Postcard from London: A little light conversation on beheadings

This isn’t your ordinary ax and block of wood.

They date to the 16th century and are housed on the top floor in the White Tower inside the Tower of London. They were used in many of the beheadings of those convicted of treason or other crimes.

“Most of the beheadings took place outside,” said Joanne, tour guide and expert on all things murder, torture, corporal punishment and not getting any blood on the tower floors. “The ax was very blunt, so sometimes it took more than one try to get the head off. If you didn’t pay the executioner enough, he might have taken two or three swings on purpose to get the job done. Anne Boleyn was lucky. She got the sword, so her head came off cleanly. Lady Jane Grey, however, got the ax.”

I’m thinking Joanne is just a peachy date when it comes to light dinner conversation

(Ed Graney is covering the Olympics in London for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney. More Olympics coverage can be found at lvrj.com/olympics)