To see for real the fantastic fireworks we’d seen on the TV last year.
Squeezing our way through a crush of 250,000 to get as near as poss to the London Eye. Waiting for 3 hours surrounded by Chinese, Japanese, and Indians etc clicking away on their flashy digi’s. Most of the spectators were non-English (80%?) So what does that make this London fireworks display? A celebration of the Best of British for us – the Brits? Or something being put on for the benefit of foreign tourists? (I was wondering to myself while waiting)
Anyway, here come the fireworks, Big Ben is donging down the countdown – and Whoosh! – we’re up, up, and away. For the next 11 minutes and 15 seconds over 12,000 fireworks were “at it” giving it large – a bloody great blast of Boom Bang a Bang. Impressive.
But feeling not quite as flabbergastingly Wow! as they’d looked on telly last year. Although watching the BBC broadcast (when we got back) they appeared amazing. The editing between camera, music, and fireworks makes all the difference cus so beautifully choreographed. You don’t get the same multi-layered all round perspective down on the ground – its more boomed in your ear holes blasting your face off.
Here’s the full 11 min BBC presentation to show what I mean
mmmm
Our down-to-earth “little” take on it was more visceral. And well worth all the long wait and the argy bargy elbow routine – with K gripped on to my arm for dear life (there’s only 5 ft 2 of her in those flat boots, a titchy little thing she is)
Another 10 hours till the train back. So what we gonna do now? Make melee with the rest of the 250,000 crowd for a while. Jump on the Tube cus its free. Go and listen to a nightingale robin whistling its lovely little head off (there’s a vid of that coming up). Sit around on the floor of Paddington Station. Lie up quiet corners. Go bin diving for stickers to get free cup of coffee (McDonalds).
The 10 hours wait wasn’t so long really. And it was a mild night. (even warmer than Madrid and Morocco apparently)
Yes, it had all been worth it. As much for all those little incidental details as for the big Event itself. Here’s our shorter, smaller, noisier version of the Big Fireworks.
