So, today went a little differently than
it was pitched, and no, I am not complaining. We were asked to dress up in, and the phrase
was, “in our Sunday’s best,” with the plan for the day being New Scotland Yard.
For those who do not know, New Scotland Yard is the head of the London
Metropolitan Police. This department also works, in part, as the security for
the Queen and the Prime Minister. So, this department is a big deal worth
dressing up, but Sunday’s best may be pushing it. So we hop on the Tube (the
subway system) and arrive at New Scotland Yard, then we were told there was a
side trip. So, we took a hike through St. James Park, to a house I visited with
some other students the previous day, Buckingham Palace. It was also about the
same time, we arrived at 11:00AM, which is the time for the Changing of the
Guards. Now, I heard the stories of the previous year, where they watched it
from behind the gates. We wouldn’t be so lucky, right? I mean, we were with
Constable Watson, the guy who is going to be retiring 1 year and 23 days from
when this is posted (but who is counting) and he has been working for years with
a lot of the royal events. With that said, the experience of going behind the
gates especially for the Changing of the Guard, is not guaranteed. This must
get worked out. Strings must get pulled, would lightning strike two years in a
row? Would I have this much build up if it didn’t? So here I am behind the
gates, close to the Palace watching the Changing of the Guard. Thankfully, this
time there was a pamphlet, and the security watching us like hawks (can you
blame them) were there explaining the proceedings to use. When you have someone
there who knows what is happening explains it, it makes a lot more sense, and
becomes more enjoyable. With that said it was still long. When it was all over, a motorcade drove up,
and they said the Queen must be going somewhere. We insisted on staying so we
could catch a glimpse of the Queen, they insisted to leave so we could stay on
schedule. I wondered what could be so important.
10 Downing Street. Does that sound
familiar? We went up to the door, and it is the British equivalent of 1600 Pennsylvania
Avenue. For those who do not know, this is the addressee of the Prime Minister.
When we were told we need to keep on schedule earlier at the palace that is
why. This is again something they did last year. Though, might I add for anyone
doing this trip next year, again nothing is guaranteed. We do not know what the
security threats will be, also we do not know how large the group will be. We do not
know if Prince Charles will call anyone else Hitler, which apparently makes
people mad. There is another cultural
comparative. In the U.S., if the president has picture or posters with a Hitler
mustache, it is becoming a rite of passage. In Russia, they get upset. With
that being said, what could make this day better, and it is only 2:00PM.
Oh yeah, that’s right this is a Criminal
Justice trip, and it was planned for us to go to New Scotland Yard, why not,
let’s do that too. At this time, we met up with the group from the University
of Nebraska Omaha. Here, we discussed the things that the Metropolitan Police
Depart does. We then talked about the 2012 London Olympics and what they did to
prepare for that. The entire thing ended with a light hearted comparison
between police in the U.K. and police in the U.S. All in all, the talk was fun,
and a good way to wrap up a good day.
One more quick note from Buckingham
Palace. As we were watching the Changing, there was one thing they reminded us
from time to time. This was these are guys from the British military, who
agreed to do ceremonial duty. One of the officers said, some who are doing this
today may have been doing a tour of duty recently. So anyone who watches the
Queen’s Guard at any event should probably remember that.
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