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Excerpts from 1,200-word article. More pictures available VISITORS RUB SHOULDERS WITH WORLD CELEBRITIES IN LONDON
Ever fancy yourself sharing a podium with President Bush, or putting a friendly arm around the Queen - maybe judging American Idol hopefuls alongside bad-tempered Simon Cowell ? If so, I know just the place. Madame Tussaud's, the original wax museum on London's Baker Street, here since 1885, yet as bright and new as a freshly minted penny.
Several pose as movie characters for which they are known and loved. A youthful Marlon Brando for example lounges nonchalantly beside his motorcycle in a scene from The Wild Ones. Marilyn Monroe wearing her famous yellow halter dress cools off over the subway vent in The Seven Year Itch. Pierce Bronson is a very convincing secret agent posed with his signature Walther PPK.
. Madame Tussaud's is located steps from Baker Street tube station. Hours of admission are 9.30 a.m. to early evening daily. For more details click onto www.madame-tussauds.co.uk
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By Pam Hobbs
Years ago I came here on a school trip, ran up the entrance
stairs and was first in line to
give my ticket to a uniformed attendant at the top. He was a dummy, and
I remember the derision of my classmates to this day. Well all that's
changed. These days you exit an elevator to the flashing bulbs and cries
of photographers, giving you a momentary glimpse of what celebrities
must deal with. The real fun begins then, at a reception where you are
invited to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Created with modern
materials and technology they are remarkably real. (At one point I waited
a minute or more for a photographer to finish shooting a celeb, before
realizing she hadn't moved and wasn't likely to.)
The Queen has been modelled 22 times, the first when she was just two years old. Her current
figure was created for her Jubilee celebration last year. Here she is
flanked by Princes Charles and Philip, and if you are so inclined
you can join them wearing a borrowed tiara. Diana is not part of the
group, but coyly stands outside the cordon, wearing a dazzling
scarlet blouse and skirt. 
