Day 15. London

We opened the curtains to a grey and miserable London morning. It did not look inviting at all with rain pelting against the window! It was tempting to have a day in with the BBC property shows, however there was no way that was going to happen as this was our only full day here. So off we set! The leaves were everywhere in green Park and the colours so vibrant... Cosby and Macy would have loved it! It would have been nice to pick up a bundle and throw them in the air, but they were wet and a little muddy, so Cory would have probably not been happy if I had thrown a pile at him for a giggle.

Green park

Buckingham palace

As we passed Buckingham Palace, we noticed a lot of activity at the gates with people coming all dressed up! They had special invitations to some kind of event and looked like they were on their way to the races! Lucky them to be having morning tea with the Queen!

Pete and Craig - optimistic sitting outside.

Gregg's sausage roll

We headed to Victoria to meet up with Pete and Craig! This morning, we had decided to do a river cruise from Greenwich through to the city of London. We arrived in Greenwich and Pete suggested a sausage roll from a shop called Greggs! It was delicious and the perfect rainy morning tea treat while on the hop! While in Greenwich, we found out that this place has been used as the line between eastern and western hemispheres, and since 1833, Greenwich mean time (GMT), Greenwich has provided a public time signal recognised throughout the world.

The Cutty Sark

We boarded our river cruiser, the Millennium magic, and headed up the Thames for London. The sun was daring itself to peak out, but the drizzle won the day and we had a downpour, meaning we had to sit inside. Nevertheless, it was a great way to see a lot of London and a different way to see it than on land!

Tower bridge

Big Ben

Were the police after Pete?

The river boat dropped us at Embankment. There was a huge protest on from students about uni fees. It was quite dramatic with police horses, riot police, and helicopters. There were thousands of protesters, and the police were taking very seriously. We did not hang around for long.

We showed Cory number 10 Downing St, home of the British PM and got a quick politics refresher on who is what in British political parties etc. We passed the horse guards and they all looked very smart. Despite a plea, Cory would not allow any photos with them as it was a little too silly, but he did give permission for a bit of phone box fun!

The rain kept up, but it wasnt going to get us down as we headed for Trafalgar Square.

London double decker!

Savouring the light

Sunset over Admiral arches/Pall Mall

Tonight we were in for a bit of a treat, as Pete and Craig had organised a special surprise for our visit! We were off to the theatre to see Shrek! Before we went, we had delicious burgers and British pints! This was the most perfect dinner after a long day of wandering around in the rain! We felt recharged! Thanks boys!!! 

We didn't even know there was a SHREK show, so were very excited about seeing the musical on stage! Pete expressed a concern that the theatre it was on at, the theatre Royale at Drury Lane, was known for tight seating. This theatre is the oldest in London and still has a lot of its original charms. When we arrived and took our seats, we discovered they were quite tight, and hoped that there would not be anyone sitting next to us so we could spread out a bit. As the theatre really started to fill up, Cory decided to go and ask the usher if they knew if there were any spare seats so we might be able to spread out a bit. He must have put on a huge amount of charm because the usher told him we could sit a few rows back as there was likely nobody in those seats. 


We all moved and were wrapped to have some extra breathing space, despitebeing further back! The ushers were looking over at us and chatting very busily. They were using walk talkies and we thought they might be going to move us back when one of them came over and said that if we would like, as a special treat, we could move into one of the private royal boxes just to the side of the stage as it was not going to be used. 

We all had to pinch ourselves. We had no idea why such good fortune had come our way, however we all thought there was a glint in the young male usher's eye when he spoke to Cory, but we didnt mind a bit - Thank you Cory for your winning smile and using it at the right time!. The seats were amazing, and the show was fabulous. Kids and adults alike would love it, as we certainly did. It was a great tale, which brought a whole lot of fairy tales together and we very much enjoyed it. If this show is ever on in Australia, I can't wait to take Charlotte, Harry and you too Will!!! (We miss you guys)

After the show, we had one last look at the xmas decorations around Piccadily and Regent's St, before bidding a fond farewell to our London friends. We had a wonderful couple of days in london, and felt very privileged to have been shown the town by the lads - and spoiled rotten in the process! Thanks again fellas and good night London!!!