Hey, Quiet Out There!

So yesterday, on my way into the office there was a large chuck of Leicester Square blocked off by barricade and a large crane was behind it hanging a sign on the front of the Empire building. Now I guess I should tell you a bit about Leicester Square so you understand what I am talking about.

Leicester Square is a nice little square. It has a nice square garden at the center with a road wrapping around and buildings wrapping around that. Actually, I posted a video back during our first visit which is just a quick 360 view of Leicester. But this is basically THE place in London to go when you want to see a movie or buy tickets to a show (as in proper theatre). It is always filled with people – whether they are just sightseeing or actually have somewhere they are going I have yet to sort out, but since this particular square has been converted to a pedestrian only area, you only see cars / trucks when they are making a delivery.

So anyway, I say all that to tell you this – the barricade did not stop with a crane hanging a sign, because it was not just prepping for a new movie release, but a PREMIERE. And not just any premiere, but the premiere of High School Musical 3. Now I know nothing more about this movie than it seems to be a movie for kids and teens, hence the “high school” bit in the name, but as I am walking to work I am made aware something insane is going to happen this day.

As my eyes move from “poster hanging crane” back to barricade, I begin to see what I originally though was simply the everyday mass of people moving through the square is actually a mass of people who are doing the exact opposite of moving – they are planting themselves right beside said barricade. As I am continuing on my typical path through the square to my office I find myself walking past men, women, and children of all ages who have brought camping chairs and sac lunches. These people were planning to be here for a while. Then I notice the stage.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, they were erecting a stage outside my office door. This is when I realized my day was going to be a little weird. Apparently this is not entirely out of the ordinary. In fact, this is probably pretty typical considering it is in the freaking heart of London. Hello! Drew! You live in LONDON now. These things are going to happen.

So anyway, long story short (ha, yeah right), Through out the course of the day I am inside working, meeting with people, having lunch, etc. and I begin to hear screams coming from outside. They get louder throughout the day and reach a climax about a half hour before I leave the office. It didn’t turn out to be quite as insane as it could have, but check out the video below to get a look at the madness that was outside my front door.

Needless to say, I had to take the long way around the square, bumping through a mass of kids, to get home after work.

Ah the excitement of life in a big city.

Cheers!