London Calling...

Could this be true?

If so, it would mark the first time I've gone made an international trek for a diva. Although we did try to make plans to get up to Paris to see Renee during the whole summer in Rome thing, it didn't quite work out.

I was in London once - when I was in high school, I think in spring of 1995. The trip kind of rocked, in retrospect, but it was my first trip away from home AND my first trip out of the country, so at the time, I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I could have. I'd really wanted to go, and a friend was going to go with me, but she bailed at the last minute so I went with people mainly from the drama department, who I didn't know very well. As I say though, it kind of rocked, because our "chaperones" despite promises to our parents that we would never be left alone, etc. totally left us alone - a LOT. They were the worst chaperones possibly in the history of anything (Robert Johnson, I am looking at you here. And I am not just saying this because you spent four years calling me "Nicole") I totally got seperated from the group in Windsor and it was ME who found THEM rather than the other way around. I'd probably still be there, speaking with an English accent and walking the Queen's corgis or whatever, if I hadn't located them. A year or two later, when we went on the choir trip - to Minnesota, mind you, our director put tape on our doors so that they could tell if we went from room to room at night. Letting us wander unattended through the Mall of America gave her a minor heart attack.

We stayed in the gloomiest kip of a hotel you'd ever want to stay in (the Enterprise Hotel, right near one of the tube stations, I want to say Earl's Court). The rooms were spread out and in odd locations. There were crazy French people in one of the rooms who would knock on doors and run away. We were nowhere near other members of the group. One night, Mr. Johnson knocked on the door to "check" on us. Here's how it went

Knock knock.
Us: Yeah?
Him: Are you all in there
Us: Yeah
Him: OK! Good night!

And he left! We were all in there, at the time, although we sneaked out later. One night, the chaperones (all teachers, and the head of the fine arts department!) all got totally trashed and so we were up to our own devices. One afternoon, I remember wandering around Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street, completely alone, but totally happy. I was 15 or 16 at the time. I went shopping. I bought Doc Martens. I had high tea. No big deal. We saw two shows She Loves Me and Don't Dress for Dinner - I don't remember much about either. What I do remember was wanting with a fiery passion to go and see a new show called Sunset Boulevard... one of my classmates did sneak out and go see it. I don't know now, if Patti was still in at that point - does anyone know??

So yeah. Gypsy? London? I'm in.