The Chattanooga Girls Choir

Day 2
Tues., June 29, 1999

After leaving from Philadelphia at 10:00 p.m., we flew for 7 hours and arrived in London at 10:00 a.m.! Many of the girls were too excited to sleep on the plane, though some of our more seasoned travelers did manage to catch some zz's. Baggage claim and customs in London went smoothly, although Alicia's suitcase was badly damaged by the airline. U.S. Airways immediately gave her a nice replacement, and we were on our way again.

We boarded our buses (called 'coaches' over here) and met our tour guides for the day, Mary and Malcolm. We took the scenic route to our hotel, though some of the sights were a bit difficult to see through the legendary London drizzle! We arrived at the Central Park Hotel (near Hyde Park) at 2:00, but learned that our rooms would not be ready until 3 -- so we turned it into an opportunity to do a little shopping a a nearby mall. The girls were fascinated by the McSpicy Lamb burger at the McDonald's in the mall, and some groups wandered in the supermarket to see if they really sell scones and crumpets there (they do!).

We finally checked into the hotel, ate a very quick dinner, and then the girls changed into their choir uniforms for a 6:45 performance at Southwark Cathedral (pronounced 'Sufvurk'!), the oldest Gothic building in London. The girls arrived at the cathedral bedraggled,wet, and sleep-deprived -- and performed beautifully. Their voices echoed through the cavernous structure in perfect harmony, and the crowd was very appreciative. What troopers these young ladies are. As Mr. Huey said, they showed class and character. Tomorrow we will do more sightseeing, then rest before heading to Salisbury and the Bournemouth festival on Thursday.

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Bethany shows off her water bottle while we wait for Alicia to get a new suitcase.

The Girls Choir singing at Southwark Cathedral.

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