To not want to go to London?

[twentypence]

It would mean 2.5 hours on a train each way. An hours car journey at one end and an hour crossing London at the other, and then doing it all again a couple of days later with a 4 year old. Not to mention the cost for 3 (although the NZ dollar is having a high, it's not THAT high).

When my SIL is able bodied, has no children will have quit her job and could join us instead on our lovely narrow boat, the marina is on one of the stops from the London train.

I personally don't feel that the terrorist threat is significant. It doesn't stop me going to London. I just wondered if it could be used as a tactful excuse.

ds loves London - it's such a treat on the rare occasions dh takes him in (I hate the place). However, I can really sympathise with you feeling it's hard work - I forgot how noisy & dirty it can be until I tried taking him in as a 10 week old!

I don't think it's tactful to say "hey that place you have lived for 15 years is okay for you - but I wouldn't want my 4 year old there".

Especially as we did take him for 4 days when he was a baby. And I worked in London for 2 years and had controlled explosions out in the streets. Things haven't changed that much, there has been a terrorist threat ever since I can remember.

My bro and SIL live in China and when they come to visit the UK they have a firm rule: they book somewhere big enough for people to go and stay with them, and then they stay put, they do not go chasing around the country trying to catch up with everyone. If your SIL won't travel, she can't be very bothered about seeing you, can she? Why hire a lovely narrow boat and then go chasing around London?

Incidentally, if you think travelling in London with a child is bad, try travelling in London with a wheelchair user. And a child The friend who came with us to help (and we literally couldn't have done it the three of us on our own) said to me at the end of the day "how the HELL do you cope with this every day?". Obviously we don't go on the Tube every day in Leeds!

DH works in London, I used to and neither of us has ever been bothered by terrorist threats, either now or during the IRA period. DH was in a station when it was bombed by the IRA. But we have had relatives say they'd rather not go to London with us because they are afraid. We don't share their fear but don't feel offended by it. I would certainly not interpret it as 'good enough for you but not for me'. If they have a genuine fear, I respect it.

I just put it forward as a suggestion to try to help you find a tactful way of turning down your SIL's invitation. I didn't know you were an ex-London worker so obviously not an appropriate excuse to use for you.

God, tribpot, I wish I could do that in Canada, myself. I'd just settle down in Montreal (where I want to be) and let everyone else yomp to me. I don't think it would be a very big hit, though, and lots of people have jobs etc, so I tend to do a two-stage or three-stage trip these days.