Day 2 - Tuesday 20th March 2007

The Boy's Work Experience, London Town

or, Loos of London (the Bog Blog)

After the morning tube-commute and the obligatory cup of coffee in Caffe Nero (and another use of their dire loo) on Tottenham Court Road, I set off to visit the Tate Modern (because it's free you know). This entailed a trip by tube on the Jubilee line to Southwark. The Jubilee line is a bit space-age, I can tell you!

I arrived at the Tate at about 9.45, and of course it wasn't open, and it was bitterly cold! So I had a wander along the river to see what was about. I found a Starbucks, and, as beggars can't be choosers, I went in. I had an espresso (cos I didn't want to be there ALL day with one of their stupid big mugs of volcanically hot coffee!) and a bit of fruit cake, cos it always seems rude not to have gluten-free cake if it's available...... Their toilets were quite clean.

I passed the Globe theatre, which is round. I didn't go in there, as it wasn't open either (and you have to pay!).





By the time I got back to Tate modern it was open and I headed straight for the shop (my second favourite bit of any gallery or museum!). I bought a badge with a cute little pink doll on it.




Tate Modern used to be a power station, and is really, really massive. There are 3 helter skelters in the entrance (the Turbine Hall) but I didn't go on as I wanted to keep my fruit cake.

After using the loos (very nice!) I had a browse round the galleries. It's a fabulous place, and I'm sure it's marvelous and everything, but I just don't get modern art I'm afraid! I liked the funny smell, and there was a huge girder with a metal thing hanging from it which was very impressive and apparently meant something extremely profound, but most of it went over the top of my head. I did like the helter skelters though.......

I didn't go in the cafe as it looked a bit 'canteen', so when I'd had all I could take of modern art I set off across the Minellium bridge - which no longer wobbles.

It was like the arctic outside and I nearly lost my hat to the Thames. It's funny looking at the landmarks you see on TV all the time, they just don't look real.

St Pauls was covered in scaffolding, and you had to pay to get in there too, so I didn't bother (they didn't even have a caff!). It was a relief to get back underground out of the blistering wind.

At lunch time I met The Boy and we went to Pret a Manger, as we don't have this in Sheffield.

In the afternoon I used the toilets in: The British Museum, The National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery. All quite acceptable.