CLAIRE O’REILLY
Staff Writer
As cheesy as I know it sounds, ever since I first watched Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” and “Peter Pan,” I dreamt of spending time exploring London and being able to see Big Ben. I didn’t run into my soulmate walking his dog or catch a flying ship to Neverland, but I did step into a world and a city I had always imagined.
After spending my first three weeks exploring Galway and parts of Ireland’s west coast, I decided it was time for an adventure outside of the Emerald Isle. I booked a plane ticket to England, and set out for Buckingham Palace.
On the first day of my five day vacation, my roommate and I got on a bus to Harry Potter Studios and we were on our way to Hogwarts. I got to walk into the Great Hall, wait in line to board the Hogwarts Express, sip Butterbeer and take a stroll through Diagon Alley. The tour made the story and the movies come alive. Hundreds of people swarmed the studio, all speaking different languages. I realized then just how many of us have been impacted by J.K. Rowling’s words.
Saturday morning was spent in search of the famous Abbey Road. After a ride on the Underground, we were on foot towards the site of one of The Beatles’ most iconic album covers. The neighborhood was cheery, vibrant and surprisingly extremely normal.
Imagine 30 people standing in a cluster waiting for a chance to cross the street and snag their pictures as the locals try to drive down the same road just as they probably have done a hundred times before. It was almost comical watching everyone wait for the perfect moment, clear of vehicle traffic, to impersonate a picture. I, of course, was guilty of waiting for that perfect moment. I wondered if any of the band members imagined that more than 50 years later, people would be swarming the street and paying tribute.
In another part of London, on 3 Savile Way, The Beatles played their last concert on a rooftop in January 1969. Megan and I traveled to this location as well. Much to our surprise, and unlike Abbey Road, the street was empty except for us. Abbey Road was full of tourists and even had a shop full of records, postcards and other collectible items. We matched the building to a picture we had found on Google. 3 Savile Way is now an Abercrombie Kids.
When the sun set in the city and the street lights dimmed, we made our way to a free Jack the Ripper tour. Jack the Ripper is notorious for murdering prostitutes in London’s West End. There are many theories about who the murderer might have been, but ultimately, the case remains unsolved.
While on the tour, our guide mentioned to us a little joint called “The Breakfast Club.” He told us that although it may look like your typical restaurant, there is actually a secret underground bar below it. All you have to do to gain access to this secret bar is state a peculiar sentence to your waitress: “I’m here to see the mayor.”
Obviously, our group was intrigued. We snuck off the tour and ran back to The Breakfast Club. The restaurant is famous for serving breakfast all night. We were seated in a booth right in front of an electric sign reading “Sex, drugs and bacon rolls.”
Palms sweating and excitement rushing through us, we told our waitress we were here to the see the mayor. She smiled, handed us a drink menu and said, “it’ll be about an hour.”
Sure enough, an hour later, our waitress made eye contact with another worker and gave him the thumbs up. He motioned for us to walk over to a huge fridge on one of the walls of the joint. When the doors to the fridge were opened, a stairwell was revealed to us. While being led down the stairs, the faint sound of music grew louder with each step.
So, it is true. At a cool little breakfast joint in the West End of London, you can enter a secret bar through a fridge. If you ever get the chance to go, remember to ask to see the mayor. Oh, and once you’re down there, order a drink called “Purple Rain.” You’ll thank me later.