Not
so many outings in November, as we steel ourselves for
the excesses of Christmas. But we did manage to slip
in a day trip to London, organised at the last minute
when the original intention had been for Grandad L and
Bridget to visit a couple of aunts in Sussex. Circumstances
meant that the visit didn't come off, so at a loose
end we hopped on the Chiltern Railways and headed for
the Museum
of London, which we'd not been to before as a family.
The
Museum of London covers the Great Fire of London (not
very well it must be said) and the subsequent rebuilding.
So what better way to show the boys one of the landmark
buildings, St
Paul's Cathedral. In the shadow of St Paul's is
Paternoster
Square, a much reviled 60's concrete jungle which
has recently been flattened and rebuilt in more striking,
but also sympathetic style.
We
took a trip west to Hamley's
toy shop to find the Regent's Street was closed to
traffic (wonderful!) because the Christmas lights
were being turned on that very night. The theme of
the lights this year is one of the boy's favourite
cartoons, Ice Age (getting ready for Ice Age 2, released
next April). There was a stage set up with a number
of acts performing live, plus some of the characters
from the movie - including Scrat, the little creature
that keeps looking for acorns. James says it's a leptictidium.
As
it was getting late we decided to eat out, and ended
up in TGI
Friday's (near Leicester Square). Amazingly for
a Saturday night they had a table for all five of us
right away. As usual, Matthew polished off a considerable
amount of chocolate pudding.
At
Grandma W's church in Salisbury they were planning a
Christmas tree festival, with a large number of groups
or individuals contributing a tree decorated in some
style of their choosing. When we visit the church the
boys join the Sunday School, and helped out by making
fishes and sea horses to hang on their tree. And we
got to keep the craftwork after the exhibition too!
Now it's starting to feel like Christmas is coming.....
