Sadly, this year's trip to England will skirt the wonderful, bustling city of London, one of the great metropolises of the world. (In case you're interested, on the day we arrive in Heathrow, instead of taking the underground to London, we'll be driving our rental car in the opposite direction, toward the historic rock formation of Stonehenge). So I thought I'd reminisce with this series of posts about some of the great places we've visited on our previous trips to England, and in this post I continue from Part 3, still concentrating on the city of London.
On the day we cruised the River Thames, we boarded the river taxi from a dock located directly across from Millbank Tower. Tony Blair rented this building, for two years, to house the Labour Party, and it was from here that he launched the victorious 1997 campaign that swept the Labour Party into power.
As the former Prime Minister said in his memoir, A Journey, the party had been out of power so long that it had to learn how to rule again, instead of just criticizing everything the majority party (the Conservatives) did. Had Jean Price, the protagonist in the TV series "No Job for a Lady," been an MP during that time, she would have found her day-to-day mode of operating changed considerably.
It's a real shame they didn't film a sequel series, like they did with "Yes, Prime Minister." While Tony Blair accomplished much during his ten years in Number 10 Downing Street, his failure to orchestrate the return of such an educational and entertaining sitcom (or Britcom) remains a regrettable blot upon an otherwise enviable record.
Millbank Tower also holds an important place in Doctor Who. While it features in no Dalek stories (at least none of which I am aware), it served as the headquarters of Tobias Vaughn, who uses the might of his company International Electromatics to help the Cybermen take over the world in "The Invasion." Later, it housed the World Energy Conference, which a strange alien race hopes to disrupt in "Terror of the Zygons." In order to achieve this, they send a dreaded Scarasen, better known as the Loch Ness monster, to attack the building.
Thankfully, the Doctor manages to outwit the Zygons, thereby saving Millbank Tower, and allowing this important conference to continue. But then, what else would you expect from such a wise and able Timelord?
Dragon Dave
Related Dragon Cache entries
The Dreaded Scarasen of the River Thames
Related Internet Links
Watch the trailer for "No Job for a Lady"
Watch "Terror of the Zygons: Part 1"
Watch "The Invasion: Part 1" (Note: this is a reconstruction of a missing episode using still photos and short film sequences. If you buy the DVD, you can see an animated version of this episode).
As I said in Part 2, London falls outside the itinerary for this year's trip to England. But there were many great sites we visited, and as we plan out this year's trip, I thought I'd share some of special moments with you.
Two of our favorite British sitcoms (or, if you prefer, Britcoms), are "Yes Minister" and its sequel "Yes, Prime Minister." As in the United States, the British Prime Minister lives and conducts business with politicians, civil servants, and world leaders from his home in the nation's capital. 10 Downing Street isn't like the White House: it's just a row house, connected to other row houses in Whitehall. While I didn't expect the grandeur of the White House, on our first trip to England I had hoped to get a clear view of the doorway through which James Hacker, Bernard Wooley, and James Hacker came and left. Sadly, the home of the British Prime Minister doesn't make for a very good photograph, at least not for the casual overseas visitor.
Unless, that is, you like photos of guards with guns. Then it's awesome.
Oh yeah, show me that heavy artillery! Yes!!!
This year, we've been watching another Britcom that was recently released on DVD. It's called "No Job For A Lady," and stars Penelope Keith, best known for her role as Margot Ledbetter on "Good Neighbors" and Audrey fforbes-Hamilton on "To The Manor Born." In this series she plays Jean Price, a member of Parliament for the Labour Party. She sees herself as an ordinary woman: a woman for the people and of the people. She's not rich, nor does she readily align herself with businesses, unless she's sure the result will be to help the poor and needy. She doesn't even own a car. She rides her bicycle into London each day, chains it to the fence outside the Palace of Westminster, and goes into the House of Commons, where she meets with other politicians and the people she represents.
"No Job for a Lady" may not be as important as "Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister," but it shines a bright light on the life of the ordinary, lowly MP. Yes, that's right, I said lowly. As a member of the Labour Party, set before Tony Blair's big win in 1997, Jean Price serves in the Opposition. Consequently, she and her fellow Labour MPs hold little power beyond influence. Still, through grit and determination, Jean Price manages to get some good things done, while working in one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
On our most recent visit, in November 2013, we walked the streets of London dressed in our thick jackets, with knitted hats covering our heads and gloves on our hands. Between sites of interest, we hopped on the bus, and enjoyed a few brief moments out of the cold and the wind. One day, we decided to try something different, and boarded a water taxi instead. This allowed us to see the Palace of Westminster as many other visitors and locals see it: from the River Thames.
As for the Daleks, the water taxi ride allowed them to relive a moment of glory, when their fellows invaded London and ruled the world, in the classic Doctor Who story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth."
Dragon Dave
Related Internet Links
Watch the trailer for "No Job for a Lady"
Stan: Welcome, Space Enthusiasts! I'm Stan the Cyberman, NASA's latest robonaut. Let me show you the highlights of Houston Space Center.
NASA's human astronauts wore these on previous missions. With my cybernetic knitted body, I don't need gloves.
Still, sometimes I wish I had fingers.
The Captain of a previous mission wore this uniform aboard the International Space Station. I can't remember his name right off. Captain Peacock? Captain Pike? Captain Phillips?
I'm sure it began with a P.
After an arduous spacewalk, I enjoy playing chess with my fellow astronauts. Official NASA documents state the agency returned this set to Earth because engineers needed to refurbish the set. I suspect the other astronauts just got tired of me winning all the time, and thought a new set might bring them better luck.
What can I say? They're only human.
Despite the flaws inherent in their biological systems, I enjoying working and hanging out with my human counterparts. We usually have a lot of fun together.
And here's a prototype for another robonaut. He's modeled on the Transformers, an intelligent race of beings from the planet Cybertron. Doesn't he look cool?
So, give me some feedback. Does seeing all this inspire you? Do you think NASA might someday select Daleks for astronaut training?
Rusty: I can't believe Stan made it here before us.
Artist: The wise Dalek finds inspiration, not envy, in others' achievements.
Rusty: You're right, I know you're right. Still, a Cyberman! And I was really enjoying my visit to Houston Space Center…
Stan the Cyberman, and Artist & Rusty Daleks
Pocket: Oh! Beware the Mutant Squash!
Denim: Danger Alert! Danger Alert! Danger Alert!
Pocket: Stand down, Private. I was just having a little fun.
Denim: So, if it's not dangerous, what is it?
Pocket: Let's see how it looks inside, and I'll tell you.
Pocket: Remember all those squash and pumpkin plants that Mistress grew last year?
Denim: Affirmative. She called them volunteers, because she didn't plant any seeds.
Pocket: Right. Remember the plant that had pumpkin-like leaves, but the only fruit that matured looked like a mutated Kobacha squash? This is that lone fruit. The interior resembles squash, but the seeds remind me of pumpkin seeds.
Denim: It reminds me of autopsy photos of a Cyberman's head.
Pocket: That's unkind, Private. Besides, it's natural that a humanoid head would decompose under long-term Cyber-programming.
Denim: Instead of slicing up those halves, we should have fitted them with outboard motors. We could have ruled Earth's waterways!
Pocket: Now you come up with a great idea like that? To quote the human spy Maxwell Smart, once again we missed out on the Dalek Domination of Earth…by "that much."
Denim: So, is ten minutes sufficient to cook a Cyberman's head?
Pocket: I'm warning you, Private. No more derogatory name-calling.
Denim: Well, it's done. Now we'll see if Master and Mistress like the taste of mutant squash.
Pocket: First we must ascertain its flavor, and make certain it's safe to serve them. I want you to--
Denim: Uh, no thanks, sir. I really feel you should have that honor.
Pocket: Private, I order you to sample it. It's your duty to Master and Mistress.
Denim: With respect, sir, there's no way I'm going to taste a cooked Cyberman's head.
Pocket: Derogatory name-calling and insubordination? That's it, Private. I'm putting you on bathroom duty!
Denim: Oh! Beware the Mutant Squash…
Pocket & Denim Dalek
