An American True Crime Addict in London
Reflections on my trip to CrimeCon UK
Last weekend, I was a guest podcaster at the annual crime convention in London. CrimeCon, as you may know, is a convention dedicated to our obsession with true crime, featuring many popular podcasters and authors from the United States and the UK as well as special guests from law enforcement and the families of those affected by famous crimes. This year’s featured speakers included TV star Emilia Fox and criminologist Professor David Wilson. Fun fact, CrimeCon may be the only convention where you are forbidden to cosplay (understandable, as nobody would really want to see someone dressed up as Jack the Ripper or Jeffrey Dahmer).
The London CrimeCon is smaller than its U.S. counterpart and makes for a more intimate experience. I think I personally met the majority of those who attended. I had come to sign copies of my new book, Scout Camp, which did very well there, as the scouts were founded by the British hero (or war criminal, depending on your opinion), Lord Robert Baden-Powell.
The event was held at Convene, a new high-tech convention space. It was very well organized, with presentations running concurrently so that there was down time for the podcasters to attend the events as well. Endless coffee, tea, and snacks were provided to guests and attendees, which allowed us to stay in the venue pretty much all day, without becoming overwhelmed or hangry.
For me, it’s a wonderful opportunity to take a trip to England for free. I can usually sell just enough books to break even. For a working writer on a budget, it’s perfect. And as much as I like attending the event, I love that it gives me an economical way to explore another country and culture outside of CrimeCon. I always give myself an extra day or two to visit someplace new. Last time, I took a train into Cardiff (according to 23andMe, my ancestors come from Wales, so I wanted to see my homeland). This year, I decided to visit Cambridge.
In the states, we have very little understanding of the scale of human history. I live in a home built in the 1920s and its considered “old.” But just a short walk from our hotel was the Tower of London, a beautiful citadel of stone founded in 1066, that has been used as a royal residence and prison throughout the centuries.
In England, I am often delighted by the juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern. I bought a hotdog from a roadside stand fifty feet outside a tower where Elizabeth I was once imprisoned and where spies were once hanged. The convention venue itself is not far from Whitechapel and the streets where Jack the Ripper once stalked his prey.
For Americans visiting for the first time, the biggest danger is the simple act of crossing the street. We’ve been conditioned from age three to look left for oncoming traffic but here the cars come from the right. I nearly got smushed a couple times. The other main concern is the economics of it all. One dollar is worth about 75% of a British pound. The effect is such that goods and services seem cheaper in price but actually cost more. That hotdog I bought cost around $8 USD. However, this is not a tipping culture, so dining kind of works out in the wash. I was playfully chastised for trying to tip the bartender at a Wetherspoons.
On Monday, after CrimeCon was concluded, I hopped a train to Cambridge, which is about an hour north, a trip that transits through a picturesque countryside that reminds me of home, except for all the Lombardy poplar trees, which look like something out of the Jurassic era.
No shortage of history, here. The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209. It’s where Isaac Newton studied, where Stephen Hawkin taught. A dear friend has recently helped me to discover the quiet genius of Sylvia Plath and so I also visited Newnham College, where the poet studied and had a pint of Guinness at the Anchor Pub, beside the River Cam, a place she frequented when the depression wasn’t too bad.
On my way back to the hotel, I stopped for a doner kebab at a Turkish shop. I tried one on my last trip and it’s probably a good thing we don’t have these in Ohio, or I’d be a hundred pounds heavier. It’s a delicious dish of rotisserie meat (usually a mix of lamb, beef, and chicken) served with veggies in a pita and covered in garlic sauce.
The return trip from Cambridge to my doorstep in Ohio took 18 hours of navigating mass transit, the Gatwick Airport (which includes a maze of duty-free shops you must complete before actually arriving to the gates), a connection in New York, customs, and a final flight on Delta, which ranks only slightly higher than Spirit in my book.
My body has no idea what time it is, but it was a grand adventure and I can’t wait to return.