London, Part 5: From mayhem to fairies

By Laura Grimes

Quick! Take a picture! JoJo found a new buddy who was very nice about playing with him, even though it was against the rules.

The Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London aren’t supposed to hold things while their pictures are being taken. Someone snapped a photo a few years back of a Warder holding something and it was photoshopped and turned into something naughty. So sad. But JoJo is small and cute and somehow got away with it, though the Warder first looked around furtively and said I had to be fast about it. Can you find JoJo?

Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London

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The Pantsless Brother and I pulled on our warm clothes and went to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It was the end of a short run at the Globe before the show hit the road as one of the company’s two touring productions. Through August, the show can be seen in various places throughout England and Europe.

The Globe revived the touring tradition in 2007 after taking a break for, oh, 400 years. During Shakespeare’s time, when the bubonic plague would shut down the theaters in London, the actors would take the show out of town on tour. So this is a little like that, only without the threat of death.

The set is small and nimble and so is the acting troupe — only eight. A short video about Dream and The Comedy of Errors, the other touring production, explains how the actors physically prepare for such a grueling schedule and how to deal with performing in any element. As the video explains, the trick is to embrace whatever weather happens and make it a part of the show.

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I learned about murder and mayhem at the Tower of London. Here are just a few pix to tide you over.

This isn’t a good photo, but I had to take it especially for a certain LSB who has a thing for catapults. This one doesn’t fit in my suitcase:

JoJo and the catapult, Tower of London

And, of course, JoJo, the ever gregarious monkey, found a few friends:

Horse in the White Tower

Here he learned how money was made long ago:

JoJo learned how they used to make money

Here’s a pic taken outside the Tower of London, just because the LSBs would get a kick out of it:

Dead Man's Hole

And, finally, I received a photo. Apparently this is what’s going on at home while I’m gone:

What the hell?