Traditionally, I spend Sunday evenings writing about our weekend, but as this is the first opportunity I’ve had to sit at my laptop since we returned from our mini-break in London, I figure I should probably share that adventure first.

Mr. LA and I both had cause to be in the capital last week, so we decided to take a few days off and make a holiday of it with the children. We travelled to London by train, arriving around lunchtime on Friday.

My Mum has a small flat in the suburb where I grew up which we were able to use as a base. It was pretty cramped, but the children saw sleeping dormitory style with their parents as a cause for great excitement. I slept better than I thought I would, despite the children’s nightly serenade of teeth grinding, tiny farts and contented dreamy sighs. We were even treated to the odd lie-in.

After settling ourselves in and catching up with my sister, we spent the afternoon exploring Brent Lodge Park and Animal Centre. As a child, I knew this beautiful corner of Hanwell as the ‘bunny park’ and I found it to be both eerily unchanged and totally different. Just minutes from the bustle of Greenford Avenue, wandering the park’s surrounding streets is akin to strolling through a quaint English village. It’s something of a hidden gem.  On Saturday Mr. LA departed early for the BFI to take part in the Sci-Fi London 48hr Film Challenge. Meanwhile, the children and I headed to South Kensington to visit The Natural History Museum.

It was BUSY. We were forced to queue for a while outside, which was fine, but the crowds were a little overwhelming once we made it in. Jesse was pretty scared of almost everything we looked at too. Who knew a stuffed ostrich could provoke such fear? Relief washed over me as my sister joined us and we were able to head downstairs to the picnic area in the basement. After lunch we took a short tube ride to High Street Kensington where we met up with Mr. LA, his brother and our friend Adam. Izzy had a part in their film and I was charged with applying her makeup while the others ordered coffee. Onlookers stared as I transformed her into a deathly pale, hollow-eyed, gaunt looking effigy in the middle of Starbucks!

My sister and I saw out the rest of the day in Holland Park. We found a sunny spot in the corner of the playground and chatted happily for over an hour while Jesse played. It was so warm we were able to remove our coats, and we even bought an ice-cream from a nearby stand.

Much of Sunday was spent assisting Mr.LA with the film. It might have seemed like a chore had it not involved a trip to Ealing Studios. My Dad, who worked as a film editor for the BBC for 35 years, was based on this site for much of my childhood. It was quite surreal, weaving in and out of the whitewashed buildings, trying to figure out where his cutting room had been. Sadly, in the chaos of the shoot, I left my camera back at the flat. I could have taken a million photos of those dilapidated buildings. The peeling paint and faded glamour of the place feels part of me somehow.

On Monday we travelled to Bethnal Green to visit the Museum of Childhood. This was our best day out. The weather was good, the children amenable and the museum wonderful. We spent a few hours perusing the cabinets filled with toys and games and both children relished the numerous opportunities to play dotted throughout the building.

After lunch {and thanks to a handful of kind people on twitter who offered directions}, we made our way to Victoria Park. Jesse promptly wet himself, so we stopped to change his clothes in the shadow of the beautiful pagoda before making our way to the vast adventure playground.

Izzy vanished within minutes, effortlessly striking up friendships with a gaggle of girls on the climbing frame, while Jesse played quietly in the sandpit at my feet. The sun was warm and I was content people watching while other people’s children laughed and shrieked happily around me.

Tuesday was initially wet and grey, so we abandoned our original plan to traverse the streets of Westminster and took the children to The Science Museum instead. They loved ‘the launchpad’ area filled with hands-on activities.

After treating them to a naughty lunch at McDonalds, we wandered up Regent Street. The children browsed Hamleys for a while, their eyes agog as they encountered every toy they could ever dream off.

Later, we turned off on to Carnaby Street and window-shopped our way down to Kingly Court where I visited Fur Coat No Knickers and indulged in a new vintage handbag. Black, patent leather and wonderfully similar to something my Grandmother would have carried. It was given it’s first outting on Wednesday evening at the launch party for Annabel‘s new book Style Me Vintage: Weddings, but that’s a story for another day…

Love Audrey xxx