The Nordic Tearoom (Number 31)

[beanandspud]

We have moored the barge for the winter and have moved to a beautiful, cosy log cabin in deepest Scandinavia overlooking a frozen lake and surrounded by pine trees.

Mellors has lit the log fires and candles, it is snowing outside and there are comfortable seats for everyone and fleecy blankets to snuggle up in. For the more active tearoomers there are skis and sledges outside as well as a steaming hot tub for winding down after a busy day.

So pull up a chair. The kettle is on for and there is always plenty of depending on your mood and time zone. (Alternatively there is schnapps, smorgasbord and smoked fish).

Everybody is welcome ? share as much or as little as you like ? but no fisticuffs please!

Google maps is suggesting about 30 minutes from Waterloo-ish area (friend's office post code to be exact) to F&M.

I know I've walked from Euston to the American Embassy in the past and it seemed to take forever....

I think 30 minutes would be right, if you had roller skates and didn't have to negotiate a buggy through the Christmas crowds! I've been pondering this and reckon it's about 45 minutes, if you start at W station.

Mile and a half to Hamleys. 30 mins at a decent pace. Probably quicker than bus or tube with time taken to buy tickets etc. . Tho tube to picadilly circus is not too bad, then walk up regents street.

Just you or child in tow?

::Unis plans simultaneous nave rave with maud, we could do synchronised liturgical dancing:: Thinnish cable, door with zero clearence. cable has rolled / twisted as it went under. RATZ RATZ RATZ. had multiple sound problems, largely due to clergy who don't like using radio mics and do like wafting cassock sleeves or notes across lectern mics. We DO need them use mics or the induction loop gets nothing to transmit and various of congregation thus miss out on the whole service. I really want the loop to work as its about the only bit of access assistance the church provide.

It takes ages to walk ANY WHERE from the American embassy.

And 35 minutes to Hamley's. But I think I'd rather dig my eyes out with blunt spoons than fight with the Christmas crowds/no lifts or escalators on The Tube with a toddler & his chariot.

With Toddler, UniS, and one who will need his chariot for a half-to-3/4 day in the Big Smoke. If it was just me I could walk at a good clip (I am, after all, and East Coast American who doesn't do slow walking or driving when on her own). It's not really part of the iternary/plan, just thought if it wasn't too far a trip to Hamley's for Toddler or F&M so I can drool would be a nice bonus.

Whats on at south bank centre? that might make for good toddler day out. I use dto love going to (free) lunchtime concerts in the foyer of festival hall with my dad when I was little. He liked the cafe.

There's this, and I assume the carousel will still be there

The winter garden looks interesting and is free too. Southwark cathedral seem to have a lunchtime carol thing on some days.

I'm planning on taking boy to lunchtime carols at our nearest Cathedral sometime in teh week.

I had just found that, too, Maud. Great minds think alike and all that. Was trying to map it and even putting "London" before the postcode googlemaps had me starting in Peterbourgh. TS hasn't been on a carousel before -- it could be fun.

Peterbourgh, I tell you, even after closing the window and starting again. London is SE and Peterbourgh is PE -- stupid maps.

Going to bed so I can be up early to check the status of the diaper bag and toss presents in the car.

Goodnight all.

If you're looking to lurk near Waterloo, Scout, deffo go along the South Bank where there is fantastic winter eurpoean market and lots of rides / carousels, and then hop over the bridge and go to Somerset house to watch the skating.

Wagamamma and Giraffe on South Bank are very child friendly. If you want further afield christmas go over bridge and into Covent Garden

If you really want to walk to Regents Street go over W bridge, along strand (one street up so along Covent Garden to avoid smoke) across Trafalgar Square and up lower Regents then Regents street or left along Pic to F&M. I reckon it will take 45 mins to walk with buggy. I've done it lots of times

To spare walking, bus will be your friend, just jump on and off, but walk strand because it's a traffic trap

I would just like to thank Maud for a fab afternoon. Toddler and I had a great afternoon and we both think Girl is lovely and wonderful.

Aww. I have to say I was very proud of Girl because she sometimes clams up with people she doesn't know, yet she chatted to Scout and was [proud mummy goggles] very gentle and keen to play with Toddler, who she describes as "so cute".

We had a hellish journey home. We managed to change trains with moments to spare - and checked that we had got on the right train - but once we were in motion they announced that the train was being diverted and would not be stopping at our station. So we bailed out at the next station, where we failed to get a bus and ended up in a taxi whose driver wanted the postcode of our destination so that he could find it, and then proceeded to take us there by the longest possible route that didn't actually pass through Manchester. Since when did London cabbies abandon The Knowledge in favour of satnavs?

Anyway, we had a great time with Scout and ToddlerScout, who is indeed a very handsome and sweet boy.

I'm sorry you had such a crap trip home, Maud. Does that mean no extra activity that I'm still very jealous of? Toddler, bless him, kept trying to fall back asleep but everytime he was very nearly off the train would slow down/stop, the announcement would come over the speakers and doors would beep/open, causing him to wake again. Poor thing. He didn't eat any of his dinner and only had a bit of jelly he just wanted to sit on my lap and watch "The Snowman" over and over (I limited it to twice while it's lovely, I can't more than two times in a row).

Cabbies in/near YOUT use satnav instead of knowledge but I don't usually get taxi.

I really did think Girl was lovely and wonderful, Maud. And Toddler, who since turning two has gone shy, obviously wasn't around her since he kept chattering and trying to play "with" her. I've brought in the wonderful bag of goodies and dried them off and now they're warming up -- please reassure Girl that "fanfare" still works even though it got rained on.

Well, he is, isn't he?

We got to the other activity just in time, thanks to the magical mystery tour by taxi. Girl really tried hard this time, and was so keen that she wanted another go of her own or to take my turn - both of which I said no to, so she had to settle for 'helping' me and a promise to come back next year. We go to produce our output tomorrow!

Err, to collect it. The first version of that post got lost in the ether, so that's a badly-typed rehash.

Double . I think he is but I always figured I was partial.

Apparently Toddler has a Christmas present for me and he's conspired with GrandmomScout to get it. It arrived today. I'm normally not bothered by wrapped packages and can leave them for ages but I really want to open this one!

Hmm. I'm sitting on the fence. Christmas presents really ought to wait until Christmas Day, but .....

::itchy fingers::

I will leave it until Christmas like a good Mommy but I'm dying to know what (my) Mom has up her sleeve.

Oh, a mini Tea Room meet-up. Was there by any chance a transfer of a handmade Canadian item?

Oh there was, JM, as promised.

Good night, Tea Room, this resident American is off to bed.

Lovely Scout - thank you!!!