Submitted by Melody Taylor on the 2013 fall semester program in London, England…
While the beginning of my fall break was a whirlwind of traveling to Brussels, Belgium and Cologne, Germany, it was lovely to spend the rest of it in London with no pressure of class or homework. Having the free time allowed for activities that have been getting away from me. One day in particular was Halloween, where I was able to explore Westminster Abbey, going to a Halloween short films event, and get day tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on the West End!
Westminster Abbey was beautiful. An important fact about going to Europe is that you are going to see an abundance of churches. Almost every city I have traveled to I have gone into an abbey or cathedral to admire the beauty. After a while though, they start to become very similar. The great part about Westminster Abbey is that it is completely different from any church I have been to during this semester. The abbey is covered in memorials honoring the dead: on the floor, walls, ceiling, and sometimes windows. There are many decorated tombs holding royalty such as Queen Elizabeth I. My two favorite parts of the abbey were the oldest door in Britain, because it was completely unexpected, and the poets corner, because the English major in me was completely geeking out.
Two friends and I waited outside of the Phantom of the Opera box office to get day tickets, and ended up getting fabulous seats for half of the cost! It has been a show I have desperately wanted to see on a professional stage since I was a little girl listening to the soundtrack on long car trips. Seeing the show in London was even more special to me, because my mother had seen the show in the exact same theatre – Her Majesty’s Theatre – with the original cast in London in 1986.
The Halloween short films event was hosted by Latimer Groups, and located at the Camden Collective. These two organizations are about supporting young artists and giving them a way to display, promote, or work on their craft. Four short horror films made by young filmmakers were presented, which were brilliant. A talk and Q&A with the CEO of Hammer House Productions – the creators of The Woman in Black, followed. It was lovely to be surrounded by so much young, creative energy and to see all this work being supported.
Since Halloween is not as highly celebrated in England, the day’s activities were centered on “scary” events to get us into the spirit. However, it became a day filled with events that greatly related to my passions and life.