London--Lord Mayor's Show Nov. 13
Nov 3rd, 2004, 10:33 AM
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London--Lord Mayor's Show Nov. 13
The Lord Mayor's Show will be on in London on Saturday, Nov. 13 — when I will be there! Does anyone have any experience with this event? Is it worth braving the crowds and standing around for a couple of hours? What exactly do you see?
http://www.lordmayorsshow.org/
http://www.lordmayorsshow.org/
Nov 3rd, 2004, 10:52 AM
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well, obviously being a useless local I've never managed to drag my sorry ass out of bed in time to make it there, but I've seen it on telly many times.
If you're in the area then I'm sure it's worth a look - it's essentially a big parade, with lots of floats, bands and dancing (all pretty amateur), but you also get to see the only bit of glitzy pageantry that doesn't involve Royalty - the Lord Mayor and his entourage get dressed up in all manner of medieval nonsense and parade around in a big gold coach.
If you're in the area then I'm sure it's worth a look - it's essentially a big parade, with lots of floats, bands and dancing (all pretty amateur), but you also get to see the only bit of glitzy pageantry that doesn't involve Royalty - the Lord Mayor and his entourage get dressed up in all manner of medieval nonsense and parade around in a big gold coach.
Nov 3rd, 2004, 11:15 AM
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I'd say don't bother.
It's the kind of thing you feel morally obliged to take your nephews and nieces to - and then discover they were as bored as you were.
For: 1. The Lord Mayor's coach. Stunning, and probably beats even the Queen's Coronation coach. But you can see it in the Museum of London the rest of the year. His medieval flunkies are good too.
2. (If it's on this year) the firework display on the Thames as it's getting dark. But that's hours after the Show finishes.
Against: 1. Most of the rest of the parade. 90$ of it is commercial floats without bizaz: last time I went, mostly obscure megacorps with floats like "GKN: Spirit of Pallet Management" A very tenth-rate version of Macy's Parade, full of people on floats (and even in the Lord Mayor's coach) acknowledging with forced smiles cheers that the crowd absolutely isn't making.
2. Finding anywhere to park.
If someone on this thread can suggest a way of just seeing the ancient bit, great. But my experience is that the crowd management forces you to hang around in grisly weather (it always is) watching an awful lot of junk for about 3 minutes' good stuff.
It's the kind of thing you feel morally obliged to take your nephews and nieces to - and then discover they were as bored as you were.
For: 1. The Lord Mayor's coach. Stunning, and probably beats even the Queen's Coronation coach. But you can see it in the Museum of London the rest of the year. His medieval flunkies are good too.
2. (If it's on this year) the firework display on the Thames as it's getting dark. But that's hours after the Show finishes.
Against: 1. Most of the rest of the parade. 90$ of it is commercial floats without bizaz: last time I went, mostly obscure megacorps with floats like "GKN: Spirit of Pallet Management" A very tenth-rate version of Macy's Parade, full of people on floats (and even in the Lord Mayor's coach) acknowledging with forced smiles cheers that the crowd absolutely isn't making.
2. Finding anywhere to park.
If someone on this thread can suggest a way of just seeing the ancient bit, great. But my experience is that the crowd management forces you to hang around in grisly weather (it always is) watching an awful lot of junk for about 3 minutes' good stuff.
Nov 4th, 2004, 04:47 AM
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I agree. You might just as well watch it on TV with a cup of coffee, if there's nothing else to do. I get the impression that in America people seem to get into the spirit of celebratory parades of this kind, but in Britain, as one TV comic put it, '"What do we get - twelve Girl Guides on bicycles', and everyone looks slightly embarrassed.
The fireworks are well worth watching - but they only last for 10-15 minutes, so you need to be in position sharp at 5pm.
Or you can see some of my photos of past fireworks:
http://www.pjw74og.u-net.com/london2.htm
The fireworks are well worth watching - but they only last for 10-15 minutes, so you need to be in position sharp at 5pm.
Or you can see some of my photos of past fireworks:
http://www.pjw74og.u-net.com/london2.htm
