dieastra | London 2013: Street performances

This entry is especially for

alumfelga who asked to see these ;)

In March 2013 I did another UK trip because of that JB guy. This time we went to Greenhithe / Bluewater which is a huge shopping center, I believe the biggest in whole UK. We went to a booksigning of John and his sister Carole there, and I took the opportunity to give her the action figure I had made of her Otherwise a booksigning is not really recommended for meeting your star, you stand in line for hours and then it is just a brief chat of one minute or so.

But of course my friend and I did some more nice sightseeing in London. This was one of the most relaxed London trips I've ever had. We had no certain plans other than going to see the musical "Billy Elliot" in the evening, we just looked if we found something interesting. At first we went to Trafalgar Square to go to the National Gallery, and afterwards to Covent Garden, where we saw two (already a bit elderly) men performing on high wheels and juggling and the like, but it was a real great and funny show with their comments, we laughed a lot and they deserved the money they collected afterwards.

I was just enjoying the show and not thinking of taking any pictures or even videos there, but before we went into the National Gallery we also watched some street performances. There was one man who would not talk at all, he just took willing people and nudged their arms and feet and general body into a certain direction, until they stood in a very weird way, and then the man would insert himself into the pose, and suddenly it made sense, and someone else would do a picture of it. Like a frozen action scene from James Bond for example.

But I also really liked the guy who had drawn flags from many countries with chalk, and the tourists from those countries then threw money onto "their" flag. It was really interesting to see from how many different countries the tourists in London where that day! Here are some pictures (as usual, behind the cut)

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Very interesting!
Yes, I remember my own similar experiences both from London and Edinburgh and I have photos - however I didn´t have a digital camera then and so most of my photos are in traditional albums:-) and I love them dearly.
I dream of visitng Britain this year but I have never been able to travel onmy own, just with a travel agency. But I always found a chance to create my own program here and there - and always in London - and always the National Gallery or Portrait Gallery or the British Museum or old Tate to see Turner...apart from many other places:-)

Cool!

I love the idea with flags! I googled and it seems it happened at least several times, maybe it's a regular thing, in the summer, when the weather is nice. I'll surely be looking for it if I'm there. Tourists from the entire world :)

There was one man who would not talk at all, he just took willing people and nudged their arms and feet and general body into a certain direction, until they stood in a very weird way, and then the man would insert himself into the pose, and suddenly it made sense, and someone else would do a picture of it.
It sounds really interesting. And different from anything I've seen being performed on streets.

Thanks for making this post :D

Oh, interesting! I never thought to google it. Glad to hear it is there more often for others to see. I really was surprised how many flags had money on them, which meant that on this particular day at least one person from that country must have been in London. In March!

It sounds really interesting. And different from anything I've seen being performed on streets.

Exactly! It was unique and fun.

Thanks for making this post :D

You're welcome! I travelled so much in the past years, I never found time to share all my pictures. Be prepared to see more.

I really was surprised how many flags had money on them, which meant that on this particular day at least one person from that country must have been in London.
If every person has left exactly one coin, one could see how many people from each country has got there on a particular day, but I suppose some people left more than just one.

Be prepared to see more.
As Harry Potter fandom says, "always" :)

It was such a wonderful day. We just walked around, and looked if something would happen. It was great not being on a schedule.

In 1994 I went to California with a friend. These are also "real" photos. I only recently found them again, 25 years later, and thought it was about time to make an album. I love making albums with real photos, I add so much more in them, also entry tickets and postcards and coins and everything. I love doing it with my hands, but I also do albums now with my digital pictures and let them print.

Travelling by yourself is really not that difficult. Not with the internet. You can just go to the internet page of the airline and book a flight. You can also just book a hotel yourself. There are several Travelodges all around London, they are cheaper than other more expensive hotels. The page shows a map so you can look where it is. Last time we stayed at the Travellodge that is near King's Cross station. From there you can go everywhere as there are many tube lines.

Going around London with the tube is easy as well, once you have understood the system. With all the different colors it is explained very well. Of course, travelling with a friend is always nicer, to have someone to talk to and not being alone. But one day I plan to go to London all of my own, and then I can visit museums and such and don't need to wait for others, but can just do what I enjoy.

Thank you very much for your kind encouraging.:-)
Like you, I also love making traditionals albums, exactly like you say!
In London, I am mostly a keen walker, exploring certain areas.. Well, I have travelled by the Tube several times but this also includes some unpleasant experiences with wild "rush hours" and crowds of people.
And I always stayed with families in London suburbs - highly interesting and sometimes hilarious stories from these, believe me!:-)

Oh yes, the crowds in London can be quite overwhelming. We have left trains go and wait for the next one if it was too much. Luckily they come every few minutes so you never have to wait long.

One time we had to walk from Baker Street a few stations, as one of the lines was closed. Immediately there were huge groups of people on the platform, and they soon started to close the entrance, so nobody would go down anymore, as it was not safe. They really manage it all well. Without the tube, they would be lost in such a big city.

That sounds nice, staying with families! Was this organized by the travel agency? It surely gives you a different view onto life in the UK. I like that.

Staying with families was actually a kind of an insight in "real" life in Britain. That´s why I always tried to find such a trip. Yes, these travel agencies cooperate with certified groups of families almost in every town. There is a coordinator who distributes the tourists, of course they see to the needs and wishes of the clients.Or at least they try.
But it is also always a big adventure because you never know what kind of people you are staying with - and sometimes it is a surprise, especially for those who experience this for the first time of those you expect luxury.
I managed to stay with lots of people in England, Scotland and Wales and I always was lucky to meet nice people and only once the family were indifferent and took us tourist like a difficult insects (but still provided what they were supposed to).

London 2013: Street performances

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