles I have visited. Most of the castles are generally ruins. They smell old and look old. However, Warwick Castle does not look like a ruin. It is well-restored, well-maintained, and pretty much intact. In addition, Warwick Castle is owned by the Tussauds group, which makes it special and different compare to other castles.

Tussauds group is the group who also own Madame Tussauds, famous wax museum in London, with branches in Amsterdam, Hong Kong (Victoria Peak), Las Vegas and New York City. It was setup by Marie Tussaud who was a wax sculptor. Wax figures of the Tussauds include historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and famous murderers.

Thus, the incorporation of wax figures in Warwick Castle makes the visit interesting and different.

Two of the most impressive attractions are the Kingmaker exhibition and the Victorian 'Royal Weekend Party'.

At the Kingmaker exhibition, you walk around in a sort of Madame Tussauds gallery where there are depictions of preparations for Richard Neville's final battle and how weapons and such were made. Authentic sounds and smells are added to the attraction to add to the realism. Unlike Madame Tussauds you can actually get close to the dummies and they look REAL. Spooky!

There are also staffs wearing the costumes resemble the medieval time. They stood quietly at the corner of the room, you would think that they are one of the wax dummy but suddenly they are greeting you by nodding their head. In dark, it can really make you jump.

The 'Royal Weekend Party'  is presented at the Great Hall and the State Rooms. The party was held in honours of the Prince of Wales (who then became King Edward VII) by the Countess of Warwick, Daisy.

The ornate rooms, decorations, furniture, everything is so tasteful and delicate. The chandeliers, the tables, the clock, even the cutlery in the dining room, all give you the posh elegance atmosphere in the 19th century. You are walking back in time passage to see how Daisy treating her guests including Winston Churchill. The wax figures play an important role again here; recreate the real sense of life in the castle in 19th century.

Warwick castle was originally founded in 1068 by William the Conqueror, and was rebuild a number of times. Most of the attractions in Warwick Castle are based around the history of the castle. Besides the Kingmaker and the 'Royal Weekend Party', there is also Dungeons, Torture Chamber, Ghost Tower etc.

It is a great day out exploring the dank and dingy towers, walking around dimly lit interiors, climbing endless spiral staircases and walking around the ramparts, taking in the history of this once great fortification.