An Adventure in London
Miss 16 received quite a bit of money for her birthday – both from ourselves, and from extended family – and hadn't really had a chance to spend anything yet. I sent her a message from work on Friday lunchtime, asking “what do you think about going to Forbidden Planet at the weekend to spend some of your birthday money?”... Immediate “Yes!!!” in response.
For those scratching their heads, “Forbidden Planet” is probably the biggest comic book shop in the country.
So this morning I put several sticks of dynamite under her bed, and somehow managed to get her to the train station a couple of minutes before the London bound train arrived – along with her little sister, who was tagging along for a day out, and hopefully a visit to M&M World.
Rather than recount the various adventures of the day in mind-numbing detail, I'll cheat, and copy some of the photos I shared through Instagram instead:
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It goes without saying that Covent Garden – where we spent the first hour after arriving – is a wonderland for children. There are street entertainers, musicians, cafs, street food... you name it. After a few minutes watching a magician, and laughing at a juggler on a unicycle, we headed for our “real” destination – Forbidden Planet.
I haven't seen Miss 16 have such a good day in a long time. I've never seen her so confident in crowds, or in dealing with paying for things on her own. I know these might sound like simple things for so many people, but for her, it was a huge day.
We ate lunch in Mitsu – a sushi bar common in most cities in the UK. It was the first time there for all of us, and we went a bit mad – buying mains, deserts, and drinks. Amazing food though – beautifully presented, and tasted wonderful.
I also can't remember a journey home passing as easily. I'm not sure if it's just because the kids are growing up, or because they were flat-out tired. I'm not complaining.
Now if you'll excuse me, I might have bought a couple of comics with artwork by Amanda Connor to read (go look her up).