Gay Pride, Plays, and Shopping

 Reader,

I’m writing this from Heathrow, waiting on the plane to Dublin.  Our last day in London was a trip.

The plan was to go down to Picadilly and walk through some shoe shops.  At least I thought that was the goal. 

When we got to Picadilly circus, there were lots of people with rainbow gear.  We were finally told that the London gay Pride parade was at noon.  Little did we know what that meant. 

There were a MILLION, literally, people there!!!

We putzed through shops, Butch buying a polo, then we strolled into Fortnum and Masons for a Gnosh.  Karen had seen sparkling tea downstairs and they had it on the menu.  She had it. 

In the street below, Picadilly St, the parade began, starting with Dikes on Bikes, then Dikes on Trikes.  I got one decent photo from that vantage point.

Then the fun began.  The goal was the National Gallery, which is usually an easy walk across Picadilly, Leicester Square and southeast out of Leicester Square to the gallery.  Couldn’t get across the street to do that.  

Eventually we found a crosswalk and after two attempts, got through.  The first attempt we all swarmed the barrier and the head of security pushed the fence in to stop us before we filled the street.  The guy behind me yelled at him, worried about people crushed into his baby carriage.  There was some shouting back and forth.  Good times.

But we made it to the gallery and roamed through.  Butch wanted to see the Impressionists, which are, of course, at the end of the route.

Then back out into the crowd.  Did I mention a million people?  I tried to get a picture of the crowd.

We went across the Golden Jubilee foot bridge, where Karen took this picture. My phone was dead by now. Long day. 

We had dinner in a pub near the theatre, with the ham and chicken here. 
  

Then to the National to see a play.  This was the only thing on there, though I concede that the premise, a remake of Sheridan’s The Rivals, looked worth seeing.  It was the first night of previews.  It was a full house. 

WARNING short play review. Typically, the Nat turned the play into an extravaganza of sets. Including a dance club scene. Not in Sheridan. 😁 they turned the late 18th c into WW2 Britain, acc to the notes to commemorate 80 years since the Blitz. 

Mrs malaprop was funny, ending with a classic about the anals of history, and there were some fun bits, like the dance scene. But the airplane stuff was distracting, both intermission and the end had film of dogfights. With two apparent deaths. Not exactly the stuff of comedy.  And the main couple, Jack and Lydia, don’t get together at the end. 

But we had fun and Butch and Peggy saw a play at one of the standard venues in London. 

And that’s it for London. 

Next blog from somewhere in Ireland.