London

Current work: (whispers – I am working, honest)
Listening to: Joe Lynn Turner
Reading: not at the mo, focused on writing

So – London. Caught the train on time, breakfast of bacon baguette and a latte on the train, caught the Circle line at Liverpool Street to South Kensington… and at Aldgate, all of two stops away, the train was evacuated. Apparently here was a lone black case with an airline label on our train and the security people were not happy. Sigh. It was probably some poor person who’d left their case accidentally, but in the current world situation they couldn’t take a risk. (Take rant against terrorists as read. This is half term, so a high proportion of passengers this week are children. These people need a conscience and a dose of reality.)

So we walked down to the river, over Tower Bridge

[son and Madam by Tower Bridge]

and headed for HMS Belfast. Spent three hours wandering round the ship (involved lots of ladders so I reckon that counts as a week’s exercise *g*). Here's Madam on the deck below the waterline (the waterline starts at the top of the blue bit).

And son sitting on the Admiral's chair (not quite pretending to be Nelson, but getting that way...)

Lovely view of the Tower of London from the ship:



And then we went back to the tube station via the Roman Wall (c'mon, with the book I'm writing just now, of course I wanted the inspiration).
We headed to the Science Museum, on the birthday girl's request. It was boiling hot and so packed you couldn’t get near any of the hands-on exhibits, so DH had the bright idea of going to Harrods’ toy department. £15k for a kid’s electric car, anyone? Or £95k for a golf buggy? Or how about £100 for a babygro? (A Dior one... really practical and value for money for something that'll last a month before baby grows out of it and will probably end up being washed every day. Am glad I bought all mine from M&S.)

Also browsed in an estate agent’s window and it was shocking. A WEEKLY rental of £6k? Or you could buy a 1-bed flat for just over a million pounds… How the other half live. (I would much rather earn less and have my lifestyle.)

So we ended up in Hamley’s. Birthday girl got a bear and this drawing board thingy (was rip-off but by this point DH and I were knackered and this averted a potential tantrum in Oxford Street in the rush hour. She promises no more tantrums after she turns 7 next week. Yeah, right).

Anyway. Was an interesting day. Next time we go to London as a family it’s for my birthday, and we are going where I want to go (i.e. the Tutankhamun exhibition in Greenwich – OK, they want to go too, but this is my bright idea and we’re going with my best friend too). Ice cream and cake will also be involved (apologies to my diet buddies – some days I just have to be Bad Kate and my birthday usually lasts for at least three weekends and half term).

Today I’m working on two books. Fiction, and also pics for nonfiction book #2. Haven’t visited Thetford in years so we might drop in to the museum while we’re there. Then we’ll see my dad on the way home, and I need to persuade DH to drop me home before he does the weekly shop for me… Also desperately need to go to post office or I am in severe trouble.