London

Righty - report as promised.

London. It was son’s birthday trip and I discovered a couple of months back that there was a new film museum in London, near the Eye, called Movieum. I visited MOMI (the Museum of Moving Image) with my best friend some years back, loved every second of it… and sadly it closed years ago. There really has been a gap in London museums since, so I was delighted to discover that Movieum had opened. The official site mentioned an animation section, so I thought it would be right up son’s street. Plus I discovered there was an Ardman exhibition in Bury Street.

We didn’t tell Madam (she cannot keep a secret), so son had absolutely no idea where he was going, except that it was in London and his mother was very pleased with herself for discovering it (!).

Day started off quite mizzly, but by the time we reached Liverpool Street it had dried up.

Had intended to work, but it seems the PDA doesn't like dealing with a 52,000-word file (or maybe it doesn't like 'track changes' sections, though I know it can cope with highlight). So I ended up being Good Mummy and playing cards with Madam, while DH read the paper and son had his nose in a book all the way.

Started at the Movieum in County Hall:

Kids thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the bit where you acted in front of a green screen. Oh, and playing with light sabres that really do light up and make sounds...

Fairly obvious why the gong doesn't have the (um, word block here... the thing used to hit the gong) with it, but it would've been nice to pose with it. However, this is second best. (Son is 5ft 2, by the way, so this gives you a clue to just how big the gong is.)

From there, went to High Street Kensington for lunch; then to a gallery in Bury Street (near Jermyn Street) to see the Ardman exhiibition. (Was v small but interesting.)

Then to the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaurs etc. This has to be one of my favourite buildings in London - it’s just beautiful.

(That's a giant caterpillar in front of it, btw - there was a butterfly exhibition.)

Every time we go, I notice something different about the building. This is a close-up of the roof.

Then it was time to see the dinosaurs - both the skeletons

and the animatronic one.

Discovered some interesting things about arachnids: spiders have 3 sorts of hair - one to hear, one to taste (ie open ends) and one touch-sensitive; and male crab spiders tie up their chosen mate in a 'bridal veil' web so the female doesn't grab him and have him for dinner.

Saw a dodo.

Then up to the earth galleries to look at stuff about volcanoes (actually, this counted as research for my current Modern Heat - and there was a desert rose) and earthquakes and the solar system.

Then it was back to the train station; glad we allowed extra time to eat as the Tube closed for an emergency.

Bit footsore today - we did 32,616 steps. (Yup, you did read that correctly. So this means I can be a slug and not move from my desk for the next two days, yes?)

Today: dragged myself out of bed (was a mistake to start reading Anya Seton’s ‘Katherine’ – good read and I was distracted). Plan is to spend the day working, and hopefully will get the peace and quiet to let me finish the revisions. (Not happening at the moment, but am going to have major hissy fit in a moment. If they’d let me work in peace at the weekend and on Monday, I could've taken today off. But this is the consequence. )