Tea Party

Had a leisureky wake up, we were all feeling tired. I was feeling little under the weather, think it might have been fighting reaction to a bite I had got on Friday that was now quite itchy. We went to the coffee shop attached to the Beantown Pub from yesterday and sat towards the back ordering from the same menu. Oatmela again for me. The Liverpool West Ham game was on TV so we happily watched that, then headed off to walk to the Boston Tea Parrty museum about 15 minutes away. Well navigated again by Edward. The morning was warm but foggy/low cloud and there was some rain while we were on the eay there.
Arived just before 11 and bext tour was 1115. We were allowed into a room set out like an old meeting room where the patriuots would have gathered to discuss politics etc. Had church like pews and a pulpit at the front.
We were each given a feather on the eay in and a lady in character at the front told us tehese would help disguise us to the English so we looked like natives rather than patriots. She gave everyone a card with a character that we would be from the night of the rebellion in 1775. I was Edward’s roommate. Tash ewas Sam’s mother. A couple of the parts needed to read out something from the card when prompted, which we didn’t want. The lady showed us some things to do, so it would become a bit like a opantomime. If we heard something bad we should boo and hiss, good meant bang hands and stamp feet. Somethong very bad meant putting thumb on nose and waving fingers in air while shouting FIE. Very good meant shouting Huzzah and fist pumping the air.
At 1115 a man in costume came in and gave us a humorous and informative talk about the events of the tea party rebellion. One of the girls reading her part got very giggly and you could see her dad getting very frustrated. We learnt that Heorge III was taxing lots of things, paper, glass and now tea at 3 per cent. A fanmous uote was taxation without representation is tyranny, as the colonies didn’t have any seat in government or say in how their taxes were spent.
We then went through and onto one of the three tea boats attacked that night. 112 tea crates on ech were destroyed. They weighed about 140 pounds eqach so it was hard wrok moving them from the hold and breaking them up and scattering the tea, taking most of the night. A crowd of around 5000 had agathered to help and watch. A different chap in character took us around the ship and we all got chance to throw a tea crate into the water. Then off the boat and inside into the museum.
This was very well done, with three rooms. The first showed a hologram film of two ladies talking, one was a patriot the other a tory (King supporter) and they argued about the fate of the colony and british rule. Each room built from the tea incicent towards the war for independence.
The next room had some artefacts and paintings. A film showed us the history of the only surviving tea chest, which had been found by a man the morning after on the beach and kept in his fmily for generations, used as a table and a cat box at different times. It was now in the museum along with the only remaining tea from the night as a liuid in a small glass bottle.
Then two pictures oin the wall came to life like Harry Potter. One was King George III, the other John Hancock. They argued about Britih rule.
The third room was a large curved screen which showed a film of the start of the war. Patriots got wind of the British army heading to Lexington to arrest Hancock and Adams, so Paul Revere did d fanous midnight horse ride from Boton to warn them to move on. The militia waited in Lexington for the British and, when the British advanced with bayonets one of the militia fired a shot, which starter firing from both sides, known as the shot that was heard around the world and signified full on wat between Britin and US, all stemming from the tea party incient.
The whole thing was very well done and even the kids enjoyed it and learnt a little I think. We ended up in the café where you could have alimitless tea cup to sampole the 5 teas on the boats that night. I tried three, two were normal and souchong was very woody. Kids coudnt stand the smell. We sat at atbel with a lad who chatted to us while waiting for his Irish girlfriend who worked in the shop. He ahd travelled to Europe a fair bit so we chatted about that. He was from Philadelphia so joked about the rocky stepos and pictures I had ftom there from years ago. Ed and I palyed 9 mens morriss. I won game 1 then he won next two. Exited through gift shop and out. Walked to Faneuil Hall and Quincy makrte for some food. Went into decent restauartnt, I had good clam chowder.
Had look in the hall then thought about Duck Tour but decided to leave that and followed some of the Freedom Trail. Went into the South Meeting House, a Puritan chapel used by Patrioys for meetings. The pews were laid out in boxed in pens, reminded kids of cattle pens at the Big Sheep. Ed did a couple of treasure hunt sheets which he enjoyed. The aisles were short so everyone was closer to the pulpit.
On leaving we found a cup cake shop, including a vegan choclate one for Sam! Then followed trail back to hotel as we were all tired.
After an hour or so Tash and I headed out for food. Google suggested there were supermarkets nearby but the first just looked like a takeaway food store (though on the way back we noticed a downstairs that looked more supermarket like) and the second was a C Mart that turned out to be Chinese. So we doubled bac and gt some bread, crisps and jerky from a 7/11, then Tash ahd a ham and sheese toastie and hot choclate from Caffe Nero. Had meant to get Ed a toastie two but the order cam through for just 1 and we couldn’t face queueing again. So went to Burger King for him and got chicken burger.
Everyone was happy with their food and we wayched some TV before going to bed.Read more