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

Well I hit London at the weekend ..... or maybe it hit me .... I'm not sure, but I think I came off worse.

That place just sucks the life clean out of you ..... I don't know where to begin.

We arrived on Friday and we took the kids to the park where we hired cart/bike thingies - *phew* the weather was lovely and the afternoon just flew by. Went back to my neices flat where we had a barbeque on the balcony and a few beers ... mmmmm ... and took in the view of London City .... St Paul's, the Eye, the Gherkin.

On Saturday we were up early and off to pound the streets ..... Waterloo Bridge, the West End and of course Lord of the Rings at the beautiful Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. This is a show that has had mixed reviews, but it got the thumbs up from us. The special effects were really special, the revolving - all singing all dancing - stage was awesome and the intermittent music was refreshing and haunting in equal parts. It was a spectacular show which actually took our breath away in places. The acting was overshadowed in places by the costumes/stiltwalkers/performing stage, but we left the show certain that we'd got what we paid for.

I must find out what Lord of the Rings is about some day.

After that epic show we were starving, so trotted off to the Rainforest Cafe where we all enjoyed a very satisfying meal. Several purchases from the shop later and we were off to Hamley's ...... where it was impossible not to spend more money.

Absolutely exhausted we made for the next home to East Dulwich and our rather curious sleeping arrangements .... which were subject to change through the night due to various snorers.



Sunday morning was another early start - with 4 of us needing the shower every morning it was impossible to go out anywhere *that* early, but we headed off to the local Harvester for an early Sunday lunch ..... which was delicious and very reasonable.

Then off we went again on the .... to the Tower of London .... where we had a really, really good guide. Oh how the kids loved the gruesome tales of days gone by - and I do believe they actually learned some stuff. At kicking out time there we strolled down to The Monument ..... then made our only trip to McD's, more to kill time than anything else - and it was the only place opened, while we were waiting for the Haunted London tour to to begin. Around the financial district - where we stumbled upon the filming of some scenes of National Treasure 2.

Our guide was again brilliant and made everthing come to life much to the delight of the kids.

We made our weary way home exhausted but happy.



On Monday we again did our best to be out the door quite early to *do* Oxford Street ...... OMG that place has to be hell on earth. But first we stopped off at the Breakfast Club to see if we could catch any famous folk in for a coffee (my neice used to work there on her days off).... but no-one we recognised turned up - however, we did get a scrumptious breakfast and a great welcome.

By 4.30 we were ready for an ambulance out of Oxford Street - stopped at TGI Friday's for our dinner first. Suitably refreshed we headed off to the Apollo Theatre to see Wicked.

Well, while LotR was a story with some music - Wicked was a musical show and it was just full to the brim of . The cast were tremendous, the music was enough to give us goosebumps and the show was uplifting, beautiful, and really what the musical theatre is all about, and what a clever story. We were all gobsmacked and my neice was seeing it for the third time. Lickily, the credit card was with us and everyone managed to get all the memorabilia we could carry - hoodies, tshirts, books, badges, cds. We're still singing those songs.

Then it was off home for a few beers and bed.



Tuesday it was packing, lunch at the Harvester and to the airport. Plane was delayed for about 20mins, but otherwise the journey home was uneventful.

The weather was lovely (except Tuesday), the hospitality was great, the shows were awesome and overall I'd just like to thank everyone involved.

My feet may never be the same though ....

glad you enjoyed it Fizzy

personally, as a Northerner, they can keep it

Wow! What a trip!

I didn't know you had Rainforest Cafe in the U.K.

I've seen "Wicked". Quite enjoyed it! I don't remember any of the songs, though. Glad you liked it.

Oooh, you got to see the Tower of London.

Sounds like a great time to me. Oh, and welcome home.

Thanks Prof and PC, the place never stops .... I hate it with a passion, but while my little lady has been there before it was her friends first time - so we had to at least try and do the best bits. She didn't seem too impressed with the Palace or Trafalgar Square, but she liked the Tower.

I was tempted to leave them there myself.

We didn't bother with the London Eye and the queues for the Dungeons were too long ..... wrong time of year for that I fear.

We are quite a theatrical family so the shows were the highlight of the trip .....

She's Back!!


Mind where you put your feet everybody! The is back!

Wow, i`d love to go and see anything in Londons West End, but being a young teenager from the North East, theres no chance of that happening soon.

that sounds like a marvellous time indeed.
Glad you enjoyed it.

Funny I saw Wicked 2 weekends ago! My 14-year old daughter wants to be on stage, so it was a birthday treat for her.

I absolutely ADORED it! Bought the Defy Gravity T shirt (great talking point when I'm playing with the hairy bikers) and I've had the soundtrack on in the car ever since. No Good Deed is a real belter, what?

Have you cleaned all the black nyuck out from your nostrils and ear canals yet...

Glad you had a nice time Fizzy

Just getting back to normal now Bea .... my kid goes to a local amdram .... so she was gobsmacked by the productions we saw - but Wicked won the day and I too have the cd in the car our 4 fav tracks are This Feeling, Popular, Defying Gravity and No Good Deed .... but I think I'm actually singing them in my sleep now.

You'll get to the West End some day Mega - and it'll be worth the wait.

Nice to be back LSW, but it's taken me this long to get back to Belfast time.

Tell me about it - I was defying gravity at about 3 a.m this morning

Which amdram org does your one go to?

http://www.belvoirplayers.org/

The junior section will be starting up again in a few weeks, and panto rehearsals start shortly thereafter.

Give me a shout if you want any more information.

Fank oo.

Daughter's pretty committed to McMaster and MT4UTH, but I'm tempted to join somewhere myself - although Lisnagarvey would now be my local one.