We then zoomed off to the London Eye which was a great opportunity for us not only to experience the incredible views over the city, but also to capture for ourselves iconic images of London.
Covent Garden was next on the agenda, and as soon as we arrived we couldn’t ignore the fact that Christmas was just around the corner, a massive Christmas tree (later that night used a kind of climbing challenge by a few excited young men) stood proudly in the centre. It was not uncommon for the streets of London to be used as a stage but Convent Garden in particular was filled with street performers who entertained us as we explored what else the place had to offer.
After such a busy day and a well earned shower, we returned to Convent Garden for an evening meal. Although we had stopped moving, we couldn’t help feeling as if we were still on the underground (a novelty which we didn’t grow tired of). The ability to get to the other side of London within ten minutes or so of arriving at a tube station amazed those of us used to waiting much longer than that even to board a form of public transport. But of course, we made these little journeys part of our London experience. Games played on the underground included, who can hold up the most people by losing their ticket (Jasmin Lanes remained unbeaten), ‘BOGIES!’ (close competition between Lydia Akrill and Penny Gibbs), ‘hide and seek’ (Mr. Price being the ‘seeker’ running up descending escalators to find a ‘hiding’ party), the last one standing (which involved surviving the journey without holding on to anyone or anything) and singing songs from ‘We Will Rock You’ to embarrass certain members of the group. Yes, we acted like the sensible young adults that we are.
We went to see ‘We Will Rock You’ at the Dominion Theatre which was captivating and I would definitely recommend it, from the atmosphere to the costumes, it was amazing. Before returning to the hotel for some much needed rest, we explored London after hours. It never sleeps; the streets were buzzing with clubbers, promoters and tourists and twinkling with stunning Christmas lights.
Market research is always a necessity in London due to the incredible range of successful businesses, such as Abercrombie and Fitch; we concluded that the target audience must be good looking, often tanned men with six-packs and being conscientious students, we were sure to gather plenty of photographic evidence of this. The window displays along Oxford Street and designs we found were beneficial in informing us of the latest fashions and designs.
We also were inspired by the creations at The Victoria and Albert Museum, photographing designs and noting on things which particularly caught our eye, as well as things which linked into our work. The Design Museum allowed us to view other artists work, an expedition on Terence Conran gave us an insight into his work as well as what influenced him in his life. Buildings surrounding the museum (around Tower Bridge area) were innovative and could be used as starting points for design ideas.
Textiles students also looked around the Fashion Textiles Museum which although hard to find, showcased some amazing designs and photography from catwalk shows and photo shoots. Even down to the presentation and layout of the photographs and items, the museum was remarkable.
To top off an amazing two days we met some recognizable faces along the way. Celebrities we spotted: Charlotte Holmes from series 6 of ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ (spotted in Abercrombie and Fitch), Imogen Leaver from series 7 of ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ (spotted on Regent Street) and Jedward from ‘X Factor’ (spotted in H&M on Oxford Street).
All the different photos we took and things we saw in London will benefit us so much and it was an incredible experience. Thank you, Mr. Price, Miss Smith and Mrs. Thompson.
