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Greenwich Christmas Lights

Deck the Halls
7 December 2011
Christmas arrived in Greenwich last week when the local children's lantern parade set off for Greenwich Market and the switching on of the Christmas lights by the panto cast from Greenwich Theatre and a special CBeebies star guest.

Local schoolchildren made the lanterns themselves, in workshops with children's art specialists and all round good guys Arty Party, and gathered outside Discover Greenwich in the chilly pre-dusk last Wednesday afternoon, ready for the off.

Then, led off by some splendid stampy crashing, drum and glockenspiel from the Sea Cadet band, the illuminated parade headed off through the Old Royal Naval College and snaked out of the main gates into the early evening commuter traffic, which was grumpily held up at the pass by friendly Greenwich police.

The bobbing lanterns, accompanied by mums and dads, stewards and more friendly police officers, turned round through the town centre and headed into Greenwich Market, already packed with more mums and dads, surprised shoppers, curious dogs and buggies. Millions and millions of buggies. There were buggies everywhere - I began to wonder if you were allowed in without one.

More and more little lantern bearers gradually moved in until it looked as if no one else could fit but, after an appeal from the makeshift stage, the buggies and their owners reluctantly gave ground and everybody found a place. A man in a Santa hat came on stage and introduced the star guest - CBeebies Sarah-Jane Honeywell, known to children all over the nation but not, sadly, to me.

She was brilliant though, as were the cast of Aladdin, from Greenwich Theatre, who joined her in the lead-up to switching on the Christmas lights which, after a tense and noisy countdown, sprung into electric life, sparkling and shining festively.

The lantern-bearers gradually slipped away now, as the buggies formed an inpenetratable barrier of solid metal, glittering and flashing in the seasonal illuminations, as they patiently queued to see Santa.

The Market stayed open with Santa and carollers keeping browsers happy until 7.00pm. We all had a very nice time. Greenwich Market, by the way, is open every day until Christmas, if you'd like to come and see just how festive it feels. Fa la la la la.

 

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Greenwich Autumn Sun

21 November 2011
What a beautiful weekend we've just had. I went for a walk around Greenwich Park and took these artistic pictures to make you jealous. The park was full of falling leaves, dogs chasing sticks, stary Canada geese and thieving squirrels.

Yes, stary geese. The geese in the park are quite used to people coming up close but, just occasionally, they don't like it so much and they stare. At you. This is when to move quietly away. Quite quickly.

The thieving squirrels, on the other hand, don't leave you alone - especially at this time of year when they're storing up their loot for the winter. I've pointed this out before, but it's worth mentioning again that they are thieves and villains, the lot of them. And gosh there are a lot of them in the Park, particularly around the Wilderness where the deer live. That area is well protected from predators and don't they know it.

Up they come, playing the scampery cute card with all their might, in the hope that you've got some food they can nick. Frequently, if you're foolish enough to give one a nut, which I sensibly never am, his furry little buddy will scrabble up your leg in an attempt to half-inch the entire bag.

You can have some fun, though, if you pretend to have something in your hand, wait till the little robber is a foot away and then show him there's nothing there. He will be OUTRAGED. Literally open-mouthed at the very idea that you've had the gall to trick him. Generally he backs off at this point mumbling squirrel curses and spitting on your shadow as he goes. It's great.

So, if you go and see the deer, which I recommend, and you get mugged on the way by these little criminals, don't say I didn't warn you. Don't be fooled by the fluffy tails and furry cuteness. Remember this - thieves and villains. Thieves. And. Villains.

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Beyonce and the bib

16 September 2011
This is a great story which has just come over to me from Jenny at Greenwich Market, so I'll let her do most of the talking.

"Greenwich based company Beauty & The Bib have received celebrity endorsements before, but none as big as the one they received on Lorraine Kelly’s show on ITV this morning" she says. "R&B star Beyonce said the Beauty & The Bib creation she was presented with at London Fashion Week was ‘adorable’.

Beauty & The Bib were asked to make the special bib as a gift for mother-to-be Beyonce by The ITV team.  They embroidered it with the message 'If you like it then you shudda put a BIB on it' which bought a smile to the singer’s lips." Ours too!


The ITV team were pretty pleased as well - Lorraine looks well chuffed. Lara Boyle, the founder and owner of Beauty and the Bib was also thrilled: "You don’t really get any bigger than Beyonce, she clearly loved the bib" she said. Lara's business is one of several in Greenwich Market that started life as a market stall and now have permanent premises there.

You can see more bibs here. They are all, it goes without saying, super cute. Have a look at a bib for real next time you come to Greenwich Market because, if you don't, it may turn out to be the best thing you'll never have.

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The Greenwich Treasure Hunt

22 August 2011
What with all those great things for kids to do (see below) I clean forgot to mention something groovy for the grown-ups and bigger kids with shiny iphones and Android stuff.

A maptastic new app was released earlier this year called WalkExplorer and with it you can get hold of the iphone and Android enabled Greenwich Treasure Hunt which, apparently, could set you up with a grand prize of £1000.

Wasim Juned, who told me all about WalkExplorer, said: "The Greenwich Treasure Hunt is a diabolical quest that takes you in a search for clues around, above and below Greenwich. Searching for answers to the clues will take you on a trip through some of the amazing places that Greenwich has to offer including the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College."

I had a look and it's great. The clues are just tricky enough to make you have to think about them, but not so hard that you have to give up and sit down on the pavement for a little cry.

You can get other walks as well, including strolls in Rotherhithe, Mayfair, the South Bank and Pooh Bear's Forest, but if I were you I'd get the Treasure Hunt and come to Greenwich because it's just better here and that's that.

The first part of the pot of gold - £200 - is only available until 31 August so cancel your plans for next weekend and get on the trail... You can download WalkExplorer and the Greenwich Treasure Hunt from the Apple or Android App stores or find out a bit more about the Treasure Hunt here.

 

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Greenwich for kids for free!

12 August 2011

I've had a holiday.

I knew you'd be pleased. Not actually a holiday in the going away and sitting in an airport for a few days sense, but in the staying at home and lazing around like a big slob sense. Apart from the last couple of days, which were mostly about the cat and how many times she could chuck up in different places. She chucked up more times than Chucky McChuckup from Chuckington, Chuckinghamshire, and that's saying something.*

Anyway, with all that spare time to fill, I thought I'd see what sort of fun stuff there is for kids to get up to in Greenwich this summer for free. And there's lots!

To "help familes get into the festival spirit", the British Music Experience is letting children in for nothing until 4 September, as long as they're with a paying adult. There are roomfuls of marvellous music memorabilia for the grown-ups and, excitingly, a selection of weird and groovy musical instruments for the kids to have a go on and make an almighty row. Rock on.

Or you could Explore Saturdays or Discover Sundays at the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park. You'll hear about world-changing discoveries in navigation and time, meet characters from the past and nose around in our wonderful maritime history. Ahoy!

Greenwich Market is celebrating summer with a weekly Wednesday Fayre throughout August. Grown-ups get cream teas and a nice sit down while kids can muck around in the bouncy castle, get their sticky little faces painted and make a lovely mess of some clever craft activities.

As if that wasn't enough, it's Fun Family Friday at the Old Royal Naval College on 19 August. Hoorah! Children can spend the afternoon making and decorating their own puppets based on a character from the College's remarkable history. Will your little darling go for an admirable admiral or a salty old sea-dog?

And could he or she be the Patrick Moore or Heather Couper of the future? Find out at the Royal Observatory where they can be Saturday Space Explorers, taking part in astronomy workshops using simple cardboard kits that children can take away and use at home.

Don't forget that there are splendid hands-on exhibits and activities available every day of the week in Discover Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory and all of them are free for kids. Grown-ups also get in for free to Discover Greenwich, the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College, making Greenwich a excellently economical place for a fab family outing this summer. Enjoy yourselves!

*The kitty got better. Hopefully that'll teach her to stop eating gross things she finds in puddles. Except, of course, it almost certainly won't.

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