If you do not have school-age children yet, you likely are not aware that this week is half-term. Many small playgroups will be closed and the museums will be packed but there is still on lot going on for even the teeniest of the Under Five’s in Central London.
The Westminster Children’s Centres and the neighbourhood pools will be open; you should ring ahead just to confirm that the times have not changed. Battersea 1 O’clock club will also remain open from 1 – 4 daily for the under fives.
If you want to fight the crowds, the Museum of London has some amazing activities for the over 3’s, as does the Transport Museum (£10 per adult with no fee for children, or £30 for an annual family pass). The V and A has a ceramic workshop where you can make beads or plates. The Foundling Museum and the National Gallery have storytelling sessions. The Tate has a great Halloween session. Whole Foods Market will have some activities as listed below.
Continue reading "Free and affordable half-term and Halloween suggestions for the under fives in central London ..." »
Whether you’re brand new to London or have lived there all your life, “24 Hours: London” has something for you. Catering to everyone from tourists to foodies, shopaholics and spa addicts, this dynamic guide is packed full of well-known and totally unusual things to do in London. You’ve seen the Changing of the Guards, but what about the Guard’s Museum?
This user-friendly guide gives you opening hours, contact information, travel directions and even tube stops. What makes it unique however, is how the information is presented. Author Marsha Moore breaks down the day, hour by hour, around the clock and gives you the best London has to offer. Jet-lagged and raring to go at 5 in the morning? Bored at 3pm? No problem, Moore has plenty of suggestions. From fish markets to phantom houses, bat-walks to burlesque teas, Marsha Moore covers it all!
Continue reading "You’ve seen the Changing of the Guards, but what about the Guard’s Museum? " »
The whole family is suffering from colds at the moment. I rarely got colds before our son was born and now in his ten months of life, I’ve lost count of the number of colds we’ve all had and how many sick days my husband’s taken!
Being ill with a baby is in itself something challenging too. You can’t just have a duvet day and wallow in your own self-pity when there’s a little one to look after. They are miserable with their sniffles and you are miserable with yours and it all makes for some long days. Parents of older children tell us how it only gets worse, as once they attend school they pick up bugs all the time.
In a desperate attempt to reduce the number of colds we get (as we move into prime cold-catching season), I researched cold prevention and the best ways to deal with a cold when you do have one. I learnt that I don’t spend long enough washing my hands – you’re meant to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice as a measure of how long to wash and rub your hands.
Continue reading "The curse of the common cold" »
Yes, I know it’s too early for Christmas carols but I can never resist a pun, so this is just a quick update on my night up West with one of my favourite gal pals – Ruthy Ruth who helped me get my work mojo back many months ago. We loved The Ivy – all swank and bubbles, a fab place for a pre theatre supper if ever I found one.
The show was great too.
Continue reading "star struck….the holly and the ivy…" »
