We rode the Rocket!

Albert Hall, London

Erbie and I went to try out the Stevensons Rocket this morning as the forecast for today was sunny and for the rest of the week – rubbish. We got the number 10 from Oxford Street all the way to the Albert Hall, then crossed over to see the Albert Memorial (boy she loved him). 

Albert Memorial

We watched the Rocket chuntering up and down along it’s mini track for a while, then decided to go on ourselves. 

It was actually very enjoyable, after I talked them into letting me on with Erbie (sat on my hip seat), Health & Safety, Health & Safety. There trully is something about steam engines that is magical. We only went down the few yards of track and back up again twice, all the time a knowlegable fellow is regaling the history of the rocket - sadly it went in one ear and straight out the other, something about engines usually being painted yellow at the time... look at the blossom on that tree, there’s a number 9, shall we get one of those back, they are proper nice old buses.

You also get given a goodie bag, worth the fiver, containing a fridge magnet, postcards, notebook and badge.

We didn’t get the number 9 back, I sauntered down to the Science Museum thinking we’d go and see the original Stevensons Rocket, but I wasn’t thinking as it is half term and the queue almost reached Kensington Gardens itself. 

We ducked over the road to the V&A, (no queues) plus I know the way to their loo, where we had a mosey around the sculpture section.

Narcissus staring into the pool - V&A London

Then got the number 14 bus all the way back to Shaftesbury Avenue, where I slipped off to replenish myself with freshly ground coffee at The Algerian Coffee Stores, a concubine to caffeine on Old Compton Street 

NB: If you need a quick caffeine fix in town they do espresso of the day for 90p, in, down, out!