We know Harry Potter and Bridgerton bring flocks of tourists to the UK in search of regency elegance and whimsical vibes, picturing cobbled streets, ye olde architecture, and chats about the monarchy over a pot of tea.
But, as we found out, there’s a show of a different ilk that’s bringing tourists to town, and that’s Ted Lasso. Inspired by cosy corner pubs, eccentric characters and, we suppose, football, Go City customer Joyce Dieter decided to explore the sights of London (and Richmond) for herself and chose an Explorer Pass to make it all happen.
So, did London score a winner or was it a flop?
A spontaneous UK adventure
When Joyce pops onto our screen fashionably late, bringing those easy breezy vibes, we know she’s going to be a cool customer – yes, both literally and metaphorically. She hails from leafy Wisconsin, USA, and before we get the lowdown on her London trip, she gives us a taste of her life there. ‘My husband and I have three grown up sons who’ve all flown the nest. Now we spend our time traveling and running a couple of wine and bourbon bars in town’. We do a quick mid-convo browse of the venues and it’s all chic interiors and expertly curated cocktails which tells us all we need to know: Joyce has impeccable taste. No wonder she chose an Explorer Pass as her vacation accessory.
Sightseeing in London wasn’t originally part of her plan. But a work trip to the UK presented the perfect opportunity to tack on a few days and explore the capital. It would be rude not to, right? After all, if there’s one thing Brits can’t abide, its bad manners.
Pop culture VS reality
When it comes to her own hometown, Joyce knows a thing or two about preconceived ideas. In Love Actually, Wisconsin is depicted as a fantasy small town for starry-eyed tourists but as she explains, it’s anything but. ‘We love that movie because there’s literally nothing here in Wisconsin. It’s so unimpressive. There’s nothing but cheese.’
We’re – not gonna lie – pretty intrigued by the cheese, but swiftly move on to discussing London, wondering if her pop culture-inspired high expectations were matched on this occasion? ‘Absolutely,’ she says without missing a beat. ‘We liked Richmond (where Ted Lasso is set), it was very quaint. But we were blown away by the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. We’re used to cathedrals, duomos and historic buildings as we’ve explored a lot of Europe, but this was something else’.
She flicks through an array of selfies depicting various parts of the Tower of London, from the storybook White Tower to the etchings of prisoners on the walls. ‘It felt very personal seeing those intricate details up close and being inside the tower looking out over the grounds. I also loved how it was just plopped into the middle of the city with roads and sidewalks right next to it. I’d pictured land around it... or a moat.’
She ponders this for a moment. ‘It’s just mad how you’re Queen one day and executed the next. People had a really bad temper back then’.
Making it all happen
Joyce’s easy-going energy makes us wonder how she plans her trips. Where do cool people get their travel inspiration? Pinterest? ‘It’s usually word of mouth’, she says. ‘That’s where it starts anyway. For this trip we had an idea of what we wanted to see – Richmond, the Downton Abbey castle (that’s Highclere, darlings), and the big historic sights. But browsing the attractions in the Go City app opened my eyes to all the other things we could do. We also try to be spontaneous, so I liked being able to buy the pass and decide what to do later’.
Despite owning a couple of watering holes, Joyce and her husband aren’t big drinkers. But they are big foodies and loved the British comfort food, especially good old pub fare. ‘We enjoyed the sausages and mash at Walkers of Whitehall and the ice cream at Amorino. And we loved British fish and chips.’
With a Ted Lasso tour, some British bites, and a couple of London’s big hitters under her belt, she’s only just scratched the surface of the city. We’re keen to know if she’ll be back for round two, and if so, which attractions will make the cut. ‘We’ll come back for a longer stay next time. St Paul’s is on the list, we’d probably see another show, and I think we’d be into Shakespeare’s Globe’.
She adds, ‘and I’d absolutely recommend Go City to anyone else who was visiting’.
Well Joyce, in the words of Ted Lasso: we appreciate you.
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