Autumn in London
With no firm plans for the afternoon, we dropped our bags at the hotel then headed over the road straight into Hyde Park where we chanced upon the Princess Diana Memorial Playground - entry is only permitted if you are in possession of a child, and through a manned gate, so it is a very safe environment. We had trouble persuading Ruby that there was so much more for us to see but it was nigh on impossible to get her off the pirate ship, especially as she had climbed right up to the top to be the look-out! What a fantastic place to take younger children, with plenty of seating for the grown-ups, toilets and a small cafe, it would be easy to while away several hours. We found a great lake-side cafe in the park called the Lido, where we had a lovely lunch and rested our aching legs before setting off for the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. It wasn't warm enough to dip your toes in, but plenty of children were lying on the side getting wet up to their elbows!
Hyde Park in autumn is glorious. With the leaves already turned from green to red, copper and golden yellow, and freshly fallen leaves carpeting the ground, the views were mesmerising. And the squirrels are surprisingly curious, coming within inches of us, hoping for titbits no doubt, as they readied their stores for winter.
We finished our meanderings that day in Selfridges and ended up in the toy department where a few sneaky purchases were made that are now safely stashed with Santa until Christmas.
Sunday saw us rising early and after a hearty breakfast we set off for our 10am flight aboard The London Eye. The thirty minute trip gave us all time to take in the amazing views high above the city and for miles beyond. Ruby was desperate to go on the Duck Tour afterwards but we had been unable to secure tickets even a few weeks prior to going. On the off-chance they'd had a cancellation for five, we called into their office and they had just arranged to lay on an extra trip for lunchtime! What luck! What smiles!
We passed the time wandering up to Whitehall, Downing Street and the Cenotaph then headed back for the ride of our life! The Duck Tour is a must-do in London, even if you haven't taken any children with you! The bright yellow amphibious vehicles take you through the streets on a tour and then down a slipway into the Thames - it's a lovely way to see the sights from a different perspective and the guide was very informative and also very funny!
The afternoon was spent visiting Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Piccadilly before heading up Regent Street. Then to fire up a flagging 6 year old, we hit Hamleys toy store! Luckily she was hungry when we went in, otherwise I think we would still be in there to this day! Five (or was it six?) floors of child heaven - old favourites, new favourites, gadgets, gimmicks and all the must-haves that will be on every child's Christmas List, all under one roof.
Our final morning was spent at the Science Museum. I wasn't too sure that we had made the right choice for Ruby as she is fascinated, like many a 6 year old, by dinosaurs, but she keeps telling everyone it was the best part of the trip. I’d had a tip off to get there before opening time and once inside to head straight to the third floor, as most people work their way up. The third floor is aimed at children of all ages and has loads of interactive, hands-on things to do to fire up their imaginations and get them thinking. Within the hour it was packed so we spent the rest of the morning exploring the other parts of the museum. A great day out.
If you've enjoyed reading my journal and would like some help planning your own trip to London, I'd love to hear from you.