Madcap Mayhem in The City Streets of London, England.
In the summer of 2018, the month of August to be exact, a rag tag lot of Drexel University online and ground-school undergraduate and graduate students set foot on UK soil in order to complete their weeklong study abroad program in Global TV Management: London.
This was was no ordinary trip. Drexel University, in association with the Foundation for International Education (FIE), this adventure would seemingly give these students a chance to learn and understand the complexities of foreign broadcasting, and the entertainment industry at large in the UK. It would also give them a first hand look into all facets of the business in an up close and personal way.
From hobnobbing with famous British on-air news anchors, presenters, and executives to being in-studio audience members to a new and up-and-coming British TV show taping, these students experienced a trip of a lifetime.
An eminent bus ride around downtown London, seeing the sights and literally making the most use of it all made the first day of the trip all the more eventful. The fast-paced-ness of it all didn’t seem to make much of a dent- that is until the parade of pubs and eateries seemed to make our nights even more exciting.
Not to mention they even had extra curricular activities affording them opportunities such as roaming the streets of London causing havoc at every turn. Pure pandemonium ensued when classmates scattered the streets doing a bit of shopping, sightseeing and literally just all-out terrorizing what most consider a highly civilized city, like kids in a candy store. As you would expect, loud Americans and the casual “spiteful confrontations” from unassuming locals, the group plowed their way through the city streets bound and determined to educate themselves of the culture and customs of the location.
From tours through ancient estates like Buckingham Palace with nearly 2000 year old paintings available for all to see, and the stately Spencer estate erected in the 1500’s, Althorp. Much to see and do in the limited time spent abroad, each student left with great admiration and respect for such beauty. Many landmarks help to establish England as being one of the most fascinating ancient civilizations in modern history.
Stops during the weeklong class trip included meetings at ITN, ITV, BBC, Sky News, and NBC London. Even a night of Debussy at the Royal Albert Hall for a BBC Proms concert filled our evening during the trip. An amazing experience to say the least. The location is easy to get to.
You could take the Underground which has so many stops and so many different lines, or just as easily as take a double decker bus, black taxi, or an Uber from anywhere in London and be there within minutes.
This author would love to share that while you’re in the area, it is best to try the fish and chips. If fish and chips is not your thing, there are many different restaurants and bars to choose from. Food from practically every nationality and from every part of the globe. But what makes London so unique is that there are pubs on practically every corner. While one cannot spend a week in London and hit every single one, it does not mean that you cannot go to at least a few. Mind you, they usually call last call at around 12 am and close up soon after, but the locals tend to drink right after they get off work anyway.
But don’t let that get you down, there is so much more to see and do in London, you may need a second, third, or fourth trip just to be able to take it all in. The classmates seem to think so, anyway.
