Family fun in London

Laura Sharples on 22 June 2018
FFor Bank Holiday weekend we decided to choose to go to London on the train and spend a few days seeing the sights!

We stayed at the Radisson Blu Bloomsbury which was a great location, only 10 minutes’ walk from Euston Station and only 10 minutes’ walk to Oxford Street, the hotel was clean, and the children loved the free sweet stand in reception. We had both of our rooms upgraded too - the rooms were a little small, but we weren't in them too long so managed fine. We had breakfast once in the hotel, it was pricey but freshly prepared to order and delicious.

We split the days up a little, so the children didn't get tired to early or bored doing similar things all day.

Princess Diana Memorial Park and Science and Industry Museum.

A lovely park with plenty for the children to play on, just next to the park is a great little café selling sandwiches, pizzas and ice creams. The Science and Industry is the best museum for children as there are so many interactive parts, it really keeps their attention and its free to go in too! Later this evening we picked up some bargain last minute tickets for Wicked and it didn't disappoint the dancing and singing was perfect and all of us had different favourite parts.

The Shard and Madame Tussauds.

Wow what a view. I don't even like heights and I was amazed at how breath taking it was. We had booked our tickets and I was pleased, it was much cheaper, and the queue was probably 40 minutes long, so we avoided that. There’s a great little Champagne bar at the top too. Madame Tussauds was great fun, the children enjoyed posing next to the celebrities and the Marvel superhero show was very well thought out with 4D effects!

Hop on hop off bus Tour and Tower of London.

The commentary on the bus tour is the best way of going around London and listening to facts, the bus even had a children's channel to tune into, so they could remain focused and pick up facts too. Again, the Tower of London was fun and informative. My son really didn't want to go to the Tower of London but seeing the prisons and listening again to the children's commentary he was soon leading our family, listening to the instructions of where to go next and pointing out what we should have been looking for.

Shopping and St Pauls Cathedral

My youngest was studying the Great fire of London at school to we stopped by Pudding Lane and St Pauls for some leaflets and photos to help with her homework. Finally, some shopping! My teenage daughter and I had been waiting to go shopping and see Harrods and Liberty's etc. They didn't disappoint - they are beautiful buildings. We didn't go mad buying lots as we hadn't won the lottery but picked a couple of souvenirs up. The younger ones wanted to go in Hamley's - with 6 floors it’s any child's dream shop!

Shattered and after so much fun we came home having ticked lots off our to do in London list yet still eager to plan the next trip down to tick many more things off again.