It was twenty years ago today...

[heidi]

That I spent the last day of my first trip to England running around London, shopping for all the books and music and clothing I couldn't get at home. The Virgin Megastore - there was only one at that point, on Oxford Street, wasn't there? - WH Smith for Mallory Towers books, Harrods for sweaters, Hyper Hyper for dresses and Laura Ashley for knick-nacks for my room at home. And, of course, Cadbury flakes.

We'd been in the UK for five days, and we were leaving on the eighth to spend two weeks in Israel, before returning for two more days to the UK, but I didn't know if I'd be able to get around the city on that return trip. The day before, the boys went to Wimbledon and we girls went to the Springsteen concert at Wembley, with royal box tickets courtesy of my cousin Max (the E Street Band drummer). We had better seats than Pete Townshend, but Annie Lennox was a bit closer to the stage. And Steve Van Zant stepped on my foot backstage.

The trip to London was like a miracle. At fourteen I was already an anglophile, thanks to some New Romantic music, a few crappy British kids tv serieses and a selection of Enid Blyton and Frances Burnett books. This was the land of Duran Duran and Sara Crewe! And I was finally there.

In the seven years after, I made six more trips - in 1987, 1989, twice in 1990, and again in 1991 and 1992.

I haven't been back since 1992, but yesterday, my sister and I emailed with our mom and we collectively decided to get a flat in the summer of 2012, and spend a few weeks in London for the Olympics and also for the 15th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, which hopefully *all* my kidlings will be reading at that point.

Today, Aaron and I committed ourselves to not wait until 2012 to get back to London, a city we both love and a city we have never had a chance to visit together.

I've seen others on my flist, notably tea_and_toast and peacockharpy sigh their love for London - it's a love that I share, and cannot categorize and feel deep into my bones and my soul. When my plane landed in Heathrow twenty years and one week ago, I felt love for the place, and a few years later, when I heard British band Everything But the Girl sing, "If we were born outside of place and time, to make our choice, well this would be mine..." about Italy, I couldn't understand how everyone wouldn't want to be in England, now that June, July, August, December, January or February are here. Since then - since my days of being sixteen - I do understand why some might feel otherwise, but not me. I may live in Miami, but today, and on many other days as well, my heart is with all of you in England.

Peace. Stay safe, everyone.

Comments

[photosinensis.livejournal.com]

When I read that subject line, I thought you were posting about Richard Starkey's birthday, which is today.

[heidi8.livejournal.com]

Ah, no - and I didn't remember as I hadn't read Today in History yet. Poetic, isn't it?

Btw, did you get my email re Wiki?

[sweet-tainted.livejournal.com]

I've had you on my friends list for a while now: originally for two reasons. First, you are at the heart of a fandom I bum beyond belief, and are generally like having TLC on my f'list. Secondly, you're a lawyer, and (assuming I don't arse up next year), that's what I intend to be.

You've given one of the most accessible, coherent commentaries on England, and how the event has affected you, that I've seen so far. No politics, no pretentiousness, no well-meaning empty condolences. This tragedy was entirely communal, and at the same time, entirely personal. The fact it has not been restrained by the boundaries of an ocean only serves to prove this more. Whichever terrorist organisation this can be attributed to will no doubt see this.

Thank you for posting some sense, Heidi. Much love.

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Twice in 1990? That's when I was there... January - April. Maybe our paths crossed!

(And yeah, I too spent my last days in London scrabbling together all the last bits of British things I couldn't get at home. Is it sad that I was bouncy-excited when our local supermarket got a British food section, including CANDY?)

Mr. PH and I have been discussing a return to London (we haven't been there together, either). Perhaps we'll step up those plans a bit...

[cat-mom.livejournal.com]

London is that place for me as well, and for my daughters shakespearechic and taj_mahal07 After living there for three years it felt more like home to us than anywhere else and I still feel that way. Maybe it's partly because my husband is from a foreign culture, but London was a perfect fit for us as a family. If given the opportunity again, I would move back in a heartbeat. I feel awful for what our friends are going through right now.

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

I first went to London in November of 2000. I'd been living in Edinburgh since September and I was desperately in love with Scotland, but I was also desperately missing New York City, where I'd grown up. It was my first time in a foreign country, and I was pretty much alone; I hadn't made any good friends yet. I was on the train for ten hours (because a gale had swept through England in October and screwed up everything on the east side of the country - York was flooded), I was tired, disoriented, lonely...

When I got to London I didn't really know where my hotel was, but I decided to try the tube instead of getting a taxi, and I'm so glad that I did. The moment I saw the tube map EVERYTHING MADE SENSE. It wasn't like being back in New York, but suddenly I felt like I understood where I was. I didn't feel disoriented anymore. I found my hotel without a problem, and the next day I explored the city for hours. It was fabulous. I bought books, I mixed my own tea, I saw the Portrait Gallery, I saw "The Mikado" at the Savoy, I saw the Tower.

I fell in love with the city.

[misscake]

I think a lot of us are having similar thoughts right now, much like the world felt towards New York City after 9/11.

I first visited London a year ago next week, and then again this past February and I'll be back there next summer. I've lived in Washington, DC, all of my life and visited New York many times, but for me, there is nothing like London. It's vibrant and varied and steeped in history. The city has survived so much tragedy throughout its long history and it will survive this too.

[melieltathariel.livejournal.com]

In some senses and moods, London is always the center of the universe. It's an anchor for stories and a reference that will invoke the correct mood every time. Hearing of it in pain is unimaginable.

[sugarjet03.livejournal.com]

As someone who is about to experience London (and England in general) for the first time, this was lovely to read. Thanks for sharing.

[midnitemaraud-r.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Virgin Megastore was on Oxford Street - not far from the Tottenham Court Road Tube station. And I remember that station well, because my friends and I ran amok snapping pictures in it because that was the station that Howard Jones filmed his music video for "New Song" and I was in love with Howard Jones back then. I still have a few of the many albums (yes - vinyl!) that I bought there - Howard Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Wham!, Duran Duran, Bronski Beat, Bananarama... Some of them even have the price sticker still on them.

I was also there 20 years ago. And 21 years ago and 19 years ago. Twice were high school trips and once with a bunch of friends and my sister to visit my then-boyfriend and other friends of ours. I have SO many fond memories of London and England in general. And in 1984, we taught the bartenders at a club how to make Long Island Iced Teas (as we were from Long Island *g*) and when we came back the next year, they had it on the menu and told us it had become one of their most popular drinks. I was so proud :) (We won't mention how I was 16 then 17 at the time either *g*)

Thanks for letting me take a trip down memory lane with you! I've always loved London, and as I still have friends over there, along with new friends I've made since on the 'net, I really do need to get back there. I'm feeling very nostalgic at the moment.

[amoeba-j.livejournal.com]

:) I wonder if we might have crossed paths 20 years ago? My family was on an extended European trip that summer...we had just gotten to London 20 years ago this week! I remember we stayed until just after Live Aid (I walked around with my WalkMan on that whole day). But I wasn't lucky enough to get to go shopping for fun -- Dad made sure we did educational stuff every day, so my souvenirs were few.

I want to go back -- England, Rome and Israel are the places that I've been that I most want to visit again and again.

courtesy of my cousin Max (the E Street Band drummer)
the one who's now also on Late Night? wow, I didn't know he was your cousin ;)