This week we took Lamb to London for the first time. I know, you’re probably thinking i’m mad, but it really wasn’t that bad. I did a little research before going. Kerry over at Oh So Amelia has a couple of useful posts on trips to London, and these really put my mind to rest about the trip.
We decided to drive to Blackhorse Road tube station and park (which only costs £5 for the whole day!) Living in Essex gives me the option of either driving, or getting a train, both taking around 1 hour, so we have really easy access to the capital.
We left around 8:15am which didn’t feel too early at all. Little Lamb even managed a little nap in the car, which meant he wouldn’t be grizzly when we arrived. Phew.
Lambs first time on a tube was perfect. He wasn’t scared at all. We really thought the noises might freak him out a bit, but all he did was wave as the tubes left the platform! So cute!
The reason for going to London wasn’t for a day out, we were actually heading to the Passport Office to fast track Jaxson’s first passport! But decided to make a day of it and have a family day out. While we were waiting for our appointment we let Jaxson run around in Grosvenor Gardens, which he loved. Although, he has no sense of personal space and decided to run around all the people napping in the park. I still can’t believe he didn’t wake anyone up!
My first tip would be to make sure you have plenty of snacks and drinks with you. We had around an hour to wait for our appointment, plus while Joe was at the Passport Office, Jax and I had to wait around as only one person could be in the meeting. We took with us Organix Oaty Bars (these are Jaxson’s fave), cheese straws and crackers, raisins and dry cereal. Sounds appetising doesn’t it, but my fussy toddler won’t eat anything else! We also made sure we had plenty of water and as a treat we let Jaxson have a Fruit Shoot.
For lunch we only had one place in mind. The Hard Rock Cafe! Joe and I have a tradition of eating there whenever we are in a city with one, anywhere in the world. So far we have been to London (a handful of times), New York (twice), Phuket, Barcelona, and Gran Canaria. Not that many but we are aiming to tick a few more off the list! We were so excited to take Jaxson there for the first time, especially as he’s recently got into dancing when he hears music!
After lunch we headed over to Hyde Park (opposite The Hard Rock Cafe), to let Lamb run around some more. We had a lovely walk in the sunshine and took some lovely photographs of our afternoon. We thought about taking him to the aquarium, or the zoo, but we didn’t need to. He was more than happy playing in the park, and didn’t need dragging around on the tubes anymore (plus mummy and daddy were exhausted by this point!)
We didn’t take many toys with us to keep Lamb occupied. We knew one of us would be carrying Jaxson, and the other would carry the pram on the tubes, so took as little as possible. Luckily we have an amazing buggy which folds really easy. The Baby Jogger City Mini. I highly recommend this buggy (so would mummy bear). Although, it is quite heavy, but this isn’t a problem for me. If you travel on public transport regularly with your little one then you may want something much more lightweight, especially if you are on your own.
Overall, we had an amazing time in London. Jaxson was really well behaved (apart from the times when he refused to hold our hand when walking around). He didn’t fuss on the tubes, in the restaurant, or most importantly while I was shopping! I just wish we had more time to take him to some of the bigger attractions, like the London Eye, or The Natural History Museum. But as our trip was so successful, I know we can start taking him more regularly.
Have you taken your little one to London? I’d love to hear about our family days out.
Alex xx