City of Westminster, London

London had showed me so much throughout my trip but I wanted to pay a visit to Westminster, from the Queen's residence to defying gravity I just wanted to have one last day going about London town! Where are most of the important government decisions made? Let's find out shall we? Here's to one last day of good times! Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are waiting!

Another day, another sight to see! 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 perfect sunshine. I really need to get a grip on 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 cray in this country when the sun shines. After a few twists and turns I 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 didn't feel the euphoria that these tourists looked like they were experiencing, some of us just aren't that patriotic. Stay fierce Queenie! 

I got it together because I was on a tight schedule, 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 think 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. Shame is that we won't have a Queen forever, so I should stand in for Lizzie!

The city of Westminster, London 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. Access to the Houses of Parliament and Commons is prohibited unless you have a special purpose to be there. I had no business for politics, no I don't have anything to say about that! 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 ten or so days! The Elizabeth Tower is another focal point for the crazy tourists that descend upon this city in their thousands each day. I appreciate this London point of interest, unlike the Palace real decisions are made there! Work B!

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. It's too late to apology for your devotion to the Royal family and the rest of it!

I wanted to defy gravity at long last for the matinee performance of Wicked! The Musical. The prequel of the Wizard of Oz that told the heart-rendering struggle of a green girl who went by the name of Elphaba. Intertwined with her twisted friendship with Glenda who became the good witch. Throughout her schooling she got lucky very quickly, her thirst to see the Wizard in Oz became true but her new found luck revealed some home truths. The underdog always wins! 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 theater sat still throughout the theme song for it was truly amazing! So far the show was unlimited, so were the futures of Elphaba and Glenda as they made their pact! Who needs popular? 

Thankfully Glenda's attempt to make Elphaba popular wasn't popular, follow your own lead people! 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! I love a good musical so finding a half-price ticket from the West End ticket booth was a winner, before seeing The Bodyguard The Musical I inquired to see if any tickets for Wicked! were being sold for a competitive price, I bought my ticket for £18.50 so that was a bargain! Wicked! is worth it I tell you! 

I Can Defy Gravity!

Joseph Harrison