AS any parents of young children will
testify, going out even for a day requires a level of planning that
is akin to a military operation.
Making sure you have enough food,
water, snacks, money, spare clothes, wet weather gear - the list is
endless.
It can also be expensive - travel,
entrance tickets to museums or other attractions, food, drinks,
snacks and a visit to the gift shop - it can all mount up.
But it need not be like this. With a
veritable cultural and entertainment feast right on our doorstep I
was determined to prove that living in South London need not mean
bankruptcy to keep the little darlings entertained.
Eager to put this theory to the test, I
embarked on a visit to the South Bank on Sunday last week with my two
children - Lucy, eight, and Tom, four - to see if it was possible to
enjoy a day out without it costing me the earth.
We set off from our home in Brockley
armed with sun cream, packed lunch, snacks and water in a rucksack
that wouldn't have looked out of place on a trek to the Himalayas.
Our one day travelcard cost £7.90 -
not bad considering it would have taken us anywhere within zones one
to six.
Once at Waterloo we walked up to
Southbank Centre pausing to see the skaters in the Undercroft and
some of the street entertainers along the way.
For those on a budget, the Southbank
Centre offers the perfect opportunity to have fun and spend little in
the process.
Every day there is something on within
the complex which you can enjoy for free - whether it's a workshop,
exhibition, performance or even just sitting in its riverfront café
to eat your sandwiches and watch the world go by.
And Sunday was no exception. Under the
umbrella of Festival of Neighbourhood the weekend was devoted to
Urban: Celebrating Street Culture featuring a series of BMX, Parkour
and dance workshops and demos as well as a chance to take part in
some of the performances.
So the three of us joined the huge
crowd on the Royal Festival Hall terrace and had fun busting some
moves and grooves to a mix of street dance, hip hop and breakdance
tunes which were being blasted out via an enormous sound system.
We were also wowed with a BMX bike demo
inside in the Clore Ballroom where a group of professionals showed
off their skills and tricks and Tom had a go at some of the free
basketball workshops.
As well as all the Urban cool there was
plenty more to see and do.
This included Beano Town tucked
underneath the Queen Elizabeth Hall. This interactive, and free,
exhibition pays homage to the legendary comic The Beano which
celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Despite having never had the pleasure
of chortling at the antics of its characters, Lucy and Tom wasted no
time in getting stuck in - from playing table tennis to looking at
the comics, climbing on the sculptures and trying on wigs and Dennis
the Menace jumpers. They also added their names in the tree house.
Elsewhere we explored the walkways by
the Queen Elizabeth Hall to see the allotment project, Queen's Walk
Window Gardens. This included a trail of 60 wheelbarrows full of
plants, as well as a roof garden created in partnership with
Cornwall's Eden Project, the herb garden on the Riverside Terrace and
the other giant installations and sculptures around the complex.
Perhaps the most fun
to be had were the fountains outside the
Royal Festival Hall. Both kids dived
straight in and trying to dodge the jets of water without
getting soaked was all part of the deal with much merriment to be
made in doing so.
And before we had to go home there was
just enough time to build a sandcastle in the specially created beach
down on the river front opposite the skateboarders in the Undercroft.
Apart from the travel card, the only
other thing I parted with my cash for was an ice cream for Lucy and
an ice lolly for Tom - both bought at the market outside Canteen at
the back of the Royal Festival Hall.
At £2.50 each it wasn't as eye
wateringly expensive as it could have been, and given I'd spent
nothing all day save for the travel card, it wasn't too bad.
We didn't buy lunch because we bought
our own which we ate outside whilst soaking up the atmosphere.
By about 5pm we were exhausted, covered
in sand, but having had a lovely time.
And while the South Bank isn't the only
place where you can do things on the mega cheap, there can't be many
institutions which will allow you to eat your own sandwiches in its
building whilst listening to or watching some free concerts or
performances.
And not only did I not hear the words "I'm bored" the entire day, the kids loved it so much they want
to go back this weekend. Result
Beano Town is on until Sunday,
September 8. Entrance is free.
Check www.southbanklondon.com and
www.southbankcentre.co.uk for full listings of events throughout the
holidays.
