Do you remember the other week when I blogged about luck & how I had won some tickets to The Baby Show over on Sparx's blog , Notes From Inside My Head.
Well today was the day of The Baby Show , which is currently being held at ExCel in London until Sunday. I took a friend of mine along & her son.We decided to get the train instead of driving as we thought it be easier and we had found a deal where we could travel to London and back for the bargain price of £10.
Oh boy wasn't we wrong about thinking the train would be easier , We had found out that morning that our local station wasn't included in this deal (after being told it was!) so we had to drive to another station to catch the train from there. This change of station also ruined our plans of getting a straight through train to London.
Well today was the day of The Baby Show , which is currently being held at ExCel in London until Sunday. I took a friend of mine along & her son.We decided to get the train instead of driving as we thought it be easier and we had found a deal where we could travel to London and back for the bargain price of £10.
Oh boy wasn't we wrong about thinking the train would be easier , We had found out that morning that our local station wasn't included in this deal (after being told it was!) so we had to drive to another station to catch the train from there. This change of station also ruined our plans of getting a straight through train to London.
Oli waiting at the first station
So instead we had to endure many change overs and delayed/canceled trains. We finally got to London about 3 , so unfortunately missed Annabel Kamel and much of the program. But still it wasn't a wasted journey , there was a couple of hours left so we rushed in to make the most of it.
Arriving in London!
Finally at The Baby Show.
I just wish the journey there hadn't been so long & that I hadn't got up at 5am that morning , because by the time we had got in all I wanted to do was go home and rest my tired feet.
There was so much on offer , from Britax prams to advice from midwifes. It was quite overwhelming. It is the perfect place to come if your pregnant/have a newborn baby.
There was one stall where you could travel cots/changing mats/highchairs/slings and all that kind of stuff for some very good prices! Just a shame Oli was at the age where he had most of it!
There was so much on offer , from Britax prams to advice from midwifes. It was quite overwhelming. It is the perfect place to come if your pregnant/have a newborn baby.
There was one stall where you could travel cots/changing mats/highchairs/slings and all that kind of stuff for some very good prices! Just a shame Oli was at the age where he had most of it!
Despite being tired , I did try my best to take everything in and grasp at everything there was to offer. We did return home with many freebies , my friend bought something from every stall/display we went to! Me on the other hand bought nothing.. I was so occupied with keeping a rather tired/teething Oli occupied that shopping just wasn't possible.
Tired Little Boy!
Oli playing in the Tomy Toy Zone
I don't think we ever wanted to leave , not only because the thought of traveling back home on those horrid trains but because we were in our element surrounded by all these other Mummy's.
I'm gutted that I didn't take more photos when I was inside , but trying to juggle Oli in one arm and push a pram in another was a mission as it was.It's ashame I didn't get to meet some of the other Blogger/twitter Mummy's who I have became friends with over the last few month's . I would say I look forward to meeting you at the Mummy Bloggers Conference coming up but I think I might give London a miss for a year or 10!!
I'm hoping we can return to The Baby Show when it comes to Birmingham in May , as that is only a hour away from us and we might just leave the babies at home this time.
I'm gutted that I didn't take more photos when I was inside , but trying to juggle Oli in one arm and push a pram in another was a mission as it was.It's ashame I didn't get to meet some of the other Blogger/twitter Mummy's who I have became friends with over the last few month's . I would say I look forward to meeting you at the Mummy Bloggers Conference coming up but I think I might give London a miss for a year or 10!!
I'm hoping we can return to The Baby Show when it comes to Birmingham in May , as that is only a hour away from us and we might just leave the babies at home this time.
Sleepy Boy
I was so proud of Oliver , he spent the hours of 7am to 3pm and then 5pm to 11pm traveling , this couldn't of been easy for a teething boy who doesn't like being cooped up in his pram.
We learnt that prams & the underground do not mix , not only are you having to squeeze into a train like sardines with Londoner's desperate to get home you have to fight to get a pram up/down a escalator.I think we may leave London until the Boy's are out of prams and able to walk themselves!
We learnt that prams & the underground do not mix , not only are you having to squeeze into a train like sardines with Londoner's desperate to get home you have to fight to get a pram up/down a escalator.I think we may leave London until the Boy's are out of prams and able to walk themselves!
Goodness me, what a palaver with the transport! Glad you enjoyed it while you were there, though.
Replythat sounds like such fun though. I know strollers can be such a pain. It's nice, though, to keep them contained. Now Tristan just wants to run everywhere.
ReplySuch a shame about the rubbish trains! Glad you enjoyed the bits you did see.
ReplyAh I felt so sorry for you when I saw you there and you had only just arrived! We did the same, parked up then 'trained' it from Uxbridge - it was bad enough just me n the hubby - glad I didnt have the kids with me too!!!!!
Reply(ps the soles of my feet are still sore from all the walking round!)
@Working Mum - It's put me off traveling for a while via train. Think I'll stick to the car!
Reply@Randi - I'm dreading Oli finding his feet.. He's such a quick crawler , I hate to imagine what he's like when he's walking!!
@Heather - Thank you , Have been told that trains to/from London are not always that reliable.. Wish I knew that before going! I thought it would be such a smooth/easy journey! Oh how wrong I was!!
@Amanda - My feet are still sore too.. been wearing my uggs all day to cushion them. I'm so tired as well! I've just spent most the weekend napping! I never want to do a journey like that again with a pram. Almost killed me & Oli 3 times (oops!) , trying to go up a escalator on the underground!!
Oh Emma...so sorry you had such a nightmare journey and that I missed seeing you as well. I found the whole thing (The Baby Show) rather overwhelming...too much stuff, too little space, too many pregnant bumps and pushchairs. Well done you for negotiating all the hell with style.
ReplyI took a train from Peterborough (1 hr) and then it took me about an hour to get from Kings Cross across London to the ExCel! Ridiculous and I was so grateful to not have Little Miss + pushchair with me for the first time. It was a great day for me but a little OVERSTIMULATING to say the least.
I'll hopefully be at the NEC show so maybe we can meet up there! In fact, maybe we need to MAKE A PROPER meet up there!
Good on you for doing it though. ;)
Karin
Oh lord, what a shame about the trains - honestly you think it would be easy to give you the correct information.
ReplyGlad you enjoyed the show but such a shame you weren't relaxed and had more time. A great piece though and I love the pics!!!
Oh that is too bad with the trains. But your photos are beautiful Emma! That little Oli is a Cutie Patootie!
ReplyWe went over on Sunday but thought it wasn't as good or as big as the one at Earl's court. Still, not a bad day out.
Reply