Royal Wedding Fever

I'm trying to be cynical, but I can't, I just can't. Why should I care that there will be oak trees brought in to Westminster Abbey (in honour of the Middleton family's new crest), or that William's asked for a special McVitie's chocolate digestives cake, or that maid-of-honour Pippa's trying to hang disco balls in Buckingham Palace for the after-after party. (or should that be after-after reception?). How does the marriage of a couple of over-priveleged toffs -- one famous due to parentage (and their parents, and so on) only, the other for snagging the eye of prince with a see-through dress -- affect me in the slightest? And don't even get me started on the whole 'commoner' thing; she's not *exactly* from the wrong side of the tracks! 

But  no, I'm lapping it up... I've smiled along with the T-Mobile ad, read the many many many gossip and news articles, got the t-shirt (well, commemorative mug, at least) and will be front and centre (of the TV, that is) for as much as I can on the big day.

I did consider heading into central London to be part of the atmosphere, but decided against for many reasons:

• It's supposed to rain -- I'm a fair-weather celebration-watcher, for sure
• Crowds + 2-year-old = misery
• There's no way I'd get in front of the people camping out already -- so would still only see the TV coverage (projected on giant screens in Trafalgar Square and elsewhere), but without any sound

I did, however, take advantage of the good weather and day off yesterday to take Paige into town to see how things were progressing... we didn't make it as far as the church, but did get a little taste of the media circus already assembled outside Buckingham Palace, where it seemed every other person we passed was wearing a press-pass or carrying major video equipment. I think we may have even been on Japanese television at one point, as we passed behind one reporting quintet... ah - our moment of fame...

Fox and CNN amongst the news crews taking up 22,000 square meters in Green Park

Did Paige and I make it on Japanese TV? We'll never know!

St James Park media complex - Left of BuckPalace

And... Green Park media complex on the right

Of course, to Paige, it was all about the playground (note news copter soundtrack in the video below) -- though in years to come, I will be sure to tell her she was (almost) there...