To London then! Would we cancel at the last minute because of these threatened storms? Would our travel plans be disrupted? Would we contract a deadly virus by walking to close to Chinatown? Of course not!
Usual parking spot at Folkestone West and fast but very busy train up to to London. Failed to get tickets in advance or on the train so a bit of a queue at the other end, but then the tickets came in cheaper than expected anyway.
Dropped our bags at the Premier Inn near the station though we could not check in yet. Then spontaneously decided to visit the British Library as it was so close and we had a gap before our next organised fun. The British Library is amazing, though we only really did the treasure room and a "rebel kids" exhibition this time. Clare set the boys challenges in the treasure room so they looked at ancient maps and first editions plus the hand written Jane Austen and Charles Dickens and Paul McCartney and things. I'd like to spend more time here and see something different each time. The children's exhibition was small but perfectly formed, I like the original page from the Beano. The British Library url looks wrong1 it is just https://www.bl.uk and looks too short but is right.
Next on to Puttshack for a very modern take on mini-golf2. Quite a walk to get there really maybe shouldn't have tired the boys out this much. Clare tried to shop briefly on the way while we rested in a Pret A Manger for wraps, biscuits, and drinks. Her shop was not too successful but it was very quick. Anyway Puttshack is really good, it's all RFID so knows where and when you hit your ball. There are three different nine whole courses, and the interior is a hecticly lit and probably eighties themed electronic attack on the senses. It was a bit crowded and a bit rushed and the boys got a bit cross that they weren't better but very much fun. Clare was the only one to get the ball through the bonus target and get a hole in one so there was no catching her after this. I recomend this place, I think we would go again. AND because there's a bar, this counted as Febrewery pub fifteen. We were originally thinking of eating here but because we'd had more than we planned in Pret we just got the boys some curly fries to keep them going.
After Puttshack, to another museum, why not. We'd planned this one actually, The Museum Of London3. It's not too big but is a good burst of culture, though the boys were a bit too tired to enjoy it by this point. Things from there are definitely staying with them, a big old mammoth tusk for example, the very accessible Roman stuff and then the almost modern things. They liked the little cinema with the footage from the early 20th century, and we got a good photo of thing two with some 1960s stuff (he's been doing it at school). The more modern things were my favourite exhibits, the recreation of the Victorian street etc. I took a look round the Clash exhibition too while the others took a breather.
We checked into the hotel after this, and the boys really wanted to just sit in the hotel room and watch TV for a while. I was having none of it, so straight out to dinner. We can rest later at bedtime. We tried to go to a slightly different place I'd found, an independent pizza place, but on getting there no-one fancied the look of it. So back to a reliable old Prezzo. At least 3/4 of us were happy with this, I kind of wish we'd pushed on and taken a chance, but if it had been bad it would been the most memorable point of the day... A nice dinner though with one slight oddity when the amount Clare was charged was more than the bill, they had charged us someone elses bill apparently (hmm, chin scratching) and gave us the difference back in cash.
Clare went straight to the pub from here and I took the boys back to go to bed. We meandered via St Pancras and Kings Cross, looking for a nightcap. Prices in St Pancras shop are three times higher than in the Kings Cross little Waitrose, so look out for that. Then thing two went to bed while thing one sat up in the bath reading his new book, then he went to bed too, then Clare came in, then I went out. Phew this is complicated.
First I went to the Euston Tap, which I knew would be ace. It's a micropub really with a huge range of beers. Clare also went in this one and loved it too. Another Febrewery achievement! I had a smoked brown ale and watched the people come and go. A small American group came in and let slip it was a stag do. They were too sedate to be a real stag do at this time of night surely but apparently it's a thing in this bar where you can get free drinks! The trick is for the stag to have a very long first name though. This one was called Mike, so he got a whisky that started with an M, then a half of beer that started with I, then another that started with K, but then they stopped. Maybe they always stop at three, or it would be crazy.
The knowledgeable bartender there directed me to The Exmouth Arms as the next best pub in the area. And it was, it was great! Did not look promising from the outside, flat roof, round the back of the station, by the flats, what would it be like? It was a bit of a hipster real ale place, but a) good beer, I had a plum porter and then b) a free cider to take away just for registering for the free wifi. A group came in half-hearted fancy dress, they were a university sailing club in hand made pope outfits. I directed them back to the Euston Tap and I hope they got some free drinks there.
Final stop The Rocket, which was very lively, but not great. Lots of people having a good time, and golf on the TV, but a beer that I could not quite finish. Then back to the hotel, and to bed.
I'll come back and write up the Sunday later, this took me too long already.
Working from home today, the boys have gone to Grandpa's for the day. Short week for me, and I still have a couple of spare days holiday...
Paul Clarke's weblog - I live in Hythe near Folkestone. Wed + dad to 2, I'm a full stack web engineer, + I do js / Node, some ruby, python, php etc. I like pubbing, parkrun, eating, home automation and other diy jiggery-pokery, history, genealogy, Television, squirrels, pirates, lego, and TIME TRAVEL.