My brother texted me the week we arrived in London and asked what we’d been up to?
“London’s the place to see shows,” he responded when I told him.
It is. No advance bookings needed, just a wander into the West End and a quick stop at any number of theaters to ask if there were tickets available?
Choosing seats and putting the good old debit card to work and we were in!
We satisfied our live show craving with,
Aladdin, an Am-Dram performed by the theatre we used to work at in Beckenham, absolutely silly as all good pantomimes should be!
Come from Away,
about the diversion of planes flying into America from Europe on September 11th 2001, to Gander, Newfoundland for 5 days. Twelve actors playing 84 parts, an absolute marvel in staging and choreography.
& Juliet,
a raucous romp exploring the question, what if Juliet hadn’t killed herself in response to Romeo’s death?…
Waitress,
a love story with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, funny and sad.
The only downside was our tickets were upgraded from the balcony to the stalls which put us behind a couple thrilled with each other’s company, drinking wine and causing obstructed view of the stage for anyone behind them… Hubs switched seats with me at intermission!
and Dear Evan Hansen,
where we scored box seats side stage, we couldn’t have been any closer without actually being on stage! A show neither of us were gung-ho to see and which turned out to be so good we’d see it again.
We satisfied our cultural cravings with frequent visits to art galleries on particularly rainy days,
dawdled through the Tate and The Portrait stopping and staring at the masterpieces on show from Gauguin to Matisse, Titian to Nicolaes Maes and other exhibits to keep us coming back for more.
stopped in at the British Museum where the Rosetta Stone never fails to draw crowds and the amazing hieroglyphs and wall paintings still look as fresh as the day they were created,
strolled around Trafalgar Square,
remembered the teeming pigeons, many years ago, that gathered solely for the delight of our children!!
Crossed the Millennial Bridge a few times on the way from Embankment to the South Bank where the Royal Festival Hall tingled with plays and opera,
took pictures of my beloved city’s skyline, from St. Paul’s to The Shard,
ventured off the train and into Brixton to inhale the colorful street-life,
and were chastised by Daughts for being in the most dangerous place in London!
“Get back on the train!” she texted!
Viewed central London traffic from the top of a double-decker,
braved the pelting rain and wind to see Big Ben enshrouded for renovation
watched a fox in broad daylight crossing the road where we lived in our air bnb for a month,
enjoyed Covent Garden with all the street buskers and pretty shops,
and augmented our daily steps with walks through the ancient forest of Beckenham Place Park, that provided a calm after the hustle and bustle of the city,
for both the local and Londoner on vacation!
It’s taking me a long time to get back to this American Life…
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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