Log Flume of Hearts and other London thrills

Just got in after watching the unveiling of the new £3.6m Diana memorial fountain this evening. Unfortunately the start of the ceremony was delayed by 45 minutes due to the massive crowds of onlookers whose numbers have been estimated at up to 500,000 people.

No, hang on, I’ve got that wrong… it was the Formula One cars tootling around central London that we watched along with half-a-million other people. Apparently only 200 people from around the country bothered turning up to see the unveiling of the babbling tribute to the Princess of Hearts. Not surprising really when the fountain’s design seems to have been based on a combination of those massive LA storm drains that cars always chase through in films and the Log Flume at Barry Island Pleasure Park. Frankly it’s an underwhelming, pointless, dull waste of money. Quite a fitting tribute then.

At least seeing the F1 cars was really good, despite the 90 minute wait. Rob, Emma and I got a not-too-bad spot to watch from on Lower Regent street (just to the right of photo number 2), but that’s where it went a bit pear-shaped — Rob thought I was bringing the box of drawing pins, and I thought he said he was, so in the end we just had to settle for watching the cars zoom past 30 feet from us. Not a bit of street furniture was unoccupied, so top marks for ingenuity to the people who bought out Ryman’s entire stock of metal waste paper baskets to stand on BTW. And top marks to Montoya for best 180/smoking wheel-spin. A thoroughly enjoyable spectacle altogether.

We weren’t able to meet up with Simon H. (hi Si!) until after the event, but by then it was well past Beer O’Clock, so we sauntered into Soho for a few ales before heading back here for a curry.

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