Science Museum and Home

An eventful night. At about 230am the fire alarm started. For us it just kept saying listen for the signal after the annpouncement and if it comes then leave the hotel. Afyer about 30 minutes it stopped without ever reaching the evacuation beeps. Then got a call from Tash to say could they come up to get a spare key as they had had to leave the hotel and had forgotten their key. When they got up Ed was distressedas they had walked all the way up (10 flights). We then realised we didn’t have akey for them so went back down to the reception to get another. Kids said it was a false alarm set off by someone on the lower floors, hence why they had evacuated.
The lobby was still chaotic and when we got served by man who was also answering phone from people saying was it now safe, the system was down and they coudlnt cut keys. We waited and slightly randomly another employee offering us water said she could get us in wih a master key so we got back in about 330. To add insult the full beeping alarm went off for about 30 seconds just long enough to wale everyone up at about 7am. An apology letter from the hotel said the system hadn’t worked properly and they couldn’t play the all clear message.
We didn’t rush out after all that and pacled our case. Managed to get Sheridan the Shark and the turtle in the new bag so no carrying needed of large cuddlies. Hotel stored our bags and we went off to Caffe Nero for breakfast. Werent sure what to do so walked to the common and sat there a for a while having a lemonade and watching people. Then decided to go to Museum of Sceince as it was only 15 minutes on the T. Short wlk past a lot of the duck from the tour here and we were in. Automatic hand stampers after the gates meant you could gt back in and out. The museum was very interactive, much more so than the London museum. We went into the Gravity exhibition bout space travel, where there were lots ofthings to do related to being on the space station (wearing space gloves, using cranes etc) and we watched a good film about zero gravity, with astronauts playing round. Then went briefly through the disease section, including an iron lung they used to use for helping polio sufferers to breathe. Think treatment ahd moved on and polio no longer so prevalent.
Then headed to Lightning Show, which was good, some large Van Der Graaf generators made ligtinginside. Learnt cars were protective because the metal cage attracts the lightning and channels it to ground. Nothing to do with rubber tyres. The finale was various mechines that caused lightning at different voltages and each different voltage made a different thunder sound, so it played the 1812 overture. Thunder due to electrons moving air molecules and the movement travelling all the way to your ear.
We then looked around an exploration area at things like water spinning down a plug hole, light effect and other good stuff. Then went for some food in café. Tash had fancied the 360 ride but it was a spinning space capsule type thing, not what she expected or wanted. We didn’t do the planetarium or 4d theatre as not really enough time. Went back in and looked at another natural world exploration area. Had puzzles to pack blocks into a box, design a fish for an electronic tank, scale balancing, creating waves on a screen using poressure if your feet and lots more. The kids (especially Tash) had not anted to go to any museums but found this one great and we could have stayed longer but wanted to ehad back. Would be great place to come if you were local. Opened until 7 and the crowds of kids had really thinned out after about 3pm.
Got T back to hotel picked up bags and straight into a cab to airport. Traffic was a little slow but its not that far and we were there in about 25 minutes. Club chck in had no queue and we got smoothly through security and into the lounge. Sam didn’t make anything beep. Had to take our shoes of apart from Tash due to her hollow soles, but she forgot to show her marked boarding card so had to take them off anyway.
Lounge had reasonable selection of food. We were called to front desk as they could sit us closer together, but we stuck with seats I had poicked so window seats climbed over our own people rather than starnagers. Plane was boarded direct from the lounge and we we left on time. An Indian family on route to Chennai were separated and might hve been one reason why they tried to move us aroiund a little, but n Irish lady moved to let the mum be across the aisle from the daughter and her husband.
Flight was quite turbulent and short, only about 5.5 hopurs. We all slpet a bit, Ed the least, though I had to wake him from deep sleep as the seats had to go upright for landing. We were on a bus stand but were on first bus and assured that it would take us straight to security so no need for shuttle train or much walking. This turnd out to tbeth case and Security for us had no queue (quite long for non EU)even though until Ed is 12 we cant use the e machines. Waited 5 minutes for bags, ours were some of first off and we were through and looking for driver within about half an hour. Found driver who had only just arrived and we got smooth trip home. Tsh started to fel bit unwell and was sick when we got home, but totally fine after this.
Glad to be home but we’d had a great time away.Read more