05/11/08 : Taking the girls to London

Growing up, I yearned for my parents to take my sister and I to London; in the midst of the IRA threat hanging over into the 1980s, I can understand their apprehension. A similar feeling of nervousness pervaded our plans to take Seren and Freya to London today - since July 7 2005 I have used the Underground daily, but the prospect of taking our two precious children onto the network somehow still seems a difficult decision, even three-plus years on.

We make an annual pilgrimage to Harrods, simply to visit the Christmas department. Seren came with us for the first time last year, and this year it was Freya's turn to see the magical pinnacle of festive commerce (at eight months it doesn't make sense, but that's not the point). The destination aside - it makes me feel like I'm a short-sighted tourist - I'm keen that our girls experience London regularly from an early age, and if that means starting with an obvious place, so be it.

The day in Knightsbridge's biggest draw provided three, perhaps obvious, conclusions.

The first is that threats of Tube terrorism as a reason for not using the Underground should be secondary to the actual act of traversing London using a transport system that is far from buggy-friendly, unless you wish to carry your pushchair up the numerous steps you walk down every day as a commuter, but which are nigh on impossible with small kids. With a heavy double buggy, it's even harder. But we managed it, and I even got a minor work-out too. It was worth it anyway just to see the look on Seren's face as we whizzed through tunnels. Furthermore judging by the smiles she and Freya were receiving from the other passengers, it's made me realise that kids aren't loathed on the Underground after all.

The second conclusion was perhaps inevitable : kids love toy departments and Christmas decorations. After being stuck in her buggy most of the morning, Seren was in her element running round and picking object after object up squealing 'Look at this mummy! Look at this daddy!'. I've never seen her so excited. They say children make parents feel younger, and that was certainly the case here.

The final conclusion came when both Seren and Freya fell asleep in the taxi back to Euston : London is tiring. Even as a commuter, making the trip to London most days in the week, I was shattered at night, and we'd only actually been there for a few hours.