How do you remember all those Kings and Queens? Series on the lives and deaths of British Monarchs

Ok, so I am going to begin a series of blogs on the British Monarchy… so if you fancy an overview then stick with me. And for starters I am going to go through how you remember all those kings and queens – as we have had quite a few!

My puppets of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon - he's probably the most famous King of England... but who came before him and who came after him? Read on to find out!

One of the reasons I became a guide was because in my mid-20s I was a little ashamed that I knew very little about British history. I didn’t know what the main periods were and in terms of Kings and Queens I only really knew about Henry VIII (only that he had 6 wives and executed some of them), Elizabeth I (because she was hardcore) and our current Queen Elizabeth II, and I knew that plague was a dangerous thing giving you buboes (big boils) in your armpits and boils (the type of things kids remember). So I trained to be a Professional Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London, the best tourist guiding qualification in the world (we think!) and it forced me to learn my history. And now you can learn it too!

So, first things first, I had to learn all my Kings and Queens. Now there are quite a few…you could go all the way back to the Anglo-Saxon period (from the end of Roman rule in the 400s to 1066) – but for some of that period the realm was divided into kingdoms (think Game of Thrones) and there were loads of rulers so it can get quite confusing - so for the sake of simplicity and so we cover the more famous monarchs I am going to start this with the invasion of William of Normandy in 1066, who ruled the whole of England and from whom you can draw a continuous line (albeit a bit fragmented sometimes) from him to our current Queen Elizabeth II.

So, since 1066 and William of Normandy there have been some 45 rulers of this fair realm (hold your horses those of you who are sticklers for accuracy… the number is variable depending on what and who you are counting, so I am giving a rough number… don’t want people to switch off straight away!). So 45 odd rulers are quite a lot to remember, especially in order, so where do you start? Well you learn this poem:

Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve

Harry, Dick, John, Harry 3;

One, two, three Neds, Richard 2

Henry four, five, six... then who?

Eddie, Eddie, Dick the bad,

Harrys twain  and Ned the Lad;

Mary, Bessie, James the Vain,

Charlie, Charlie, James again...

William, Mary, Anna Gloria,

Four Georges, William and Victoria;

Eddie 7 and Georgie 5,

Eddie 8 and Gerogie 6,

And now Elizabeth alive!

And once that is in your head, then you can workout which is which, work out your Royal Houses and start adding some interesting information about each of them until you know them all and you start giving me and my guides a run for their money (some on our Royal London Tour and test us!)!

So, have fun learning it (stick the poem on your fridge!) and more posts to come on our English, and British, Monarchs. See you soon!

Family Activities in London - The London Transport Museum

Come on... let's go exploring!

So, I love this London museum for kids of all ages and it is even fun for adults. It might seem a bit geeky or a bit niche, and the tickets for adults are not the cheapest BUT kids under 18 go free! Yes FREE! So I would recommend thinking about it if you are visiting London with your family for the following reasons:

Ticket price: at the time of writing the ticket price is £17.50 for an adult ticket so not the cheapest BUT kids go free, concessions are £15.00 and if you book online you save £1.50. So it might be a bit expensive but if you make the most of all the free things that you can do in London while you are here (National Gallery, British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, both the Tates… to name but a few, donations always welcome!) then perhaps budgeting for this museum is doable. You could spend an hour or two here, there’s also the shop and the café which could extend your time – so on a rainy afternoon, or a day when you’re pooped and want something that will engage the kids or grandkids while you switch off a little then this could be a good option. Also the tickets are valid for multiple entry for a year, so if you are in London for a while then you could always pop back.

Location: the London Transport Museum is in a great location - Covent Garden, which is great for many reasons – it is very central, it is an historic square, it has a beautiful church, it has lovely old market buildings with lots of shops and cafes, and it is famous for its street performers, so you have worthwhile things to do before and/or after your visit.

Interactives: there are loads of bits of historic transport to climb on and in, buttons to press, levers to pull, clothes to try on, etc. It is not just little hands that want to touch things – touching things is how we learn, it helps us process what we see, so it is good to satisfy our little ones desires to touch, but also our teenagers and our own need to touch things (other free places where you can touch things include Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A, parks etc)

Easy to relate to: Transport might seem geeky but it is something we all have experience of and that means it is easy to talk about. If you want a museum that can encourage discussion between you and your kids, or your grandkids, or between siblings, then this could be a good one. Grandparents can reminisce over what trains and busses were like when they were young, parents the same, and siblings can talk about how old transport was different to what they are used to today. For pre-speech kids – well they seem happy just exploring, touching and crawling – and you can get some great photos!

Stamper: When you arrive make sure you get the map for kids – they normally give it to you with your tickets – it is a simple and colourful map, which directs you to a stamping machine in each section of the museum so as you go round your little ones have to collect a different stamp. The machines can be a bit hard to push down so you might have to help little kids but it is a great way to make children really explore the museum and visit each part of it. And it makes a nice souvenir as well. 

Shop and café: The LTM has a lovely café, so if you fancy a coffee and a snack before, after or even during (remember the multiple entry, annual ticket!) then you can take a break here. The shop is wonderful – I am always tempted here! It is a great place for a London souvenir, especially something linked to our iconic underground network, but there are also loads of things to keep children amused as well as old fashioned, traditional toys.

So, give it some thought. It is one of my favourites and I think definitely worth the money. Let me know what you think!

Our top picks of fun things to do in London with kids – Part 1

So there is literally loads of stuff to do for families with kids in London, so I’ll be giving some ideas on my blog over the next few weeks…months… forever. Here are my first five top tips of family friendly activities in the Big Smoke!

The London Transport Museum

The London Transport Museum. This place is great for all ages. It tells the history of transport in London from the late 1700s to today, and is incredibly interactive. There are old omnibuses to climb into, buttons to press and drawers to pull out, a London underground train you can drive and it also has a lovely café and tempting shop! And it is right on the corner of Covent Garden (see below). If you have toddlers then this museum is perfect, but as I said, good for any age! (tickets required).

A Tower of London Raven

The Tower of London. If your kids want some blood and guts then the Tower of London is a pretty safe place to hear about it! The site of execution for two of Henry VIIIs wives, it was also a prison and a place of torture. But there is loads more – it is a medieval castle, it was a royal palace, you can walk the walls, see armour as well as the Crown Jewels and (my favourite) make sure you don't miss the Ravens. You can take one of our tours, or if you are on a budget then follow an entertaining Beefeater tour! (tickets required)

A snippet of the amazing music and disciplined soldiers you can see at Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace - you'll see the best bits with Tours for My Kids and it is great fun for all ages!

Changing of the Guard. This is a must for all ages and to be honest, a tour with Tours For My Kids will help you see the best bits and avoid the crowds as much as possible. This is a spectacle of army discipline, fancy military outfits, very shiny shoes and some great marching music, it always makes me smile and I have seen it a lot!

St James's Park for some down time

Parks and Playgrounds. One of the wonderful things about London is that it has so many green spaces which means you don’t always feel like you are in a big city. So if you’ve been walking the streets and hitting the museums why not have some downtime (so important for young people) - grab a sandwich, pick up a cheap football and spend some time relaxing with nature. There are loads of great parks in London, but a good central one is St James’s Park, which has a lake with loads of ducks and even massive Pelicans, two playgrounds (one at each end), beautiful views of Buckingham Palace and you might even catch Changing of the Guard (see our tour here)

St Pancras Station - a Harry Potter film location and next door to Platform 9 3/4

Platform 9 ¾ . If you are a Potter fan then a visit to Platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Station is essential, if it is high season be prepared to queue but the photos will be worth it! There is a souvenir shop there too if you need your Potter memorabilia and take a minute to have a look at the station next door, St Pancras, which is a beautiful Victorian Gothic building, and it also appears in The Chamber of Secrets, when Ron Weasley and Harry Potter pick up the Ford Anglia to fly to Hogwarts.