Union Jack

What is it about the British flag?  Well, for one, it has the benefit of radial symmetry, which means it looks pretty much the same when you turn it upside down or sideways.  It's a rare quality in a flag that makes it a perfect decorative motif, especially for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.  In addition to the ubiquitous bunting, nearly every shop has artfully arranged red, white, and blue displays featuring the Union Jack.  Department store windows have taken this to the extreme...

Jubilee products

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Even at the supermarket, the Union Jack can be found on special "limited editions" of everyday products.

Jubilee Marmite

Jubilee dishwasher detergent

More Jubilee dishwasher detergent

Limited edition mansize Kleenex

Limited Edition crackers

Even toilet paper!

Chocolate biscuits

Very British ready meals

Never have so many grocery products been so patriotic!  I wonder if anyone is actually collecting all those "limited edition" products?

Don't Rain on My Parade

This afternoon was the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, a parade of over one thousand boats floating down the river in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation.  While the official parade route began in Battersea/Chelsea, the boats were mustering upriver in Putney, which is just north of Wimbledon, where we live.  With over one million people expected to line the Thames to watch the festivities, we decided it was worth missing some of the pageantry in exchange for being able to actually see the boats as they started their journey towards central London.

It turned out to be a good decision.  It was an easy 20-minute bus ride to Putney, and while we certainly weren't the only people who decided to watch from there, we had no trouble finding a nice spot with an unobstructed view AND a place to sit between Putney Bridge and the Putney rail bridge.  It was chilly and threatening to rain, but the crowds were in good spirits and very excited about the parade.   After about half an hour, we caught sight of the first wave of boats.

First boats approach Putney Bridge

The boats were divided up into different categories.  First up, the people-powered boats... about 260 of them!

Row for Freedom

Dragon Boats

Patriotic support boat

Venetian gondoliers

In order to give the rowboats a decent head start, there was a huge gap between that group and the next, during which many people decided they'd seen enough boats and went home.  (Yes, it was that cold!)  We stayed put, and eventually were rewarded with the next group:  the Commonwealth Flags

Sea Cadets with Commonwealth Flags

Dunkirk Little Ships - privately-owned boats that aided in evacuating British soldiers from Dunkirk during WWII.

 Historic & Service Boats

 Steam Boats, Tugs, and Working Boats

Rescue boats

Fire boat

Barnabas (with giant flag)

Queen's Hat boat

Ambulance

Fire boat

 Recreational Boats

Including the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers, of course!

Special Diamond Jubilee sails

The boats continue up along the Thames

 Narrowboats (canal boats)

Barges

  Passenger Boats

Yarmouth Belle & Viscount

Thames River Experience boats

 And taking up the rear, a Port of London working boat.

It was incredible to be there in person and watch as hundreds of boats passed by -- many of them full of costumed, flag-waving crews and passengers.  There was quite a festive atmosphere along the waterfront in Putney as well, despite the chilly weather, but after sitting out in the cold for three hours, we were in need of some time indoors with a hot drink.  We were having a hard time believing it was really June.

The Boathouse pub in Putney

We stopped at a cafe inside the Exchange mall and were treated to a free concert by a string quartet raising money for cancer research while we had tea and a snack and regained feeling in our fingers and toes. Delightful!  We tossed some coins in their violin case on the way out, and emerged into a downpour.  So glad we caught the parade early before the rain!  We hopped on a bus back to Wimbledon and watched the pageant coverage on TV so we could see the few bits we missed: the Gloriana, the music barges, and the Queen and the rest of the Royal family.  We were very happy to be snuggled up on the sofa under a down comforter rather than out braving the crowds and rain.  I guess we're getting old...

Pre-Jubilee

Tomorrow is one of the biggest events of the Jubilee weekend: a boat parade along the Thames with over 1,000 boats, including one carrying the Queen herself.  We are going to try to watch the beginning of the flotilla from Putney tomorrow afternoon, but there are at least three major drawbacks:

1. There is a 90% chance of rain tomorrow (and a high temperature of 52 degrees),
2. The Queen will be boarding her vessel in Chelsea, beyond where we plan to be,
3. None of the tall sailing ships will be able to travel along the parade route, since they can't get under all the bridges.

There's not much we can do about the first two -- at least if we want to have a chance of seeing any of the parade -- but there is a solution to #3.  The tall ships will be moored around the Tower Bridge all weekend, so we took a little field trip this afternoon to check them out.

It was already looking like rain, and much cooler than it had been earlier in the week, but we brought our rain gear and hoped for the best.  Everything in London is festooned with flags and Union Jack bunting, so the gloomy weather only put a slight damper on the festive atmosphere.

Blackfriars bridge with St. Paul's cathedral in the background

Ubiquitous flag bunting

In front of the Tate Modern, we came across a small tent city.  People were already camped out 24 hours before the parade in order to reserve a prime spot for watching the boats go by.

Staking out a prime viewing spot

 Lots of buildings along the Thames had banners with special messages for the Queen

The Fishmongers Hall is all decked out

Can the Queen read Japanese, too?

Once we passed the London Bridge, we started to see some of the tall sailing ships that had gathered for the Jubilee festivities.

Tall ships by London Bridge

The Artemis

Gladys

Tower Bridge

We weren't the only people with this idea -- the entire pedestrian path along the south bank of the Thames was mobbed with people checking out the parade route and snapping photos of the ships.

More tall ships with Canary Wharf in the background

The sun came out!

Tower Bridge and City of London

 Every shop window in London is full of patriotic displays, regardless of what they sell.

Get your Jubilee supplies here!

I've seen lots of special advertisements congratulating the Queen on her 60-year reign, but this one I spotted on the train today was a bit of a head-scratcher.

Uh, what?

Tomorrow we will bundle up, put on our rain gear, and try to find a spot to watch the beginning of the boat parade.  This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event, so I don't think a little bad weather is going to keep people away.