we tootled [or chuggered - to use Bb'S moving verb of choice] down to london for the day to see/hear/participate in a lecture at the royal institute for science. it was on sound, and by these guys. we were pleased to be making our inaugeral venture with friends – meeting up with Nic, monster and teeny, em, E and R, the deependers and a local home ed family. As it happened, we had failed to assess which session Nic was going to make! so she took the early showing, but we did all meet up at the park for an hourish of running about wildly greeting friends. chris and i now have oyster cards, which feels v londony!! i am going into london 2ce more this week for work, so will prob use mine up – i wonder how you recharge the things?? Em having driven quite a way then parked and tubed, i wonder whether that would be cheaper for us – as there are 2 adults?
i really enjoyed it. i think the presenter was excellent. even if the regional accent threw me once :blush: it was the herrs in the ear! in the warm up, there were q and a’s on the wall, and i was totally appalling at them! the kids all had a go though – we had them all sitting in a row together with adults behind. they loved it. K and SB both got to go down and interact. we were slightly concerned that sb had been given scissors and an instruction not to cut his nose off, and she said that when she got close, she did consider it! 
bB managed really well too. she liked putting her arm up to answer questions and volunteer slightly releived he had more sense than to choose her. she did some remarkably loud yawns, but it was only after her loo break at 40 mins that she lost concentration, and insisting on scrambling over people for a mummy cuddle, rather than the next to her daddy 
but i was really impressed with her staying power. both girls would def like to go again. i did think he had a lot left to do, and rushed the last 10 mins or so, but it was good. and he didn’t mind the home ed third of the audience shouting answers rather than hands upping! but yes, SB was enthralled by the whole thing, and lovely yo meet up with friends, however briefly, so def worth the price of travelling.
afterwards we went down to the not opened museum in the basement, and alll the children really REALLY loved the singing periodic table, where you had to bash the elements found at the RI [all 10] as the appeared in the song. most of the rest doesn’t look particularly interactive, but worth another look another time! we think we will try out the am heart one, and pop to a museum pm in Nov – hopefully limiting the pain of travelling costs by the 2 for 1 thing! Any friends doing the same also a bonus!!
all the kids were fantastic on the journey back. we had a really crowded train, and a lovely chap gave up his seat for me, and also someone gave up theirs for Katy [who needed it more with A, but 'mine' was backwards facing] the children had books read to them, and the SB carried on reading books out loud for the rest of the journey, and BB fell asleep on my lap. [due to sleep bB is STILL awake, and show us how she balances things. i am going to bed soon, and will try for a second time with BB then - SB asleep though] SB made it back in time for judo, which she v much loves.
otherwise this week maths and handwriting and piano practices have happened, lots of reading, and some violin. BB is so into sounding out syllables and what words might begin with that we are doing more before the code with her again.
on the oystercard, a quick google shows that i can have an online account and top up – good. amazed at cost of zone one single these days. in my day it was 1.50, and as a london tourist earlier with red ken in charge it was something like 30p. the finsbury park return was £4 – so a bargain
It was good – jealous that some of you got to be volunteers!
Cross with self for not thinking about sessions but never mind. I’ve got the am heart one booked and would be up for something afterwards- our train home is 1547 so would need to stay in Green Park area and leave 330ish but would give 3hours to do *something*.
Nice to see you all, however brief
I prefer to drive and tube. Much cheaper and C is completely free that way.
Train is cheaper with family railcard but still more expensive than drive, carpark and tube.
Also we have this “can’t return between 4 and 7pm on cheap day returns” rule on our line so that can be a pain.
The day sounded good. I have now booked the am heart one. Slightly anxious about getting there on time so may do a reccy before the day so I know exactly where I am going.
Kids free though (up to 11) which is nice
And over 11 still free on everything but the tube. Ken’s legacy – wonder how long before Boris changes that? I’m going to get Violet a 11-15 Oyster photocard for the tube, which caps at £1 a day 
Forgot about yesterday, and can’t make 12th Nov as one of my students has his exam the next day and he gets hopelessly confused if I change anything.
so where do you drive to michelle – considering we share the same trainline! though chris says that as long as you get on at fxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, the 4-7 thing doesn’t seem to be a problem [in booking online tickets - though we didn't test that out]
The 4-7 thing applies to us too, but it’s only for some trains, we can still get the slow ones. I won’t drive on principle though.
sounds fab. wondering why I never made it to book that as I remember initial thoughts about it. Ahh well never mind. Must make it to london some time, I do like it there, but it is a bit of a trek for us.
BB is just totally past it on a 7 finish, and 4 always seems early, and we don’t have ok slow trains!
will have to have you to stay kirsty in new year around time when something interesting on, then wont seem so far. [or it will be in stages!]
We drive to Cxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
ah, have looked at the route and will ponder. though if we can get back from fxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, the money prob worth it
I’m also not sure if the gates will let us out at home as they may be clever enough to identify cheap day tickets and not open. Not put them to the test yet!
hmm, well, we haven’t gone through gates as such. also, if you can buy tickets from the trainline, does that mean that they are valid? [you can't for a stop in london] and the train we got back left fxxxxxxxxxxxx at 16:28
Things is Cxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is about 70 miles from us – so probably 1 1/4 – 1/2 hours drive for us, then say 40 minutes on the tube ( a lot less comfortable than the mainline trains) I don’t find this an attractive option esp. coming home – tho total journey time probbaly not that much longer given we have to go to Hxxxxxxxxxx and faff around finding a parking place at that time
And 120 miles of petrol would be a significant proportion of the train fare
TBH, leaving London by 4.30 at the mo is probably the best option anyway, as as H says, BB flagging by then and if we stay and go for dinner somewhere she is just a pain.
Tho if you buy an off peak day return not valid for journeys via london to finsbury park then you do seem to be able to use it on the restricted trains – leastways the first Capital connect site will sell me one for those trains – tho they are mostly full of people who got on at KX of course.
The RI is dead easy to get to Michelle, off at Green Park tube, back up along Picadilly a few roads, and turn left – about 5 minutes walk
The lecture sounds fab! And just a quick hop on the Piccadilly line for us!
well, maybe we might see you and family at one of them then? they were pretty fine about younger siblings, and BB was quite noisily demanding at one point