Sunday 30 June 2013

All natural

Todays stops

  • Natural History Museum
  • Iconic stores
    • Harrods
    • Hamleys
  • Chinese for dinner

 

 

 

 

Natural is best isn't it?

Natural History Museum - Superb

Natural Light - Seems to be good for you

Natural Medicine - Leave this for Tim Minchin (note - few rude words but ever so brilliant)

 

 

 

The London Museum of Natural History is just mint. Go as far as to say "Mintox".

 

 

 

 

 

Where to begin.

  • Beautiful building - check
  • Easy to navigate - check
  • Interesting - check
  • Cool exhibitions - oh yeah baby check
  • Free entry - yups

 

Drew really wanted to go because you enter the first section on rocks and space through a comet. Zoe really wanted to go because of the butterflies. I wanted to go because of the life-size blue whale and dinosaurs, Ree really wanted to go to the V&A but came along anyways.

 

WIth the above in mind, we started by heading straight to a cool Q&A (almost V&A) in the DAvid Attenborough theatre. A guy clearly in the know about these things, as English academics are wont to be, gave an engaging multimedia talk all about dragonflies. Seriously, it was great. Drew asked a question in an earnest manner and we all nodded with slightly saddened expression when discussing the plight of the dragonfly as the climate had been changing.

 

 

Front row in class Dragonfly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, Drew really wanted to go to the Comet and see that exhibition but we got way laid in the Mammals section (photo below is of one room of the many).

 

 

 

 

 

That's a big fish - mammal - whatever

 

 

 

In this view I think the blue whale looks a lot like Chris Judd or more properly, Chris Judd looks a lot like this whale. Just my opinion. Ree can't see the likeness, but she wanted to go the V&A.

 

 

Juddy?

 

 

 

Who doesn't enjoy a good Narwhal? the kids used to sing this song ad infinitum until Drew was threatened with a month of nights in the box and cessation of all Moshi Monster privileges. Very catchy if very annoying tune.

You tube Narwhals and watch them swim - they are cool.

The Narwhal used to be thought of as the unicorn of the ocean and early tusks may have played a role in the unicorn legend (or not?). The Narwhal tusk is just a giant tooth that sticks out through its top lip (ouch). Only the males have tusks. They are thought to be used to focus acoustic signals (like a kind of acoustic lance?) but if that were the case or the only reason why wouldnt females have them too - I think it's to be able to say, "did you see the size of my one" to the gals. But what would I know, "I'm not a Marine Biologist"....one of the greatest lines ever at 0:55 - used ad infinitum by older Dembo children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hippo mouth

 

 

 

Silly looking middle tusks

 

 

 

There was a weighing scale thing where you clicked a button representing different mammals (kids nchose an elephant for the pics below). You then stood on the scales and got compared to the weight of the animal you selected. 90 Zoe's or 137 Drew's equal 1 elephant.

 

 

90 x Zozo = 1 x Elepahant

 

 

 

137 x Drew = 1 x Elephant

 

 

 

 

Off to the comet now. Not surprisingly, we got waylaid again much to Drew's growing consternation.

 

 

Damn fine haircut

 

 

 

The very cool thing about this ichthyosaurs fossil found in the English cliffs in 1811is that the skull was one of a few fossils found by the brother of the then 13 yr old Mary Anning. The following year Mary found the neck. Zoe reminded me ( she had heard this in a Bill Bryson audiobook), that Mary Anning was a very avid fossil collector from these cliff shales. You would know her as she is the she from the well known tongue twister "she sells sea shells by the sea shore".



Found by Mary Anning's brother

 

 

 

Next was this cabinet. It's actually full of stuffed Humming Birds!

 

 

drew says "If I smile can we go to the comet"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving along we came to the door to the outside region where the butterfly exhibit was on. Briefly putting the comet on hold again, we made our way to the land of the butterfly.

 

 

 

 

Zoe not touching a butterfly

 

 

 

Loz makes a collage - super talented or what!

 

 

 

 

Let's go to the comet. We did. Three walkers and one boy of eight at supersonic pace.

 

 

 

The First exhibit as you enter - in through a comet

 

 

 

Comet boy

 

 

 

The rock cycle. About the only bit of geography I know.

 

 

 

 

 

I just like to say "Magma"

 

 

MagMA

 

 

 

 

Finally, Zozo our Dodo with the others of her kind

 

 

Awwwwww

 

 

 

 

Harrods

No recent desire to eat meat, but if ever there was a time to have think about it, the Biltong counter in the Harrods food department was that time. Mmmmmm, biltong.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe the best reason to be a Vegetarian is cost savings? Check out the cost of some prime cuts below.

 

 

Meat prices - think of the Pound as 1.5x $AUD

 

 

 

Bought a passionfruit meringue instead of any Biltong - quite nice really, but not quite the carnivorous masculine snack to raise the self image.

 

 

 

 

 

Checking out the Pastries

 

 

 

At the basement level is a large quiet area behind some Egyptian relics. It is a tribute to Diana Spencer and Dodi AL-Fayed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamleys

A 250 year old toy store that just does it right. From the moment you walk in there are red shirted Hamleys workers playing with toys. Helicopters whizz around, boomerangs, well, boomerang, fancy pens draw cool pictures, toy cars drive along walls (I know), magic tricks get perpetrated on any who stop to take part and thats just the beginning.

 

 

 

 

 

There are five floors of toys - lots of toys - apparently more than 200,000 toys. Its like Diagon Ally on steroids. It's also crowded and chaotic with kids running every direction (like kids in a toyshop are wont to do). You get shot by air canons and duck through bubbles made by the bubble gun guys.

 

 

Bear hug at the front of Hamleys

 

 

There is a place to get your bears pawsport stamped - luckily they had their bears pawport with them (I know, cant remember a hockey stick to take to hockey, but shlep around a bear pawsport just in case). I think the bear got some more clothes but not sure.

 

 

Entrance to Hamleys

 

 

 

A Nimbus 2000 if I am not very much mistaken

 

 

 

The amazing magic chalkboard gets a workout

 

 

 

Lego Roayl Family - lifelike facial movement (that is, none)

 

 

 

 

Chinese Restaurant

Restaurant: The Great Leong's Legend

  • Ranked 7252 out of 9778 restaurants according to Tripadvisor
  • Hygiene rating 3 out of 5
  • When we go to wash out hands, Drew notes that the water in the downstairs toilet is brown and chunky.

 

Hungry and for us deciding this is "living on the edge", we head in anyways and have a really good meal. Was it covered in Staph? Who knows but we all had yummy meals, left full and required no increase in "restroom stops over the next days"

 

 

Menu

 

 

 

60% hygiene rating - woooo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sign on the door of "Leong's Legends"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enough

 

Saturday 29 June 2013

So much time to write, so little to do here

"Strike that, reverse it" - a song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory taken from this line in the first movie. Also relates to the title

 

 

Today

Conran Store and icons

Their own Paddington Bear

Matilda

 

 

 

Conran and icons ... REE POV

I took a morning to catch up with my lovely ex-flatmate from the 90s, Nicola, in South Kensington, to find a decent coffee and revisit a few old haunts - I spent my first weeks ever in London staying in a bedsit in South Kensington and the green leafy streets haven't changed a bit. Just the fancy cars driving around them have been updated.

Have just loved being back in London again - so much remains the same despite the world's machinations. London knows exactly what its all about - its a city that has been on the grow for over 1500 years and despite suffering attacks, diseases, fires, economic downturns, wars and huge waves of immigrants over the years it seems resolute, and confident and maintains excellent queueing protocols. Plus there's lots of red stuff round the place that seems to jump out at you and say "Hello! I'm British"

 

 

 

No evidence of the GFC here. Not in the shops, the window displays or the number of people carrying flash shopping bags.

 

 

 

The Conran Shop is one of my favourite stores. Filled with objects of groovy splendor and well known for its displays and the brilliant Michelin building which houses it all. Everything from children's books to solar barbeques - you can buy an exquisite camera or a block of boutique Swiss chocolate, clothes, tableware, perfume, designer chairs, light fixtures. Its all very pretty and no photography allowed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nearby there is the Kings Road - with shop after designer shop and galleries, cafes and lots of people with credit cards meandering all the way to Sloane Square.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing in my price range here - so having had a wonderful catch up and fabulous caffeine fix (London IS getting better at coffee I'm pleased to say), I went to join Lorry and the kids at the HUGE-ORMOUS Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush.

 

 

Their Bear

Went to Shepherd's bush shopping centre which is a bit like Claremont Quarter and Galleria combined - its HUGE and should you like shopping centres, all you need in retail. I don't like shopping centres - surprise!

The kids found some kind of Teddy Bear shop where you choose your bear, its stuffing, a message / wish that goes inside as it is sewed up in front of your eyes and of course its clothes. You get a birth certificate and a pawsport which you can then stamp at many other locations where such bear shops exist. Sounds all a bit Cabbage Patch reborn to me.

The kids were TOTALLY into it and negotiated heavily with each other so they could get one bear to share.They forked out their dosh and were proud as punch as they bought their bear now known as "TIny Tiger Dembo" back to his apartment.

I am without speech.

Forget they are kids sometimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matilda

 

 

 

 

 

Bizarrely true

 

 

 

The lyrics and backstory make this such a great experience. Its definitely the Tim Minchin show with dialogue a segue into the next song.

 

Many faves but here is one

 

 

 

 

Lots of caricature characters and a seamless but far less extravagant than Chocolate factory set. Its the message and the way Tim Minchin has written that message into the lyrics that resonate and mean that it's hard to stop singing - much to the horror of the kids and unwary subway travellers.

 

I found Matilda quite similar to my first theatre experience as a ?6 year old when we went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I remember all the important bits - we knew the songs before hand, loved the show and I got a box of rowntrees fruit pastilles (Neil got wine gums).

We had some Subway issues - the trains stopped on the line we were on - so we made a mad dash in a black London Taxi Cab in peak hour traffic to get to the theatre. Missed a bit but thats life in the big city.

 

Running to get to the train which turned out not to move

 

 

 

Oh yes, much to dad's perplexed angst, the bear HAD to come with

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love "The Tunchbull"

 

 

 

REALLY Love "The Trunchbull"

 

 

 

Hard to compare the two plays we saw in two night. Charlie was memorable because it was "our first". The story is a bit basic without much depth but the set and the set pieces were extraordinary. The theatre was beautiful and Willy Wonka is one of those never forget characters - his songs, imagination (which we all kenw from the first movie) and "Strike That, Reverse That" and some of the super Oomp-Loompah work were highlights. On the other had, Matilda is just so much fun. It's funnier and wittier and easy to see why it's won so many awards.

We all agree - it's a tie.

 

 

Enough