Tuesday morning I was up early and I didn’t have any plans until I had to be on the train at noon, so I decided to go for a walk. I started off through Hyde Park.
Around 10:00 I came to Buckingham Palace, and saw the crowds lining up for the changing of the guards. I decided it must be at 11:00, so I may as well stay and see it. I found a place near the fence off to the side and watched them clean the windows using a cherry picker. Gradually the crowd grew around me.
Around 10:45 some horsemen rode by on the road behind me.
By 11:00 the crowd was dense. But nothing was happening other than children climbing on the fence and policemen yelling at parents to keep them off.
By 11:15 I couldn’t breathe as crowd behind me pushed me into the bars.
At 11:30 some guards started marching in the distance. I think there was music, but I couldn’t hear it over the crowd. Some Spanish tourists were encouraging their children to sneak in front. Which was fine with me because I could easily see over their heads, and it made some space between me and the bars. But the Americans next to me were less happy, and were screaming at them.
I tried to leave but couldn’t fight my way through the crowd.
Then a guard with a flag marched right up to us. The fight briefly abated.
The fight resumed. It looked like it was going to come to blows. I realised I was going to miss my train if I didn’t leave right away. I yelled “If you just let me out she can have my spot!” but no one was listening. I shoved my way through yelling that I was going to be sick.
The crowd continued on the other side of the street! Given that I couldn’t really see or hear anything from my spot against the fence I assume they must have just been there to watch the crowd.
