The Lord Mayor's Parade; it was wet.
Last Saturday (Saturday last, to be formal) I attended the Lord Mayor's Parade. Don't get excited. I wasn't like a formal guest or anything, it was just that Peter had his course for becoming a Notary Public on in London and I was going with him to share the driving and freeload, and it was on.
I've watched the Lord Mayor's Parade on TV since I was little. It used to be one of my favourite moments of the year, a little like Children In Need it was a signpost that Christmas was coming because... duh.. November leads to December. So it has always had positive associations for me.
I didn't look to see if it was on TV this year. It always used to be, cutting Swap Shop or Saturday Morning Superstore short, and cutting to endless shots of drizzling weather and crowds who waved flags and shouted (posh Londoners) Huzzah! And the parade of floats and bands and people walking along. I love pageantry and pomp and circumstance, so when I knew it was on the Saturday that I was down there it was a no-brainer.
I set off early enough to grab a Starbucks cup on the way, and to find a spot to watch. You can download the route from the Internet so I looked and decided that as Bob Cratchit to my very own Scrooge I would quite like to stand at the Royal Courts of Justice. It's a lovely gothic style building, and the inside is just as impressive if you ever get a chance to see inside. I didn't, of course, I stood outside and watched with two new friends; a lovely old lady who had been every year for 20 years and a Chinese accountant who had wanted to come but never quite made it until this year. It was good to have people to talk to. I'm not a stand in silence sort of gal.
And the parade was lovely to watch. there are so many livery companies and worshipful companies and groups and people and army regiments and bands and music, music, music. I danced, I smiled, I laughed. And I was pleased to have made the effort, especially since Christina (who lives in London) got us into the backstage area where the horses are and we got up close and personal with the drum horse, Adamas. By Golly, they are big! And very beautiful.
As a once-in-a-lifetime (probably) experience, I really enjoyed it. Yes, it rained and yes, I walked a long way and had sore feet at the end of it, but I really had fun.
I didn't look to see if it was on TV this year. It always used to be, cutting Swap Shop or Saturday Morning Superstore short, and cutting to endless shots of drizzling weather and crowds who waved flags and shouted (posh Londoners) Huzzah! And the parade of floats and bands and people walking along. I love pageantry and pomp and circumstance, so when I knew it was on the Saturday that I was down there it was a no-brainer.
I set off early enough to grab a Starbucks cup on the way, and to find a spot to watch. You can download the route from the Internet so I looked and decided that as Bob Cratchit to my very own Scrooge I would quite like to stand at the Royal Courts of Justice. It's a lovely gothic style building, and the inside is just as impressive if you ever get a chance to see inside. I didn't, of course, I stood outside and watched with two new friends; a lovely old lady who had been every year for 20 years and a Chinese accountant who had wanted to come but never quite made it until this year. It was good to have people to talk to. I'm not a stand in silence sort of gal.
And the parade was lovely to watch. there are so many livery companies and worshipful companies and groups and people and army regiments and bands and music, music, music. I danced, I smiled, I laughed. And I was pleased to have made the effort, especially since Christina (who lives in London) got us into the backstage area where the horses are and we got up close and personal with the drum horse, Adamas. By Golly, they are big! And very beautiful.
As a once-in-a-lifetime (probably) experience, I really enjoyed it. Yes, it rained and yes, I walked a long way and had sore feet at the end of it, but I really had fun.
How wonderful to have see it all in the flesh after watching it on the TV for so long. A day to remember for sure.
ReplyDeleteLisa x