Covent Garden Lights On

Christmas has come to London and neighborhoods all throughout the city are having their lights on celebrations.  We started the season with Covent Garden's lights on. The streets were certainly decked and the main square had a big, beautiful Christmas tree.  They passed out free cookies as Christmas singers heralded the season.  We ate at Jamie Olivers (really delicious food!) to top off the evening.  

In 1605, a man named Guy Fawkes, along with a handful of co-conspirators, attempted to kill King James I by blowing up a portion of the Westminster Palace (the Parliament building).  The plot was discovered before any harm was done to the king and Fawkes was sentenced to death.  Ever since then, on the 5th of November, the day Fawkes's plot was discovered, England celebrates the escape of the king from this lethal plot.  They have bonfires and fireworks and all sorts of celebrations.  DJ and Michelle went to a Guy Fawkes celebration this Saturday, enjoying carnival like fun and food, followed by a fantastic firework show.

 The Carnival

 Though most of the rides were geared toward children, the ferris wheel is good for all ages!  Here is Michelle, just as we're boarding and ready to lift.

 The carnival from the top of the wheel. I'm sure this view is almost as good as the London eye. At least it was cheaper! 

Here we are at the very top, making our way around as they continue to board

The theme was superheros.  It was a two-fer night - two shows for one.  They had a kids firework display (that was pretty good in itself) and about an hour later, there was another show (the "adult" show) that they coordinated to the soundtrack of different super hero movies.  They had all the ones you would expect - Batman, Spiderman, Superman - plus a few, definitely British superheros - Austin Powers, Dr. Who, and, my personal favorite, the Pink Panther.  Finally Inspector Clouseau is getting the recognition he deserves! 

This is the famous poem British children learn in school commemorating Guy Fawkes day:

The Fifth of November

    Remember, remember!
    The fifth of November,
    The Gunpowder treason and plot;
    I know of no reason
    Why the Gunpowder treason
    Should ever be forgot!
    Guy Fawkes and his companions
    Did the scheme contrive,
    To blow the King and Parliament
    All up alive.
    Threescore barrels, laid below,
    To prove old England's overthrow.
    But, by God's providence, him they catch,
    With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
    A stick and a stake
    For King James's sake!
    If you won't give me one,
    I'll take two,
    The better for me,
    And the worse for you.
    A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,
    A penn'orth of cheese to choke him,
    A pint of beer to wash it down,
    And a jolly good fire to burn him.
    Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!
    Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
    Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

Christmas has come to London!  Without Thanksgiving to get in the way of yule celebrations, we can begin celebrating here all through the month of November!  Harrods kicked of the season with their annual Christmas parade.  Honestly, they could use a less from the US on how to really throw a good parade.  The whole parade lasted about 10 minutes and went less than half a mile.  But it did have Santa, real reindeer, and fake snow - so we were pleased enough!

 Ninja turtles

 Wallace and Gromet 

 Rug Rats

 Sponge Bob

 Dancers

 Santa

 ...and the real Reindeer.  And that pretty much wraps up the parade!

All decked out!  

 Christmas window displays...high fashion!

 Still getting used to my prego reflection.  I wonder if there is someone on the other side of this tinted window? 

The band, kicking it all off at the start

Abbey Road

On Wednesday (October 30th) DJ visited the famous Abbey Road, the location of the Beatles recording studio and the iconic Abby Road picture.

The Studio where they recorded their albums

And the famous cross walk...looks just the same today as it did then, right?

Parliament

On Saturday we visited Parliament and learned all about the British government with it's house of commons, house of Lords, and monarchy.  We couldn't take any pictures inside except in the first main hall.  

 Outside Parliament

 Queen Victoria tower.  On the other side of Parliament is Queen Elizabeth tower, where Big Ben (the bell) is.

 Oliver Cromwell, member of Parliament, opposer of King Charles I, and head of the Commonwealth of England, the brief period of time after the British civil war when Britain did not have a monarchy.

 This is the oldest part of the building, built in the 11th century at the order of Edward the Confessor.  The roof and beams (show in pictures below) date back to the 13th century.  The rest of the building was destroyed and rebuilt several times - first by fire in 1512, then again by fire in 1834, and finally by bomb in 1941, during the second world war.

 These ceiling beams date back to the 13th century

WB Harry Potter Studios Museum

Friday we went to the Warner Brothers studios Harry Potter museum.  They have the sets, costumes, renderings, models, and all other sorts of treasures used in the making of the Harry Potter films.  

 He's so photogenic, I think DJ should be the face of all our travels.  Look how excited he is!  We're going to see Harry Potter!!! :)

 And here we are...

 Halloween feast at the Hogwarts dining hall

 The professors all stand at the front of the dining hall to greet the students 

 Griffindor common room 

 Dumbledor's office

Potion's Class

 

 This is what the actors would have really been riding during a flying broomstick scene.  The screens behind describe the special effects used to make it look as though they really are racing through the air

 The ministry of magic

 Grave of Tom Riddle's father

  

Diagon Alley

Inside Olivander's 

Hagrid's head - this was used for the long shots where they needed to show the size difference between Hagrid and the other actors.  This head is remote control - pretty cool

Goblin masks

Renderings and models

  Tabletop model of Hogwarts

Room size model of Hogwarts

  Butterbeer - yummy!  Kind of like cream soda with a frothy, creamy foam.  We're a fan!  

 Remote control animatronics - Voldemort and and enchanted herbology plant.

The Weasley brother's shop on Diagon Alley