Parents Lost… ok ok, it sounds dramatic but thanks to both our Apple phones (I was made to have one as “G” got sick of my old android, it never picked up a signal in the house, so I got told to use her old Apple and yes it works!) deciding to do crazy stuff, one being sent on a massive hike from waterloo station to get to kings cross station (just to see platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter, but we found it a little disappointing plus the fact the queue was ridiculous and you had to PAY!)
The satnav said 25-minute walk, ok not to bad (we thought) with the kids, 50 minutes later! with ASBO screaming that his legs were falling off and me now 1/2 an inch shorter due to carrying Tiddlie (for the last part) on my shoulders we completed the hike.
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Before we got to Kings cross tho, the second glitch happened, happily following the SatNav and at waterloo station (we needed to cross the Thames) both our phones decided to run out of juice! one minute full power the next dead, Now for two Londoners it should not have been a problem but 18 years have passed since we both moved to sunny Devon and so much has changed in the Smoke (LDN).
Stormy over Waterloo Bridge
On the way into Central London, we both were shocked at the number of buildings that have disappeared and in their place “Posh” Flats, not just one, but many buildings have gone and in their place glass contemporary shells, where people can show off that they have a studio flat with a church pew sized balcony, this overlooking the railway, but with an Waitrose local food store on the ground floor and a 24-hour gym, with a nursery and a bar-restaurant all for £800k (Very much like the film High-Rise with Tom Hiddleston).
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Due to all these changes, us two “Ex-Londoners” got a bit lost, We started the day well, we made it with the 4 children to the Imperial War Museum (IWM) via walking and trains, we had a good look around, but for all the good of the IWM it was hot in there, really hot and one by one the children started flagging, we lost count of the times ASBO asked us to leave and that he was tired, Tiddlie’s eyes started spinning around and Tibbius went walkabout in the museum which gave us a few heart attacks.
We dragged the kids quickly around and then mummy went into the shop! (which for a museum was very good and had some great gifts), finally, I persuade mummy that she had been a while now and the kids needed fresh air we, went outside.
Suddenly outside all seemed well, ASBO went back to his normal shade of white from the hot and bothered red, Tibbius stayed with us, Tiddlie started talking properly again and not mumbling and Squash started asking sensible questions, and not the “attention” wind you up ones, all was good and then they saw the “PLAYGROUND”.
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20 minutes in a playground properly did not help with the hike we were about to undertake, if we had known the route would be so long we would have gone on a bus, but what a way to knacker out the children.
Although the Satnav route (when our phones did try to work) was long, it ended up being a great sightseeing trip, walking around, looking at the architecture, going through little cobbled streets, seeing the new artisan shops from stand-alone donut makers charging £4.50 a donut! (they did look good) to Scottish outfitters and a cheese and champagne restaurant, we walked behind the British Musume and through Covent garden and into a garden square, it reminded us of the beauty of London.
Finally at St Pancras London (the home to the Eurostar) and Squash being train mad and in London wanted to see his (for the moment) favorite train, well firstly, there were 4 of the trains all nicely shining, lined up like an episode of Thomas the tank engine, and for my part, I did say “don’t wet your self Squash” to his reply jokingly “I have! Wow……”.
Shiney Euro Star
What a station, even has a Fortnum & Masons! and everywhere so clean, and more glass (I’m thinking that if ever I go back to London to live I will train to be a window cleaner!) windows and shop walls, I was very impressed.
We had started the day missing the fast train and bordering the “all stops to LDN Waterloo train” and returned back to base on the same slow train, but due to these trains, we saw where London is heading and it’s a futuristic new glass world.
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