Never-ending Honeymoon

Slipping back into London life… With kids

After a few whirlwind weeks through Bali, Taiwan, Canada, Ireland and Scotland, London with kids felt different.

There are some places you visit. And then there are places that feel like coming home. London will always be one of those places for me.

Pre-kids we’d lived in London for five incredible years and returning almost a decade later with two Harry Potter-obsessed boys felt incredibly special and personal.

It also meant there was no pressure to tick off every landmark immediately. Instead, we spent the first day easing ourselves back into the rhythm of the city we’d loved so much.

We arrived via train from Scotland and checked into our home for the next six nights, a thoughtfully decorated Airbnb in Bethnal Green. It was wonderfully nostalgic and made us feel right at home!

Our first full day began in a very Australian way… At 11am… In a London pub… Watching the State of Origin with our friends Dave and Imogen.

There’s something wonderfully surreal about sitting in an English pub cheering on Queensland while London quietly goes about its day outside. It felt just like old times, and was the perfect reminder that friendships have a funny way of making even the other side of the world feel familiar.

From there, we wandered through Shoreditch and then jumped on the tube to Piccadilly Circus, soaking up the organised chaos that somehow never seems to change.

Just like the way we slipped straight back into complaining about the heatwave that London was experiencing at that moment. Those tubes and buildings are not made for summer weather.

One of the surprises of the afternoon was stumbling across Banksy’s newest public artwork in Waterloo Place near Pall Mall. Installed only a few months before we arrived, the sculpture features a suited man whose view is completely blocked by an oversized flag. Like so much of Banksy’s work, it manages to be playful, political and thought-provoking all at once.

It was one other those things that wasn’t on our itinerary, but are often the best discoveries

Crowns, bridges and stories

The following morning we headed to one of London’s most famous attractions: the Tower of London.

Despite having lived in the city years ago, we’d somehow only seen inside the Tower of London for a nighttime Changing of the Keys ceremony. Which was an incredible experience, but missed the imposing White Tower and the Crown Jewels.

Walking through almost 1,000 years of history was fascinating, especially the stories of kings, queens, prisoners and ravens that have become part of British legend. Of course, seeing the Crown Jewels in person was every bit as impressive as we’d expected.

Afterwards, we slowed the pace with lunch at the Dickens Inn in nearby St Katharine Docks.

Hidden behind the bustle of the Tower, this little pocket of London feels worlds away from the busy tourist crowds. Overlooking the marina with a cold Pimms while Wimbledon played on the TV was one of those moments where you remember that London isn’t just about iconic landmarks… it’s also about discovering quieter corners.

The afternoon finished with the Tower Bridge Experience.

Standing on the famous glass floor high above the Thames was just as exciting (and slightly nerve-racking) as we’d hoped, especially when cars and boats passed beneath our feet. Learning about the engineering behind one of the world’s most recognisable bridges made us appreciate it even more.

That evening, while the kids relaxed back at the apartment, I slipped away to Spitalfields to catch up with work colleagues over a delicious dinner at Tigermilk.

Another reminder that this trip wasn’t just about showing our kids iconic places… It was primarily about reconnecting with wonderful people and lifelong friends we’d met throughout different chapters of our lives.

Greenwhich: A day trip within the city

Our next glorious summer day began with picking up picnic supplies from the iconic Borough Market.

Then we boarded the Uber Boat from London Bridge Pier to Greenwich. Travelling along the Thames gives an entirely different perspective of the city. I wish I could say the boys enjoyed spotting familiar landmarks from the water as much as Dan and I did, but I think they wanted to get out of the heat and eat some food.

I suppose you can’t win every moment… So we kept calm carried on (in true British fashion) and I stopped off at a pub to rest the kids (and a quick pint) while Dan sourced some extra supplies from a nearby supermarket.

Greenwich has always had a wonderfully relaxed feel, and after wandering through the Royal Museums precinct, we climbed the hill towards the Royal Observatory.

The view over London is spectacular.

By the time we reached the top, however, two tired children had well and truly reached their limit.

Rather than rushing to the next attraction, we found a shady patch of grass beneath a tree, rolled out my scarf as a makeshift picnic rug and listened to an audiobook together while watching the trees blow in the breeze above us. It turned out to be one of those simple moments that became one of my favourites from the trip.

A short while later, our friend Franky found us and took us through the National Maritime Museum, where we traced our round-the-world journey across enormous maps and debated whether the oceans really looked that big.

We bribed exhausted kids with ice cream from Greenwich Market and a piggy back to the historic Trafalgar Tavern, where we met with another friend, Marlene, round out a perfect summer afternoon along the river.

Of course, we caught the DLR back into town just so the kids could “drive it” in the setting sun… Just like I used to do when I comuted home from work many years ago.

Toy shops, more Harry Potter and unexpected music

Travelling with kids, you need to expect a few meltdowns (sometimes from the kids), but one of the great joys of is seeing places through fresh eyes.

The historic Hamleys toy store absolutely delivered.

Watching the boys carefully calculate their budgets while navigating seven floors of toys was almost as entertaining as the toy demonstrations themselves. Finding the Harry Potter section with a full-sized Hagrid made of Lego only added to the excitement, although it did leave us wondering how we’d fit everything into our carry-on luggage.

From there we wandered through the City of London, rediscovering places we hadn’t visited in years.

I was delighted to discover Fortnum & Mason inside the Royal Exchange and insisted that we stop for a quick glass of bubbles and a tin of shortbread. Afterall, if was surely my turn for a treat! (It was here the older if the kids decided he wasn’t much of a fan of being in fancy places.)

Since I used to work in this area of London, we expertly navigated the maze of streets within the square mile of the City of London toward our next destination. Leadenhall Market is one of London’s most beautiful covered markets and the filming location for the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. We were all even more thrilled when we stumbled across a hand-made good market under the historical roofs and found the perfect print of a brown Labradoodle sitting on the tube. A fun tribute to Merlin, who we were all missing deadly by this stage of the trip. Nearby, we stumbled across another Harry Potter shop that somehow made it even harder not to buy more souvenirs.

After a peaceful Pret picnic among the ivy-covered ruins of busy St Dunstan-in-the-East, we experienced another one of those moments you simply can’t plan.

Our friend Dave invited us to watch a rehearsal for his chamber orchestra on Lovat Lane. Mr 8 only began learning the cello earlier this year, so sitting quietly and watching a professional cellist rehearse her solo performance from just a few metres away became one of the most inspiring experiences of the trip for him.

That evening ended with a home-cooked meal shared with Richard and Ellen while watching England progress through the FIFA World Cup.

Rediscovering London’s South Bank

If I had to choose one part of London that instantly transports me back to our years living here, it’s the South Bank.There’s something about the constant energy.

Street performers.

Markets.

Musicians.

People simply enjoying the river.

After visiting St Paul’s Cathedral, we met with friends Rekha and Rob and crossed the Millennium Bridge (another Harry Potter filming location, for all those playing at home) to wander along the Thames.

We paused for a moment to take in the views from the public gallery of the OXO Tower‘s 8th floor. Then we strolled the banks, listening to buskers, browsing (and buying from) the wonderful second-hand book stalls tucked under Waterloo Bridge and admiring the ever-changing skyline.

The South Bank somehow feels timeless.It changes constantly, yet somehow always feels exactly the same.

Our afternoon ended at BrewDog Waterloo. The adults caught up over drinks while the kids disappeared into what has to be one of London’s best family-friendly pub spaces, complete with bowling, games and an indoor slide.

An iconic London day with kids

The morning we had to shift from our Airbnb to Amber’s house, Dan took the luggage across London and, on a whim, I took the kids to see Buckingham Palace and see the guards in their fluffy hats. We were to meet up again at Hyde Park.

That’s how the kids and I accidentally found ourselves standing beside Birdcage Walk just as the Changing of the Guard began.

It felt like excellent timing. Until we realised several thousand other people had this as part of their plan. After briefly joining the crowds marching towards Buckingham Palace, we decided we’d much rather enjoy London than spend an hour staring at the backs of other tourists’ heads.

So we went the long way around the Palace to meet Amber and her kids in Hyde Park. My kids inform me that this walk was much too long and they prefer the tube…

Either way, we decided to experience one of those iconic London moments by hiring a pedal boat on the Serpentine, (something I’d somehow never done before). Needless to say, the kids loved it! Especially when we had front row seats to the geese taking flight in a flying V over our heads!

From there we made our way (on the tube, much to the kid’s delight) to Kings Cross where we picnicked at Granary Square beside Regent’s Canal.

Mr 7 spent ages running through the famous fountains while Mr 8 and I explored Word on the Water, London’s floating bookshop moored on a narrowboat.

As someone who has always loved canals and canal boats, I could happily have spent hours browsing the shelves.

Of course, no visit to King’s Cross was complete without a quick photo at Platform 9¾ before heading home to Amber’s house with several very tired children.

Museum day

London’s museums remain one of the city’s greatest gifts.

They’re world class. And most are completely free!

We arrived at the Science Museum before long queues had formed and spent hours exploring. Power Up quickly became everyone’s favourite exhibit, with Dan and I just as excited to rediscover classic arcade games as the boys were to play them for the first time.

Space exploration, early aviation, medicine, mathematics and interactive technology kept us entertained for hours.

Next door, the queue for the Natural History Museum stretched far beyond what we thought as could handle in the extreme afternoon sun. Fortunately, booking a free timed entry online allowed us to relax at the Garden Cafe nearby while the kids played cards and cooled down.

One unexpected travel lesson we’ve learnt on this trip is that carrying a simple deck of cards, some paper and pencils has been one of our best packing decisions. They’ve entertained the boys countless times while waiting for food, transport and attractions.

Returning to the Natural History Museum brought back so many memories from our years in London. Introducing the boys to our favourite galleries while discovering a few new ones ourselves made it feel like we were seeing the museum through fresh eyes all over again.

A local pub dinner with Richard, Ellen, Amber, Rory and all the kids was much needed on that second last night in London.

The day we’d waited months for

There was one date circled on our calendar long before we left Australia. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

After a relaxed morning wandering through Covent Garden‘s markets and watching its famous street performers, we finally made our way to the theatre.

Part One at 2pm. A break.Then Part Two at 7pm.

Between performances we wandered through Leicester Square before enjoying dim sum in Chinatown with Dave and Imogen. This used to be one of our favourite date-night spots from before we had children, so we were delighted to share it with them.

Watching the boys experience the magic of Cursed Child was every bit as enjoyable as watching the production ourselves almost ten years earlier. The illusions. The storytelling. The moments where everyone collectively whispered, “How did they do that?”

It remains one of the finest theatre productions we’ve ever seen.

Saying goodbye to the London rhythm

We’d spent ten days revisiting favourite haunts, introducing the kids to the city we once called home, catching up with friends, and discovering plenty of new experiences along the way.

Eventually, it was time to board another train.

Leaving London was genuinely difficult because were reminded about the incredible life and friends we had there. It had been so easy to fall back into its rhythm.

Slow mornings. Parks. Tube journeys. Picnics. Markets. Pub catch-ups. Friends. Repeat.

London reminded us that while famous landmarks are wonderful, they’re rarely the memories that stay with you the longest. Instead, it’s the quiet moments between them.

The conversations. The unexpected detours. The moments where we slowed down and simply enjoyed being back. The familiar places rediscovered years later through the eyes of your children.

We’ll definitely be back. Because London has a wonderful habit of making every visit feel both completely different… and wonderfully familiar.