h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Anna,

I just dropped by your space for a quice nose around, and thought I'd leave a footprint.

Sounds like you are enjoying motherhood as much as I am enjoying fatherhood, babies and kids are amazing aren't they
Is Domonic your first and last or do you have plans for lots lots more?

Now the weather has improved a bit, I want to take my wife and kids for a dayout in London. Even tho I work here 5 days a week, I don't pay much attention to London's attractions, so I wondered if you had any recommendations.
I was thinking the London Eye would be good.

Hope this message finds you well.

Simon

Simon, how lovely to see you on my Personal Space

Dominic is, indeed, a fine chap. I love him more than anything No plans for more yet, but might throw caution to the wind in two or three years time. And we'll see what happens

Now then, days out in London, let's see. How old are your children? I've been on the London Eye, but I think Dom is much too young to be interested. Might suit children of five and upwards, if they're fine with heights that is. We took my nephew to the London Aquarium recently - that was good. And you can't beat the Science Museum - though it is crowded. I'll ask my dad, he was a headmaster for years and years and knows about these sorts of things.

If you're taking a pram on London transport - that's my speciality! In fact, I've been meaning to write an entry about it.

Speak soon

Anna

Yup Prams will be involved.
We have two kids, a boy of 2, who is so well behaved we are sure that he is plotting something
and a baby girl who is just 2 months old.

So both are kinda too young to appreciate anything really intellectual like a museam, but would still enjoy a nice day out and a break from the normal parks and ball pits.

I'm sure the trip on the train will be the highlight of the day for Charlie, our son, so perhaps I should treat my wife Clare to a day somewhere nice.
Problem is, what nice places dont object to screaming babies and boisterous toddlers? I mean I can't see us getting a table for lunch at the Ivy. lol.

(obligatory smiley time )

Cheers
Simon

Mmm prams - try aiming for anywhere on the Jubilee Line as they have lifts and so it's much easier for getting about. Though their escalators seem to be out across the network. Let me give some thought to this. I'm just about to go and pick up Dom (I get in early and leave early ) but will post back here tomorrow. See you then!



Anna

Okay matey,
Don't lose too much sleep over it, just nice to speak to another parent in town.
Now that you mention the jubilee line, I quite fancy taking a trip down the new part, I heard that Stratford station was well impressive, dunno how excited the missus will be about going to look at a tube station though lol.
Perhaps I'll just do that one alone on me lunch break.

Hope you have a good night with Dom. How old is he now? take it he's at nursery, so he must be at least 3 right?

Catch you soon

Simon the

Hey Simon,

I got a lie in until 6.10! So refreshing! Dom's nearly one - he's getting so big. Quite soon he's going to be a little boy and not a baby any more. So he goes to 'nursery', but what I mean is creche really. It's not far from work so I bring Dom in with me, which is why I've had a lot of practice with a pram on London transport!

I've thought of a couple of days out...

Greenwich. There's the Cutty Shark, the river, nice shops and a market at the weekend, a huge park, the observatory if you've got time and a Pret a Manger with good nappy changing facilities! You can either go to North Greenwich on the Jubilee Line or go to Island Gardens on the DLR and walk under the river via the tunnel (it echos!) Also there is (or there was) a city farm at Island Gardens - not sure if it's still there, it's a long time since I worked in Docklands.

Covent Garden. A bit crowded and touristy at the weekends, but there's nice shops, the London transport museum (with ball pit!), a little playground on Drury Lane and an extremely quiet (Christian) cafe on, um... Neal Street, I think, with really clean nappy changing facilities.

Borough Market at London Bridge only on Fridays and Saturdays. It's a specialist food market, if that's your thing. All venison burgers (v v yummy) and organic fish, fancy olive oil and unusual cheese. Quite a few free samples around. A bit bumpy and narrow in places with a pram, but I like it. Also Southwark cathedral close with very nice nappy changing facilities. There's also the river, a ship (the Golden Hind), the Tate Modern (we took Dom at about 4/5 months and he loved it - bright colours, I suppose) and Vinopolis nearby.

Let me know what you think!

Anna

Hi Anna,
6.01 Pah! you call that a lay in ?
I don't wanna brag, but I'm going to .
Grace, our 2 month old daughter is already sleeping through, she goes from 9.30 PM to about 5 AM, then sleeps for another 4 hours.
Her brother Charlie is even lazier, he goes to bed at 8PM and rarely wakes up before 8.30 AM.
The only problem is that I get up for work at 5.30 AM but it's bliss at weekends.

Dom sounds really cute, I read about the fun you had at the Tate on your page lol. Don't worry about him growing up too quickly, they get more entertaining as they get older.

Thanks for all the suggestions for days out, it's funny that you mention Greenwich, cos we only live about 15 minutes from there and are always taking the kids over the park there.
If you can put up with all the other kids on the swings being called Tarquin and Tamara, then it's great fun.
Haven't been on the cutty sark for years, that's worth a go, my son would love to see a big old ship like that.

Think I'll avoid Covent Garden at the weekends, my wife Clare used to work up the West end, and the Tourists drove me mad when I met her there. If I was pushing a pram I'd suffer with pram rage and start running them over. 10 points for a jap taking a photo!

Borough market sounds a grin, I go past it on the way to work, but have never been there when it's open. Clare's on a diet at the moment, so it might be a bit cruel, but perhaps once she stops.
We both love our food and drink, so I know we'd have a good day there.

The Golden Hind, or rather the pub next to it, is it the old thameside inn? Is one of my regular drinking haunts, so that wouldnt be much of a day out for me, plus it's only about half the size of the Cutty sark, and not the original either.
I'd like to see the Tate, never been a big art lover, but I bet it's impressive, and isn't Shakespears globe down there somewhere too.

Oooooh so much to do, so little time to do it all

I'd love to take the kids to a farm, but since the old foot and mouth outbreak a few years back, they have shut down all the petting zoos

Thanks for all the great suggestions tho Anna, really helpful

So, tell me, how does Dom like the creche? I thought my wife Clare would go back to work after having kids, cos she had a fantastic job, but luckily we could just about survive on my wages, and she turned into super mum
Do you get any grief or comments from people for putting him in a creche? That would really get up my nose if it was me.

Good luck with that pram!!!

Simon

Dear Simon!

Groggy - it was somewhere between 5 and 6 this morning but thought I'd better not look too closely at the clock! How do you and Clare do it? Is there a magic potion?

I'd say that Borough Market is my favourite. For what you get most of the produce isn't too expensive either. One of the stalls does very good hot chicken sandwiches in tortilla wraps with special sauce and rocket. Mmmmm It's about 3 quid - better than a sarnie from Pret any day.

Dom really, genuinely loves the creche and it seems as if he gets quite bored at weekends. They rotate the activities they do and the toys they play with. Yesterday they put coloured stuff and shaving foam under some cling film for the babies to squish: I quite like the idea that he doesn't come home clean. I'd be suspicious if he was! The cook there is excellent and Dom's tried and likes all sorts of things, even samosas and spring rolls. It's got a great atmosphere and I know it's the right thing for him as he's quite sociable. Even so one of the women from my antenatal class said that she thought it was 'morally wrong' for women to work full time. I don't, but I do go in every day, and some of us don't have a choice! I was really quite cross It amazes me sometimes how some people can be so unsupportive. The main thing is that Dom is very contented and nothing makes me happier than knowing that

Howdy,
Afraid there's no magic potion, we just give them brandy instead of milk, makes them sleep for ages just kidding.
I'd honestly say that the key to them sleeping so well was routine. Despite all the advice and critecism from midwives and health visitors, Clare and I decided to follow her mums advice of feeding every four hours, rather than on demand.
With Charlie we just thought we were lucky , and that we'd had a sleepy child, but it's been exactly the same with Grace. Within a week she'd dropped the night feed alltogether.
I was thinking of writing an article about it for h2g2, but as a bloke I don't really feel like I'm qualified to give advice to other mums.

Sounds like you enjoy your food as much as we do
I think I might pop over borough market to get one of those chicken wraps for lunch, I read your reply just as I was chomping through a soggy Prets chicken ceasar sarnie and wondering how they justify thier prices for such rubbish. lol.

I think creches are great for kids, and it sounds like you found a good one for Dom. Interraction with other children is probably the best thing you can give a child. It helps them develop so many social skills.
I would feel guilty for having to put my kid through the nightmare of using london transport every day, but that's only cos I hate it so much, I bet Dom loves it.
Lol at you being suspicious if Dom was clean. I'd better not introduce you to charlie. The only kid that wants to constantly wipe his fingers when finger painting! He rufuses to make mud pies in the garden too.
I don't know where he gets it from, I mean me and Clare are the biggest slobs ever

Glad to hear Dom isn't scared of trying new foods, or that you don;t mind him having them. So many parents stick kids on boring mundane diets. Charlie eats everything we do, unless it's really spicey, and tucks into almost everything. Only thing he turns his nose up at is cheese, but then I asked him is he wanted 'Fromage' instead, brought back the same plate, and he ate the lot lol.
He asks the lady at our local deli counter for fromage now and she thinks it's so funny

Grrrr at that woman from your ante natal class, I want to slap narrow minded people like that.
Ok in an ideal world no parents would work and I'd get to spend alot more time with my kids. But hey, unless I win the lottery, that's not gonna happen.
You just have to make the most out of what you've got. I bet Dom grows up to be alot happier than her kids do!

I feel guilty for going to work and leaving the kids with Clare, and jealous of the extra time she gets with them, but there's no easy way round that without sacrificing more important things.
I just ensure I make up for it during the evenings and weekends, and like you said, when you see how happy your child is.... nuf said I think.

So where do you work Anna? and what kinda hours do you do?
Sorry to be nosey, but I am

Hiya,
Sorry to write again, before you've even had a chance to read my last message. (Or perhaps you did and you've run away in fear and changed your h2g2 id )

We've decided to visit borough market tomorrow, despite Clare's diet, which seems to have fallen by the way side temporarily.
We also decided to pop into the Tate. Oh and go over the wobbly bridge and past my work. Oh and take the DLR down to greenwich, oh and go on the cutty sark if we get time. Should be back home by a week on thursday.

Erm do you think we are trying to cram too much into one day ? Oh and we gotta go to church before all of this too, nearly forgot about that.

I doubt we will get it all in, but that's the plan. I was telling clare about your suggestions and she wanted to do them all straight away. She even tried to get us on the London eye too, but it was fully booked lol.
So it's church at 10 am, get to london by 12, an hour round the market and something to eat there. Feed Grace, then take a stroll round the Tate. How long does it take to go round? no more than an hour or two I'm guessing.
Walk over the bridge, DLR back to greenwich, then a train home.
Phew I'm exhausted just desribing it lol.

Are we mad? Yep, but I think you have to be to enjoy parenthood.

I'll bore you to death with how it all went on monday.
Wish us luck

Simon

Ahhh, I'll try brandy then

Glad you're going to Borough market (it's not open on Sundays though) Even if it is too much to do, but can start your plan and then it doesn't matter if you don't get round to everything. Whenever we've been to the Tate we haven't spent too much time there - just taken our time there with one floor every time we've been. I think we did 'people' and 'society' last time. I've never been on the bridge, does it still wobble. Hope so Brilliant day out.

London transport's not so bad, because I get in early and leave early we mostly miss the rush hour. Though I got out late yesterday (I work on the Aldwych) and had an encounter with a fellow commuter. Ooo You know how people get all sniffy and huffy on the Tube? She was doing that. I said, well I can't do much about it with a pram (I couldn't move). A little while later (because she'd obviously been thinking about it) she said I alway fold up my pram - goood idea if your child isn't asleep, can stand on his own so you can fold the thing up and if there are any seats. Perhaps I'm being a tube hog, but you'd think she'd have a bit more sympathy if she has a child herself. Humph.

So where do you work then?

Anna

YOU BIG HOG!
How dare you take a pushchair or pram on the london underground. Don't you know it's illegal! Honestly, three or four people could fit in the space you take up. You should be made to pay an extortionate fare!

just kidding
The horrid person you encountered on the tube obviously has no grasp on reality. Fold your pram up. She should fold her mouth up! that would make at least ten more spaces.

Yeah that's our plan for tomorrow, just see how much of it we can do before we collapse, and then maybe carry on from where we left off next week.

I'm lucky enough to get to work early (7 AM) and be out the door by 5 PM, so I guess I miss most of the rush hour, and I only travel on mainline trains. I'm far too aggrophobic to face the tube every day.
They still get pretty crowded tho, and during the hot weather it's pretty uncomfortable, but I just bury myself in a good book or put my walkman on and ignore everyone getting annoyed with each other.

I think it's very unnatural for us humans to be crowded in a small space with strangers, and we don't know how to handle it. It leads to all sorts of territorial battles over personal space.
I'm quite a tall fellow, and if get stuck sitting opposite someone else with long legs there's always a mini knee battle lol.

I work in the city, close to Bank station, which is just over the water from Borough market really.
Really looking forward to exploring more of london, just gonna go and make a map for Charlie, to turn it into even more of an adventure.

Have a good weekend with whatever you do.

Simon

I know. I think I might get one of those extra large three wheel Land Rover prams

I know what you mean about personal space, I think we Brits have especial trouble with that. And the no eye contact thing is everyone's coping strategy!

Ooo maps good idea. I read in the entry 'Things to Keep Children amused on Long Journeys' that one good thing is to give kids an old map and let them fill in all the things they want to: rivers, hills, battlegrounds. Great for the imagination, but probably not suitable for Charlie or Dom. I'm going to save that one up for later.

Have a good weekend too!

Bon Jour Anna,

How are you?
Sorry it's taken me a while to reply, but I was off work yesterday, and having two kids at home means I don't get much time to idle away on the PC there. (Unlike at work, where that's all I do all day long)

I want to tell you all about our day out on Saturday, as it was your suggestions that helped us so much. So please forgive me if I waffle on a bit and bore the pants off ya. I have a tendancy to do that when I start talking about my wife n kids lol.

Saturday, well it's started off quite badly Went to church in the morning to book Grace's Christening and found that our beloved vicar had finaly lost his tenuous grasp of reality and gone completely mental lol. He was always a few beers short of a six pack, but it was quite endearing to have a slightly eccentric ecclesiatic, but he's gone right off his rocker now, shaved off all his hair, bought two big rotweilers. Very scarey lol.
The bad news was that he couldn't fit in the Baptism till November, which kinda spoils our plans to have a nice summer BBQ party after it, oh well, just have to have two partys now I guess

We got the Train upto London Bridge, which Charlie loved, there's some strange attraction between little boys and trains that I don't really understand, but it was great to see him so excited.
Had a nice long wander round Borough market, and brought lots of little goodies. It's a fantastic place, there's just so much strange stuff to buy. Didn;t go much on the venison burgers So we popped down to the Anchor by the river to have a bite to eat there. Yummy And Clare was good to her diet, only had a bowl of soup, and dribbled at me and Chaz eating Chicken pie and chips in front of her lol.

Didn't bother with the Tate this time, save it for another day.
We thought about getting the river boat back to Greenwich, but that might have been a bit awkward with a big pram, so we took a stroll over the wobbly millenium bridge and headed back to Bank tube to get the DLR. Boy what a mistake that was!

I think I am now qualified to assist you in writing that article about travellig with a pram on london transport! We got to bank, paid for our tickets, then asked the guy where the lifts were, he said there were no lifts for prams, we had to use the esculators. which weren't working!
Dunno if you have ever been to the DLR platform, but it's down about 12 flights of esculators, and 6 flights of stairs. Down all of which clare had to carry Grace and hold Charlies hand, and I had to carry a feck off great big pram with buggy board attached. lol. By the end of it I thought I was having a heart attack!
And guess what, right next to the DLR Platform is a nice big shiny lift with a sign with pictures of wheelchairs and mums with prams on.
How angry were we? If I wasn't so tired I was gonna go back up and wrap my pram round the helpfull guards head. Grrrrrrrrr.
London underground can expect a very nasty letter very soon!
Didn't get to see much of the docklands as I was doubled over huffing and puffing for breath lol. And we all felt far too tired to do the cutty sark so we headed home.

Despite the bad luck at the tube station, we still had a fantastic day. Going to make an outing to London a regular thing now.

Thanks for all your good advice Anna, I know I'l never look at a pram on the train the same way again!

Simon

Grrrrr London Transport - Do you want to do a joint entry with me? You waffle away, sounds like you had a good day out despite some difficulties. Shame about the christening - your vicar sounds like a riot! What's he doing with rotweilers?!Just before Dom was born, we'd thought about having two parties. A christening mainly for family and a 'welcome baby to the world' picnic type thing for our friends. In a park, on blankets - I had this idyllic idea in my head. We had Dom's christening in October, but didn't get round to it the picnic last year (I had a Caesarian and couldn't really do much at all for a couple of months) but we're going to do an all out party for Dom's first birthday Can't wait as we're shortly going to be moving to our very own house with a big garden

I'd be delighted to do a joinmt entry with you. It would be my first entry, so you'd have to hold my hand and tell me what to do lol.

I'm not sure that one day with a pram qualifies me as an expert on London transport, but I do commute by train everyday, so I think I'd certainly have something to contribute.

We were seriously going to have to reconsider who we invited to the Christening, we had about 40 people in mind, which is fine when they can all go out in our garden, but it would be a bit of a squeeze indoors.
We toyed with the idea of two parties, like you mentioned, one for family, one for friends. But then Clare hit on the idea of hiring a hall for the day. Saves our house getting trashed! lol.

As the Christening is only a couple of days before guy fawkes night, we might even turn it into a fireworks party in the evening too The good thing about it being so far away is we have alot longer toplan and organise things now. Every cloud has a silver lining

Clare had a Caesarian the first time round too, and I know how incapacitated she was. I don't blame you for not doing the party in the park. What have you got planned for his 1st?

Great news on the house We are looking for somewhere new at the moment, but can't believe the prices! shocking isnt it.
Luckily we have plenty of room in our current house, and a pretty big garden too, but we want to get into a better area for kids schools before they get much older. So there's no real rush and we can be very selective.

Good luck with your move, and make the most of the garden this summer (if we get a summer!)

Simon

Hiya Anna,
Remember me ? Just popped by to ask how things were.

How's Dom doing? Still causing chaos in the rush hour I hope
You lot moved into your nice new house yet?

Drop me a reply if you're free for a natter sometime.

Simon the

Hello Simon!

Of course I do! How was your weekend? I've been wondering how things have been with you too. As for house news, we exchanged on Friday, after a day of trauma. I had the day off, and had to drive for two hours across London, stopping to take phone calls from estate agents and solicitors, with Dom in the back being hot. And an ice cream van rolled into the back of me and cracked my number plate - and then drove off over Waterloo Bridge. You can't trust ice cream sellers, I say . But it all worked out in the end and it was the Summer Meetup on Saturday

Anna

Grrrrrr at icecream sellers! How nasty! I hope he gets crushed nuts

Estate agents are a nightmare aren't they. We found a really lovely house last week. It wasn't perfect, the garden was a bit small and it was on a main road, but it was such a nice big house we overlooked that and put in an offer. Admittedly it was for alot less than the asking price, but like I said the house wasn't perfect.
Needless to say they told us to poke it, wouldn't consider less than the asking price. Oh well, we'll just have to keep looking.

Have you seen the guide entry about buying houses? Was it any use to you when you went through it all?
(I'm looking for tips lol)

How was the summer meet up? Weather was excellent, not too hot, not too cold. Hope you all had a grin.

Talk soon

Simon

Ooo, are you looking, too? I put together the entry on Tips on Buying a House A695360 and I found it really useful. The one on Moving House A571808 is good too. I'll be printing that one out in a couple of weeks.

We all had a great time at the meetup. It was sunny and not too hot. I wasn't around for the evening bit, but it was so lovely to talk to people and put names to faces