London

The Beauty of the Tube

When you think of the city of London, what immediately comes to mind? Big Ben? London Bridge? Taylor Swift’s song “London Boy?” All good answers, but not what I would think of now. Throughout my first experience in London, I was able to learn about the history of this beautiful city, see wonderful pieces of art, and form amazing friendships that I will always cherish.

The Tower of London was one place I was initially excited to see prior to this tour. Dr. Gathagan provided a mini-lecture on The Chapel of St John the Evangelist, where we got to see and learn about the beautiful architecture that made up the chapel. We got to witness the changing of the guards outside the tower, which was much less interesting than I had anticipated but still entertaining. My favorite part, however, was getting to see the Crown Jewels. There, a collection of royal ceremonial objects from the past eight hundred years were displayed for us to see. The mystique and beauty of the diamonds on the crown, the jewelry that was exhibited, and the silverware and plates and tea cups were fascinating to see. There is so much royal history behind these beautiful objects, and there is nothing else like it. Do not try to take pictures when you are in this part of the tower (trust me I tried.)

On the second to last full day of our trip, we got to see a production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe Theatre, which was a theatre built by Shakespeare’s playing company. The set of the theatre alone was amazing to see, as sitting and observing the stage transported you to a time when Shakespeare’s plays were the most popular source of entertainment. As a fan of Shakespeare’s work and a love for the theatre, being in this setting was truly magical. The show itself was also incredible, making this my absolute favorite part of the trip. A piece of advice, especially for the English majors: make sure to save enough money when you go to the Globe because their gift shop is spectacular.

Another piece of advice to the future students who attend this trip: please practice your navigational skills ahead of time. Our group had a tendency to get lost in every city, and many of us were not familiar with the underground railway system, which is a must when you are traveling around London. To reference the title of this blog post, I end my message with the beauty of the tube. To travel around the city of London, the tube is your best friend. It brings you to all of these historical, beautiful, and entertaining places at wicked speed, and as you exit the tunnel and are exposed to a brand new setting.

Along with this, figuring out which trains we needed to take and which stop we needed to get off was a bonding experience for sure. Sure, we took the wrong train more than once. No one seemed to mind though, as we all were comfortable with each other and knew we would eventually find our way. By the last two days of the trip, most of us if not all were able to navigate through the tube ourselves, something we can all say we learned on this trip. I will never forget the friendships I made (and strengthened) throughout this trip, and it was an experience I will never forget.

Grace Tampori

An Exploration of London’s Theater Scene

London was not a city of good first impressions. Try dragging your luggage with 13 other people onto the tube and you’ll see what I mean. Then, try almost getting hit by a car, twice in the same street. That’ll give you an even better sense of how I was feeling when we first arrived. Having fallen in love with York and Cambridge, I wasn’t sure what to make of London. I wasn’t familiar with large cities, and I certainly wasn’t happy about abandoning the lovely cottagecore vibes of our past excursions to traipse through busy, albeit clean, city streets. London was our final four days in England, however, so I did my best to get on better terms with it.

London had one thing that put us on truly agreeable terms: theater. I had the opportunity to visit three different theaters while I was in London and see some incredible (and incredibly unique) shows. Our first was the 47th, shown at the Old Vic, a dark political comedy about the next American election. The story itself was great; written in iambic pentameter, the writers were witty enough to make fun of our political atrocities without resorting to poking at a certain someone’s intelligence. The politics, however, were mostly a British fantasy and thoroughly British humor, making it a bit too realistic in places as an American in the audience. The best part, however, was at the end when we were walking back to the tube, and I did a complete verbal literary analysis, of which poor Dr. Bender was subjected to listen.

The next play was Much Ado About Nothing, performed at none other than the Globe itself. After a rousing tour of the facilities, in which we were kicked out of the theater and politely informed that Shakespeare was written in Old English, we were set free for a solid half hour before the show. I discovered the cousin to grilled cheese, the cheese pocket pie, and ate a decadent cookie before returning to the theater, this time with a warm welcome, for the show to begin. As all good Shakespeare companies do, they’d updated the historical setting a bit. The soldiers were now WWII era (I think? Apologies to Dr. Gathagan if I am mistaken), and Leanato was now Leanata. Which, frankly, I think was much better, and really complicated the scene were everyone paints Hero with a scarlet letter. It’s one thing for your father to be upset with you for supposedly cheating, but it’s another thing for your mother to throw you under the bus. Of course, all’s well that ends well, and they all lived happily ever after.

Just after seeing Much Ado, Dr. Bender and I quickly went off like the cool kids we are to a much smaller blackbox theater, The Southwark Playhouse, to see an indie musical, LIFT. Running at just 90 minutes, this play was the shortest but also my favorite, and a perfect introduction to Pride Month. With music vibes similar to Jonathan Larson’s Tick Tick… Boom! and Superbia, and a story reminiscent of Rent (also by Larson), the show takes place over 54 seconds in one man’s imagination as he works through the breakup of a lifetime. He uses these other people around him to imagine different lives, different paths, and different ways of life, ultimately coming to better understand his own. Many of the characters he imagines are queer, explicitly so sexuality-wise and implicitly in the ways of gender, but with such nuance and tenderness that it feels like he knows them personally. Every story is unique and realistic, and there could easily be a play about each and every character. At the end of 54 seconds, it seemed our man had really found his way. I think this show is my favorite, not only because I love musicals and all things gay, but also because it felt the most down to Earth. It felt real.

While I can’t say London has completely stolen my heart, I found little pockets of joy and amusement throughout the city’s theaters. I discovered the beauties of modern London while on a trip to learn about the medieval. Really, I got the best of both worlds.

~Andi Bruce

Live. Love. London.

Big Ben, the London Eye, the London Bridge. All things that I knew I would be seeing in London; all things that I was still amazed at. We had spent a big chunk of the trip navigating London and for good reason. You could never run out of things to do while in this city. This city is one that a New York City lover would thrive in. As much as I love the vibes of small towns, I love the hurried pace that London brought.

Before getting into the things that we did for the academics, riding the London Eye is something that you should do once in your life. Yes, it is an insanely touristy thing to do. But, you are a tourist! Do it! All of the students went on together and we had a blast sitting in our cart just looking at the skyline. Sure, it’s just a huge Ferris wheel, but this is one that is worthwhile doing if you want the full experience of being a tourist in London. Same with Big Ben. Take a moment to admire it, even if you see it as a giant tower with a clock on it. It’s famous for a reason, so let yourself become immersed in it and understand why its beauty means something to people. You never know when you are going to be able to actually see it in person again.

Like the York Minster, the Westminster Abbey caught me breathless. This cathedral was nothing like I had expected it to be. Although it is startling to know that we were walking upon the graves of thousands of people, looking down and seeing names like Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin was astonishing. Don’t get me started on the literature memorial section that had statues and plaques for William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and many, many other writers. Other than them, knowing that I was standing in a place that so many people have stood before, those who are held in high regards, is still something that I have not fully processed.

Speaking of things that I have not fully processed, as an English major, a big dream of many is to go to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater and see a play. One of my major dreams has come true. We saw the play, Much Ado About Nothing, and while this play was one that I considered one of my favorites, it has a guaranteed spot in my heart. Reading a play is one thing, but seeing it performed in the place that Shakespeare himself intended could bring an English major to tears. Even if you are not someone who has taken a liking to Shakespeare, or even plays in general, this could be an experience that will change your mind. The small differences between the written play and it being acted out did not go unnoticed, and just made me love it even more. Leonato’s character was changed to Leonata, creating story lines that were not created in the original, and brought an extra spice that Leonato’s original character was lacking, in my opinion. Not to go on too much about this event, even though I could probably go on all day, sitting in the seats of a theater that I know thousands have sat in before for the same reason that I was made me feel connected to every single person that was in the Globe with me, and even with the people that were there before and after me.

London was another city that exceeded expectations. Even though it did remind me of New York City, I tried to keep in mind that it wasn’t and that I was in fact in an entirely different country. Every city around the world has something special that makes it unique in its own way, so it is very important to seek out what makes it special, rather than what makes it just like everything else. It could be because I was lucky enough to meet amazing people on this trip that made every city enjoyable, but being in London was an experience I know I will never be able to replicate. I would relive this amazing experience over again if I could, but I’m proud to say I did not let a minute go to waste.

– Shannan Raynor <3

Just Touched Down In…

Dr. Bender, I dedicate this blog post to you because we’re the only true London fans of this group. I am a big city girl; NYC is basically second home with how often my parents and I drive the hour to see a Broadway show or just to walk around and grab a bite to eat in Little Italy. So, I guess it makes sense that I felt like my true self when walking around the streets of London. Even though it felt as though I was deathly ill for the first few days, I put together all of my energy to be able to attend all events in London. Now, do not get me wrong, I was very excited to see London for its history and literature, but I am a true One Direction fan at heart. So, when I saw the bridge where One Direction filmed one of their music videos I may or may not have peed my pants a tiny bit.

Sorry for getting side tracked, let’s talk about again, the whole reason while I was in London- academics! As I said in my post about York, I am not a huge fan of churches and the whole concept of religion, but I was utterly shocked as I walked into the Westminster Abbey. This building felt barely like a church and more like a famous cemetery with icons like Charles Darwin and Sir Issac Newton being buried under the floors we were walking on. Although she was not buried there, I spent about twenty minutes just staring at Emily Bronte’s memorial; can you tell I’m a huge Wuthering Heights fan?

I feel as though since I am an English Education major it is necessary that I have my fangirl moment for the best part of the trip- seeing Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe. My fellow literature nerds and I floated through the building with starry eyes and hearts circling our heads. I first read this play in my junior year Shakespeare elective class and I was assigned the role of playing Hero (who, in my opinion, is such a boring character). I immediately fell in love with this classic comedy and when I got to watch it AT THE GLOBE I almost passed away. I may or may not have spent over $100 at the gift shop, but I used the excuse that it will all go towards my future classroom. My little feminist heart grew three times when I saw that Leonato was made into a female character; it made the play a thousand times better for me because instead of the male characters being the saviors we got to see another strong female character. Okay, that’s all I’ll say about the play for now.

London was an amazing experience and again, our group continued to grow closer. We spent every night together and were almost brought to tears when it was time to part ways. I could not have asked for a better group to have wandered London and figure out the subway system with. I hope to return one day and have it live up to at least half of this study abroad experience.

A Surreal Experience

What stood out to me the most about this trip was the surreal feeling that I got when looking at things from the past. When I am learning about history if find that sometimes it can be very easy to forget that I am learning about actually happened. I often don’t think about the fact that parts of the past are still part of every day life.

Something that I really enjoyed was seeing the reconstruction of the globe theater. While it wasn’t the globe theater that existed during Shakespeare’s lifetime, it was still really neat. I still had that sense of looking at something from long ago. I was in awe thinking about all the plays that had been preformed there and all the plays that had taken place in the original Globe Theater. I have studied Shakespeare in-depth and it was fascinating to get a glimpse into that period of time.

Seeing the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum was something that had a major impact on me. The Rosetta Stone is something that I have heard mentioned many times. I never would have imagined that I would be standing just a few inches away from something that has had such a massive impact on understanding languages and the past. While it is quite large, I was surprised to find that it was smaller that what I had imagined it to be. I always assumed something that contained so much writing would have to be massive. It was also interesting to see just how small some of the writing on the stone is.

Diagon Alley at The Harry Potter Studio Tour

Another surreal experience that I had while on this trip was when I visited the Harry Potter Studios. I have read most of the books (eventually I will read the last one) and have seen the movies. While I am not a massive Harry Potter fan I am a huge fan of movies and find the process of making them very interesting. (Having a degree in theater is probably part of the reason for this.) Seeing things I had seen on screen in person was a cool experience. When watching films I sometimes wonder about what went on behind the scenes and what happens to the props, sets, etc. afterwards. It was fun to get some of my questions answered.

My time in England was a wonderful experience and something that I will never forget. While I am glad to be back home I miss England and hope to get a chance to return someday.

-Brionna Cicak-

Haunted England

The “Haunted Gallery”

Most know when you say you are going to “Medieval England”, they think you’re going to explore the old parts of England. You would say “yes, but it’s so much more”! The history that lies in these Medieval areas have so many stories, tales, even songs (London Bridge, Duke of York, etc.) however, most people don’t realize how haunted these places we travel to actually are!
Many places have their own tales/stories about be-headings, suicides, killings that happened hundreds of years ago. For the horror fanatic in me, there was nothing more exciting than walking into the Tower of London or Hampton Court Palace knowing there have been REAL ghost sightings in these places.

As big of a tourist spot the Tower of London is, there has been a lot of gruesome murders and be-headings that happened there.
On Wednesday, January 9th, 9 of us went on a ghost tour and were able to hear about these be-headings (some failed).
Our tour guide, George, told us the story of a woman name Margaret who broke free of her be-heading. Her be-header was thinking “if I don’t kill her my boss (being Henry VIII) is going to be-head me”. So, he ran after her then chopping off her arm, she kept running, then chopping off her leg, finally she fell and he was able to be-head her with all of these body parts everywhere.
The haunted part? Many say you can hear her screams on the anniversary of her death and shadows of the axe used for her be-heading are constantly seen by guards at night.
He also told us that there are only two ways you can get into the Tower of London at night.
1) You have to work there to be able to either stay overnight or keep guard overnight.
2) You have to marry a British soldier because the Tower of London hosts your wedding.

Another great ghost story was told on our last day in Hampton Court Palace. After our tour guide told us the story, I looked up a bit more details.
In the Hampton Court Palace lived Henry VIII and his many wives. Well, his fifth wife Catherine was be-headed in the tower. She was arrested in the Palace for cheating on Henry with one of his servants. She broke free when she was getting be-headed running down what is now called the “Haunted Gallery” to try and apologize to Henry but little did she know he was long gone and she was about to be killed.
So what is so scary about that? Her ghosts is continuously seen screaming and running down the halls repeating her attempted run-away over and over again.
Our tour guide even said that a group of people once stayed the night here and had a very uneasy feeling in that hallway.
A few last stories just for fun but I thought (although sad, interesting).
Many know the great fire of England started at a bakery. Well, our ghost tour guide took us to that spot and behind it was a “skyscraper” (for that time it was a tall building). People were able to climb up this (it was a tourist attraction and still is) however, there was never a cage over the top so people were able to fly out and kill themselves.
Our tour guide told us that one man jumped and many people claim to see his ghost at 1AM continuously living his suicide over.
Last but not least, The Tube story.
The Tube is just like New York City’s Subway only, it is the oldest subway underground station in the world.
With that being said, there is one tube station that is in the center of London and continuously goes around and around. Well, this man must have been killed in this station (while digging) and cannot get out (hence the circle).
Many people say they see his ghost digging in various spots of the circle.
Now think, if it was another station, he would be able to climb the stairs and be free.
I love these stories and think they have so much meaning coming with history.
We did many amazing things in Manchester, York and London and this was an experience I will never forget.

Alanah Abrahams

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