Westminster: Queens, Jokers & Wicked!

With one final day of sightseeing on the cards, I wanted to check out Westminster! Wanting to 'defy gravity' I chose to snatch a cheap ticket to see Wicked! Where are the most important government decisions made? Here's to one last day of London city goodness! Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament for the win! Queen Elizabeth II! Serving Royalty Highness! I'm the queen!

Another day in London! Let's get this together by going underground to seek somewhere new in the city of dreams. Move over Queen Elizabeth II because your not the only Queen in this land! I made my way through Hyde Park with the summer sun out again, the weather had been faultless apart from a few spots of rain but my Royal day in London served sunshine. I need to get a grip of my sense of direction but like always I had my electronic map in tow so things were just fine. Hyde Park was super busy with tourists, locals and yuppie types having their lunch or just lazing around for the afternoon, its true we go crazy in this country when the sun shines. I finally made it to Buckingham Palace to find a sea of tourists making their best attempts to capture the best photo of Britain's most famous Royal household. I'm British but I'm not that patriotic, sorry not sorry. Now, be forever fierce Queen Elizabeth! 

I had managed to book a ticket to see Wicked! The Musical at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. I thought it would be best to spend sometime in Westminster to maximise my sightseeing time. I have to say that I wasn't shocked that the front of Buckingham Palace was so busy that morning, I thought that Lizzie was at home because the United Kingdom flag was fluttering in the sky? I have expressed numerous times my negativity towards tourists because they are like sheep, aimlessly bumbling from one place to another with no consideration of time. I didn't waste anytime, I took my photos and spent a few moments surveying the surroundings to see that this part of London really has a regal vibe but I won't ever get over the hysteria that foreigners have for the Royal family. I suppose Buckingham Palace draws huge amounts of tourists who spend money, making a quick buck for the UK economy so I'm cool with that. Truth is that we won't have a queen forever, I'll stand in for Liz! I will serve E! 

The city of Westminster has something else to show for itself, the powerhouse of UK politics is argued over within the Houses of Parliament. Behind the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben sit beside the River Thames but I was standing on the other side. It was more like Piccadilly Circus, London's Times Square due to the many yuppie and politics crowds, with a smattering of tourists thrown in for good measure it was just like a maze crossing the road. I'm not sure about the politics of accessing the Houses of Parliament and Commons. London I don't know how you do it to me, you're like a rollercoaster that has taken me to some mad places over the last week or so! The Elizabeth Tower is a focal point for the crazy tourists that descend upon this city in their thousands each day. I liked this London point of interest, unlike the palace real decisions are made! Interesting! 

Time pressed onwards for the curtain call would be happening very soon so I went underground once again to reach the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Before the show I want to look back on my Westminster day because I saw London from a different side. The Houses of Parliament, the building that runs England doesn't always make the correct decisions well the politicians don't but its always good to see people taking part in their own protests. In the eyes of the foreigners that dote on the Royal family from outside of Buckingham Palace it begs the questions, how is London portrayed by the outside world? I have a functioning brain to know that its mad how tourists are captivated by a Clock Tower and the Queen's house, its almost how I reacted when I saw New York City when I fell in love with that U.S city! I for one don't see my country as the be all but I have faith in our historical and cultural monuments to pull in the pounds for our economy. Oh, I could take a tour? W'minster I'll visit one day! 

I wanted to defy gravity at the matinee performance of Wicked! The prequel of the Wizard of Oz told the heart-rendering struggle of a green girl who went by the name of Elphaba. Intertwined her twisted friendship with Glenda who became the good witch. Throughout her schooling she got lucky quickly, her thirst to see the Wizard in Oz became true, her new found luck revealed some home truths. Elpaba's misfortune as a girl was disappearing, her talent for reading spells sent her to new heights. Elphaba was defying gravity, no one could pull her down from her euphoric state. The theatre sat still throughout the theme song for it was truly amazing! The futures of Elphaba and Glenda were unlimited! Honestly, who needs to be popular? We all serve our own kinds of personalities and traits, we are popular in our own different ways. There's no need to be perfect because we're fine! On with the show! Go!

The Wicked witch of the West wasn't always that horrid woman in the Wizard of Oz picture she just wanted to save her sister! Snapshots of the picture featured in the show ever so slightly to tell the story so the main story of Oz fitted perfectly. A blurred Dorothy made an appearance but those evil monkeys were unleashed due to a spell gone wrong so all didn't badly. Need I not mention that the sound shorted out during the second half of the show but with the quick response of the technical the issue was sorted out, leading the show towards the finale! Things happen sometimes, apologises were made and the show went on! I love a good musical so finding a half-price ticket from the West End ticket booth was a winner, I bought my ticket to see Wicked! before I saw The Bodyguard for £18.50! There's nothing better than a show, I have loved the theatre through my childhood, yes I do! At that point I knew that my June London experience had finished. I was off to Brighton the next day! 

A Perpetual Political Palaver!

Joseph Harrison