Lego Superstore, Leicester Square, London and BuildToGive

Erbie, likes his Lego, mainly mini-figures which he uses in various epic battles and for making stop-motion animations. In fact TheGR recently announced that if we added up the value of all the Lego Erbie has in various containers, it would probably amount to thousands of pounds. This being the case we thought we had better take him to the (not so), new Lego store in Leicester Square for a visit. 

Strangely you need to queue before entering, although it was only for 5 minutes, and they employ cheery bowler-hatted staff to talk to you while you wait, it seemed a little unnecessary to me. 

Just inside the entrance was a great Lego construction of Big Ben, who seems to be popping up as our Christmas icon this year.

Lego Big Ben, Leicester Square, London

The stairwell has marvellous Lego murals of London landmarks along the Thames, such as the London Eye, the Chard and the Gherkin.

London mural in © Lego, Leicester Square

As well as Tower Bridge. The Houses of Parliment and Westminster Abbey.

Lego London mural, Leicester Square store, London

Lego London Underground Map

What Erbie loves about visiting a Lego store is getting to build his own minifigures. It is a great way to get pieces you want, such as different hairstyles or accessories.

Build your own ©Lego minifigure

There were some fun models to interact with, such as the Harry Potter sorting hat, Erbie declined the wand offered by a staff member for photo opportunities.

Lego Harry Potter Sorting hat

There were also festive baubles for sale containing a make-your-own Lego reindeer, penguin or snowman.

Lego Snowball mini figure ornaments

Lego penguin holiday bauble £6.99

It being the time for giving - LEGO also have an awesome project RIGHT NOW. 

Build your own Lego Christmas ornament and take it to a Lego store between now and 9th December 2018 or simply share an image of it online with the hashtag #BuildToGive and Lego will donate a Lego playset to a child in need for every ornament but and shared.

To find out more visit the LEGO website: www.lego.com/en-gb/campaigns/build-to-give

All images W1mum, not affiliated with Lego at all.

Mood Tree

Erbie is off school today with a nasty cough and sore throat. He’s pale and quiet. Which more or less sums up how I feel too. 

Fancy a different way to chart how you are doing, how about a tree? Each day is represented with a leaf that you can colour in. For example a ‘mood’ tree could have lovely green leaves for good mood days with a few orange ones for neutral and black for bad... 

Mood tree © W1mum

I see dead people.

I’m on a train back to my hometown, Salisbury (now infamous for Novichok) to see an old friend and more expressly to talk to dead people. 

My mum and dad are both buried in Salisbury, as are several generations on either side. My mum’s ashes are under a tree in Elizabeth Gardens, (recently reopened after the latest Novichok scare). I bet she enjoyed the peace and quiet. 

My dad’s ashes are in a local churchyard in Harnham, he died in a car crash when I was three, meaning I more or less grew up with a single parent. My siblings are all at least ten years older, I guess I always felt slightly isolated without knowing it at the time, that all comes with counselling…

My emotional wheels fell off about three years ago and I’ve been trying to put them back on gradually. Prozac helped and Headspace and eventually weekly visits to my ’talky lady’ (thank-you Erbie).

I’m going to be 50 in a couple of week’s time and it feels like a major transition. Hence the journey homeward to see a lady that can commune with the other side. I have a lot of people on the other side. What if someone I don’t want to hear about turns up? What if no one turns up? Which would be worse, I wonder. 

I’m seeking closure I guess. It would be nice not to carry everything around inside, stuff I have pushed down so deeply that etching away the layers has been consistently hard work. I know there are still a couple more places I need to get to. One is making peace with my dear friend, Fiona, whom I lost too soon. I need to say goodbye, so that I may carry my memories of her fondly, she deserves that. 

I need to be able to mourn.  

Harnham churchyard ©WEM

A Selection of Christmas Baubles - 2018

Every year since his birth, I have bought a Christmas tree decoration with Erbie. This year we went to Liberty in London’s west end to get Big Ben (as the real one is currently shrouded for refurbishment).

Big Ben Glass Tree Decoration - Liberty £6.95

Regent Street Tree Decoration Liberty £7.95

Peace Hand Decoration Liberty £24.95

All of the big London department stores such as Harrods and Selfridges have a section dedicated to Christmas.

Landrover Glass Decoration Harrods  £25.00

Soft boiled egg glass tree decoration Harrods £18.00

Mexican Skull Christmas Decoration £26.00 Harrods

Selfridges is rocking Christmas this year with glass decorations of his purple highness, Prince and David Bowie for your tree plus stars and thunderbolts a plenty. 

Prince - Glass Tree Ornament Selfridges £26.00

Thunderbolt Tree Decoration Selfridges £13.00

Sadly Selfridges David Bowie was sold out before Halloween, I found one online at Trouva, if you’re quick you may still be able to get your hands on him.

David Bowie Glass Tree Decoration 

Trouva:  £14.99

I also love museum and gallery shops in London for Christmas baubles, such as the British Museum, Tate Britain and the Natural History museum:

Wedgewood China Angel Tree Ornament - The British Museum £25.00

Frida bauble £15.00 The Tate Shop

Charles Darwin embroidered tree decoration £18.00 The Natural History Museum Shop

The Royal Palaces also have great shops for gifts and decorations which you can also find online - click on the links in the captions for each one How about the infamous white tower complete with raven or you could award your tree with the order of the Garter. The order of the Garter is the oldest and most prestigious order to receive, first established in 1348.

The White Tower embroidered decoration - Tower of London £10.99

Order of The Garter Embroidered Tree Decoration Royal Palaces Shop £12.99

How about miniature replicas of Kew’s famous Victorian glasshouses to adorn your tree.

The Palm House at Kew Glass Decoration £7.50

The Temperate House at Kew Glass Decoration £7.50

This is a very small selection of what is on offer, from avocados, glass bees, bananas and rainbows to reindeer, you can choose any theme for Christmas this year.