Gus eats

And tends to be a mess 

I don't care what the weatherman says...

Today it was meant to be a bit sunny, a bit rainy and maybe a bit thundery. We went to the beach anyway. This time we chose Filey. It was beautiful 

Gus was a tad too excited by the sea and insisted on continuously running into it. He would also not removed his wellies. 

Simon went to move the car which left me vulnerable on the beach with two children dying to get into the water. Unfortunately the inevitable happened. Gus ran into the sea, I ran after him getting soaked. Whilst carrying him ashore his wriggled and overcame my strength and I dropped him onto the shore line just as a wave crashed in. 

We were both wet 

Fortunately I didn't strip naked and get changed, but Gus did and he was not happy about it 

Then fish and chips! 

Then arcades

Then home 

Red and dragons

We headed to Trafalgar Square only to find it fenced off in preparation to be the main water and recovery station for the marathon. We saw the lions and nelson (Della was convinced he must be a pirate due to his swashbuckling clothes and hat). Desperate to go back on the tube we did and steamed to Leicester Square where we had ice cream and watch a street performer squeeze himself into a tennis racquet 

We then headed through china town watching people make food in Windows, spotting red patterns and pagodas. Della has learnt about China through the recent new year celebrations which meant she was most excited by the dragons... 

We called briefly at Piccadilly Circus after this where I thought she would be amazed by the screens, she wasn't. She was more engrossed by a man playing guitar and singing some of her favourite songs. Her main observations about the screens were regarding how they put them up and how they worked...

Then one last tube ride to kings cross

A good time spent staring at the roof in the station and asking what the people were queuing for (it was unbelievably to get into the Harry Potter shop!) and then we were on the train enjoying tea and marmalade sandwiches 

We will definitely be doing that trip again, perhaps seeing new things next time 

As big as...

Seven houses. This is how tall Della thought Big Ben might be, I checked it's more like 15 houses. Never the less Big Ben was her favourite sight in London. After lunch in central hall

And a dance to the bells at Westminster abbey 

We eventually found her holy grail and she was giddy! 

They a stroll over the river to see the Thames and a walk down Whitehall to get as close as you dare to some massive horses

And casually chat war and death (which she already understands thanks to Remembrance Sunday and yearly briefings from nursery and school) at the cenotaph whilst explaining some women have their own statue 

Oh and Downing Street where the silly man with the little red bag is sometimes seen but mainly fascinating because the special gates 

Then it was into our last leg... 

They're changing guards...

So on Saturday me, Della and GranAnne went to London. We booked ahead so treated ourselves to first class travel. 

When we arrived we jumped on the tube and headed straight for the palace

We arrived in good time to get a good look at the palace before it got very busy for the ceremony. it was pure luck we picked a day that they were changing guards, also that it had just been the queens birthday and that the marathon was on the day after. Pomp, ceremony and flags everywhere- just what a four year old requires and expects from a trip to London! 

Then we headed to watch the men in huge hats do some marching and get inspected