We are all feeling pretty worn out and unwell... Need this trip to come to an end so we can get a rest! So today we had a quiet morning, explored the grounds of Whiteholme and had a lovely lunch at home before we headed off for our second trip up to London, to see the other end of the city and take in a west end show. There were a series of unfortunate events as we tried to get up there: sick kids, altered train routes, one car exceeding emission rules, the other having an expired MOT... It seemed like we were not going to make it! But eventually we settled on 1 Car group, and 1 train group, and the amazing race was on! Glen, Gemma, Paul and I were on the train, and we had to get from Stock to London via Laindon, and 2 tube changeovers. Vs Mandy and the boys heading directly to the meeting point. It was a close run thing, but our train group won! One we had connected, we took another tube ride to Knightsbridge, where we checked out Heston Blumenthal's restaurant, Dinner. A bit flash, and we were underdressed, but it was fun to look at the menu and dream at least! Then we walked back to the theatre district, via the lights and shop windows... Harrods looked a picture! We saw Buckingham palace and a guard marching. It was actually a nice time to explore the city, with fewer people and all the lights. You don't notice all the guards with guns in the dark! They are there still, but less obvious...though you could feel their presence. Despite being New Years, the city and tubes felt safe. We had dinner at the Rainforest Cafe...a great experience for those who haven't done it before, with animals all around, waterfalls, jungle plants, and thunderstorms coming through while you dine. The meals were nice, and the giant desserts were a highlight! Finally it was show time so we headed across to the Cambridge theatre ( with a quick view of Chinatown on the way). The show of choice was Roald Dahl's "Matilda"... And it was AMAZING! So professional and clever, with mind blowing sets and outstanding choreography. The child actors were inspirational. The show received a standing ovation, and was such a great choice for the kids first west end musical experience...and ours!!! If you ever get the chance to see it, go! I think we will be singing the songs for weeks... But our day of woes and difficulties was not done yet... At half time the production manager had come on to tell us the the lead Matilda had taken ill, so would be replaced (both actresses were superb, so it didn't matter). But then our own superstar, Oliver, took ill when we stood up, and threw up... So a few more dramas dealing with that late at night, with the other kids suddenly feeling really sick when they saw it!!! The poor little guy had been feeling off all day, and had done so well, thank goodness he had got through the show. He felt a little better after that so we all went and helped Mandy load the boys into the car to get home, before another amazing race back. By now it was getting really late, so Gemma got to see a different side of London!!! Fortunately she was exhausted so didn't overthink it all. The poor kid managed the tube changes, but fell asleep on the train. By the time we made it home it was after midnight, and the darling 9 year old was basically sleep walking! Sad to say that we lost the race home, by about 1/2 hour! But at least there were no more dramas, and we were all able to fall into bed safe and sound. A crazy day, but worth all the trials to get to such an amazing show.