Escape From The Pageant

'Prince Harry' Waiting for the Pageant to Begin

Hip, Hip, Hurray!  Hip, Hip, Hurray!  Hip, Hip, Hurray!  The cheer for The Queen has gone out.  The Jubilee Bells are ringing.  People are clapping.  And, look, there's the New Zealand contingent paddling past Her Majesty - she on the majestic Royal Barge and they in their waka.  The sights of the Thames Jubilee Pageant are simply marvelous.   And, we get to see it all right here - in our living room - on our TV.

We don't live far from the Thames.  In fact, we have just come back from the river.  It would have been nice to watch it all live, but it's damp, it's cold and well, there's that crowd thing.  The BBC announcer just described the atmosphere as "electric".  I can't disagree if he meant the type of 'electric' that comes from sticking your finger in the wall socket.

Jubilee Campers Staking Out Their Claim 24 Hours Early

Rob had to work early this morning, but he was home by eleven.  We had some lunch and decided to go down to the Thames around 12:30.  Rob didn't want to go "so early", but with 2 million spectators expected I just knew we were probably too late to get a decent spot anyway.

On my reconnaissance mission yesterday morning, I had found people setting up tents along the Embankment.  So, if there were people that keen yesterday, there was little hope for late comers like us.

Still off we went.  We walked over to Westminster.  I had wanted to check on the campers to see if they'd made it through the night.  I'm not sure they did, because I had run into a scene where a policewoman was talking to a group of worried campers.  I got the feeling it may not be all that legal to squat overnight on the Embankment.

Olympic Defences

First it was surface to air missile batteries on apartment blocks and in parks around the Olympic Stadium and Village.  Then, yesterday, for the first time since World War II a British warship was brought into the Thames to defend the city.   It wasn't any old Navy ship either.  It was the largest one in the Royal Navy, the amphibious assault ship, HMS Ocean.

Mind you, the HMS Ocean wasn't designed for river duty.  So, it only just managed to just squeeze through the Thames Barrier.  Had it been a mere 10 or 15 feet wider, it would not now be moored at Greenwich ready to take part in the police and military Olympic defence exercises going on this weekend.

We've been warned that over the long weekend, there will be helicopters and war planes flying over the city and police and military vehicles in the streets.  We went for a walk along the Thames this morning and came across some of the river exercises.  First a landing craft of some sort went by.  Then, as we crossed over Tower Bridge six black speed boats complete with machine guns and men dressed in black with balaclavas covering their faces sped out of the Navy base and up the Thames.

A few days ago, I heard a racket over head.  I went to the window to see what was up.  A jumbo jet being escorted by two military jets, one on either side, was flying over head.  This may have been an exercise to reassure, but looking straight up at their underbellies, I wasn't so assured.  I mean where would it have left me and our neighbours if they had decided to shoot it down just then!