LMB leads 2013 London New Year’s Day Parade

On Dec. 28, 146 Lumberjack Marching Band students and alumni traveled to London, England, to participate in the 2013 London New Year’s Day Parade. They stayed in London for a total of eight days, sightseeing and taking in the European culture.

The LMB was invited by the Queen herself during the 2011-2012 school year, when her representatives flew overseas and handed director of bands, Dr. David Campo, the personal invitation to participate in the parade. Not only did they get to participate in the parade, but they were also chosen as the group who led the entire parade. 

The parade premiered on television in both England and the United States, where roughly 280 million people were watching. In addition to the millions that watched the event on television, 500,000 citizens were present on the streets of London, where they experienced the parade up-close and personal. 

While on the trip, members of the band got the opportunity to go on several tours, some of which included Oxford, the Harry Potter Warner Brother’s Studio, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. 

“My favorite tour was Windsor Castle because I really enjoyed seeing how the Queen lived, getting to look at all of the different artifacts and things, and I also liked that it was very laid back,” sophomore Garrett Nichols said. 

In addition to going on the many tours offered, the students got time to explore the city on their own, taking in the food and shopping atmospheres. 

“I really loved being in London for as long as we were. As a political science major, I loved seeing all of their historical and political artifacts and buildings. Their history dates back much farther than ours, so seeing all of those really old places was amazing,” sophomore Zach Stewart said.