Potterheads

Potterheads had taken over Trafalgar Square last night in preparation for the world premiere of the last Harry Potter movie this evening. I do not envy them that night's sleep.

Souvenirs

The tennis is over, but you can still buy souvenirs.

P.S. Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! Wimbledon and Fourth of July always go hand-in-hand in my mind.

Final!

 

Gentlemen's singles finals at Wimbledon today. I'm rooting for Nadal.

Nadal def. Murray

Made it in to Wimbledon last night. Watched Murray lose from this spot on Murray Mount. Ate strawberries and cream and drank Pimm's. A lovely Friday night.

real democracy

Protesters at Trafalgar Square. Perhaps the most generic protest of I've seen. Who doesn't support democracy?

brand spanking new Banksy

Can't claim credit for this picture, but I didn't have my camera with me when my bus passed this brand new Banksy piece this morning.

It's a mere ten minute walk from my house and I first noticed it on my commute at around 10 AM. By the time I was walking home at 4, it had been featured on a number of London blogs (including Londonist, where I got this image) and there was a small group of onlookers and photographers gathered around it and taking pictures. Very interesting to see the progression of the piece from unknown to a major tourist draw in a mere six hours.

Click the location link below to see exactly where it is.

Man U v. Barca

It's the big UEFA Champions League final today. Man U v. Barcelona. And they'll be squaring off here, at Wembley Stadium. Tickets are going for thousands of pounds. I might watch it. Might not.

confetti in Hyde Park

We went to Hyde Park for the Royal Wedding. Couldn't stomach the crowds on the Mall. This is the moment when the happy married couple left Westminster and they shot confetti into the air. Quite atmospheric.

champagne and police

The festivities began early yesterday with a 6 AM wake-up call and 8 AM mimosas. These rather appropriate balloons were for sale at an "Official Merchandise" stall in St. James's Park. The gold-crested gates lead towards Buckingham Palace and the Mall.

I particularly liked the police all dressed up in their Sunday best, white gloves and all.

willenkate

It's finally D-Day. Wills and Kate are gettin' hitched today! I hope they have these "Let Them Eat Cake" cupcakes at their reception. Wish me luck as I brave the throngs for a glimpse of something--anything!--this afternoon.

NBC in Trafalgar

My countrymen over at NBC are taking over Trafalgar Square for their Royal Wedding coverage. I'm inclined to check it out for a glimpse of Brian Williams -- way more exciting than Wills and Kate.

For HRH and Miss Kate

I had never heard of The Lady magazine, but apparently they are gifting their building to the Royal Couple. I would've preferred a food processor or a stand mixer, but whatever.

Union Jacks on Regent

So, there's no getting away from it now. The Royal Wedding is on Friday and all of central London is decked out for the occasion. This is Regent Street, looking very patriotic. The next few shots will document what's going on in the city until the Great Day is upon us.

Sorry for those who are already sick of weddingspeak. I can't help it, especially since my visiting friend is taking me to all the tourist hot spots again, so these are the only photos I've been taking. Bear with me. It'll all be over soon.

Shard

A view of Southwark from the Millenium Bridge on a partly cloudy day. Notice the building under construction in the left part of the frame. Someday, this is going to be the Shard London Bridge and will apparently be the tallest building in the European Union when it is completed in 2012. Some interesting artist's renderings right over here. Thoughts? Kind of looks horribly out of place to me, but I guess this is the future of London. Developers like these enormous skyscrapers a lot more than the old three-story 19th-century warehouses.

Coppers

I tried to take the bus to Trafalgar Square this evening to see some of the carolers that are singing there every night under the big Norwegian pine. But my usual bus was unexpectedly re-routed and I found myself suddenly on the wrong side of the Thames. So I got out to see what was up and came upon a group of student protesters at the Houses of Parliament. The MPs were in the middle of voting to increase tuition for UK universities (after many of them had promised not to) and the protesters were in the street waiting to hear the results of the vote.

Snapped this shot of police vans lined up to block the street next to Big Ben. And below is a fairly poor shot of the students with the Eye in the background.

I used to be something of a protester in my youth (I say youth...my high school years, I guess), but I was quickly disillusioned and now tend to stay away from mass rallies and demonstrations. As I was shooting pictures of the students, they were in the middle of voting on what song they wanted to hear next on the loud speaker. Didn't exactly change my mind regarding the effectiveness of protests.

But then I saw this hideous report on the BBC. And, voilà, they have my sympathies again. I'm as changeable as the wind.

Thanks for that

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Today, I am thankful that I come from a family and a financial background that has allowed me to get the kind of high-class education that I have enjoyed in the United States and now in the United Kingdom. Tertiary education used to be free for all UK citizens just a few years ago and now the new coalition government is threatening to lift the cap on tuition so that fees could rise, conceivably to an unlimited amount (£9000 a year is the current talk).

Protests have rocked the capital (and the country) as a result of these developments. Yesterday students occupied many universities, including my own, University College London. This is a shot of some of those students gathering prior to sitting in at the UCL Finances office.