London Diaries, Day 4

We started our last day with an early breakfast at the Travelodge and then made our way to Westminster Abbey which was one of the top things to see on my son’s list.

We were looking forward to seeing the iconic Big Ben but unfortunately it was under construction.

The Churchill War Rooms would have been nearby but it was not in the cards this time. However, it is on my list and I definitely want to visit next time.

We enjoyed walking in the morning sun and took some time to stroll around the Parliament Square Garden looking at the statues there.

As we were out and about early and had bought tickets online before our trip, we got in without a fuss.

We walked through with our audioguides and enjoyed hearing about the history of the Abbey. It really is a magnificent sight but no photography was allowed inside.

The Abbey has been the setting for every coronation since 1066! It has also been the setting of 16 royal weddings.

The Abbey suffered from the WW2 bombings but worship continued daily. Many of its’ treasures were transported to country houses for safety.

London sunshine greeted us when we exited the Abbey.

In the morning our friend Simon (we spent the previous day with him and Niki) messaged me and asked if we’d like to come to his studios and take part in a voice research project for which they needed people who aren’t native English speakers. My daughter has done a lot of work dubbing cartoons but I’ve never set foot in a voice recording studio myself, so my son and I were both keen!

We took a bus to the studios and had the chance to record in a sound proof booth in turns. Everyone was super friendly and we even got Amazon gift cards for our efforts. It was quite an exciting end to our London visit!

After our fun session at the studios, we went to the nearby SW9 Sushi Bar for a quick lunch.

On our way to our Travelodge, we grabbed some dessert from one of the cupcake carts at the Kings Cross Station.

After picking up our bags, we took the tube to Heathrow airport. Interesting tidbit for anyone travelling Heathrow with teens, there are no fast food outlets in Terminal 3. So if you’re pressed for time, a sandwich it is!