A day out in London with young kids - any recommendations?

What's on in London ?

Doc M - Your route-planner seems sound enough to me! Barking is half-an-hour/three-quarters-hour on the motorway. I wouldn't be too skeptical about it taking the full time at 5.00am. Part of your route in the A12 which is the artery for all the huge articulated transporters to and from Harwich (continental freight).

Given Ryanair's strict policy on check-in ONE HOUR BEFORE FLIGHT DEPARTURE I would personally not take any chances. Sounds like the M family will have an early night.......

Barking is fine. As with any other large impersonal city its not wise to leave car-windows open or cars unlocked or valuables on view. Hard-working Dagenham (Ford Motorworks) is just down the road, pricey Havering (where I taught Fine Art for two years) is the other side. I wouldn't anticipate you would have any problems with the area which has a bit of a "dormitory town" feel to it.........and hope you have an enjoyable day!

Re: What's on in London ?

Thanks again, Marie.

Yup, I know exactly what you mean about Ryanair check-in deadlines. We once arrived at the desk in Beauvais exactly four minutes late, following an unexpected delay on the motorway - needless to say, they were absolutely merciless :mad (in fact, the woman seemed to take perverse delight in the whole thing. I suspect that Ryanair employees in France get special rudeness/unpleasantness training...)

Seven tickets wasted, seven new one-way flights home (at about three times what I'd originally paid for the return tickets), an extra day's car hire and an overnight in a hotel - must have been the costliest four minutes of the whole holiday! Never, ever again...

So yeah, early to bed and early to rise for the Moriartys that night. We can make up for it in Spain! :lol