London Reccy

We will be taking the Brownies to London again this year and we are looking for an alternative to Crystal Palace, so I took COG to London to check some 'do-ables' out. HWMBO came along with the promise of a trip to 'David Bowie is' at the V&A.

We started with a breakfast at the Perkin Reveller, not one for the Brownies for sure, but needed to soothe my soul.  They do tea properly.  HWMBO kept up his usual form of not being able to be taken anywhere by breaking a tea pot.

The reason for being down that way was to go to the Tower Bridge exhibition, this is definitely one for the Brownies, there is enough in there to keep them interested, just enough views and interactive without it being too expensive, too intense or taking too long. 

We could have spent much longer in there than we did. But we rushed on to get to the V&A on time for our timed ticket.

The sun had come out and it was over 5C so all the children were paddling and the court yard was packed full of people drinking quite appalling coffee.  I guess parents must travel with towels and clothes changes whenever visiting a city museum.  It was never on my list of 'must takes' when COG was young.

The 'David Bowie is' exhibition was over full and over priced.  HWMBO liked it but for me it didn't touch the House of Lennox we saw last time and that was free.  I've been really looking forward to it for months and left feeling slightly deflated.

Still, onwards and upwards...up the Monument.  311 steps up the inside of a tower built in 1677 to mark the start of the great fire of London.  At the time if would have been one of the tallest buildings around.

Whilst quite overshadowed now, it still has views of London that are hard come by unless you work in the buildings close by.

Construction continues all around,  which I guess shows that the economy is moving but the crane count across the skyline probably still isn't high enough.

I'm not sure the Monument is going on the Brownie list, it is cheap to get in and if you have strong thighs, worth the walk up on a lunch hour if you are down that way but not one for herding tiddlers to.

We walked from the Monument to the Tate, had a late lunch at the Tate Modern cafe, which I recommend, and then another wander along the South Bank.

The south bank is always an interesting place to take a walk.  These people were just doing some acro post picnic in a quiet corner by the National Theatre which we snuck into for a toilet trip, they weren't 'performing' at all.  Interesting to watch for a while though.

As was the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream through the open doors of the Globe.


It was a funny sort of day, not at all like one COG and I usually have in London.  It's like our familiar balance was tipped by HWMBO'd being there too. It felt very strange sat back on the train home and not a single shopping bag in sight!