The Scoop

Boris has caught royal wedding fever. Can you help him?

Darryl Chamberlain | Tuesday 29 March, 2011 12:53

Sorry to put you off your lunch – but here’s the mayor’s newest transport innovation, the royal wedding Oyster card.

It’s not just available to ardent royalists – you could buy one, go to the end of the Metropolitan Line, and disappear off into the hills, avoiding all flagwaving and human contact for the day.

“Just as royal wedding fever starts to take hold in the city, this fantastic commemorative Oyster card is a great chance for Londoners and visitors to have a slice of the action as a fabulous memento of the happy day,” said Boris Johnson, presumably while ironing his best suit.

But outside the mayor’s office, it’s not quite clear just where royal wedding fever is breaking out – other than in the borough of Bromley, which has received 23 applications to host street parties, by far the most of any London borough which responded to a question from pressure group Republic.

Boris loves the royals so much, he even put a a photo of Prince William’s grandma up at City Hall two years ago. Whether or not Her Majesty would be impressed with its location – at the end of a corridor next to the ground floor lifts – is no matter. The knighthood can only be a matter of time.

But enough sniping. Weddings are nice things. And maybe the mayor’s onto something here. Perhaps we should be commemorating all great London events with souvenir Oyster cards.

The Olympics? Definitely. The Battle of Trafalgar Square? No reason why not. Increased profits at Barclays Bank? Well, they are the mayor’s favourites. Justin Bieber’s first London concerts? You missed a trick there, Boris.

So what else could we celebrate with a commemorative bit of plastic? Your thoughts would be welcome here – and no doubt at City Hall, too…

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