Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames

Keilyn and Erin ready to board the Horrible Histories Terrible Thames cruise.

Friday October 28, 2022.

Erin and Keilyn, both, are really into their history and love reading the 'Horrible Histories' books. So, when we spotted a 'Horrible Histories' ferry sailing the River Thames, we just had to take a trip on her.

Looking across the River Thames towards the Terrible Thames boat tour.

With the vessel, 'Silver Sockeye', due to depart at 10:45 we made sure that we were there in plenty of time, so that we could be at the front of the queue to grab the front seats. We headed upstairs and sat at the front on the port side, with the stage just in front of us.

Erin and Keilyn on the stage with Tower Bridge as a backdrop.

London Ghost Bus Tours

Emma, Erin and Keilyn waiting to board the Necrobus.

Thursday October 31, 2019.

My wife, myself and our two daughters, who are 6 & 7, managed to grab some tickets for the 19:30 tour, on Halloween 2019, and were not disappointed. 

Our pick-up was on time and all of the staff on the street and on the Necrobus were warm, friendly and helpful. 

Being one of the first groups on the Necrobus, we were able to pick some of the best seats, which were upstairs. They were remarkably comfortable, with curtains and lamps in the windows, making it feel warm and inviting, which helped people relax. 

This sense of ease, to which we succumbed, caught us off guard as various ghostly goings on plagued our trip.

The seats, curtains and lamps on the upstairs of the Necrobus.

Our conductor, Marcus, was very knowledgeable and obviously enjoyed his role. His stories were accurate and, equally, ghastly and entertaining. I think he managed to point out every murder site, haunted place and execution spot on the route, along with names and dates. 

Mr. Hinge, the Health and Safety officer, took his job seriously, too, ensuring that there was full disclosure about 'events' that had happened on the Necrobus, in the past. Although, it did take him a while to get all of the facts out of our conductor.

A lamp that flickered, normally when a spirit was present.

We travelled around Whitehall, Westminster, the City of London, through Holborn, crossed the River Thames, visited Southwark and more, before heading back to our drop-off point. 

So much more went on, but I would hate to spoil it for anyone that hasn't taken the trip. Suffice to say that we will be taking this tour again.

A bit of trivia, about our Necrobus:

• It had run on a designated route, in London, until 2005
• It's designation was RML2528, with the registration plate of JJD528D
• It was purchased by The Ghost Bus Tours in 2013
• It is painted in a midnight black livery

Ghost Bus Tours London

As a side note, they also operate Ghost Bus Tours in York and Edinburgh.

The Necrobus.

Warner Bros. Studios Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter

Potions and Dark Magic.

Saturday April 27, 2019.

We visited the Harry Potter Studios Tour for my daughter's 6th birthday, and she absolutely loved it.

After a quick coffee we began our tour.

Following the short video, in the cinema, we made our way through the doors and found the entrance to the Great Hall. As it was Keilyn's birthday, she had the honour of opening the doors to the Great Hall, allowing us to begin the tour proper.

The Great Hall was incredible to see in person and the props and costumes on display are wonderful to see up close.

From here we went to see some of the other exhibits; costumes, wigs, makeup, Dumbledore's study, Hagrid's Hut, the Potions Lab, the Quidditch area and much more.

We then entered the Enchanted Forest with its scary spiders that fell from the ceiling, or came out of cavernous holes.

We then found ourselves by the Hogwarts Express steam locomotive and Platform 9 3/4. We then headed to the cafeteria before heading outside to the backlot, where there was even more to see; Harry Potter's house, the Knight Bus, Hogwarts Bridge, the Potter's Cottage, chess pieces, a Ford Anglia and a motorcycle.

Soon we were back inside to see more of the prosthetics, models, costumes, artwork and more. This led us to Gringotts Bank and on to the Bank Vault, before returning us to Gringotts Bank, which was under attack from a Dragon.

Diagon Alley swiftly followed and led us to more of the conceptual artwork and models, used in the Making of Harry Potter.

Finally, we arrived at the largest model that I have ever seen.

We then ended up in the Gift Shop, where you can easily spend a small fortune as the prices are anything but cheap.

All through the tour you can play a game of 'spot the Golden Snitch'. There are 13 to find, and the last of these is the most difficult.

All of the staff were knowledgeable, helpful and really made my daughter's birthday a memorable one.

You will need to set aside a minimum of three hours, to get around the tour, but it is well worth it.

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London Duck Tours

"Miranda" exits the River Thames".

Saturday November 12, 2016.

As a treat for Erin's 5th birthday, we decided to take in a London Duck Tour.

I have taken a London Duck Tour on a number of occasions, now, and find the tour offers something new, each time, while also offering unique views of the Unfinished City.

The guides are extremely knowledgeable about the sites that can be seen, on the tour, often throwing in pieces of trivia that, sometimes, I didn't know. 

One of the highlights is, obviously, when the Duck splashes down in the River Thames, by the side of the SIS building, and glides up to the Palace of Westminster. 

The tours are very popular and I would advise to book in advance, if you are going as a family or large group, although there is usually space available for individuals.

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