Monday, January 12, 2009
Posted By:
Anne Seymour
Photo:
Anne Seymour
Big Ben
There
are some cultural icons which are worth sacrificing to the tourists. Let the
visiting hordes whirr contentedly in the London Eye, and they'll keep their
backpack-wearing, wrong-side-of-the-escalator-standing habits out of our way
everywhere else. But Big Ben is another matter. It may be a flirt, with its
phallic protrusion on the skyline and its seductive dongs making it the most
popular symbol of London overseas, but really it's all ours--the ultimate Not
For Tourists attraction. Yes, the tourists can block the traffic islands to get
their hilarious photos of the clocktower coming out of their head, but going UP
Big Ben? Dream on, Johnny Foreigner: that's a little treat just for UK citizens. Overseas
visitors can't actually get inside it (an approach which a few more British
girls may like to adopt). So if you ever fancy making a tourist drop their fish
and chips in open-mouthed envy, just ask your MP to schedule a tour (they're obliged
to help arrange bookings: tax well spent). The waiting list is between 3-6
months, but it's free, and it's BIG BEN.
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