Thousands of confused, bewildered tourists. Each clad in shorts, over sized rucksacks and bumbags; they stared uncomprehendingly at their tube maps as they negotiated the never ending wheel of bafflement that is the Circle Line.
It's easy to be negative. The media makes it very easy; all you have to do is sit, watch, listen and within days - minutes! - become tired of the extensive wall-to-wall coverage, the cacophony of ironic, funny and negative Royal Wedding activity on Twitter, the inane and slightly crazed ramblings of people on radio who just couldn't give a shit about this stupid bloody URGH, or the thousands of extra people blocking your way onto the tube platform each morning.
It's easy to be bombarded by all that and think "How awful". But how many people whinging about this Royal shindig have actually walked through where it's all happening? You know, squished their way down Regent Street the night before and looked up at row upon row of Union Jacks adorning the whole length of it. Wondered down onto the Mall where people from every country around the world have pitched up a tent, decorated their own little bit of barrier, donned a funny hat and turned one of London's stuffiest areas into somewhere with an air of a festival?
This evening I took time out from the media analysis and walked around London.
It was exciting. Something was happening. There was palatable anticipation from Piccadilly to Pall Mall. David Cameron walked into Clarence House amid a flurry of flash bulbs. Cars drove down the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace, windows open, tooting horns and receiving cheers and waves from the happy campers lining the street.
The only complaint I heard all evening was from a girl who had banged her knee on a railing.
Tomorrow the whole country gets a day off work. There will be parties in the street; a day of barbeques and drinking and getting together if you want it. You can enjoy that for what it is, or sit in, watch a screen and whinge about how awful it all is. If none of those options is your bag, you could just ignore it completely.
As for me? It's not about a wedding. It's about one of those weeks when London and the UK, maybe the world, goes a bit bonkers.
Just embrace it. Have fun. You never know, you might just enjoy yourself.
You know, like all those people on the telly.
5 comments:
This should be circulated far and wide. Hits the nail absolutely on the head. Well said that panda. x
Lovely post. :)
I reserve the right to whinge. And I'm never wholly comfortable with overt displays of nationalism as, while I'm *proud* to be British, I'm also aware of how dumb that is. I had no say in where I was born, and said place of my birth is by extension no better or worse than anywhere else (except France).
I'm also acutely aware that a large proportion of people who are genuinely proud of their countries and wave the flag and scream about it are gernerally dumb.
Having said that, yes, you're right; up early tomorrow, train into town, and the odd scotch should suffice.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
You are right. It's easy to by cynical (because who really cares ???) but it is fun.
Blonde - *bows*
Breeza - Thank you.
fwenge - Stop fucking whinging. Go and get drunk.
Ellie - If only that attitude prevailed across the country as a whole!
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