A co-worker of mine asked how the English celebrate Thanksgiving, and then added, “Or do they?” The answer is that they do not. However, as an American who works with other Americans my husband had the day off. So, how do Americans in England celebrate Thanksgiving? For us, the answer was: take the train to London’s West End to see a show!
We had a quiet morning at home and then took the train into London. There will be more thorough exploring of London to come, I am sure. But, for now, I am including a couple of pictures that are not from the West End.
Big Ben
I learned that Big Ben is the name of the bell inside the top tower. The tower itself is actually called Elizabeth Tower. It has been under restoration for nearly 5 years, hidden by scaffolding. It was just unmasked in November in time for Remembrance Day (in America, this is what we call Veteran’s Day). No one ever told me how beautiful it is. You never read about that. The gold paint glistens in the sun. It will make you gasp as you come upon it.
Thanksgiving in London’s West End
The train trip from our home in Cambridge to London is one hour and 10 minutes. From the time we left our place, drove to the train station, parked, took the train, and walked from the station to Prince of Wales Theatre two hours passed. Would I do it every day? No. But, is it worth it to see a professional show? Yes. Afterall, in America I know people who drive two hours to visit the theme parks multiple times each year.
London’s West End is their version of NYC’s Broadway. The big shows and the big stars are here. We bought tickets a few days in advance for The Book of Mormon and got great seats! Yes, the show is wildly politically incorrect with bad language and could easily offend some, but I wasn’t offended. I thought it was hysterically funny with wonderful musical numbers.
What did we do the rest of the weekend? We went to the country! Stay tuned for views of the Cotswolds that will make your jaw drop.
December 28, 2022 at 5:46 am
There are a lot of great shows in London’s West End that I would like to see, including Wicked. Several others have been recommended, like: The Lion King, Pretty Woman, Back to the Future and The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. Some of those I’m not so sure about. I think it would be fun to experience all of the different interiors of the various theaters as well.
December 28, 2022 at 6:21 am
That’s a good point, just like on Broadway, the West End has each show housed in a different theatre. So, it’s a fun surprise to see what your theatre will look like if you’ve never been before.
June 9, 2023 at 6:42 am
This one is in my list! Nicole and I recently saw Mean Girls… and although not totally clean, it was REALLY good. Of course, most anything Tina Fey touches is gold in my eyes, so it was worth it! The stage work was so cool and the characters were hilarious! I would have liked to spend more time in that area of London, I think.
June 11, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Yes, I heard Mean Girls is amazing! That’s on my list. Maybe when I win the lottery I’ll just see a different show every night! Broadway or West End, I’m happy either way!