Staycation in London with two grandchildren (3 and 8mths).
My daughter brought the boys down on Saturday 30 July, arriving at 11:30 in the morning, so we decided to spend the afternoon on Barnes Common, taking fishing nets and buckets to see what we could find in Beverley Brook: lots of tiddlers, freshwater shrimps and a leech. The highlight for the three year old (Sam) was not the fish but was falling in: “Can we go home and get changed so I can come back and do it again!” His mother said no.
On the Sunday we went to the Wetlands Centre, in Barnes. The feeding of the otters was the definite highlight of this trip but I think that was surpassed for Sam when afterwards we visited Castlenau Rec (our local children’s park). This has a large paddling pool and he was stripped and splashing before we could even think about a towel!
On Monday we drove to Ruislip Lido to meet up with a University Friend of my daughter’s and her little boy (age 2). The boys played in the sand, threw stones in the water and thoroughly enjoyed the area. Lots of play equipment , easy parking, picnic tables, v]clean toilets and a café if needed. We went on the little steam train which was very good value and the children slept on the way home.
On Tuesday we visited the Science Museum. We had been to the Natural History Museum on their last visit and queued for 45 mins to get in. Today the queues for that were even longer but at the Science museum- next door: no queue. Sam loved the rockets, the one that opened so another one came out and the V2 rocket that exploded, the revolving earth(this also entranced the 8mth old)the clocks and the cross section flushing toilet with poo in it. We went to the bubble show and while it was good it was surpassed by the giant bubble show outside by a street artist.
Wednesday peace returned to the house as they left after breakfast: it was suddenly very quiet!
