It snowed!!!

I went to Wales for Easter with the family, and it snowed!!

Details and photos to come.

The rest of the day

After lunch (mmm steak and ale pie), we headed to Trafalgar Square as the girls had not been there before. I'd forgotten completely that it was International Women's Day until we got there, and there was a rally happening.

We weren't there long, as it was still drizzling, but I managed to get a photo looking through to Big Ben. I would have liked to have printed that photo last week, as I think it kind of symbolises London for me, but I couldn't. For that I'd like to thank my sponsor, Asda.

After Trafalgar Square we headed to Oxford Street. I can't tell you how much I'm over walking down that street, but anywho. We only got a little way down when friends rang me, and we arranged to meet them at a pub off Regent Street. We had some dinner there, talked a little crap, and headed home.

Tower of London - or not

We had walked across Tower Bridge in order to go into the Tower of London. The best laid plans of mice and men... When we got there, there was an enormous queue for tickets and it was spitting with rain. Small discussion about what else to do, and we headed over towards the tube station intending on finding some lunch. What I found on the way was a memorial to sailors who have died at sea. It was huge, covering both the Navy and civilian vessels. It's at Trinity Square Gardens at Tower Hill.

There was also this little side bit that was for people who have died for their faith, country or ideals, but not in war. The oldest one was for Simon of Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1381.

I love the fact that I stumble upon this kind of history without searching it out.

London Bridge is... boring

We left the Dungeon and negotiated our way, despite shoddy signage, to Thames, right between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. We took the obligatory photos of London Bridge, despite it being nothing special, and had a laugh at the expense of the guy who bought the original, shipped it brick by brick to America, and reassembled it in Arizona, before realizing that it wasn't the bridge he wanted. He had wanted to buy Tower Bridge. Raise your glass and toast intelligence, people.

We then headed past some fairly dodgy 'art', which no kidding resembled sheep poo and kangaroo poo. Bet it cost we the taxpayers a small fortune to put there. We continued past this and then walked across Tower Bridge. That was pretty cool, both literally and metaphorically. I still need to go back one day when I know it's going to be lifted, to get some photos of that, but I was quite happy with the shots I did get. It wasn't quite the same feeling of history as standing on Hadrian's Wall, but given that it's in the middle of the city, I still rate it.

I don't feel like dancin'

Saturday before last (8 March), Banana, Tamara and I went into London, with our first order of business being a visit to the London Dungeon. Let me just say at this point that I do not have some kind of weird fascination with gory things, torture and murder. It was something that was recommended for me to do - that person could cheerfully now be shot in the head.

It seemed exciting enough, and the queue outside seemed to suggest that it was worthwhile going to, but all in all it was disappointing. I suppose if I was a kid it would have been better, or if I knew nothing about the history of London at all, but the hour and a half we spent there (that's how long it takes to get through) really didn't blow my frock up.

There were, however, 3 highlights:

1. Banana being selected at random to be put into a little jail cell in the torture room. I couldn't have organised it better.
2. Me correctly guessing the use of a random torture device - I was then asked if I tortured people, to which I naturally (being a teacher) replied, "Sometimes."
3. Banana virtually sitting in my lap for the Demon Barber of Fleet Street bit, after something touched her hair in the dark.

I have no photos of this - we weren't allowed to photograph inside it.

This was also the scene for the ironic moment of the day. We had to walk through this bit full of smoke and dripping water etc which represented the Great Fire of London. What did I walk past? A rather large fire extinguisher attached to the wall. I can't make this stuff up.

Ice Ice Baby

All right STOP! Collaborate and listen!

S'effing cold.

Cairns is flooding, we're covered in ice.

Word to your mother.

This was a couple of weeks ago, scraping the ice off the windscreen of a hire car with my Tesco clubcard (the same as a credit card) and no gloves. Oh yeah, tropical paradise.