London - it's really old
March 6th 2010 15:26
I'm such a colonial. Whenever I arrive in London I'm struck by how, well.. old everything is. It's so bloody historic that occasionally when you come across a modern structure like the Lloyds building in the City, you feel annoyed. What were they thinking? Only old stuff allowed here.
I'm not complaining. It's like being in a museum all day long. And then there are the actual Museums. Today I toured the State Apartments at Kensington Palace (£12.50). Full of old furniture, paintings and even a few people dressed up from the olden days.
But one of the most interesting exhibits there was from 1958. The year that Debutantes stopped being presented to the Queen. If you've ever read a book, you'll know that the English upper class have been presented at court for hundreds of years. It was the way you passed from childhood to adulthood. It was the path to marriage, in fact.
The Palace contains a fascinating documentary, presented on six plasma TV's, in a typical upper class living room, where you can hear all about 'coming out'. (In those days, it meant something else.) One display contained all the invitations to parties received by a certain Miss Margaret McKay. There were hundreds. She must have been popular.
Next stop for me was the Victoria and Albert Museum, a veritable treasure trove of art, sculpture and history. And it's free. Hard to believe that you could spend all day in a place like that and pay nothing. And many other London Museums are free too.
The V&A is not the sort of place I would think to bring children, but the interactive rooms are great. You can design a coat of arms, jewellery or a monogram on a computer, or write a story to be posted in the Museum. And special children's backpacks filled with goodies are handed out to keep the kids interested.
Another free activity is walking in London's extensive parks and gardens. Kensington Gardens, near the Palace, has kilometres of paved paths, ideal for scooters.
The Princess Diana Memorial Playground will keep the kids amused for hours. There's a cafe for tired/thirsty parents as well.
If your children are a little older and need something more adventurous, the Holland Park Adventure Playground is the one for you. It will be challenging enough for a 10 year old at least.
Residential Street in Holland Park
I'm not complaining. It's like being in a museum all day long. And then there are the actual Museums. Today I toured the State Apartments at Kensington Palace (£12.50). Full of old furniture, paintings and even a few people dressed up from the olden days.
Kensington Palace, once home to Princess Diana
But one of the most interesting exhibits there was from 1958. The year that Debutantes stopped being presented to the Queen. If you've ever read a book, you'll know that the English upper class have been presented at court for hundreds of years. It was the way you passed from childhood to adulthood. It was the path to marriage, in fact.
The Palace contains a fascinating documentary, presented on six plasma TV's, in a typical upper class living room, where you can hear all about 'coming out'. (In those days, it meant something else.) One display contained all the invitations to parties received by a certain Miss Margaret McKay. There were hundreds. She must have been popular.
Next stop for me was the Victoria and Albert Museum, a veritable treasure trove of art, sculpture and history. And it's free. Hard to believe that you could spend all day in a place like that and pay nothing. And many other London Museums are free too.
The Natural History Musem, next door to the V&A, also has free entry.
The V&A is not the sort of place I would think to bring children, but the interactive rooms are great. You can design a coat of arms, jewellery or a monogram on a computer, or write a story to be posted in the Museum. And special children's backpacks filled with goodies are handed out to keep the kids interested.
Another free activity is walking in London's extensive parks and gardens. Kensington Gardens, near the Palace, has kilometres of paved paths, ideal for scooters.
The Princess Diana Memorial Playground will keep the kids amused for hours. There's a cafe for tired/thirsty parents as well.
If your children are a little older and need something more adventurous, the Holland Park Adventure Playground is the one for you. It will be challenging enough for a 10 year old at least.
Holland Park Adventure Playground
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