Taking a Tour Up Big Ben!

Robert, aged 10 says: Last week I had one of the best experiences that I’ve ever had in London and, if you’ve read the name of this post, you’ll know that it was having a tour of Big Ben. We were in the iconic clock tower for around an hour and the 60 minute tour included walking up 334 steps, watching all the machinery move in order to ring the bells, plus standing less that a metre away from the Big Ben when it rang for ten o’clock.

[caption id="attachment_2410" align="alignnone" width="900"] Standing in front of Big Ben[/caption]

Jess, aged 14, writes: We walked into the building at around quarter to nine, and had to go through security before we could get inside. This was an experience in itself, as I felt strangely important! Soon, a man named Tim gathered the group together, gave us lanyards, and outlined what was going to happen in the tour. The tour was comprised of around six groups, and there were about fifteen of us altogether. We would walk up the Elizabeth Tower to the Belfry (stopping to catch our breath on the way), learn how the clock works, and eventually see Big Ben being rung at 10am.

We were escorted to the base of the tower, and began by walking up around 100 steps. The spiral staircase was relatively steep, but the journey only took a few minutes, so we sat down to regain our energy in the first room, while Tim told us the history of the tower. Every single room in the tower is "U" shaped, as there are three large weights running through a shaft in the centre of the tower. These weights control the clock and the bells, and it was pretty cool to know that these were right behind us!

We learnt that Big Ben was built after a fire in the Palace of Westminster in 1834, and a competition was held to find the best design for the new building. Architect Charles Barry's entry (which included a prominent clock tower) won, leading onto a competition to find a design for a really accurate clock. The best clocks in those times were accurate to one minute, and the architects wanted it to be accurate to one second, which caused a lot of problems. The stories Tim told us were fascinating, and there were many more than the ones I've written here...

[caption id="attachment_2411" align="alignnone" width="1175"] The faces of the clock were so big when we were up close to them.[/caption]

Robert says: After another, shorter journey up the spiral staircase we opened a second door and what we saw when we walked inside was breathtaking. We were looking directly at one of the giant white clock faces near to the top of the tower. The whole circle was nearly three times my height and as it was a sunny day, we could clearly see the minute hand moving slowly every two seconds. We looked at all four clock faces but you can’t see through them and we were also told about the giant light bulbs suspended on all of the walls to light the clock faces up in the night time. Some parts of the clock face were an orange colour as they were quite new and in each clock face there was one part that could open and you could see outside.

Jess writes: Next, we made our way up to the machinery room. For someone interested in robotics and mechanics, I was utterly enthralled - the giant gears were arranged in a complex way and I really wanted to find out how they worked. Luckily, Tim was there to explain. We were shown the pendulum, which swings every two seconds to affect the minute hand on the clock. We were all amazed by the stack of coins above the pendulum, which help to regulate the speed at which it is swinging. Adding or removing one coin will change the speed of the hand by 0.4 seconds in a day.

Soon, it was quarter to ten, so we got to be inside the room while the bells were going off. This was a brilliant sight, and we loved hearing the weights drop and seeing parts of the machinery spinning right in front of us!

Robert says: For the final part of the tour we walked up the last few steps and entered the belfry. The wind was blowing in our faces, we could see a beautiful view of the London skyline, and right in the middle of the room was a massive bell, Big Ben itself. It was surrounded by four smaller bells which are needed as Big Ben only rings every hour. We were told that the bell we were looking at was actually the second Big Ben. The government wanted the bell to be exactly 14 stone and make a E natural note when rung. Unfortunately, when the first bell was created, it weighed the right amount but made the wrong note. The size of the hammer hitting the bell affects the sound, so to make an E natural they kept on increasing the hammer. Eventually the hammer was so big that it cracked the bell in half so they had to make a new one.

[caption id="attachment_2415" align="alignnone" width="900"] Big Ben seen from across Parliament Square[/caption]

The second Big Ben was paraded through the streets of London by horses to get to the tower where it was then hauled up by six men, which took over 35 hours. When hit, the new Big Ben made an E natural note, but just three months after it started being used it got a crack. Luckily, the crack didn't go all the way around so they put a hole on either side to stop the crack spreading. This meant that the bell still didn't make the right sound.

After the explanation we put on our ear plugs and waited for ten o’clock. What we heard next was the amazing but also the loudest thing I've ever heard. After the four smaller bells rung we saw the big black hammer hit Big Ben and we heard the noise which thousands of other people heard, a massive ringing sound just we heard it a hundred times louder. After the bell was hit ten times everything was vibrating, we took one last look at the scene that surrounded us then started the tiresome journey back down.

Jess writes: Soon, our tour was over. We had all had such a fantastic time, and it was such an intriguing and unique opportunity to learn all about the Big Ben. Not only had I really enjoyed the tour, I also felt as though I had been a part of something really special. I definitely recommend going on a tour of this building.

We all loved our tour of Big Ben and would highly recommend it. It is only available for UK residents, and you need to apply via your local MP (we just emailed). There are tours three times a day, at 9am, 11am and 2pm and it really is a fantastic experience, especially being inside the tower and seeing the back side of the clock, and then hearing bells ring from inside the belfry. Tours are free, but you have to be over 11 (Robert is very nearly 11 and we told them this in advance!)  and be able to walk up and down the 334 steps. However, you need to hurry as Big Ben is being closed for three to four years at the end of this year for renovations!

More on us walking up famous buildings:

The Monument to the Fire of London (by Robert)

The Eiffel Tower – with our tips for visiting with kids

What to do in Greenwich (by Robert - and Sarah)

[caption id="attachment_1696" align="alignnone" width="940"] View of Greenwich from the Royal Observatory[/caption]

Robert and I had a brilliant time exploring Greenwich last week and we couldn’t believe we were still in London! It really is such a beautiful place and much calmer than the centre of town. We loved the views and all the many things we got up to.  In fact we could have stayed for longer.

This is all written by Robert, aged 10:

Royal Observatory

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could stand in two time zones, if you could time travel just by walking a few steps forward? Well you can do all that and loads more at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. As well as finding out the history of clocks, watches and sun dials and even seeing the first ever time telling machine you get to stand on the Meridian Line.

[caption id="attachment_1704" align="alignnone" width="940"] Standing across the Meridian Line at Greenwich[/caption]

If you didn’t already know about GMT, Greenwich is the home of time in the world so it’s a very important place. The meridian line goes all the way from the North to the South Pole and splits the world into eastern and western Hemispheres, so if you are standing on the line you are in two different times at once. It is very cool.

After going to the Observatory, we went on to see a show in the only Planetarium in London (the Peter Harrison Planetarium), and played some interactive space games. We also touched a meteorite that dates back billions of years which was very cool. And after all that, we had a rest at the top of the hill and gazed at the wonderful views.

We also went to the National Maritime Museum which was excellent and which I have written about here. You must go here if you come to Greenwich.

Need to know: The Royal Observatory (which includes the courtyard and also Flamsteed House which teaches you all about time) costs £9.50 for adults and £5 for children. You can also pay £18.50 for adults and £8.50 for children and get a joint ticket for the Observatory and the Cutty Sark (see below...)

Entry to the Planetarium is free, but we paid £5.50 for Robert to see a show there. 

Emirates Air Line and Aviation Experience

[caption id="attachment_1706" align="alignnone" width="940"] View of the O2 and Thames from the cable car[/caption]

If you wanted to see London’s Landmarks in a different way why not go on the Emirates airline, the only urban cable car in the UK? Travelling all around Britain’s capital city, 90 metres above the Thames isn’t something you do very often. We were put in a pod with four other people and then for the next 20 minutes we took loads of pictures and admired the scenery.

[caption id="attachment_1705" align="alignnone" width="940"] Trying out the Emirates Aviation Experience[/caption]

The Emirates Aviation Experience is epic as you get to fly a plane (not really though!) The simulation allows you to take off, fly or land a plane in different weathers and countries. In your 30 minute experience you first learn how to use all the different buttons, pedals and levers each one vital to prevent the plane that you are flying from crashing. Then you picked one of the sixteen countries, a time of day and weather, before zooming off the runway and into the air. Steering and accelerating are quite tricky at first but after a few minutes you get the hang of it. You can take a planned path across your chosen city or if you aren’t very good at that, like me, you can just fly around. When landing, you have an easier and harder option so you can do them both if you like. Remember that you can change the country so you don’t have to stay doing the same thing all the time. I really liked the experience even though I didn’t get that good a score.

We took the Thames Clipper from Greenwich to the O2 (North Greenwich). It’s a very quick ride, but such fun to take a bus on the water! You also get the most magnificent views as you drive by.

Need to know: The Emirates Air line (cable car) costs £9 per adult and £4.50 per child (return), with a reduction for Oyster card users. It costs £45 to try out the Emirates Aviation Experience and fly a plane - up to four people can be involved in that session.
Thames Clippers depart every 20 minutes and prices vary, with reductions for Oyster card holders. 

The Cutty Sark

One thing better than seeing the fastest and greatest ship of its time, is going on the fastest and greatest ship of its time and that’s exactly what you can do in Greenwich. Inside the Cutty Sark, one of the most famous ships in the world, you can learn all about life on a boat, importing and exporting goods and even have a go at being the sailors.

[caption id="attachment_1702" align="alignnone" width="940"] Trying out a sailor's bed on the Cutty Sark[/caption]

It was so interesting to find out about men’s lives on the Cutty Sark as it was so different to the sea voyages nowadays. You got to touch, see and smell things of the past, play games and even go in various rooms of the ship. It was brilliant and even the cafe was cool - it was underneath the Cutty Sark.

Need to know: The Cutty Sark costs £7 for children and £13.50 for adults.

Discover Greenwich

If you arrive in Greenwich by boat, you get off right in front of Discover Greenwich. It is like a small museum which tells you about the area. It was interactive and interesting and I liked trying on a jousting helmet which was the size of one which Henry VIII would have worn. It was extremely heavy.

[caption id="attachment_1700" align="alignnone" width="768"] The painted hall at the Old Royal Naval College was very impressive[/caption]

Right nearby is the Old Royal Naval College, which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren (who also designed St Paul’s Cathedral). Mum thought this was very beautiful. We went to see the Painted Hall which is probably the largest painting in Europe. It was very impressive, full of things like animals and signs of the zodiac and with King William and Queen Mary painted in the middle. I enjoyed doing my own animal drawing too (you can do this throughout August).

If you come to London you should definitely see Greenwich. The scenery and artwork are beautiful and there are so many things to do. London isn’t all about being busy, noise and crowds; there’s also Greenwich.”

Need to know: The Old Royal Naval College and Discover Greenwich are both free (although they do ask for donations, which we gave). 

Sarah adds:

[caption id="attachment_1699" align="alignnone" width="940"] We took a City Cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich[/caption]

Getting to Greenwich:

We got to Greenwich via the River of course! We caught the boat via City Cruises, from Westminster Pier and had a lovely trip down the River Thames, past the many famous sights, including the London Eye, Tower of London, Globe Theatre and more. It is a great way to travel, and takes about an hour. However, you can also go via the train and also the DLR (Docklands Light Railway). We took the DLR back from Greenwich station and it’s good fun too – taking you through the city of London (which looks like New York with all its huge financial buildings). We went on the DLR back to Bank and then the tube from there, but it goes to a number of stations. You can also take the train (for example, from London Bridge station, and it’s only an eight minute ride to Greenwich). Anyway, back to the wonderful sights...

Need to know: City Cruises cost £8 for children and £16 for adults for a return to Greenwich, from Westminster.

Eating:

While we were in Greenwich we noticed that there were loads of restaurants and cafes, plus stalls in the market. We really enjoyed a delicious meal at the Rivington Grill, where the staff could not have been more helpful or the food nicer! Robert loved his fish and chips and mocktail, while I was extremely happy with all my food (a chilled tomato and basil soup was perfect), and in particular (ahem) my two desserts....

[caption id="attachment_1707" align="alignnone" width="940"] Robert loved his special mocktail at the Rivington Grill[/caption]

We also found a lovely little cafe right next to Greenwich market. Reddoor cafe even had vegan cake which Robert could eat (and yes, it was good.....)

Staying:

[caption id="attachment_1698" align="alignnone" width="940"] Robert liked relaxing in this chair at our hotel![/caption]

We think Greenwich is a wonderful place to stay when you’re in London as it’s not hectic but easy to get around. There are lots of B&Bs and hotels in the area and we stayed in the Mercure Hotel, which is around 15 minutes walk from the centre. We walked a lot on our short stay and, if you had very small children, you might want to be nearer the centre. However, the hotel is nicely set up for travellers, and is lovely and quiet with very friendly staff. We were also extremely impressed by the breakfast offerings (if you have poached eggs and waffles on the menu, then you’re a winner in my book). Rooms cost from £82 a night.

[caption id="attachment_1697" align="alignnone" width="940"] Delicious waffle with strawberries - (part of) my breakfast[/caption]

Disclosure: we were lucky enough to have our stay organised in conjunction with Visit Greenwich who covered the cost of our accommodation and the attractions listed in this piece. All our opinions, as always, are our own and Visit Greenwich had no input into this blog post.

The Monument to the Fire of London (by Robert)

Robert, who's ten, writes:

Last weekend in London when the sun was shining (that doesn't happen often!) Jess, Mum and I decided to walk up the Monument. If you didn't already know, it is a big stone sculpture, six and a half metres tall, with a viewing platform at the top and it was built in memory of The Great Fire of London in 1666.The Monument took 11 years to make and cost £13,450. It was made by Sir Christopher Wren, the person behind St Paul's Cathedral, and Dr Robert Hooke.

[caption id="attachment_1319" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Steps leading up to the top of The Monument[/caption]

The height of the monument is 202 feet exactly because if you pushed it over at a particular angle (that would be quite hard) it would land at exactly the spot where the fire started in Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane.

There are text and drawings on the side of the Monument (at the bottom) which most people miss, but you should check them out because they are cool. The words are in Latin so if you don't know the language, then read the translation below. They tell you about what happened and why the Monument was put up.

Walking up and down 311 steps - 622 altogether - may be quite a strain but the view at the top is magnificent. You can see the whole of London and unlike the Shard it has a proper purpose other than just a good view.

[caption id="attachment_1322" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The view from the top[/caption]

I also found out a lot of information on our trip. As well as a Monument of the Great Fire, lots of people thought it could be used for science experiments. Some thought they could use it for gravity tests, while other wanted to use it as a giant telescope.

 Another interesting fact I learnt was that in 1814, a donkey was led up and down the Monument without tripping once. I think that's pretty impressive.Although quite a short experience, we thought our visit to the Monument was brilliant fun and cheap. It costs just £2 for children and £4 for adults and you can also buy an interesting leaflet for £2, it includes facts about the monument and the Great Fire of London as well as a 360 degree photo explaining the different things you can see from the top.

[caption id="attachment_1321" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Pudding Lane, where the Great Fire of London began[/caption]

After your visit (make sure you are given your certificate for making it up to the top), you should definitely go and walk up Pudding Lane (which sadly, we learnt, is not named after the yummy puddings we love to eat, but after the bits of meat would fall from the carts coming down the lane from the butchers' market to the Thames). It is only a short walk away and although it is not a great big thing like a museum, it is epic standing where the great fire started.

The Monument is situated right next Bank/Monument Station (Northern Line and District and Circle tube lines), and is at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill. It is open from April to September from 9.30 to 6pm and from October to March from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

More by Robert on London:

 

Dr Johnson's House

The Churchill War Rooms

Five fantastic free things to do in London with kids

It's January and some of us are a bit short of cash (all those presents take it out of you, don't they?). So, I thought I would try to be useful. Here are 5 great free things to do in London. Save on entrance fees - and treat yourself to a coffee and cake instead....

Please note that, once I started on this post I realised that there are so many brilliant free things to do in London, we are all spoilt for choice. And I haven't even mentioned the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery which have some wonderful children's trails and often have workshops for kids too, nor the many city farms including Spitalfields and Kentish Town!

1) The Diana Memorial playground in Hyde Park

London has some absolutely gorgeous parks - perfect for the kids to let off steam. You can enjoy magnificent views from Primrose Hill in North London, or go boating in Regent's Park (one of my favourites). But if I only had to pick one for families, it would be the Diana playground.

Set up in memory of the former Princess, mother of Princes William and Harry, and located near her home at Kensington Palace, this play area is wonderful, imaginative, clean and fun. Aimed at children under 12, adults are only allowed in if they have a child with them and the masterpiece is the huge wooden pirate ship. Most children love this, enjoying the pulleys and ropes, walkways and more. It's all lovely and safe, surrounded by sand and has a lovely Peter Pan connection through various scenes from the famous story.

But there is more to it than the ship. There is a giant swing, tunnels, sensory trail and lots of sculptures to discover too. There are also enough toilet facilities, plus nappy-changing and a café. My only warning is that it can get extremely busy.

[caption id="attachment_947" align="aligncenter" width="940"] There is so much to see at the British Museum[/caption]

2) Enjoy the museums

This is the most obvious of my suggestions, but it's still worth emphasising. London has the most fantastic variety of museums and some of the best will cost you absolutely nothing to explore! Most of them also offer children's trails, activities and even backpacks which contain anything from puzzles to quiz questions and which you can borrow while you find out what's on offer.

Try the Natural History Museum if you crave some dinosaur action (but note that it is always busy), the Science Museum for hours of experimental fun (you can return to this one over and over again) and the British Museum for ancient Egypt, the Rosetta Stone and more. The Museum of London is a wonderful place to visit, with or without kids, and tends to be a little less busy than the others. There you can find out about anything from the capital in Roman times to the Great Fire. Its partner museum, the Museum of London in Docklands, is another gem, telling you about how important the Thames has been. It also has a lovely "mudlands" kids' play area.

 

[caption id="attachment_949" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Big Ben is just one of the landmarks you can see while walking around London[/caption]

3) Take a walk along the South Bank

This is my favourite part of London as it seems to sum up the history, beauty and bustle. I'd recommend that you take the tube or a bus to Westminster, where you can marvel at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, as well as explore Parliament Square and its multitude of statues (including one of Winston Churchill). Then cross the bridge (enjoying the views) and walk down towards the National Theatre (you're now on the South Bank!). You will pass the London Eye and Aquarium among other attractions, and also come upon various stalls as you make your way towards the Royal Festival Hall. If you want to keep walking, you can continue on past my favourite bridge (Tower Bridge) the Globe Theatre and Tate Modern, all the way to London Bridge and treat yourself at Borough Market. However, if you have young kids, they may not want to go this far! Wherever you end up, you'll love the views and get a real sense of what this fantastic city has to offer.

4) Somerset House

This beautiful Georgian building - once home to Anne of Denmark, Henrietta Maria and Catherine of Braganza - has a magnificent courtyard and offers some great views of the Thames from its balcony. But it's particularly worth a visit because of its summer fountains - which your kids will love jumping in and out of, and you might enjoy too - and its winter ice rink.

If you have older kids, you might enjoy one of the free guided tours (check for details, but these are usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays and some Saturdays). For children aged 6-12, there are regular family themed workshops (usually on the first Saturday of the month), with the next one, on Saturday February 7th, all about 3D mapping!

[caption id="attachment_951" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Visit the Tower of London late in the day and watch history come alive in front of you![/caption]

5) The Ceremony of the Keys

If you book this online, it will cost you £1, so it's not entirely free, but it's definitely worth it - even if you have to plan your visit in advance. When else do you get to go to a ceremony which has been performed regularly for 700 years?
The ceremony is at 9.30pm each evening, so may not be suitable for very young children, but it will excite most ages. It lasts about 40 minutes and is essentially the formal locking of the gates at the Tower by the Chief Yeoman Warder and his accompanying guards. The same wording is used each night, starting with "Halt, who comes there?" Not to be missed!

We'd also recommend The Changing of the Guard, Kenwood House, some of the London markets (although beware of pester power here) and many more!

Beautiful London: night-time poppies at the Tower of London and more

I feel very lucky to live in London, despite the crowds, the mess, the noise, the bustle. Because London is a fantastic city, full of a mix of wonderful people and containing the most fantastic art, culture and history.

On Sunday afternoon, Jess and I walked from the Museum of London (where we saw the Sherlock Exhibition, more on that soon) via Bank and to the Tower of London where we saw the poppies. The display is to mark 100 years since the start of World War I and although they are now being dismantled, but there are still more than enough to make an impact. What an impressive scene.

It was dark by the time we got there, which made it even more moving. And as we walked by the Thames, I was struck once again by the beauty of my home town.

[caption id="attachment_791" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The Shard on a foggy November evening[/caption]

Jess turned to me and told me how much she loved London too, and how there was nowhere else like it. She's right.

[caption id="attachment_790" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Tower Bridge on a foggy November night[/caption]

More from us on London:

Harry Potter, Platform 9 3/4 and the new King's Cross

The Drake Fun day at the Golden Hinde

 

London In The Summer With Kids By Jess

We love London; no surprise there! Out of the four people living in our house, three of us have lived in London for their whole life, and we all agree that it is an incredible place to visit. Lately, our family have been involved in two amazing projects to do with London, and they both were wonderful experiences.

Mum and Rob meeting the "Lord Mayor", Morris (as opposed to Boris!)

Firstly, we were invited to go to the opening of Top Trumps: 30 Things To See In London, where they launched their newest theme - all about London!

My brother Robert loves Top Trumps, so we were all very excited to attend the launch. We discovered that the new game would have information about different landmarks in London, and that children and their parents would be able to use the Top Trumps as a kid friendly tour of the best places to go to in the city.

Rob on an old bus in the transport museum

First of all, we were greeted by the Night-Mayor in front of the London Transport Museum, and were given a sheet full of questions about London landmarks. For half an hour we looked around the museum, and learnt cool facts about trains, buses and more. After this, we went on a bus and saw sights such as Big Ben and Tower Bridge. The day finished with a trip up the Shard, which was looads of fun.

Another amazing experience that Rob and I loved was helping to film a video about the best things to do in London, which is here. We were asked to get involved by Bound Round.



It was a really strange experience to be filmed and talk to a camera, but it was loads of fun and we love the video. We hope you find it useful!

Read more posts about London:

A Great Trip To Buckingham Palace By Me

The London Dungeons By Robert

London In The Summer With Kids By Jess

We love London; no surprise there! Out of the four people living in our house, three of us have lived in London for their whole life, and we all agree that it is an incredible place to visit. Lately, our family have been involved in two amazing projects to do with London, and really enjoyed them both.

Mum and Rob meeting the "Lord Mayor", Morris (as opposed to Boris!)

Firstly, we were invited to go to the opening of Top Trumps: 30 Things To See In London, where they launched their newest theme - all about London!

My brother Robert loves Top Trumps, so we were all very excited to attend the launch. We discovered that the new game would have information about different landmarks in London, and that children and their parents would be able to use the Top Trumps as a kid friendly tour of the best places to go to in the city.

Rob on an old bus in the transport museum

First of all, we were greeted by the Night-Mayor in front of the London Transport Museum, and were given a sheet full of questions about London landmarks. For half an hour we looked around the museum, and learnt cool facts about trains, buses and more. After this, we went on a bus and saw sights such as Big Ben and Tower Bridge. The day finished with a trip up the Shard, which was looads of fun.

Another amazing experience that Rob and I loved was helping to film a video about the best things to do in London, which is here. We were asked to get involved by Bound Round.



It was a really strange experience to be filmed and talk to a camera, but it was loads of fun and we love the video. We hope you find it useful!

Read more posts about London:

A Great Trip To Buckingham Palace By Me

The London Dungeons By Robert

A Harry Potter Walking Tour in London

Read more »

The Drake Fun Day at the Golden Hinde (by Robert)

The Drake Fun Day was awesome, funny, interesting and overall, a great day out.

It took place on the Golden Hinde II, which is a replica of the ship which Sir Francis Drake used to sail all round the world and attack Spanish ships with. It was the first ever English ship that circumnavigated (that means went all around) the world, and this happened when Queen Elizabeth was on the throne. The voyage took place from 1577 to 1580 and before Drake left, the Queen said to him " Sail around the world for England's glory."

We played games and learned facts from the Captain and his stupid, disgusting  assistant, Fart, who even wiped his finger (that he had used to scratch his his bottom) on me!

We played rock, paper scissors, Tudor sailing style. Captain was paper, officer was rock and sailor was scissors.


We also played hide and seek. We were trying to find the Spanish who Francis Drake hated. I was one of the people who hid and no one found me.

We also played a different version of Chinese Whispers, where we had to guess what the Queen was saying. The Queen let Francis Drake attack Spanish ships but in return she had to get half of the treasure that he stole.
No one was supposed to know that she was giving permission for this, so her majesty talked in code. We listened to a silly code like "birds and feet flavoured crisps" and then we had to guess which it actually meant, using some clues.

The captain's room where Sir Francis Drake would sleep.

We also learnt how to fire a minion (a sort of gun) using all sorts of powder, pig dung, sheep wool and lots more. There were 14 minions on the cannon deck.

I thought it was interesting that the people who built the ship
put most of the rooms with the weight at the bottom of the ship and barely any weight on the top of the ship so the ship didn't sink. We stood in the room next to the water, the ceiling was very low, only about 1.28 metres tall and you couldn't even stand up. There wasn't very much space, even though 80 sailors would have been on the ship and nearly all of them would have slept in that room (on the floor!).

You can see how small the rooms were. Jess is taller than the door!

I would recommend the Drake Fun Day to ages 7+ and  I would give it 5 stars *****.

An actor called Michael played Lowman Fart, while one called James played the captain

Sarah says: The Golden Hinde is situated right near London Bridge station. The Drake Fun Day cost £7 for adults and £5 for children, but we had a smartsave voucher which saved us 20 percent! The tour lasted for two hours and we thought it was good value, while there are regular guided tours and also sleepovers. It is also a lovely part of town, near the Clink (which we have written about before) and also near Borough Market, where we had lunch afterwards.

Also by me!

Our trip to Cadburyworld

Going back in time at Dr Johnson's house

The Drake Fun Day at the Golden Hinde (by Robert)

The Drake Fun Day was awesome, funny, interesting and overall, a great day out.

It took place on the Golden Hinde II, which is a replica of the ship which Sir Francis Drake used to sail all round the world and attack Spanish ships with. It was the first ever English ship that circumnavigated (that means went all around) the world, and this happened when Queen Elizabeth was on the throne. The voyage took place from 1577 to 1580 and before Drake left, the Queen said to him " Sail around the world for England's glory."

We played games and learned facts from the Captain and his stupid, disgusting  assistant, Fart, who even wiped his finger (that he had used to scratch his his bottom) on me!

We played rock, paper scissors, Tudor sailing style. Captain was paper, officer was rock and sailor was scissors.


We also played hide and seek. We were trying to find the Spanish who Francis Drake hated. I was one of the people who hid and no one found me.
Read more »

A Brilliant Time At Buckingham Palace (by Jessica)

My family and I spent an afternoon at Buckingham Palace. Here is what I thought...

We started our visit with a really cool audio guide, which takes you around the spectacular rooms of the palace and tells you a lot of facts. We did a lot of walking and it did take a long time, but the palace was exquisitely decorated and there was always something to look at. I loved this, as it was a lot of fun to do something different to normal .

I loved the throne room, as it was incredible to see the real throne that the Queen has sat on. The colour scheme was beautiful and I was surprised to know that many famous royal couples' wedding photographs (such as William and Kate) were taken there. Did you know that Queen Victoria sometimes used this room as a ballroom?

I was extremely interested to find out about the design and architecture of the Palace - especially the work of John Nash, who doubled the size by adding a new suite of rooms on the garden side. The picture gallery was amazing - so many pictures and loads of additional information. We probably spent about twenty minutes in there and (although it was great) Robert and I had to beg our parents to move into the next rooms!

The most exciting part of our visit was the special exhibition on the Queen's coronation. This consisted of many things, such as a film about the preparations, how the ceremony actually worked and - most importantly - a whole room full of real things from the day. These included: invitations, jewellery, hats and the stunning dresses and robes worn by the Queen when she was crowned.

The palace also has lots of things to do for kids, such as a children's audio guide which Robert used, a room full of things to colour and create and a difficult trail which takes you around the gardens.

Overall, I had a fabulous time at Buckingham Palace and I recommend it to everyone aged 8+. It really lets you appreciate the beauty and wonder of this magnificent building.

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We have shared this post with Gretta Schifano on her Family Days post (this week written by Kate from London with a toddler).

A Brilliant Time At Buckingham Palace (by Jessica)

My family and I spent an afternoon at Buckingham Palace. Here is what I thought...

We started our visit with a really cool audio guide, which takes you around the spectacular rooms of the palace and tells you a lot of facts. We did a lot of walking and it did take a long time, but the palace was exquisitely decorated and there was always something to look at. I loved this, as it was a lot of fun to do something different to normal .

I loved the throne room, as it was incredible to see the real throne that the Queen has sat on. The colour scheme was beautiful and I was surprised to know that many famous royal couples' wedding photographs (such as William and Kate) were taken there. Did you know that Queen Victoria sometimes used this room as a ballroom?

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The View From The Shard

 Robert, Dad and I were very lucky to go up 244m to experience spectacular views at the Shard.

The day started off with very little waiting, as there is timed entry. We were soon whisked off to one of the lifts, which go up at 6m per second! There were two lifts in total and our ears popped when we got to the top.

Once we were up there, the view was absolutely spectacular. There were three floors to walk around, each one more astonishing than the one before. On a clear day (like the one when we went), you can see for 40 miles around you when you walk around the 360 degree viewing platform.

From the top of the Shard, I was able to see just about everything in London; including the Olympic Stadium, Houses Of Parliament and the curves in the river Thames. It was a brilliant view.

Another great thing about the Shard are the special telescopes that allow you to look around London and read facts about certain buildings. These were really exciting and taught me a lot. The cleverest thing about the telescopes was that you could only use them for a minute, letting everyone have a go.

The lift down to the ground was definitely the most horrible part of our visit. It made me feel really sick for about thirty minutes after we reached the bottom.

I definitely think that although the views at the Shard are incredible, the Shard involves a lot of walking around and it doesn't take much time to go all the way round. Therefore, it is NOT worth £24.95 per per adult and £18.95 per child...

The View From The Shard

 Robert, Dad and I were very lucky to go up 244m to experience spectacular views at the Shard.

The day started off with very little waiting, as there is timed entry. We were soon whisked off to one of the lifts, which go up at 6m per second! There were two lifts in total and our ears popped when we got to the top.

Once we were up there, the view was absolutely spectacular. There were three floors to walk around, each one more astonishing than the one before. On a clear day (like the one when we went), you can see for 40 miles around you when you walk around the 360 degree viewing platform.


Read more »