Trains get an upgrade

Very surprised to find I was seated in the “entertainment” carriage on my journey to Taunton today. Entertainment on long train journeys used to be provided by snogging teenagers or dribbling grannies, but now First Great Western has airline-style video screens on the seat backs. Mains sockets were also available at each seat for your phone-charging or kettle boiling pleasure.

More Ryan air style, most of the content is paid (£1.75), but there some free stuff so you can see what you’re going to get.
Well done train company!  Can we have it on the tube?

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Battersea Park Zoo Party

The Friends of Battersea Park BBQ at the Zoo
BBQ at the Zoo

The annual Friends of Battersea Park BBQ at the Zoo event took place last Monday 13th June and we were lucky enough to be able to go – the event was sold out.

We enjoyed a private ‘after-hours’ view of the animals and play area, and the BBQ food and entertainment was excellent.

As you can see from the photo, the event was very well attended, thanks in part to the very good weather.

Although there weren’t many children along, there were entertainments laid on, as if the zoo itself wasn’t enough. Here a local facepainter generously gave her time to help the fundraising efforts.

Face Painter at work

Toy Ships with Stirling Engines

Toy Ships at NMR
Toy Ships at NMR

Taking advantage of the sunshine, we took a trip on a Thames Clipper riverboat from the London Eye to Greenwich. The pier at the London Eye serves both this commuter-style service and the tourist boats – the Clipper is significantly faster though even with the extra stops.

At Greenwich, the Cutty Sark is still shrouded in scaffolding after the terrible fire last year. We took the kids to the National Maritime Museum and enjoyed the Toy Ships exhibition currently showing there.

What caught my eye, one pictured here as No.5, are some Stirling-engine powered boats. The description for this example reads:

“Hot-air-propelled warship and box.  J William Sutcliffe founded his sheet-metal works near Leeds in 1885. Producing its first toy boar in 1920, the company would pioneer the production of boat hulls from a single pressing. This boat, one of their long-running warship designs, is powered by a simple water-filled engine heated by a small methylated-spirit burner.”
Pop Pop Boat
Pop Pop Boat £4.50 at NMR

In the shop on the way out I picked up a pop-pop boat, powered by candle. On test runs in the bath we found it a bit underpowered so changed the candle for some solid parafin tablets.  Lots of dire warnings about how it isn’t a toy and not suitable for children, which is a shame as it makes a lovely sound as it chugs around.

For those of you with your own workshop sheds, here’s a great article about how pop-pop boats work and how to build one yourself.

Natural History

Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum - Darwin Centre cocoon building

The Natural History Museum seems more popular than I ever remember it. We visited at about 3pm on Sunday and there was a queue from the door right down the ramp to the gates on Cromwell Road. Fortunately the queue was fast moving (no ticket desk after all) so it only took about 10 minutes to get to the entrance.

Just like the Science Museum next door, the Natural History Museum has been updating its layout. Old favourites like the blue whale are still gathering dust but they’ve added a massive concrete cocoon exhibit which features bugs on pins and real live scientists that you can verbally poke as you tour.

What I remember most about the museum from visting as a child, apart from the dinosaur in the main entrance, and the whale, is all the buttons that you could push. These exhibits still exist but of course seem tame by today’s standards. This new exhibit has a host of up to date interactive features, plus if you have ‘lively’ children with you, you’ll be glad of the unclutted outside space they can run around in afterwards.

Inside the Darwin Centre