random fun in the sun in Lun-Dun
Monday May 31st, 2010
London, England
Yesterday I decided I simply had had enough with the sort of museum going in London and decided to do a few out of the box searches. I started with wanting to find what is called an “eerie pub” suggested by Carol Godwin. However after tracking it down I found it closed due to it being Sunday and a bank holiday. I’ll admit it was disappointing but there is a branch in Edinburgh that when I go back Thursday I plan on going to.
So what to do with my afternoon since my book reading in a cool pub fell through? Well I decided to hunt down streets, starting with another extremely popular one “Abbey Road”. Where the Beatles used the cross walk in front of the studio they were recording at for probably one of the most famous album sleeves ever. It was relatively easy to find this due to it being a tourist attraction in itself. Right out of the tube station there is “The Beatles Coffee Shop” with staff and maps helping you find it along with latte’s and memorabilia for the avid fan.
After a quick five minute walk there it is! With a swarm of about 30 fans and plenty of traffic to annoy with walking the cross walk. I waited for a bit before my photo opp and walked over to the side where the studio was and signed the wall in front of it. Just like millions of other people have as well and I know in about 6 months it will have been painted over so more people can leave their mark. I wrote a simple saying “Because… of the Beatles I am who I am today. -Rebecca Robinson, Colorado May, 30 2010”. It was just to say I left something and one could say a claim that I have once in my life done graffiti! After this I amused myself by watching other tourists walk back in forth for the perfect shot. If there were four or more it was ideal but many went solo and were extremely happy.
Eventually I asked another girl about my age who was with a mass group of friends to take my photo which she did without any problem and I was extremely happy! So yea I can say I walked Abbey Road cross walk, saw the studio, signed the wall and really did the last thing on my “had to do check list” for my trip. I honestly don’t think I have anymore so I’m really content; and content is only until I remember something else I need to do or decide on something else I want.
So back to the tube station I went with a huge grin on my face! Then back into town I went, randomly deciding to check out Hyde Park, and speaker’s corner. I did a quick stop to take advantage of another London Pass offer of free admission into Wellington’s Arch. For a nice view of the park and surrounding areas and just to see how massive the statue on top is. I didn’t stay long I’m afraid because the higher got my allergic reaction to this lovely pollen in London got worse and my coughing and inability to breath became worse and worse. When I got back on ground level it wasn’t as bad but spending two hours in Hyde Park ultimately was a poor decision because now my face is good and puffy and I have the reddest cheeks. Anyway, back to the actual fun Hyde park was.
The first amusement was the large group of roller bladders skating around with music and having a great time! The second amusement was Speaker’s Corner, which I simply wished to walk through to hear whatever nonsense or well informed fact people were spewing. I was about to head somewhere to read but was stopped by a short man in his fifties wearing a suit and claiming he thought he knew me from his comedy club. I of course had never been to his comedy club and have been too exhausted to want to go out at night here in London. Well after looking me square in the face he realized I was not who he thought. However this didn’t stop the “creepy middle age man hitting on young woman” that this is not the first time that this has happened. Actually I’m shocked that this is the first time this has happened my entire trip because this is a frequent occurrence back home especially in jobs at restaurants for me. Anyway I talked to him shortly and then he decided he wanted to babble a bit more to gain a crowd and attention and insisted I watch for a bit then asked me for a drink later. I lied and said I had to meet someone or they would worry. Anyway up on his stool he went and within about 10seconds he had a crowd and in about a minute he was being ripped to shreds by them! Legitimately so he kept going off on rabbit trails and had no real train of thought to what he was saying. Then the comment to a woman “you’re only allowed to speak because the government lets you” just hit me wrong and I left. He meant well with some of his statements though they were fragmented but I will say that he wasn’t doing this to make a statement or to change anything he simply did this for his own ego. Oh and I was informed by someone who must frequent Speaker’s Corner a lot that his frequent hit on young woman then try and impress them with a speech was common and I should watch myself. I had already figured this one out but was glad someone told me he did this a lot. I think that the most irritating thing though beyond the being hit on and asked out by someone older than my father is in fact the idea that I am that ignorant and dumb and that I can’t sort out what he’s trying exactly. I don’t direct this at the man in the crowd that informed me but at the man speaking! He really honestly thought I was so young and ignorant to go off “for a drink” and who knows where it would have gone. Yea maybe his intentions were just legitimately a drink and let it be. However in a city you never know and it was simply easiest to slip away and walk to the other side of the park and read. Again I don’t say this to worry people and the man didn’t try anything but it’s annoying more than anything.
Enough on serious stuff. After Hyde Park I decided for the sake of a picture and to let my imagination wonder I would go to Fleet Street. Which I did and the few houses that were old were plenty of fuel for my movie loving mind and child like imagination. So it was rather simple to imagine a Mr. Sweeney Todd gruesomely murdering his clients and a Mrs. Lovett making those famous meat pies. Anyway it’s true that these characters existed on some level however I will say that for the most part they have become a story much like Dracula.
After Fleet street a final walk past St. Paul’s and then the long journey back to Ilford due to the continuing rail closure.
Today I am heading to Hitchin, which is North of here towards Cambridge.
I am the Walrus,
Rebecca Robinson
I left my mark
The crazy man at Speaker’s Corner
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