Freedom, and an American London

Hello everyone,

Despite the fact I will be moving to the US to be with Jon, and despite my love for many American things (as I've mentioned several times on this blog), I will never forget my routes and ties with Britain.
Being British is as much a part of me as being American will be.
Having said that, anyone that knows me knows that I am all for dismantling the man made borders of our world; allowing freedom of movement to enable people to live the lives they want to, with the people they want to.
It's not just about love, but about the general principle of freedom.

Sadly though, my ideal of a free and utopian world are far from being realised - but I can dream, right?
Although, thankfully the European Union does embrace this ideal to some extent, and with the freedom of movement granted to all European Citizens, we now have a 27-country zone where we can work, play and live freely. It's a step towards my ideal for sure!

Anyway, seeing as soon I will not only be British and European, but American, thus bringing me one step closer to this "world wide freedom", I thought I would share some pictures with you from my adventures in London with Jon since we have known each other.
In particular, I wanted to point out some very American influences that can be found in London, to show that even with borders and immigration regulations, interests, hobbies, tastes and latest crazes are without borders, and represent the diverse world in which we live.
Brits love American things, and Americans love British things.

So, here's a tour of some of London's most famous landmarks, along with some American influences along the way. There might even be some pictures of Jon and I thrown in, too!

In case you didn't read it already, I made a similar post about the US the other day, which includes lots of photos from my adventures across the US with some very British influences.

Let's start with... M&Ms! An American brand, but one the Brits love. Just don't ask for the peanut butter ones!
Leicester Square in the West End has a huge M&Ms Store, and it is one of my favourite places to visit when ever I'm in the city.
They really made a decent effort with the store. It incorporates some very British icons with those famous American chocolate shells!


Of course, Disney is massive in Europe, as it is world over, and no trip to London would be complete without visiting its numerous Disney Stores. Here's Jon and I at the Covent Garden one, which again (like M&Ms) has some very British influences.
  Peter Pan is Jon's favourite character, and London has many Peter Pan related gems. For those who don't know, James Barrie was Scottish, but wrote Peter Pan from his home in Kensington, just across from the famous Kensington Gardens. There is now a plaque on his former house, and a very famous statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens which was a gift from Barrie himself.

 
Peter Pan has been adapted for stage and screen many times, but maybe one of its most famous incarnations is Walt Disney's Peter Pan - of course American.

Barrie was a supporter of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, and left the rights to his works with the hospital, earning them a profit for their good work, forever more. There is a statue of Peter Pan at the hospital, too.
  The hippie movement was just as big in London as it was in San Francisco back in the day. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am somewhat a hippie at heart. Peace and love, all.
 
Kensington Palace was the home of Diana, Princess of Wales, who was much loved world over - in particular by Americans. The statue in front of Kensington Palace is of King William III, who was also said to have provided the stylistic inspiration for Barrie's villain, Captain Hook. I'll let you decide for yourself...
  Here's Jon and I being goofy at the Westminister London Underground station!

 
Coca-Cola is another massive American brand that has strong British ties. Anyone who is a Brit reading this will know exactly what I mean when I saw "it's not Christmas until you've seen the advert!"... If a company has the power to influence a different nations view of Christmas, that alone makes is free of the confines of the artificial borders we create.
  For the last American influence I'm going to post, it's a picture of a plaque that marks the London home of Benjamin Franklin - one of the United States' founding fathers, having helped draft the Declaration of Independence. His father was British.
  I'll finish up this blog with some pictures of various London landmarks and famous sights, that do not necessarily have an American story to them.

The Tower of London.
  City Hall.
  Various Royal Guards.
  Pall Mall - leading up to Buckingham Palace.
  Jon and I at the Victoria Memorial in front of the palace.

 
 Buckingham Palace and the memorial.
  Tower Bridge (not to be confused with London Bridge! A common mistake by tourists!)
  The London Eye.
  St. Paul's Cathedral.
  Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
  Part of the Animals in War Memorial.
  The Palace of Westminster, AKA the Houses of Parliament.
  Trafalgar Square.
  Jelly Babies!
  And finally... The Union Flag, more commonly known as the Union Jack!
 
Dan.