God bless London. We've been lapping it up, all the gloriously free things to do in this magnificent city. Taya and I are doing a guide book tour of the best sights and boring everyone to death on Facebook with various check-ins. Sorry, but that Places feature is just delightful and I am going to keep on doing it!
Anyway, here's a brief rundown of where we've been:
Monument - where you can climb up 311 steps to fabulous views of the city and sing London's Burning as you learn about the great fire of 1666.
Mudlarking under Millennium Bridge - rather super new hobby I've been indoctrinated to by the harridan. At low tide you can get onto the Thames and rummage around for washed up treasures such as 400 year old clay pipes, pieces of broken pottery, huge ancient animal bones, bizzarrely tied up photos of unknown ladies and the security pass of one woman who I would suppose had her wallet stolen and the unwanted contents ditched in the river. The kids loved it, and so did I.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Coram's Fields / British Museum - Big playground in central London with revered zipline slide and (rather limited I thought) city farm. Passed a morning there with Taya and when she fell asleep in the buggy after lunch I nipped over for (shamefully) my first visit to the British Museum. Cue obligatory photo of the ceiling.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Holland Park - Lovely park off Kensington High Street with an adventure playground, peacocks, rose-ringed parakeets, squirrels, giant chessboard (just typed CHEESEboard, which would be infinitely better!) and Japanese garden. You wouldn't believe you were in zone 2. Absolutely gorgeous and will definitely be going back, especially in the summer.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The Museum of Childhood / Gallery Cafe - This trip almost doubled up as another "I used to live here!" jaunt but I managed to restrain myself from traipsing down Bethnal Green Road to show Taya a window above a kitchen shop. Instead we perused the toys in the Museum of Childhood with me mentally noting all the ones I had as a child and wondering what happened to them. Also, why on EARTH was there a box version of Hangman?! Simple pen and paper not good enough for your kids? Why, try this plastic tile version instead with a sinister Arthur Daley character on the front! As for that Fisher Price hospital, we still have one at my Mum's. We followed up with a delicious hot chocolate and chocolate muffin in the vegan / veggie eatery across the road called the Gallery Cafe. Yum.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The Barbican Centre / Museum of London / Postman's Park - Called into the Barbican Centre briefly en route to the Museum of London and was charmed by the huge venue / performance spaces. I should definitely book to see some cultural event or another there. The Museum was charming and interesting but Taya does like to sprint around museums or find display screens and press all the buttons so that lessens the enjoyment somewhat. Afterwards we visited Postman's Park which has a wall commemorating people who have lost their lives saving others. Lots of kids saving siblings from drowning, folks pushing others out of the road only to get run over themselves etc. Quirky and interesting.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![]()
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![]()
Okay my photos are driving me crazy as I can't reposition them as I'd like. Also my broadband is ridiculously intermittent for some reason so will end here.
Anyway, here's a brief rundown of where we've been:
Monument - where you can climb up 311 steps to fabulous views of the city and sing London's Burning as you learn about the great fire of 1666.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Mudlarking under Millennium Bridge - rather super new hobby I've been indoctrinated to by the harridan. At low tide you can get onto the Thames and rummage around for washed up treasures such as 400 year old clay pipes, pieces of broken pottery, huge ancient animal bones, bizzarrely tied up photos of unknown ladies and the security pass of one woman who I would suppose had her wallet stolen and the unwanted contents ditched in the river. The kids loved it, and so did I.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Coram's Fields / British Museum - Big playground in central London with revered zipline slide and (rather limited I thought) city farm. Passed a morning there with Taya and when she fell asleep in the buggy after lunch I nipped over for (shamefully) my first visit to the British Museum. Cue obligatory photo of the ceiling.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Holland Park - Lovely park off Kensington High Street with an adventure playground, peacocks, rose-ringed parakeets, squirrels, giant chessboard (just typed CHEESEboard, which would be infinitely better!) and Japanese garden. You wouldn't believe you were in zone 2. Absolutely gorgeous and will definitely be going back, especially in the summer.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
The Museum of Childhood / Gallery Cafe - This trip almost doubled up as another "I used to live here!" jaunt but I managed to restrain myself from traipsing down Bethnal Green Road to show Taya a window above a kitchen shop. Instead we perused the toys in the Museum of Childhood with me mentally noting all the ones I had as a child and wondering what happened to them. Also, why on EARTH was there a box version of Hangman?! Simple pen and paper not good enough for your kids? Why, try this plastic tile version instead with a sinister Arthur Daley character on the front! As for that Fisher Price hospital, we still have one at my Mum's. We followed up with a delicious hot chocolate and chocolate muffin in the vegan / veggie eatery across the road called the Gallery Cafe. Yum.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
The Barbican Centre / Museum of London / Postman's Park - Called into the Barbican Centre briefly en route to the Museum of London and was charmed by the huge venue / performance spaces. I should definitely book to see some cultural event or another there. The Museum was charming and interesting but Taya does like to sprint around museums or find display screens and press all the buttons so that lessens the enjoyment somewhat. Afterwards we visited Postman's Park which has a wall commemorating people who have lost their lives saving others. Lots of kids saving siblings from drowning, folks pushing others out of the road only to get run over themselves etc. Quirky and interesting.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Okay my photos are driving me crazy as I can't reposition them as I'd like. Also my broadband is ridiculously intermittent for some reason so will end here.