Waiter, there's a murder in my soup: immersive theatre in London

[caption id="attachment_4619" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The actors sang, dance and acted so well![/caption]

 

This weekend we found an unusual way to have fun in London - theatre and dining all at the same time! Here's what we got up to, from Robert, aged 14 and Jess, aged 18.

Robert says:

Mum, Jess and I found ourselves about to hear the legendary prima donna Marchioness du Jour perform; people would kill to hear her sing! However, we never actually got to see her in the flesh as she was found dead minutes before her scheduled performance. Detective Susan Gusset was on the case and what followed was an afternoon of clue solving, music and fine dying. The restaurant at the Troubadour theatre, a group of eccentric suspects and a three course meal: these could only be the ingredients for an immersive whodunnit and a recipe, for success.

I’m a huge fan of immersive theatre and Waiter, There’s a murder in my soup was a brilliant afternoon out. Transported back to the 1940s, Mum, Jess and I followed Susan Gusset as she unravelled the murder of the Marchioness du Jour, and found out who did it. The play – including songs – took part around the meal, which meant you could chat, and try to solve the mystery, between courses. We were given a case file to work things out and the whole performance was really different to anything we’d seen before.

[caption id="attachment_4621" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Robert and Jess read the case notes[/caption]

The food:

Further adding to the experience was the meal, which was truly delicious. There was a great array of options (including vegan) and I decided on the roasted squash soup, seabass and chocolate fudge brownie sundae. The play was performed in an actual restaurant so it was no surprise how good it was; you could say the food was to die for.

[caption id="attachment_4622" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Delicious desserts![/caption]

In conclusion we all really enjoyed Waiter, There’s a murder in my soup. The whole cast was entertaining and I particularly liked the Irish priest who kept popping up behind me. The actual whodunit was good, as was the food and all in all it was a great, and unusual way to spend an afternoon in London.

Jess says:

I'd never been to a piece of immersive theatre before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was ready to spend an afternoon ducking people's gazes, out of fear of being involved! Luckily, I was not picked upon and I had a really fantastic time.

[caption id="attachment_4624" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Antonio Fingerelli - one of the suspects[/caption]

 

"Waiter, there's a murder in my soup" managed to combine two of my favourite things - theatre and food. It seems no surprise that I really enjoyed the experience. The plot was interesting, the play was well acted, and all three of us laughed throughout. I loved that we were sitting in the restaurant - essentially part of the set. This meant that the actors interacted with us, asked us questions, and we could see them up close. It definitely felt more engaging than a normal play or musical.

The food:

The Studio 5ive restaurant is a real restaurant, so the food was delicious. All three of us really enjoyed our various courses between the play's acts, and I had a particularly lovely mushroom wellington.

[caption id="attachment_4623" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Jess enjoyed her Mushroom Wellington[/caption]

Overall, I had a really enjoyable time at "Waiter, there's a murder in my soup". The play was funny, the food was great, and it was an exciting, lighthearted way to spend an afternoon. I would definitely recommend it.

Disclosure: We were given a pair of complimentary tickets to see Waiter, there's a murder in my soup (and we purchased a third one!), but no one from the company had any input into this blog post.

Waiter there's a murder in my soup is on until 19th March. Tickets cost £49.50 including a three course meal (Tue - Thu), £55.00 including a three course meal (Fri - Sun), £19.50 for the show only (no food included with this ticket) (Tue - Thu)  or £25 show only (no food included with this ticket) (Fri - Sun).

I should also say that this all happens in Wembley, which has so much to offer now - there are loads of shops and things to do in the area and the restaurant we went to (see below!) is less than five minutes from Wembley Park station (Metropolitan and Jubilee Line).

 

 

A Right Royale Tea - living it up with an immersive theatrical tea in London

We love London, we love theatre and we definitely love teas, so there was little hesitation when we found out that one theatre company was putting on an immersive comedy dining experience in our home town!

Let Robert, who's now 14 tell you more:

"This weekend Mum and I travelled back to 1922 for an immersive performance and A Right Royale Tea. For the first time in my lifetime someone recognised my noble blood and, whilst Robert and Sarah entered the beautiful Amba Hotel, it was Lord Robert and Lady Sarah who exited. The hotel was directly connected to Charing Cross station and so was very convenient to get too – no long walks for the upper class!

After one of the servants took our names we were directed to a waiting room where we practised our formal greetings – “Air Hair Lair” ("Oh, hello" for those who don't speak aristocracy) before entering the hall and sitting down on tables of six or seven with other visitors. Throughout the afternoon we were introduced to Lord and Lady Right, their daughter Ginnie and the family’s witty and blunt members of staff.

[caption id="attachment_4471" align="alignnone" width="900"] The food - especially the sweet treats - was really delicious.[/caption]

The food:

Sandwiched in between the performance that recounts the lives and situations of our hosts was, well, sandwiches, as well as a variety of cakes and scones accompanied by tea and coffee to wash it down. There was egg, ham (which we didn't eat), cucumber and smoked-salmon sandwiches – as any acceptable afternoon tea should have, and as for the desserts there were lemon tarts, mini Victoria sponges, cherry drops and scones with jam and cream. We were both more than full by the end and there was definitely enough options for vegetarians.

[caption id="attachment_4472" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Patrick - who always referred to himself in the third person - was especially good[/caption]

The performance:

The storyline and actors themselves were very funny – in particular the audacious gin-drinking Lady Right and butler Patrick who refers to himself in the third person. We were treated to a performance of opera, a communal rendition of Oh Brittania and the audience were involved heavily. There were chances to take pictures with the actors in their costumes and plenty of breaks to chat within your tables. The whole event lasted around two and a half hours although it flew by and felt like much less.

[caption id="attachment_4473" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Lord and Lady Right and us![/caption]

Overall:

Mum and I had a really fun time at A Right Royale Tea and would definitely recommend going if you enjoy immersive performances or just want re-earth some old memories of yourself from 1922. If a similar experience ever came about I would definitely hope to be going."

Sarah adds:

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was fun to meet the other people on our table. The audience was a mixture of locals (from London or nearby) and tourists, and the actors were really good at chatting to everyone and getting involved. I felt the acting part of it started a bit slowly, but definitely got better and better and ended on a high.

A small niggle was that the smoked salmon sandwiches were put next to the ham ones (not great for those who eat fish, but not meat and wouldn't want them to touch) and that one of the three cakes (the cherry one) wasn't suitable for vegetarians and nothing else was offered instead. However, these were, as mentioned, small niggles and I have to say that we were pretty stuffed at the end (we didn't eat any supper afterwards, put it that way...). The sweet treats were really delicious and there was copious amounts of cream and jam. All the staff were friendly and helpful and it really was a different and fun experience - a step up from just going out for afternoon tea! Plus, I had no idea that the Amba hotel even existed. It's literally right next to Charing Cross station and inside it was amazingly large, quiet and plush.

The Right Royale Tea takes place at the Amba Hotel, Charing Cross, London, on Sundays across the summer, from 2.30-5pm, finishing on September 1st. Tickets cost £69.95 per adult, £59.95 per child under 12 and £65.95 for students and senior citizens.

Disclosure: We were given free entry to the Right Royale Tea in order to write about it for this blog. However, all the opinions contained in the post are our own and no one else had any input into them.

The Postal Museum in London: a ticket to ride

[caption id="attachment_4446" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The wall by the Postal Museum[/caption]

As Londoners, we have explored our home city pretty well over the years. We’ve enjoyed big attractions like the Science Museum, and sought out smaller ones like Dr Johnson’s House. We’ve travelled in different directions, from north to Kenwood House, across the river to the glories of Greenwich. So we were pretty excited at the thought of visiting a new museum – especially one with a ride...

The Postal Museum is great – I should say that straight up – and unique. It’s genuinely interesting (I had no idea that post boxes were originally green, for example) and has been very carefully thought out so that the interactive parts work well and also informative. There are loads of interesting exhibits and artefacts, and you can even design your own stamp!

[caption id="attachment_4447" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Mail Rail ride at the Postal Museum,[/caption]

Where is it?

The Museum is on two sites, near the former Mount Pleasant depot in Clerkenwell, London.  The first involves the ride – on a real mail train – and for most people it’s the highlight. I should admit right now, that I could not bring myself to go on this as I don’t like very small enclosed spaces, but Brian, Robert and Jess really enjoyed their 15 minute journey and I could watch it all on a screen just behind the track, so didn’t really feel I missed out.

History in action

I can’t imagine that many people know that a postal railway network operated under London for much of the 20^th century. It distributed letters and parcels across the city, from Paddington to Whitechapel (around 6.5 miles) on specially designed trains, cutting down delivery times dramatically and delivering millions of letters each day.

It was actually the world’s first driverless electric railway when it opened in 1927, and visitors can travel in a specially adapted train into these underground tunnels. They take you back in time, past a dartboard on a wall, which the workers – who loaded the bags of letters - used to play on between shifts, into the Blitz and even a powercut (I was glad not to be on the train for that one.....)

The service closed in 2003 – basically because we’ve stopped sending so much post (damned Internet!)

Once you disembark from the Mail Rail, there’s an accompanying exhibition which is well worth your time. You can see the original trains, try to keep the trains running by controlling the network (this was tricky) and sort the mail while the ground is moving (we all liked this one!).

The second half

After you’ve finished with the Mail Rail part, cross the road and walk up a little bit and you can visit the actual Postal Museum Exhibition. This is small, but really good, taking you right back to the history of the mail service, when Henry VIII was on the throne, to the present day.

You can see an original mail coach, a sheet of Penny Blacks, and the original sculpture of the Queen’s head which has been used on millions of stamps. You can also dress up, and find out about how the post was delivered in war time. I found this really moving.

[caption id="attachment_4449" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Rare Edward VIII stamps on show[/caption]

There’s also a playspace “Sorted” for younger kids.

Robert, aged 13, says:

"I really enjoyed all the interactive activities to take part in that were scattered around the museum. You could make custom stamps that you could decorate with your face and an array of animated decorations. You could also play electronic games, one in which you pick which way to go to complete the quickest delivery route and another in which you make important decisions regarding the safety of the mail, your passengers and your deadline to deliver. Those activities were really fun although they weren’t something you would want to do numerous times.

“However, there was one activity I could’ve kept doing for hours (which I almost did!). It was the pneumatic mail delivery tubes and involved writing messages before placing them in mail capsules and then pushing them into chutes which transported your message all around the exhibition before dropping it off at the alternate station. Whoever was at that station would then write back so you could have a fun conversation with the person the receiving end.”

[caption id="attachment_4450" align="alignnone" width="900"] Postboxes were originally green![/caption]

All in all, we would recommend The Postal Musem as a great day out for all ages. You should book the Mail Rail in advance as it gets extremely popular and afterwards, either eat in the cafe, or take a quick walk to Exmouth Market, which is full of shops and stalls.

Need to know

The Postal Musum is open every day from 10 till 5pm

Entry to the exhibitions costs £11 for adults and is free for children.

A trip on the Mail Rail and the exhibitions is £17.45 for adults and £10.45 for children.

You can find more information on the museum's website.

The new RAF museum - a must-visit

[caption id="attachment_4430" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert sitting in the cockpit of a Spitfire[/caption]

When the kids were small, we would often pop over to the RAF museum, not far from where we live, in North London, to have a look around and take part in some of the children's activities offered there. It was a pleasant day out, a bit old-fashioned, but convenient and good for the children. But it wasn't anything special.

Fast-forward a few years and a multi-million pound transformation has occurred. The new RAF museum (and I'm calling it new, even though it's on the same site) is worth not just taking your kids to, but your teens, your other half and your parents... And it's still free entry.

2018 is the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the museum is now a great testament to that (it was previously a bit tired). It offers some excellent galleries (including a new one on modern warfare, which contains up to date aircraft plus interactive exhibits including a quiz which I very much enjoyed), brilliant exhibits (including bombs from World Wars One and Two), hundreds of new artefacts and some very clever interactive experiences including the chance to build your own computerised plane (and then to see it fail miserably when tested - or perhaps that was only us).

The space itself (a former air field) is also vastly improved, with a green space in the middle of it and simply more space to breathe. There's also a new restaurant, but it needs more staff (and more panini machines!) to be as appealing as the rest of the site. The only other thing they need to add is a really good audio tour, as it would help you to organise what you should see - there's so much on offer.

Now, that's enough of me. Robert, who's now 13, explains more: 

When a child comes to a museum they are hoping for interesting things to look at and interactive activities to take part in.The RAF museum has always provided awesome vehicles to examine, (planes, tanks, helicopters…) yet the latter was only really provided in a kids' activity centre, not around the rest of the site.

But now, scattered around the different exhibitions are loads of online and real-life activities to have fun with. These include: designing your own plane and then testing it in a series of online challenges (which I really enjoyed and did more than once), a multi-tasking test where you had to complete logic puzzles at the same time as tapping coloured squares, and a screen where you have to put famous events in chronological order. More physical activities included dressing up in the clothes of RAF pilots, placing cogs in a wheel to try and complete a successful engine and a speed test where you had to tap lights as they flashed up. There were also loads of other interactive things to do for both younger and older kids, on top of the old activity centre (which, funnily enough, is one of the things that doesn’t really work that well anymore).

Royal Air Force

[caption id="attachment_4435" align="alignnone" width="1000"] There were so many interesting cut outs of people who had been, or were, in the RAF[/caption]

The Royal Air Force is what the activities and the museum is all about.There are many exhibitions displaying information about times when the RAF was needed and in each hangar there are the different vehicles used at those times; from the spitfire to the German Messerschmitt to the incredible, giant Vulcan. In the first exhibition, “Stories of the air force” there are models of every vehicle for children to sit in.

[caption id="attachment_4436" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Some of the older bombs on show[/caption]

In terms of information there are boards next to the planes explaining what they are, as well as loads of lifesize cut outs of former RAF members with their story printed on the back. These were really interesting and varied - from different times and about many different types of people - and I would recommend reading them. I found the planes and the bombs/missiles they carried really cool to look at although I could see younger children getting bored after a little while.

Add-ons

[caption id="attachment_4432" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert flying a plane (via a simulator...)[/caption]

There are three main experiences that you could pay to take part in at the museum. The first was a flight simulation where you have six minutes to control the plane. You do feel slight vibrations, but it wasn’t as exciting as I hoped – although my dad did enjoy it. This simulator is only for older kids - however I remember the other simulator (the torpedo) being amazing when I was younger so if you go to the museum after it has been fixed, I would recommend that simulator above the newer one.

There was a 4D film in which you “fly” with the red arrows - one of five different films being shown.

The final add on was “The Spitfire Experience” where you get to go inside a real spitfire and press the buttons and pull the levers as if you were flying. I thought this might be a bit boring, but it was really good. A member of staff explains all the bits of the plane to you, and how it worked, and I thought it was the most interesting thing I had done all day. I would recommend trying this - although it costs £10 - for the explanation alone. It was great.

Evaluation

[caption id="attachment_4438" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Standing in the new gallery, which is the story of the RAF from 1980 to the present day[/caption]

Personally, I had a great day trying out all the new activities and looking at the new exhibitions. The day out was a lot more fun than the last time I came so if you haven’t come in a while or are coming to London on a trip then I would definitely recommend a visit!

The RAF Museum is open from 10-6pm daily from March to October. It's free entry, although the add-ons (as mentioned above) cost extra. It's in Hendon, North West London (the nearest tube is Colindale on the Northern Line) and you can find out more about it via its website..

 

Read more:

Top museums for kids in London - by Robert

A visit to the fantastic Spy Museum

Playing at Lost Jungle London: Europe's Largest Adventure Golf

We travel around a lot to visit places which we think we - and other families - would enjoy. So I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to find a place which excited us and that is not far from where we live! Lost Jungle London is a brand new crazy golf course, billed as the largest adventure golf course in Europe! It's based in Edgware, north London and has a large car park for those driving there. It also has two 18 hole mini golf courses, a footgolf course and a nine hole short golf course.

So, what did we think.....?

Jess, aged 15, writes: Our family had a fantastic time playing at Lost Jungle London - the largest mini golf site in Europe. The site consists of 36 crazy golf holes with two themes: the Amazon, and the Congo, and a nine hole footgolf course. This was definitely one of the most exciting and well done mini golf courses I've ever been to, and our family has visited lots!

We arrived early in the hope of escaping crowds, and soon descended upon the Amazon themed mini golf course, armed with clubs and brightly coloured golf balls (a different colour for each of us). The course was amazing; every hole was different from the next, and the area was finished with some amazing details. During our game, we passed waterfalls, palm trees, "Aztec" ruins, gorillas, and snakes.These were brilliant touches which definitely made our time more interesting.

A particular highlight of mine was the second hole, in which you had to putt the ball across a path, but if you didn't, it would fall into the water. This was extremely difficult, and me being me, I ended up being the only person in the family to fail at it. Worried that we'd lost the ball forever, we ran around to the other side, only to find that, it had gone through a secret hole and had come out in a great position on the other side!

Sarah says: The space here is fantastic. It's built on the site of an old golf course, so it's very uncrowded and you feel as if you're in the country just being here. We all thought the courses were extremely well designed. We played 18 holes on the Amazon course, but also had a quick look around the Congo one (which has its own wobbly bridge to walk across).



I was impressed by all the little touches, such as informative signs on each hole (anything ranging from the Aztecs to Brazilian spiders) and the waterfalls were great to see too. There were a number of families playing, but also lots of people of all ages. I did think it would be great to do with a group of my friends.
All in all, it was such good fun.

[caption id="attachment_4164" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A snake on the Congo course[/caption]

 

Robert, aged 12, writes: Dad and I also had a go at football golf, and I personally enjoyed it more than the golf (although that was really fun, but could get a little frustrating, as well). There were nine holes in the football golf course, each one slightly easier than the next.



We decided to play without keeping score and I found that really good it made it more fun. Football golf is when you try and kick your football into a hole between 30 to 90 yards away. It was really fun and I would definitely do it again. I really loved it.

[caption id="attachment_4168" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The courses are very impressive to look at (and fun to play on!)[/caption]

Jess says: In conclusion, we all really enjoyed our time at Lost Jungle. It really was an excellent morning out, with bright, enjoyable, and unique holes. It really stood out as a fun, exciting place to visit - perfect for all the family. Nothing was too hard or too easy, and the queues weren't massive (although we did visit at 10.30 in the morning!). I would recommend Lost Jungle for anyone in the London area who wants a fun day out, as it was probably the best mini golf I have ever been to.

Lost Jungle London is open seven days a week, from 9am to 9pm (bank holidays 9.30 to 5pm). It costs £9 per 18 holes for an adult, £8 for a student and £7.50 for a "schoolie", aged 5-17. A family costs from £28 (two adults and two kids, or one adult and three kids). If you want to play 36 holes, then a family ticket is £42, and adult is £13.50 and 5-17 £11.25. The foot golf costs £7.50 per adult and for each "schoolie".
Disclosure: We were given a family pass to try the course out, but all the content here is our own and Lost Jungle London had no input into it.

Indulging in an Afternoon Tea at The Arch Hotel

Jess, aged 15, writes: Being British, our family loves a good afternoon tea. This is why I was so excited to try an afternoon tea in the Arch Hotel, Marble Arch, in celebration of dad's birthday. It's not do often we get to eat unlimited food in a gorgeous setting, so we all had an amazing time.

[caption id="attachment_4048" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Arch Hotel[/caption]

After entering the hotel, we were directed to the Salon de Champagne, where we were given our own private booth. This was very exciting, as there was a curtain which we could draw. This meant that the four of us were effectively sitting in private - something that felt extremely luxurious. On top of this, our plush seats were extremely comfortable, there was a beautiful chandelier above us, and our floral crockery looked amazing.

[caption id="attachment_4049" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Our booth was really luxurious![/caption]

Our main server was named Rebeca and she was really kind and friendly, but also extremely helpful. Our family is not able to eat certain foods, but she was really good at making adjustments and making sure we knew what we were eating. We were presented with a menu of different types of tea, which I loved. I adore tea, and it took me a long time to decide on what to drink. I eventually decided on a silver needle white tea, and afterwards a green tea with jasmine pearls. The variety was so wide, and it was all delicious.

[caption id="attachment_4040" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The tea menu was long and extensive[/caption]

Soon, the food arrived. Our stand was simply magnificent - piled high with sandwiches, biscuits, cakes, and scones. We had not eaten a big lunch in preparation for the occasion, and soon got to work stuffing our faces. The sandwiches were divine, and much more impressive than I was expecting. These were English cheddar with apple chutney, mozzarella and avocado with sun blushed tomato on sourdough toast, smoked salmon and cream cheese on a blini, egg and cress, and cucumber and cream cheese. Particular favourites of mine were the sourdough with mozzarella, and the apple chutney. We devoured these quickly, and were allowed replacements soon after.

[caption id="attachment_4042" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The food was all so delicious, especially the sandwiches![/caption]

Next was the second tier, filled with all sorts on cakes. There was coffee cake, millionaire's shortbread, teacakes, Battenberg cake, and a strawberry tart. Had we not had dietary requirements (no gelatine), there would have been trifle and cheesecake, but we were more than happy with our selection. It was fantastic, particularly the tart and the Battenberg cake, and nothing was too rich or overpowering.

[caption id="attachment_4047" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Robert piled his scone high with cream[/caption]

Our final tier was the scones, but by this point I was so full that I could only manage one! Piled high with jam and clotted cream, it was a perfect end to the tea.

Overall, we had such an amazing time at the tea. We stayed there for over two hours, and by the time we time we left we were unbelievably full. It was such an incredible experience which I would love to relive.

A Royal Afternoon Tea at The Arch hotel, near Marble Arch, London, costs £25 a head. We were given a special media rate to sample the tea, but the hotel had no input into this review.

More food in London with Family Travel Times

A chocolate walking tour - my dream

Trying our Hip Chips - crisps and dips for lunch

 

Murray wins: watching Men's finals day at Wimbledon

[caption id="attachment_4011" align="alignnone" width="1200"] An emotional Andy Murray just after winning[/caption]

There are some sporting events you dream of seeing in person –an Olympics final, the deciding match of a Premier League season or perhaps the last day of a golf major. My sports bucket list also included a Wimbledon Final, but it wasn’t something I ever thought I actually would see in person. Until last year.

And, as I'm a Brit, you’ll know that 2016 was the perfect year to be there for the “Gentleman’s Singles final”. After all, Andy Murray was playing and that’s something you really don’t want to miss.

I have been to Wimbledon a number of times, always getting tickets through the ballot, which you need to apply for in the autumn of the winter before. Anyone can apply for this – you simply need to send off a stamped addressed envelope and then fill in and send back the official form – and you are told if you are lucky enough to have received tickets in the spring. If you are allocated tickets you still have to purchase them, and they rise in price, depending on their importance. The cost of the men’s final was a whopping £175 (but I know I’m never going to get tickets again, so I decided it was worth it!).

Going to Wimbledon on finals day is so different from going earlier in the Championships. For one thing, it’s much quieter. Normally there are matches being played on all the courts, but there were only a few going on – the main action was to take place on one court only. There were far fewer people bustling around and pictures of the main protagonists (Andy Murray and Milos Raonic – the first Canadian ever to reach the men’s final there) on display.

We arrived as we have done before, by tube to Southfields, and then took a taxi from the station (although we walked back later). I was going with my dad, who was then 79, so a taxi seemed wise, at least for one day.

We arrived and took some pictures and then took our seats. The court quickly filled up and I was mesmerised by the royal box. Although I had seen celebrities in there when I had been lucky enough to get tickets before, it had been nothing like this...

[caption id="attachment_4013" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Who can you spot?[/caption]

First up were Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. But they got better! I was indebted to the excellent zoom on my camera and excitedly told the couple sitting next to us that I could see Bradley Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Grant, David Cameron, Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg and others. I had to pull myself away to watch the tennis – although I did glance back a few times at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when they appeared.

The match was terrifically exciting. It may not have seemed like it from the score (Murray won his second Wimbledon title in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6), but when you are watching and want someone to win so much, you just want it to be over. Plus two of those sets went to a tie-break, which made it nail biting. I am a big Murray fan and am always amazed by how he handles the pressure. But he played beautifully and Raonic was not quite in his league. Even his big serve wasn’t as big as we were expecting.

The whole match took two hours, 48 minutes and it really was a thrill to see Murray win his second Wimbledon title. I took a lot of pictures, including some which really show his emotions.

I was surprised to see so many people leave after Murray’s victory, especially as we had the possibility of seeing two British winners in one day! Heather Watson was surprised to reach the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles final with her partner Henri Kontinen, as they had not played together before the event. They came onto court soon after Murray and Raonic, in order to play Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld and beat them 7-6, 6-4 for their first Grand Slam title. In the process, Watson became the first British woman to win a Wimbledon title since Jo Durie and Jeremy Bates picked up the same title in 1987.

[caption id="attachment_4016" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A very happy Heather Watson![/caption]

It was a joy to watch them – the match seemed less stressful than the previous one – and it was amazing to see them win! Mind you, there weren’t many in the royal box who stayed to see it (round of applause for Hugh Grant, who did stay).

[caption id="attachment_4017" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Spot the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge applauding![/caption]

All in all, it was a fabulous, historic day, and all because we filled in a form. We’d recommend you do the same for next year – although be warned, you aren’t always lucky. We didn’t get any tickets in the ballot for 2017. Luckily we have the athletics world championships in London to come in August instead!

Read my tips for a trip to Wimbledon, written following my visit in 2015

Attending The Open Air Theatre, London

Jess, aged 15, writes: Our family loves to go to the theatre, but there is one London theatre which is definitely more memorable than the rest. This is the Open Air Theatre, located in Regent’s Park.

As you might be able to tell from the name, what makes the Open Air Theatre so unique is the plays are conducted outside. This is a really different experience to attending a West End theatre.

[caption id="attachment_4001" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Outside the theatre[/caption]

After a short walk through the gorgeous flowers and trees of Regent’s Park, you come to the entrance of the Open Air Theatre. After being admitted, you walk past the café, and come face to face with the stage. Regardless of the production, the stage always houses an elaborate and extremely impressive set. In this year’s production of “On The Town” (which has just finished its run), the set was of a naval dockyard, but this transformed into museums, restaurants, and the bustling streets of New York City.

I have seen five different productions at the Open Air Theatre: “The Tempest”, “The Sound of Music”, “To Kill A Mockingbird”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, and “On The Town”. While I cannot completely remember “The Tempest” (I think I was about six at the time), I have always really enjoyed my visits. My favourite has to be “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, which involved amazing singing and simply unbelievable dancing. This was such an exciting and joyous evening, which I really wish I could experience again. Unfortunately, this year’s production was not as good, but I think this was because it just wasn’t to my taste.

[caption id="attachment_4000" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The weather at the theatre ranges from rainy to very sunny![/caption]

Of course, being outside does have some drawbacks; namely the weather. All evening performances tend to get very cold and dark after the interval, but we combat this problem with lots of layers, scarves, gloves, hats, and blankets. Out of the five productions I have seen at the theatre, it has rained twice. Even during the heaviest of rain, the performances have never stopped - this year, the stage was simply wiped down twice before continuing.

The Open Air Theatre puts on such a wide variety of magnificent plays: comedies, musicals, serious drama, and more. It is so exciting to be outside - you can feel the wind in your face, hear birdsong, and even see the sun set! There really is something for everyone, and I would recommend experiencing it.

The Open Air Theatre is about 10 minutes walk from Baker Street tube station and is open from May to December each year. Prices range from £25 to £65 for the main musical theatre productions (the next one up is Jesus Christ Superstar), although there are often other events at weekends during the summer. This year there is also a production of Oliver Twist, aimed at those aged six upwards, and tickets cost £18.

Find out more from their website. 

 

Visiting London's Natural History Museum as a teenager

[caption id="attachment_3880" align="alignnone" width="1024"] (pic by John Cummings via Wikimedia Commons)[/caption]

Jess, aged 15, writes: I visited the Natural History Museum frequently when I was younger (in fact, one of my earliest memories is looking at the dinosaurs), but I hadn't been for at least five years until one of my friends suggested a visit. It's strange being a teenager at museums: exhibits are either super babyish or ridiculously quiet and intellectual, and attempts at appealing to teenagers usually involve cringe-y "LOL"s and hashtags. We wondered if the museum had changed much since we last visited it, and if there would be anything for us.

We started out in the "Red Zone", which is all about earth's structure. My friend and I were instantly entranced by the entrance: an escalator leading into a giant model of the earth. It seemed like the start of a ride at Disneyworld! The first exhibition was one I remembered from years ago - "Volcanoes and Earthquakes". Despite both of us being Geography GCSE students and already knowing most of the facts, we really enjoyed the exhibition - it was colourful, in depth, relatively up to date, and had lots to see and do. Particular highlights were casts from Pompeii and a supermarket that simulates the 1996 Great Hanshin earthquake.

[caption id="attachment_3878" align="alignnone" width="753"] (photo courtesy of the Natural History Museum)[/caption]

Next, we passed through the "Human Evolution" and "Earth's Treasures" galleries, which we found fascinating. "Human Evolution" features lots of realistic models of different human species over time, and "Earth's Treasures" is full of minerals and jewels of every size and colour. While these were definitely exciting to look at, it was also very interesting to learn about mineral structure and history of metals. My friend and I were pleasantly surprised - we didn't remember any of this from when we were younger, and it was set at a perfect level for us.

Next came the "Blue Zone", which was all about biology. We both remembered this room, which contains a gigantic blue whale model. There was a lot to see and do, and while everything was impressive, we got bored very quickly. Everything was exactly the same as we remembered, and it seemed quite faded and repetitive. However, there was another exhibition about human biology which we really enjoyed - while it was old, unchanged, and some things didn't work, there were lots of games to play and videos to watch. We enjoyed a game where you had to keep a boy alive by monitoring breathing rates, food consumption and more (we failed), circus mirrors, and an unintentionally funny video about getting hurt while being scared of a dog. We learnt nothing, but it was a lot of fun!

Next came the dinosaurs, which we were really looking forward to. This was the busiest part of the museum, and as expected, it was seemingly unchanged from when we were younger. The dinosaurs were as gigantic and awe-inspring as ever, and we spent a long time in the exhibition. However, this wasn't our favourite part of the museum...

The "Treasures" gallery is something I had never ever heard of before, but my friend and I thought it was amazing. It is a collection of 22 of the most remarkable objects in the museums collection, and we spent about 40 minutes just in this small room. This includes pages from the world's most expensive book: ("John James Audubon's Birds of America"), and my personal favourite, an emperor penguin egg collected on Captain Robert Falcon Scott's expedition to Antarctica. This was with the aim of finding a link between reptiles and birds by looking at the penguin's embryo. My friend and I were shocked and amazed by this story, and I went home and looked it up to find out more. Here's a video from the museum:

[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/PdBT670fiCQ" width=200 height=100 ]

Overall, my friend and I had a really great time at the Natural History museum. We learnt a lot and had a lot of fun interacting with the exhibits. However, we thought that the famous parts of the museum (the dinosaurs and the mammals) weren't as interesting as the rest of it. We definitely had a good time, but we won't be making a return visit, seeing as it hasn't really changed that much.

Entrance to the Natural History Museum is free, although there is a charge for some exhibitions. The Treasures Gallery is now undergoing refurbishment, but will reopen this summer.

Chocolate Galore at the Hotel Chocolat Restaurant

Jess writes: It's no secret that mum and I both love chocolate, so I was really looking forward to our visit to Hotel Chocolat's Rabot 1745 Restaurant in Central London. Mum had decided to treat us, and I was really excited to see how Hotel Chocolat would incorporate chocolate into their food. This is what we thought:

[caption id="attachment_3741" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Rabot 1745 from the outside[/caption]

As soon as we sat at our table, mum and I were given a small dish of cacao nibs to try, which were rich and delicious. This was an unusual touch, and meant that I was looking forward to what happened next. I was also thrilled when our server asked us for a refill (we obviously said yes).

[caption id="attachment_3742" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We loved the cacao beans![/caption]

Mum and I shared a starter: "Sourdough with three cacao accompaniments: chocolate balsamic, cacao pesto, nib butter - £6". We were interested to see how these tasted, and they were all delicious. We unfortunately didn't have enough bread to lap up all of the sauce, but I was very impressed by how clearly you could taste the cacao, and how well it worked with everything.

[caption id="attachment_3743" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There were cacao nibs in all three of these dips: pesto, butter, and balsamic vinegar![/caption]

Next came the main courses: I picked "Mac and cheese in cacao nib pastry, smoky cacao nib and almond roast cauliflower - £14". This looked very small on the plate, and I was surprised by how rich it was. I enjoyed the mac and cheese, although it wasn't particularly special. For such a fancy restaurant, it could have been more interesting. Mum tried the "Baked sweet potato gratin with cacao buttered black beans, poached eggs and melting cheese - £15", and she enjoyed it, though she was confused why the cacao was added. I agreed with her - it didn't stand out in either of the dishes, and didn't add anything to the experience.

[caption id="attachment_3744" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Our mains were nice, but not amazingly special[/caption]

We were both too stuffed for a rich, chocolatey dessert, so instead chose "Three home-made sorbets - cacao pulp-soursop, guava, pineapple-lime - £7". These were lovely - the cacao one was unlike anything I'd tried before, and the pineapple-lime was mouth-watering. Had we been in the mood for chocolate, I'm sure they would have been even better.

[caption id="attachment_3745" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The ice cream was delicious - a perfect way to round off our meal![/caption]

Overall, our trip to Rabot 1745 was very nice, but not super special. We both liked the novelty of the chocolate, the atmosphere was lovely, and the servers were great. The restaurant was pricier than usual, but the starter and main were definitely worth it, it was an exciting experience, and also a good conversation starter! We also thought the starter and desserts were amazing and reasonably priced, but we probably could have got a nicer main course somewhere else. I would love to return, but this time just for another plate of the sourdough with dips, a dessert, and a hot chocolate.

More chocolate!

A chocolate walking tour in London

A Tour of Hamleys, London

Robert, aged 11, writes:  Mum and I went on a special guided tour of Hamleys. We were shown around by Leah, who was really nice, funny and informative. Hamleys is 155 years old and is considered to be one of the best, or the best, toy shop in Britain.

[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/sjMGTH1ppPY?list=PL21MnxVphOzI2A8wn1ejWBYSXpgwMIkGw" width=200 height=100 ]

There are seven floors, the first of which being entirely devoted to Star Wars which I’m sure many kids would love. There was loads of cool memorabilia and Star Wars themed objects but my favourite thing on this floor had to be the one thing that wasn’t Star-Wars related. I absolutely loved trying out the virtual reality rollercoaster. I love rides and although I wasn’t on a real one I honestly felt like I was falling or going down a loop the loop. At one point I had to take the cardboard headset out because I felt like I was going to fall over.

[caption id="attachment_3766" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Star Wars VR headset was very realistic![/caption]

The ground floor was very hands on with lots to do. First we saw a magic show that I’m sure would blow plenty of people’s minds (although it wasn’t that cool for me as I learnt the tricks when I was younger) There was also a powder that expanded and turned into fake snow when added to water. I really liked the sensation when the powder changed in my hands. On this floor there were also boomerang aeroplanes, which I had a go at throwing, as well as remote control cars, giant inflatable Frisbees and a board which you could draw on with anything.

[caption id="attachment_3767" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There was lots to try out, such as huge boomerangs![/caption]

There was a floor for babies and a floor which was all about dolls and princesses (it was very pink), which funnily enough I didn’t spend much time on. Further up there was more magic, car racing and a large selection of drones. I loved the hover kick, a flat ball that floats along the ground. It was one of my favourite things in the shop so I bought it. There was a section on Harry Potter, loads of games and a blaster that shot air at people when pulled back. I really enjoyed looking at a range of pens that all had unique abilities, changing colour or not being able to be drawn on.

[caption id="attachment_3765" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There were lots of sweets, and we took a lot home![/caption]

Finally we came to the sweet section ( woooooooooooooooooooooooh ) There was a pick n mix, candy canes, milkshakes and bars of chocolate. Of course we had to try them!

We were then taken to a room that looked as though it was set up for a party with a table with juice and a giant cake. Leah then told us that everything was for us so I ended up getting a whole cake as well as a cute teddy to end off the tour, and a bar of Hamleys chocolate.

Personally it was one of the best things I have done in a long time and would recommend it for everyone! Although I have enjoyed going to Hamleys in the past, it was really special to go round with a guide, who picked out things that she thought I would enjoy and could help us to jump any queues!

Disclosure: We took part in the tour of Hamleys as part of a complimentary luxury family package stay at the Marylebone hotel (see here for our post). This includes a night at the hotel, breakfast and other special family-friendly extras. Neither Hamleys or the hotel had any input into this blog post.

Guided tours of Hamleys cost £40 per person for a minimum of four guests and last for an hour and a half. See more on their website

More posts about London:

A luxury family stay at the Marylebone hotel

5 cool places to eat in London