The City

Well somehow we have come to our last day, and this will be the first day we are actually in the city of London. The City of London proper is only a square mile; all of the rest of the Metropolitan area are boroughs that are mashed together to make up the massive urban complex of Greater London. The City of London is practically a ghost town on Saturdays as the City is primarily comprised of banks and financial centers. In fact, the joke around town is that no one actually lives in the City of London. The empty streets this morning showed the kernel of truth behind the joke. All of the restaurants, shops, etc. were closed in the morning, and many of them won’t even open today.

Nonetheless the City is home to two of London’s (if not the entire world’s) most famous iconic buildings: St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London. The students spent the day exploring these landmarks, and the visits were a wonderful way to finish up our trip.

Rather than go into detail about St. Paul’s and the Tower, I’ll let your little angels fill you in tomorrow. We are heading into Covent Garden for our farewell dinner. We will most likely go back to the hotel as the weather hasn’t turned a little, and it would not be pleasant to have a walking tour. This is all for the best as we have a 5:00am wake-up call to get to the airport on time. Below please find the last batch of pictures. Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

Shakespeare Part II

The South Bank in London has always gotten a bad rap. In Shakespeare’s days, it was the part of the city where the local government relegated the least savory aspects of society. As the theatre arts were considered immoral and impure, the theatre buildings were exiled to the South Bank and its encircling borough of Southwark. Despite its exile, the allure of a Shakespeare (or Marlowe or Jonson, for that matter) performance at the Globe Theatre was so great that the denizens of the City of London came across London Bridge in droves. The South Bank was the entertainment capital of the Elizabethan city of London.

The South Bank remained the undesirable section of London through World War II. In fact, it was bombed to ruin at that time. Once again, the theatre arts revitalized the area and served as the cornerstone of the massive development that continues even today. After the war, the National Theatre built their flagship complex on the South Bank, and it remains today (despite its Brutalist facade) one of the most important buildings south of the city. The South Bank development continued when a young American actor/director came to London and could not believe that the only remnant of Shakespeare’s Globe was a plaque somewhat near the original location of the theatre. Sam Wanamaker made it his life’s work to recreate the theatre using the original building materials and techniques. In fact, it was the first wooden structure built in London since the Great Fire of 1666. Sadly, Wanamaker did not live to see its completion, but the Globe Theatre stands today as an example of the enduring power of theatre and the arts in general. Today the students had a personalized tour and text/acting workshop and had an absolutely wonderful time.

The day started with Hannah leading us on a tube journey to the South Bank where Liz gave us a great tour of the area, eventually landing us at Borough Market. There has been a market on this location since the 1200s, and Shakespeare himself probably ate here often as he worked right next door. The students were taken aback by the fact that in a way, they were sharing lunch with Shakespeare. After lunch, we had our tour of the theatre and workshop with Mark, a Scottish actor who has performed all over the world, including Shakespeare’s Globe. Mark led the students on a clever exploration of Act III, scene v of Romeo and Juliet. The students did me proud as they displayed a great grasp of the material and impressed Mark with their energy and knowledge.

After the workshop, the students toured the exhibition attached to the theatre, and we got a bonus workshop on Elizabethan costuming. Two of the Globe costumers were holding court in the exhibition hall and brought Michelle and Brian up to show how costuming high and low born ladies would work in Shakespeare’s time. It was quite a special bonus.

After our remarkable time at the Globe, we walked up through the City and spent some time at the Museum of London, a beautifully designed walk back through the 2000 year history of the city. We are know enjoying a short stint of free time before dinner and our performance of The Woman in Black. It has been another full and fulfilling day. The student keep asking thoughtful questions and learning so much from everything we are doing. We could not be more proud of them.

We have got another busy day tomorrow with visits to St. Paul’s and the Tower of London. We will continue to post when we can. Thanks for reading!!!

Yer a wizard, Harry...

In days of yore, I taught drama at a creative arts summer camp. The camp was a five-week intensive that produces three mainstage productions in addition to almost one hundred other arts courses in a variety of media. The student earned a comprehensive arts education and worked tirelessly in studios and onstage. However about twenty years ago, our progress at camp ground to a halt to the point where we were concerned about our ability to mount our productions. It was not for lack of interest or creative snafus. We couldn’t get anything done at camp because the students wanted to do something else with their time: read Harry Potter.

Rowling released her books every summer, and the mania was contagious. Kids formed impromptu book groups; they would stop work on their arts projects and debate Harry’s latest questionable life choices (he grew to be quite unlikable in later books). As artists, we were frustrated with our lack of progress, but as educators, we found it hard to ask the kids to stop reading because we had work to do. Whatever criticism that the cynical and joyless have levied on Rowling’s literary worthiness, it cannot be denied that her work has touched millions of young people and made reading cool again. It was evident today in the countless British schoolchildren in their Hermione robes, brandishing their wands and cuddling their Crookshanks; it was also evident in the boundless joy and excitement our Brimmer students had today exploring the movie sets and displays of props and costumes at the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studios Tour. 

Warner Brothers has crafted a wonderful exhibit honoring both the work of Rowling and the incalculable number of film artists who created the movies and the magic of moviemaking in general. Students got up close and personal with actual set pieces and props, engaging with slick interactive displays showing how stories translate to a visual medium. 

And this was all after a nice visit to the British Museum this morning. Displaying their trademark Brimmer curiosity, the students made an immediate beeline to the Rosetta Stone and wandering through the panoply of artifacts from the far reaches of the globe. Many students enjoyed the Egyptian exhibits, and the Brimmer “lifers” fondly remembered their 3rd grade Egypt projects. Throughout the morning, we talked about the ethical quandary that such a museum presents to visitors. While the students appreciated the historical significance of the artifacts, they were also appropriately critical of the policies that would empower Britain to feel like this items belonged to the Empire. 

In all it has been a remarkably full day. We are on our way to dinner and then back to our hotel. Tomorrow is another busy day. We will visit the South Bank, have our workshop at the Globe, see the Museum of London, and attend a performance of The Woman in Black. So much to do... we could certainly use Hermione’s Time Turner.

No time to wax philosophical...

Today is quite the busy day. I am currently writing this post from a park bench in Leicester Square as the students enjoy a little bit of free time before dinner and tonight’s performance of School of Rock.

It is easy to forget that, in addition to the history, culture, and overall vibrancy of London as a city, it is a functional national capital and one of the primary residences of a world famous  family. Today the students learned a little bit of the royal history of London. The day started with a walk through St.  James’s Park towards Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. On the way, the students were treated to a little extra pomp and circumstance as there was a ceremony honoring a member of the Indian Navy at the Royal Horseguards. These are celebrations that just do not exist in American culture, and the students were awed with the reverence and pride with which the events were carried.

We then headed over to Westminster Abbey where Liz gave a thoroughly comprehensive tour of the millennium of British history that the structure represents. The students asked wonderful questions and were more often than not able to answer questions that Liz posed to the group. Liz’s Blue Badge training shone through, and she nimbly blended humor into the tour. It was a wonderful morning.

After visiting the abbey, we walked to Victoria Station and the numerous eateries and shops in that area. Following lunch, we headed to the Royal Mews for an afternoon tour. I had never been to the Mews before, and it was a pretty cool experience. The building holds all the Queen’s official ground transports: limos and coaches. The Mews are also the primary stables for the Queen’s horses. The students had a self-guided audio tour and had the opportunity to try on some of the livery of the stable workers and chauffeurs.

While in Leicester Square, we tried to book another show for Saturday night, but the only show in our price range is Wicked. The students wanted instead to look into a haunted London or Jack the Ripper tour. We will try again for half-price tickets when we get closer to Saturday, but for now we are looking into a walking tour as a consensus alternative.

I am finishing writing the blog as the students are finishing their traditional British dinner of fish and chips and Eton mess for dessert.

Tomorrow is the big day: our Harry Potter Studios tour. I will do my best to post during the day as we again will get back to the hotel pretty late

Thanks again for reading!

Liz

M

One of the Queen’s horses, but none of her men... #dadjoke...

Forget the prom limo...

No caption needed, obviously

Lily looking Ab Fab...

Britain’s Favorite Son

A couple of years ago on another trip to London, our guide made the rather dry observation that the true British experience is sitting on one’s Swedish furniture while eating Indian take-away and watching Friends. The obvious subtext being that, at its core, British culture is a borrowed culture (much like American culture, at that). This isn’t necessarily new... the Romans were notorious for stealing the ideas from other cultures (primarily the Greeks) and passing them off as their own. Britain wrestles with this idea even today. One of the primary “reasons” that the Brexiteers argued for their ill-fated plan was that Britain was in danger of losing its identity because of the diverse marketplace of ideas, traditions, cuisines, etc. that other cultures bring to Great Britain. The underlying xenophobia was conveniently masked by the inauthentic imperative to “protect” British heritage. (At the risk of sounding too political, we will avoid comparisons to a recent American election cycle). 

Thankfully we experienced today a more positive and productive method with which Britain has chosen to honor one of the most vital and obvious aspects of its culture... an aspect of British culture that has touched the souls of countless humans for centuries all around the world.  The Shakespeare Trust was established in the late 18th/ early 19th century in order to ensure that the work and history of William Shakespeare would be studied and honored for generations to come. Our trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon today gave the students their first connection to the work of the Trust and Britain’s efforts to keep the Bard alive. 

We started the day with our first tube ride. Liz assigned Simon to lead the group on our two-train trip from Tottenham Court Road to Marylebone where we boarded our National Rail train to Stratford. Simon ably guided us through the numerous tunnels, escalators, and platforms as if he were a native Londoner. Once in Stratford, Liz led us on an informative (if not soggy) trip around Shakespeare’s hometown. We saw his school, two of the homes he lived in, his daughter’s adult home, and ultimately his grave at Holy Trinity Church. At the church, the students asked wonderful questions and started a lively discussion about his life and works right in front of his tomb. Liz then led us up along the Avon River to the National Shakespeare Theatre and into town where we had an interactive tour at Shakespeare’s Birthplace. 

After the tour, we broke for free time, and the students immediately went to one of Stratford’s other claims to fame (and another wonderful aspect of British culture): afternoon tea. The town is peppered with adorable tea rooms in authentic Tudor buildings, including some structures that still have thatch roofs. Once they were done with tea, the students had some time for shopping before heading back to the National Shakespeare Theatre for dinner at Susie’s Cafe. 

In all, despite a walking rain, it was a wonderful day in a small, traditional British market town. We will spend the day tomorrow exploring Royal London with trips to Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Royal Mews. We finish the day tomorrow with our first show, School of Rock. It will be a late night after the show, so I will try to post shorter updates during the day. 

Dinner at Susie’s

At the Shakespeare statue outside of National Shakespeare Theatre

On the tube

On the tube— part 2

At Holy Trinity Church

Will sleep well...

Students at the Albert Memorial

At Covent Garden

The rest of the day was terrific. Usually I get a little more creative with these things, but I think I've been awake since Sunday at 8:00 which is really Sunday at 7:00am but is actually 1:00pm UK time...

So, it's a little tricky to keep track of things right now.

After clearing security at Heathrow, we met our Tour Director, Liz. Liz is a Blue Badge guide who has lived all over the UK, spent some time in Mexico, the American South, et al. Long story short, Liz is a talented, experienced guide who led us all on a great orientation tour of the city.

Carousel Tours requested early check-in at the hotel, so we were able to refresh ourselves after a morning tour. Liz then walked us to Covent Garden where the students got their first taste (literal and metaphorical) of free time in London. We then made our way to Trafalgar Square to visit the National Gallery, eventually winding our way back to the hotel via Chinatown and Soho Square.

All of the little places we visited only whetted the students' appetites to explore the city, and they will have plenty of opportunity later this week!

We all need a good night's sleep to recharge for our full day in Stratford tomorrow.

Have a great night!