Somewhere in London last night young school student, Jesse, slept the sleep of a child who spent the day getting into trouble at the Churchill War rooms museum. Seriously, what is it with the UK and school trips to museums where every child is dangerously brandishing a clipboard folder and completing some pointless busy work kind of activities? They’re everywhere! In spite of Jesse getting in everyone’s way I really found that museum fascinating. It was so interesting to walk through the underground corridors and see how a war was waged. It seems that the world has learned nothing from the horrific lessons of the Second World War. Still it was something I had missed on my last trip to London so I was pleased to see it this time. Other highlights of the day in London included getting lost after getting off the tube at Victoria station, watching the squirrels in what might have been St James’ park, passing through security, climbing 6 flights of stairs and watching a very earnest yet boring debate in the House of Commons, walking across the Millenium Bridge, taking a tour through the Globe, walking back across the Millenium Bridge and catching the tube home. The whole time i was catching the tube i couldn’t help but think about the horror that must have been the London bombings.

Today we caught a black cab to Kings Cross where we caught the train to York. Highlights here were the Harry Potter shop, taking some nerdy photos at the 9 and 3/4 platform, listening to and watching some very serious austrians(?) on the train talk abt expanding the market for whatever business they are in, into other international markets, including Australia. At one point they mentioned the great British bake off, and then something about social media. It was all very mysterious but passed the time. The weather was less then lovely today but after we arrived in York we walked into the city centre to find lunch. We managed to eat at exactly the same tea shop as we had 9 years ago. I had green tea and a roast beef sandwich. Then we walked out into the drizzling rain, wandered the streets looking for somewhere to buy a SIM card, did so, and then walked back to the hire car at the station while it continued drizzling. I was perhaps a little bit smug as my Kathmandu puffy jacket coped admirably with the rain and cold, as did my boots. Others were less successful in dealing with the weather (I.e. my mother, father and sister). Anyhow, we drove out of York in the direction of the east coast and find ourselves this evening in a semidetached self catering cottage in the village of Wold Newton. The heaters are on and our clothes are dry.