Big Egg Hunt - Eggs In The City

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and what more could a mother want than to indulge in some well-deserved ova hunting.  We're painfully conscious that there is only limited time left until the hunt finishes, and although I suspect that due to time and distance constraints we will be unable to find them all, we're going to give it a bally good go.  So we set out sights on the City to see what eggs we could discover.

The City Zone possesses a rather moderate 21 eggs (not including the newly unveiled Panda egg).  21? We scoffed.  Easy.  But in actual fact we found this one of the most difficult zones, neither of us having really spent much time in this part of London, other than to walk the 100 metres between Fenchurch Street and Tower Hill or the late night trawl to Liverpool Street, when you discover you've missed the last train home on some drunken night out (distant memories now, folks).  So it was with some shock, that we discovered we didn't really have a clue where we were going.  But this was part of the thrill of this zone as we tramped up and down the streets, consulting the map frequently and accosting strangers when we got completely lost.

The appeal of this zone was heightened by the introduction of the aforementioned Panda egg.  In a style that American sports coaches would be proud of, we had primed the children for the search of this egg; "What do we want? The Panda egg.  When do we want it?  Now!"  We had screeched in the days leading up to Sunday.  Thus when a fellow egger offered to reveal the whereabouts of the coveted egg and even drew us a map, we were in egg heaven.  A hurried walk around the corner and we found the panda waiting patiently in a foyer for us.  Squashing the children and the buggy through the rather fast revolving doors was a bit of a scary moment, but the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' of appreciation from the children made it worth it.

What I liked about this zone was the diversity of the locations; the glorious vaulted ceilings of Leadenhall Market, the designer courtyards of Devonshire Square, the arena like balconies of Broadgate Circle and the heady heights of the Monument.  I don't pretend to be an architectural connoisseur but you cannot fail to be impressed by the combination of sophisticated modernity nestled alongside the stoic classicity of buildings such as The Royal Exchange.

We managed to complete the zone and even fitted in a trip up the Monument, which both children loved.  However, our trip to the top was short-lived as we had caught wind of the fact that the yet to be found Wally Egg was currently doing the rounds at Convent Garden.  My son is a huge Where's Wally fan and was determined to finally track it down, so it was a quick car journey to Convent Garden where my husband offloaded us to find a parking space.  A child in each hand, we raced around the pavilion looking for our stripy friend.  But he was nowhere to be seen.  A phonecall from the husband to say that he was unable to find a space and we had ten minutes to find the egg and get back to the car put the search into the league of Aneka Rice's Treasure Hunt (for those of you old enough to remember it).  The newly installed Moshi Monster bus looked like a likely candidate for an egg to hide in but the kind assistant informed us that no, Wally was hanging out in Pizza Express.  Two more circuits of the pavilion and a Google search later, we had tracked down the pizza restaurant but alas no Wally in sight.  The children were becoming disheartened and the suggestion that we try to find him next time didn't go down well, so in desperation we tried the Big Egg Hunt pop-up shop in the centre of Convent Garden.  "Please tell us where Wally is?" We whined, pathetically.  The very helpful staff consulted their phones and informed us he was resting. Resting?  The staff, no doubt spotting the trembling lips of the children, took pity on us.  "He may be back at Action For Children.  Check there."  A lead, a lead, we had a lead.


It was too far to walk and get back in time, so it was back to the eggmobile for a quick dash around the one-way streets to the Action For Children HQ.  Tyres squealing, we screeched to a halt outside the building and searched the windows for Wally but he was nowhere to be seen.  At this point, I actually felt like crying myself.  My ever resourceful husband decided to try inside.  It was a long wait for us all as we stared longingly at the doorway he had disappeared through and cheers of jubilation when he re-emerged minutes later, hurriedly ushering us into the building.  A woman motioned to a blanket.  "You know famous people have stunt doubles? Well so does Wally," she explained before lifting the blanket to reveal Wally in all his glory.  OK so admittedly it wasn't the Wally that was currently hiding somewhere in Convent Garden, but it was the next best thing and the children were overjoyed at finally finding him.  We must take this opportunity to thank the staff at Action For Children and The Big Egg Hunt pop-up shop in Convent Garden for being so helpful and obliging, it was greatly appreciated and helped finish off a wonderful day in the city.

For those of you who are still to undertake your own egg hunt, there is still time to get involved, even if you choose to only do a zone or two.  It's a great way to explore London and take in some of the sights and it's completely inexpensive.  For more details on how to get involved or to download zone maps, then visit:  http://thebigegghunt.co.uk/

The Big Egg Hunt (Part Two)

So this weekend saw us resuming our search for the Faberge eggs.  I apologise to those of you who may now have tired of posts concerning this event, but our family is obsessed with this thing; I'm dreaming about eggs, the children are designing their own eggs, my husband is trawling the internet for clues on 'difficult' eggs and the baby is screaming 'egg' at anything that is slightly spherical in shape.  It's an addiction, I tell you.

Anyhow, back to this weekend.  Sunday was a gloriously sunny day and we decided that we were going to tackle the Mayfair zone as it has a whopping 47 eggs up for grabs.  Mayfair is not really an area that we're familiar with so it was quite nice to discover a district of London that is quite new for us.  The sheer amount of eggs to be found meant that the children were in a constant state of hysteria.  Unlike previous hunts, this weekend we encountered lots of fellow egg hunters and we discovered that there is a term to describe this egg lust.  "Are you egging?" Asked one softly spoken American woman.  What gave us away?  The zone maps clutched tightly in our hands, the screaming of 'egg' every few moments from our children, the feverish way we scanned the streets? Yes indeedy, we were egging, that described it perfectly.  Pulling us aside, conspiratorially, she proceeded to direct us to a 'hidden' egg in a small courtyard and then gave us directions for some further eggs in the area.  Hurrah!  Thank you American lady.

That is one of the best bits about the egg hunt, meeting fellow 'eggers'.  As I've mentioned in a previous post, we love London.  We love its variety, its energy and its vibrancy but it's never really struck us as a friendly place.  After all it is a capital city; people are busy working, travelling, touristing (yes I believe that is a word).  There's no time for small talk and general chit chat.  But with the event of the Big Egg Hunt that seems to have changed.  Random strangers approach you and offer tips or ask for your egg count so far; Big Issue sellers call out directions; Saville Row tailors invite you in; shop assistants offer to take your photograph with 'their' egg .  It's unusual, it's initially a little unnerving but mostly it's lovely.  So thank you The Big Egg Hunt for providing that little bit of personalism in what can sometimes be a rather anonymous city.

 As per our other hunt, the day proved to be another fantastic day out.  We wandered around Mayfair before crossing into Picadilly and finally Selfridges, finding an impressive 66 eggs.  The children were once again enthralled with the experience and very  proud of their egg count.  This time round it was quite a different experience for us all, which is part of the beauty of having different zones. We don't usually visit the shopping areas of London, but the children enjoyed marvelling at the different wares in places like Selfridges and Fortnum Mason, Ferrari counting in Mayfair and picnicking in Hanover Square.  Admittedly, the zones we travelled through on this occasion were not as child-friendly as on the previous egg hunt, but the children didn't complain once and enjoyed discovering a part of London that they don't usually get to see.

We are now half-way through The Big Egg Hunt, the eggs are on the streets on London until the beginning of April, so if you haven't done so already there's still time to print out your maps and get egging.  Go on, you'll love it.


To obtain maps of the different zones and for all other information regarding The Big Egg Hunt then go to http://thebigegghunt.co.uk/

The Big Egg Hunt (Part One)

You can probably remember, a couple of posts back, how I mentioned Faberge's Big Egg Hunt and how excited we all were at the prospect of traipsing around London looking for the elusive ova.  Well last Sunday was the day that our hunt was to begin.  We had printed out some of the twelve zone maps from the website, packed a picnic and ensured that we were all wearing comfortable footwear.  If I'm honest, despite the fact that the children had been begging to go on this egg hunt since before it had even begun, I was dubious as to how long their interest would hold out and was expecting the usual cries of 'Our feet hurt', and 'Can we stop now?' to begin after the first hour.  But I was to be pleasantly surprised.

We'd decided to opt for the Convent Garden zone first, thinking that we could combine a bit of egg hunting with some street entertainment.  Walking up from the Strand and entering the piazza, we were immediately confronted with our first egg.  I cannot describe the thrill of pure pleasure that seized us when we saw that decorated oval of loveliness.  The hunt had begun in earnest.  The children were almost hysterical as they darted around Convent Garden ticking off the eggs on the map and duly having their photograph taken.  

Once the Convent Garden zone was completed, we decided to walk down to St. James' Park for our picnic and for some further egg hunting.  The park is beautiful on a sunny Spring-like day and there really is nothing nicer than having a picnic whilst partaking in a bit of people watching and squirrel counting.  The park is itself a zone in the egg hunt, so we took a slow stroll around the area before visiting the small children's playground at the end nearest Buckingham Palace.  The playground has a nice assortment of see-saws, swings, slide and a landscaped sandpit and there is a small kiosk next door for drinks and snacks.  

Once we had rested our feet and filled our stomachs we resumed the hunt with gusto.  Green Park, Picadilly and finally Trafalgar Square were the zones we crossed through.  I had not expected the children to be quite so enthralled with the egg hunting and we were eventually forced to go 'off-map' as  I hadn't printed off enough to sate their eggy appetite.  The eggs themselves are really quite breathtaking; the designs are intricate, clever and often quite humorous, so there is always an element of novelty even when it's your thirtieth egg that day.  The hunt is also made more interesting by the assortment of locations the eggs are hidden in; shop windows, parks, suspended above walkways and marooned on islands in a lake, were some of the places we discovered eggs.  For the hardcore egg hunters there is the 'Wally egg'.  This is an egg decorated like the character from the popular children's book series 'Where's Wally?' who moves location on a daily basis and for whom you must check the Facebook page to get a clue as to his whereabouts.  What more could an egg hunter ask for?

The zones are much larger than I expected and the precise location of each egg is not identified on the map, although there is a street reference for each one.  As a result, there really is an element of difficulty in finding some of the eggs and you may want to consult the cheatsheet (available online) if your intrepid egg hunters are starting to feel disillusioned.  There is however a crossover element between the zones, meaning that you are always relatively close to an egg and don't have to wander for miles in between each one.

We started our hunt at 11am and we eventually called it a day at 5.30pm.  The children did not complain once about being bored or tired, despite the fact that we had been on the move almost constantly.  When the sun had almost disappeared behind the skyline and we finally called an end to the day's hunting, the children were on the verge of tears that there would be no more eggs to be found that day and as we half-dragged, half-carried our tired children back to the car they declared that it had been 'the best day of their lives.'  Even as we pulled away, they were still craning their necks out of the car window to see if they could spy one final egg.  What more recommendation do you need?


Zone maps and all other information regarding The Big Egg Hunt can be found at:
http://thebigegghunt.co.uk/

Barleyland's Farm

There are some places which, because of their close vicinity, are frequent destinations for a day out, despite them not always being the most enjoyable.  Barleylands is somewhere that we have been going since we were blessed with the arrival of the boy child, nearly eight years ago.  It has always been a rather reluctant visit, if I'm honest.  In those earlier days, animals were rather sparse, play equipment was non-existent (except for the fleet of blue ride-on tractors) and you had to leave the farm and venture to the nearby craft centre for toilets and food, unless you counted a battered looking hot drinks vending machine in the cold barn.  Not ideal for a young family.


Oh but how things have changed.  A recent visit to Barleylands during half-time could not have been more different.  Arriving fairly late in the morning, we were immediately drawn in by the prospect of the organised scarecrow hunt and Hungry Caterpillar trail advertised on noticeboards around the craft centre, as well as the opportunity to make your own scarecrow.  Once inside, the children were like well-trained heptathletes, charging around the farm looking for the clues; jumping mud puddles (Clementine far less successfully than Harper), bouncing on giant inflatable pillows, shooting each other with plastic balls and occasionally 'oohing and ahhing' at the appearance of a farmyard animal in their pursuit for the Hungry Caterpillar.  There were the same assortment of animals, with the addition of some birds of prey, that I remembered from before.  Being an animal lover, I would have liked to have seen this element of the farm being extended but it was adequate enough for the children's interest.

The biggest changes came in the form of the new play equipment that the farm has acquired.  There is a large outdoor play area, with the required assortment of swings, climbing frames and zip wire.  But there is also the huge inflatable pillow which deserves its very own mention.  Even as an adult, you can not underestimate how alluring that large, striped, marshmallowy pillow of loveliness is.  Take the children's shoes off?  What children?  I was tugging my boots off and launching myself at this thing before I remembered that I even had children.  I have never seen one of these anywhere else that we have visited, but I suspect that they will be taking over children's play areas everywhere.  


Once my mother had managed to lure us away from the pillow of pleasure, we discovered another play area in a nearby barn.  This one took the form of a kind of shoot out gallery.  Children can take their place behind one of the canons in the three tiers facing each other, whilst sending smaller and more gullible children down into the middle to collect balls as ammunition, often leading them to become targets for the opposing team. Needless to say, Harper was the gunner, Clementine was the ball runner.  Whilst the older children engaged in ball wars, Claudia was free to wander around the remainder of the barn meeting some friendly animals.  Everyone was happy.

At the other end of the farm, there is another indoor play area, made up of the usual slides, ball pits and large swingy things.  This area also houses the cafe and the majority of the indoor picnic tables.  On a cold, wet, half-term afternoon, this place was packed and we were forced to brave the fresh air for our picnic.  Needless to say, it was a rather rushed affair as the bracing February weather didn't really lend itself to a leisurely lunch.  Ideally, there would be another picnic area available as it seems that many parents, once settled in the play barn, have no inclination to leave it, thereby making many of the tables unavailable unless you're a skilled practitioner in the art of evil glares to shame people into moving.  


In addition to the play areas, there are a selection of other activities for the children to take part in; sand diggers; go-karts; tractor rides and a farming exhibition centre.  Admittedly, some of these things have been at Barleylands for a few years, but the difference is the organisation and communication that the farm now demonstrates.  A visit used to be a somewhat aimless meander around the paddocks and pens, but now there are tannoys and leaflets to ensure that visitors know what is going on and don't miss out.  It is a far more slick and professional affair. 

The website states that the farm is suitable for toddlers to ten year olds.  Having three children that fall into this bracket, I can confirm that it is indeed an ideal attraction for this age band.  Harper loved the play areas, whilst Clementine and Claudia loved feeding and petting the animals.  And me?  You don't really need to ask do you?  I wonder if my garden is big enough for an inflatable pillow?


http://www.barleylands.co.uk/index.html


Barleylands Farm,
Barleylands Road,
Billericay CM11 2UD


Tel: 01268 532253

The Big Egg Hunt

OK, so technically this is not one of our Sunday-bound destinations, but it is something that me and the small people are hugely excited about (what self-control I exhibited there, I was dying to write eggcited). It is the Faberge Big Egg Hunt!  It begins on the 21st February and for forty day and forty nights, 200 fibreglass eggs will be hidden amongst the streets and attractions of the capital.  Many of them have been designed by famous artists,designers, architects and jewellers such as Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes and the proceeds all go to charity.

The 'hunt' lasts until 8th April, so plenty of time to obtain a map or alternatively download the app, and get eggbusting whilst seeing more of the wondrous city.  What better way to discover the sights of London, whilst putting your detective skills to the test?  And just think of the photo opportunities.  I am making it my mission to get a photograph in front of each of the 200 eggs.  Should you wish to rise to the challenge and embark on your own egg hunt eggsperience (snigger, snigger) feel free to send me your own photographs of your good selves posing in front of your discovered yolky treasures (keep it clean and keep it nice and if you can't manage that, then at least make it funny).


For more details check out:
http://www.thebigegghunt.co.uk/the-hunt/eggsplore-the-streets-of-london/

Spitalfields City Farm and Market

When I set out to write this blog, I promised to recall faithfully both the highlights and the tribulations of our weekly outing.  Unfortunately, dear readers, I'm afraid that this week's jaunt was rather less than scintillating.  Although we aim to make each Sunday as entertaining and child-friendly as we can, sometimes the demands of grown up life intrude upon on our Sunday tradition and we have to actually do things that the children aren't too keen on; shopping, decorating etc.  Today was one such day, our bedroom required some furnishing and we were off to Spitalfields to sample its alternative, funky, Student-smelling wares to see if we could find some objects to fit the bill.  However, being the nice parents that we are, we thought we would try to incorporate something child-friendly to compensate the small people for the hours of stall hunting they would be subjected to.  Quick internet search and hurrah, Spitalfield's City Farm.  'Perfecto' as our Spanish cousins would say.

Warmly dressed, we drove through a maze of dejected looking estates to reach the farm, which was snugly nestled between a small housing estate and a park.  Entry was free so we wandered in, feeling rather like tresspassers on someone's small holding.  We rambled on through an allotment style garden and some eclectic looking picnic/seating areas in search of some animals to which we could make the necessary oinks, quacks and baas for our children's amusement and our one year old's elucidation (we're currently working on our farm animals noises with her).  Rounding a corner, we were confronted by some feisty chickens in mid-brawl.  Much screeching and delight from the children!  Animals - at last!  After some further investigation we managed to find some more farmyard friends; sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, donkeys, ferrets and erm...cats (I'm going to include the cats as they were in a cat box).  The farm is free and is obviously a community venture with volunteers helping out, so I don't want to be too harsh.  The farm has animals, so that's one important criterion checked off.  The farm has some of the friendliest animals I've ever encountered, in fact; you can't feed the animals so they come to you to be stroked, not to perform the usual farmyard ruse of 'you stroke me, while I steal your bag of animal feed' that always makes me feel slightly used.  

                               

I liked the sprawling, almost spontaneous, layout of the farm,with tree houses and seating areas rising up in strange places depending upon on what the landscape leant itself to, but it was all rather too haphazard to make the farm work effectively; sheds and pens popping up in the middle of paths or hidden behind greenhouses.  Also although there are lots of colourful displays, there are limited, almost non-existant signage so there's a kind of lost feeling as you traipse around.  The farm, in its present state, is essentially still very much a work in progress.  There is the promise of it being a wonderful place to take children in future years but much development, and I imagine funds, is needed to make this happen.  It was fine to take the children for half an hour on the way to somewhere else, but there is not enough there to warrant a visit of any extended length.


Please note, there are toilets and baby change facilities on site, but that's it.  It's definitely a snacks or picnic affair.

                                                     
The children enjoyed the time they spent at the farm and the park next door, but didn't object when it was time to leave (always a sign that they have had enough).  And so it was that we left the small farm in the city and were off to the heaving crowds of Spitalfield's Market.  I'll make a small note about the market, as although it's not particularly for children, the area has in recent years been redeveloped and the market and the surrounding area have lots of things that can assuage tired or dispirited children; cool shops, interesting sculptures, fountains and street entertainers.  So a trip to the market need not be an entirely adult affair.  In fact, our children have always enjoyed traipsing around the market admiring the alternative fashions and odd wares on display, as well as a bit of people watching (there really are some characters to be found here) and there are numerous restaurants and food stalls to quell any hunger pangs.  


So all in all, it was a bit of a mixed bag today.  The farm was an interesting stop-gap but would not be a place I would consider revisiting for a few years, when further development has taken place. But the children enjoyed their time there and Claudia is now pretty fluent in pig and sheep, so it wasn't a wasted journey by any means.


Spitalfields City Farm,
Buxton Street,
London,
E1 5AR


020 72478762
http://www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org/

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Samuel Johnson

I love London and it's a frequent destination for our weekly ventures.  I'm always surprised by how many people never consider the city as an option for their family day out, when it's right on our Essex doorstep.  Many people bemoan the cost of travel, the high entrance prices to attractions, the extortionate food prices as excuses against going, but these are the complaints of the amateur London visitor.  Obviously, the main tourist attractions are expensive but they're just the tip of the iceberg of what you can do in London, and even if you should opt for one of these time-honoured favourites you can usually procure some kind of discount voucher online, in a supermarket or indeed last minute at the train station (check the leaflets on display for current deals).

London has a wealth of things to do for a family that needn't cost a penny; museums, galleries,   parks, a stroll through Convent garden or along the South Bank are all completely inexpensive  and yet thoroughly absorbing for the whole family.  And, if you're a competent driver, then why not drive there on a Sunday, when parking restrictions on single yellow lines are lifted? As for food, you're in a city, take a picnic and enjoy some people watching on a park bench or along the Embankment or hunt down a fast food outlet or sandwich bar if you're more the 'fly by the seat of your pants' kind of visitors.  Whatever you choose to do, you're assured of a great day out in a part of the country that changes daily and which always, ALWAYS, has something going on.  We once took a stroll around Westminster and upon turning the corner into St. James' Park, was confronted with a parade of military regiments complete with banging drums and pipers.  That's not your average encounter on a Sunday stroll.

Recently, we discovered a book that I would like to recommend for all my fellow London loving families; London Unlocked (A Guide Book For Kids) by Emily Kerr and Joshua Perry.   It features 66,  yes that's right, 66 attractions and places of interest for the intrepid family to visit and explore.  Obviously there are the die-hard, typical tourist favourites such as the Tower of London and Madam Tussauds, but there are some real hidden gems in here as well; exploring the biggest rooftop gardens in Europe, nestling just above Kensington High Street; defending a castle at the National Army Museum or flying a kite on Primrose Hill.  I was genuinely impressed with the novelty of some of the suggestions, definitely suited for those of you who like to wander a little bit off of the usual tourist track.  The information about each attraction/activity is fairly brief and concise but it provides you with all the essential information you could need.  The guide is great for the sheer diversity and breadth of its suggestions and its layout is easy and accessible for children; my son has already read through it and highlighted all of the attractions he wants to visit in the forthcoming months.  For a measley £8.99  it's a book that is well worth its place on your book shelf and which I guarantee you'll be pulling down again and again.

I'll finish as I started, as Samuel Johnson seems to capture my feeling so well:

'By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.'

So what are you waiting for?