The Boswells in Europe

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February 3 2007, Waitangi Celebrations in London!

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Waitangi Day here in London, unlike at home, is a day of celebration. There are no drama's, no one getting upset because the wrong flag was flown from a bridge and most certainly no offices getting invaded (mainly because everyone is at the pub)!

Its really strange that you have to travel to the other side of the world to appreciate just how special Waitangi Day really is to kiwi's.

For the last couple years we had been meaning to go down to Parliament Square to watch the mass Haka. Michelle was a bit tired and Eimii was a bit hoha so Scott headed down with his camera.

When Scott got down to Parliament Square it was absolutely heaving with kiwis bent on having a good time! Earlier in the day the traditional Circle Line pub crawl had wound its way along the Underground, ending at Westminster. Apparently the pub crawl has been going for the last 30 years!
All the major beer groups were at Parliament Square, Waikato, Tui, Speights etc. The tourists that were there had no idea what was going on. There were literally thousands and thousands of kiwis at Parliament and all of the roads around Parliament Square were closed off.

The thing that really stood out above all else was the fact that people were at Parliament Square to have a good time. There was no agro, no one chanting death to Dutch cartoonists, just people out to enjoy themselves!

But you know what the best part about the celebrations were? When tourists would stumble upon a drunken lout trying to walk to the nearest Walkabout pub they would probably utter to themselves "bloody australians" :)