The Lord Mayor's Show Goes On

For the past few days, London landmarks have been lit up in blue, white and red to show solidarity with France. The terrorist attacks that occurred on Friday were horrifying. There are no words to describe how disgusting and inhumane the actions that took place were, and no emotion that can adequately sum up what the families and friends who lost their loved ones are now feeling.

On Saturday, the Lord Mayor's Show took place in London. It was the 800th anniversary of the parade which marks the new appointment of the Lord Mayor (different from the Mayor of London), and is supposed to be a carnival-like celebration. The mood was much more somber. Flags were at half mast and fireworks were cancelled. The show still went ahead but there was a two-minute silence before it began.

Originally, the show was on the River Thames which is where the word 'float' comes from when used in the context of parades. Today the procession is 3 miles long through the city of London. There were all kinds of floats: British military, non-profits, schools, businesses and more. A few of our favorites were Santa's sleigh (with two real reindeer), a robot made out of recycling containers, an old steam engine, a giant pig balloon, four wheelers doing wheelies, and giant meat balloon (from butchers of London).

The floats were creative and entertaining, but the one thing on everyone's mind was the attacks in Paris. In such difficult times, there is hope in the outpouring of support and solidarity. But it always seems that two minutes is just not long enough.