Holidays in UK: Day out in London

This time, we had opted to fly to UK using Malaysian Airlines.  They don't fly KL-Manchester anymore so we had to route through Heathrow.  Dear Hubby thought it would be fun to see London on our way home to KL, just before the hordes of people descend upon it for the Olympics.

It didn't seem like a good idea when we landed in Heathrow after a 7am flight from Liverpool and found BMI had screwed up with our stroller.   We'd asked for Connor's stroller to be offloaded at Heathrow and it'd been tagged for that.  Instead some bright luggage guy decided to lump it together with all our bags and checked it right through to KL.  I didn't fancy wandering the streets of London for hours without one!

Fortunately BMI offered us a loan stroller and it was a really good one!  It folded up very easily and into a very compact size, it had a flip on-flip off hood and a big basket underneath.  Problem solved... on to London!

Our first stop was Westminster.  Connor has always been very fond of clocks (just as I was as a child) and I thought it would be a real treat for him to see a REALLY BIG clock.   He was and as a result of our London trip, is now completely obsessed with Big Ben.  

What a lovely British summer we're having.....

We were there the Friday before the opening of the Olympics and everywhere had been Olympic-fied.  This is Connor with one of the mascots.  I don't know which one it is.  They were the ugliest and weirdest mascots ever and Connor needed some persuasion before he would stand in front of it.

Here's another one of them weirdo mascots!  Connor's got this WTF??? look as he looks at the mascot. Dear Hubby looked at it and said "I know of something else that's a one-eyed monster but I won't say it because we've got children here.... mwahahaha..."  Dear Hubby also questioned why a one-eyed monster was put right under the sign "Swallow Street".    I'm not explaining this one if you can't get it!

Regent St had been decorated with the flags of all the participating countries for the Olympics.  Imagine my delight when I found my flag!  "Look Connor!  That's Mummy's flag!"  And thanks to Lee Chong Wei and Pandelela, our flag was flown at the Olympics twice - thank you for trying so hard and for making us so proud of you!  MALAYSIA BOLEH!

This is what we call a real bear hug.  Ever since I read about Hamley's in Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, I told myself I would see it before I die.  And I have because this is the bear outside Hamley's.  But er... I still don't want to die yet.  The staff look like they're having a ball demonstrating the toys to the public.  There's even a guy whose job is to change the worn out batteries in the demonstration toys.  

Connor was bedazzled by all on offer and we spent far too long in there.  I don't know how we managed to make our way out without buying a single toy.

HUSBAND!  Why were you taking photos of random hot women during OUR holiday!  Sleep on couch!  Tonight!  Forever!

(Actually he was as surprised as I to find this picture in our collection of holiday snaps but once he'd zoomed in on her... erm... assets, he was most pleased he'd captured this shot and we both agreed we would keep it for the fun of it)

 It was just a few hours spent in London but the effects have been enormous.  Scenes of London figured prominently on our telly for weeks after due to the Olympics and because we'd been there so recently, it was fresh in Connor's memory and he was SO excited to see it on telly.  It made teaching geography so much easier as he was being given many reminders of the places he'd seen.  It's also started Connor on learning how to tell time, a natural progression given he's staring lovingly at Big Ben for a large part of the day.  Nothing like hands-on education to make the subject come alive for the student.

We'll have to go back to London for a proper holiday next time... but I fear we'll spend most of it parked outside Big Ben while our son worships it...