Posts Tagged "bus"

London Underground Adventures

Posted by cafebebemama on Oct 31, 2009 in Little Miss Adventures, Travelling Adventures | 8 comments

London Underground Logo

Bump, bump, bump.  Ugh.  Heave…pant, pant, pant.  “It’s alright my love, nearly there!”  “Yes, sweetheart, chugga chugga!”

These were just some of the phrases from the adventure Little Miss and I had on Thursday.  I decided to be an empowered and brave Mummy.  We ventured from Peterborough to London ALL BY OURSELVES!!!  When we finally walked back in the door at 5:30pm Thursday night, I was exhausted mentally and physically and was rather clammy and sweaty but felt slightly exhilerated because I had done it!  I conquered the London Underground and lived to tell the tale.  Little Miss was none the wiser…”chugga chugga!”.  “Yes, sweetheart, chugga chugga!”

We were heading down to London for two reasons.  One, we were invited to attend an event courtesy of EA Games and British Mummy Bloggers where they were presenting their Play for Xmas event.  I love being “journalist-y” (good word, eh?).  Two, I decided to add to Little Miss’ life by attending the Museum of Childhood.  We never do anything “cultural” like that…there isn’t a heck of a lot of culture around Peterborough unless you consider a semi-stinky, soft-play centre bustling with sweaty children culture.

I decided to try all means of transportation, bar automobile, in order to get proper “research” for future adventures.  We took the bus from our wee village into Peterborough, braved lifts and walkways and stairs to get to the Peterborough Train Station.  I had pre-booked our tickets so getting them was a doddle and as we had a few minutes time before our train, I even treated us to a Cinnamon Swirl pastry and some juice.  I polished off both of them as my delightful daughter wasn’t interested (Good Girl…Mummy needs sustinance!).  The train was not leaving from the main platform but a platform 2 across from the main platform BUT, instead of tackling the stairs, I was directed to a RAMP by one of the most-helpful rail employees!  A RAMP!!!  Wowie…what conveniences for those of us with pushchairs.  Thank you, Peterborough Train Station!

The ride down to London was rather uneventful and Little Miss decided to fall asleep on me about 20 minutes from Kings Cross, our final destination.  After everyone had exited the train at Kings Cross, I hoiked Little Miss on my shoulder, wrestled the pushchair off the luggage rack, opened it and managed to install her in it without waking her!  We took our time as there was no rush.  Due to station works, somehow we ended up exiting towards St. Pancras International which was fine as there is access to the Underground through there as well.  I highly recommend St. Pancras…beautiful station with lots of shops!  As we entered the Underground I began to sweat.  It’s hot, stuffy and a bit miserable and I find myself constantly worrying about Little Miss, my bag and who’s going to perhaps knock us off the platform into an oncoming train.  Minor issues.

I know you’re not supposed to keep your pushchairs open on the escalators but I did.  I know, arrest me!  You try heaving a sleeping and comfortable toddler out of her safe and secure pushchair to carry her in one arm and her mostly collapsed pushchair in the other along with your changing bag.  Not easy!  But I did have my trusty Baby and All Bag which allows you to sit your child on the bag which is resting messenger-style across your body and still have your hands free to hold things like moderately heavy pushchairs.  It is a god-send, that’s for sure.  Little Miss sat on my hip on the Baby and All Bag quite nicely while Mummy continued to sweat and count Tube stops until we exited at Bethnal Green for the Museum of Childhood.

The Museum of Childhood was lovely but not exactly what I was expecting even though I had checked out the website.  I thought it would be a bit more interactive and “touch and feel” versus being a MUSEUM.  It was some of that but mostly, not quite age appropriate for Little Miss.  Don’t get me wrong, she did have a great time, especially having lunch, but we’ll have to go back when she’s a little bit older to get more out of it.

We braved the Tube system again to get back to where we really needed to be- Oxford Street.  Specifically somewhere inbetween Oxford Circus tube stop and Tottenham Court Road tube stop.  Have a look at the handy Tube map to find where we were trying to get to.  From Bethnal Green, on the Circle Line, to Tottenham Court Road on the Central Line as well.  We managed it…in pushchair…not folded up…bump, bump, bump, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, yes sweetie…chugga chugga, nearly there now…only 3 stops to go!  I’ve never seen so many bloomin’ stairs and escalators in my LIFE!!!  I determined that it was easier to “illegally” negotiate escalators with Little Miss IN the pushchair and heave her up ridiculously long flights of stairs IN the pushchair than to have her on my hip, hoiking the pushchair in my other hand.  I don’t know if that was the right decision or not…my right bicep is currently rather sore and I have a strange tingling in my right trapezius muscle which is giving me one hell of a headache and making me feel generally rather unwell.  You tell me??

The EA Games event happened to be in a building with no lifts and the event itself was IN THE BASEMENT!!!  Who knew there were basements in London??  Bump, bump, bump…sigh…wipe clammy brow!  But the event itself was brilliant and Little Miss was even photographed by the official photographer of the event…will she be famous??  That remains to be seen!  We had ice cream and smoothies and a lovely time and even got to meet Queen BMB, Susanna.  Please read her blog,  A Modern Mother.  She’s a riot…and American too!  Shhhh….don’t tell the rest of the British Mummy Bloggers!  I’ll post more about the EA Games event later.  You’ll just have to be patient.

We managed to Tube it back to Kings Cross (more stairs????) and finally install ourselves in two seats on the train back to Peterborough.  Sigh…I was well and truly KNACKERED.  Little Miss was happy and clueless that her Mummy had struggled and sweat and worried and sweat some more.  The 80 minute train ride home was uneventful and after enjoying the RAMP again at Peterborough Train Station, SLEEPING Little Miss- secure in her pushchair, and I trundled out of the train station to brave the bus back to our village.  As we were approaching the car park to negotiate the walkway, a man jogged past us and said “Excuse me Miss”…It was my husband!  He surprised us by meeting us at the train station!!!  He left work early to be there to collect us!  What a lovely surprise!  And so very welcome.  Sigh.  Another adventure to London under our belts.  Methinks we will try a back carrier next time.  This pushchair malarcky is a bit too difficult!  The London Underground was not built for Mummies!

How do you tackle London?  Where is the best place to go to entertain under threes??  Do share your tips.  After this last trip I think I’ll do it more often, believe it or not!  Wanna join us?