Hamleys: The perfect place for toys!

I'd like a new toy to play with, but I'm quite fussy: my new companion has to be, like Goldilocks' porridge, just right! So I've come to Hamleys on Regent Street in London, to check out their range.

Outside the store are staff demonstrating toys - can you see the bubble between the two downstrokes on the 'H' in the picture above? That came from a bubble machine! I'm looking for cuddly toys, though.

Wheehee! And here we go! There are multiple floors in this shop, but the soft toys are on the ground floor. On higher floors are mechanised toys, sweets, and even a section on Lord of the Rings, which is my favourite movie.

Here I am trying to blend in with some Hello Kitty toys. They're wearing costumes based on the guards outside Buckingham Palace. The shop is very crowded, with children, parents and more staff demonstrating toys - be very careful not to get bumped!

I thought the Hello Kitty toys looked very imposing and guard-like, until I found this bear! Luckily, he was friendly and let me sit on his shoulder.

Bears do seem to be quite friendly in this store, don't they? This bear is £200! I like her but I'm not sure I could take her home with me - would she need a separate ticket on the train?

There is quite a big price range in Hamleys. Some are pocket money toys, selling at around £10 and under, whereas others are probably for collectors. The lady bear behind me, wearing a crown, is £140, so I don't think that a child or elfling would be allowed to play with her.

Oh, I found one! Please can I have this sheep? Pretty please?

Can you spot me? I'm hiding among all these toys - they're my size as well. I can't find any elves though. I did ask the hamster below me but she didn't say anything. Maybe she's shy.

Well, that's my visit to Hamleys for now! I'm going to have a nap now, because shopping for toys can be quite exhausting!

Best,

Elf Dryadalis

p.s. if you're wondering about the sheep, she came home with me! I'm going to call her Minty, and hope she'll make a guest appearance on my blog soon.

A bus stop made out of Lego!

As anyone knows, London is famous for its red buses. But did you know that there's a well known bus stop as well?

This one, on Regent Street, near the toy shop Hamleys, looks normal, doesn't it? But look more closely in the picture below:

It's made entirely out of Lego! The sign beneath the bus logo says, 'Conduit Street: Hamley's Toy Store'. It's called Conduit Street because this streets adjoins Regent Street, and there are lots of bus stops along Regent Street. The bus numbers are all real!

I'll just check the bus timetable. Ah. I've got ages so I'll just sit down for a rest.

Even the sides of the bus shelter are made of Lego!

Oh, and the benches too. Here I am sitting comfortably. I like the fact that the benches are red, to match the buses!

'Next bus just a brick away', reads the sign. This sign is usually electronic and gives the number of the buses approaching, and how far away they are in minutes. I like this analogue version. It adds an air of mystery!

And if I want to double-check my route, I can just look on the maps behind me - also built out of Lego, of course! The top line tells me that two underground stations, Oxford Circus, and Piccadilly Circus, are close by.

This bus stop was created to celebrate the 'Year of the Bus' by Transport for London, since it's been 60 years since the famous 'Routemaster' bus first rolled out onto London's streets.

If you want to take a look at this bus stop, you must hurry very quickly! It's only here until the 15th July 2014.

See you later,

Elf Dryadalis

I bought a couple of things at the National Gallery.

I said that I'd tell you what I bought at the National Gallery shop, and my human was here to help me take a couple of photos with my purchases!

As an elf, I do like bows and arrows. This set was £6.95, and it's almost all made out of wood - even the bow itself! I also appreciate the arrowhead, which makes me less worried I'll accidentally hit my friends when playing with this set.

I've been looking for a watch for quite a while now, but for some reason they don't sell any which fit me. So how could I time my playtime? I got a sand timer! It's much bigger than me, as you can see from the photo, and I might have to ask some friends to help me turn it round when the half an hour's up, but it does look very pretty indeed. It cost me £14.94, which was quite a lot, but since it doesn't need batteries, it'll last a lifetime!

I'll just be very careful not to hit it with my new bow and arrow.....

And here's a little bonus. I didn't know how to carry my new purchases home (a bow and arrow, especially in the hands of an elf, does attract quite a lot of attention), but the shop assistant offered me these carrier bags. The one with the lady on it cost 15p - I've cut it open so I can display it on my wall as a picture.

The yellow bag is made of paper, and it shows a print of Van Gogh's Sunflowers. I've also put that on my wall as a picture, but I have noticed that it does make a perfect sleeping bag for me.

*Yawn*

See you after my nap,

Elf Dryadalis

National Gallery

Hello there!

The very sky behind me looks like a picture: we must be outside the National Gallery!

The National Gallery, founded in 1824 (so it's even older than my grandma, Elva), holds all sorts of artwork which the public can visit.

It's really easy to get to as well. It's on the edge of Trafalgar Square, so it's about 5-10 minutes away from Charing Cross Station. It's free to get in, although you can leave some coins in special collection boxes to help the gallery, if you like.

I'm afraid I could only take this photo of me standing outside, since taking photographs within the gallery itself isn't allowed.

If you like, you can take a sketchpad and pencil and sit down on the dark green sofas inside the gallery, and draw the pictures hanging on the walls.

There are also three shops inside, which sell art-themed stationery and books, and also sell prints of popular pictures, in case you want to take one home.

I'm just off to the big shop; I want to get some souvenirs!

See you soon,

Elf Dryadalis

Chinatown

Hello there! Did you know that in central London, amongst all the theatres and restaurants, is a little piece of South East Asia? This is Chinatown, and as you can see from the street sign behind me, which has the words for 'Chinatown' in traditional Chinese characters, it really is like going to Hong Kong or China for an hour or two - without needing an additional eight-hour flight!

Chinatown is famous for its restaurants. A good tip I'll pass on for choosing a Chinese restaurant is this: look inside and see whether or not Chinese people are eating there. If there are, it's a good sign!

You can even ask to buy takeaways there. Sometimes the restaurants  have roast ducks or crispy pork belly, or other delicacies hanging in the window. You can ask to buy one of these, and take an entire roast duck home for later! Prices vary, but you can generally get a duck for under £20, and you can even ask them to cut it up for you.

There are lots of little shops around Chinatown too, and they mostly sell cute little gifts. There are also bookshops which sell Chinese books - which would make a highly unusual gift for any philologists!

And if you're tired, there's a pagoda to sit under. In recent years, there was an attempt to rejuvenate the area, including putting a roof over the pagoda, so it would become a sort of indoor shopping mall. But lots of people objected, since the point of a pagoda is to shelter people from the rain or sun, and be a meeting point, not just stand inside like an ornament.

I decided to hop underneath and enjoy some shade; as you can see, the sun was strong today!

And now onto souvenirs. Throughout London, there are many shops selling postcards.

Each shop sells between three and five for a pound, but I've got a little elf tip for you: get some free newspapers as alternative souvenirs!

They're in the central area of Chinatown, between the two arches (see my second picture in this post - those arches mark off the main section of shops and restaurants). These newspapers are free to take, and since many of them come out weekly or fortnightly, they're a good memento of a holiday - and unmistakeably Chinese!

I have a little confession to make: I can't read any of these, but I like them because they do look so cool.

Bye for now,

Elf Dryadalis

Soho Square Gardens: A little gem in central London

*Yawn* I was very tired after walking around London in the afternoon. The problem is, it seems like there's nowhere to go to sit down except coffee shops and the benches in the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street.

But here is a little green oasis, and it's free to visit!

Soho Square Gardens are just off Oxford Street, and easily accessible from Tottenham Court Road station. I walked there in about 15 minutes, ducking and bobbing through the humans busily shopping.

If you look very closely near the right leg of Charles II here (the king who was restored after the English Civil War), you can see me standing there! I'm doing my best 'kingly' pose.

There's a tiny little house in the middle of the Gardens, and although it would be just the right size for a family of elves like me, it's actually used as a tool shed!

It looks like it's a Tudor house, but actually it was built during the 20th century.

Hmm. Now I'm relaxed and refreshed, I'm going to play some sports! There are two ping pong tables set up in the Gardens, and they're free to use.

Has anyone seen my table tennis bat?

See you soon,

E. D.

Buckingham Palace

Haha! In this picture it looks like I'm bigger than the entire Palace! Actually, I'm only a small elf - it only looks like this because I came from St James's Park, and from this viewpoint I can see the whole building.

Since 1837 it's been the official residence of the monarch, and it's therefore famous as being where the Queen lives.

I know the Queen's in today because the Union Jack is fluttering high. If it's down, it means the Queens visiting one of her other castles. I wonder if the Queen can see me?

I've just pressed the button, so I can cross to get a better look. The railings behind me are used when everyone's here in an excited crowd. I think they look like giant climbing frames for elves.

These are high arches around the Palace. They're painted gold, and it makes them look very regal.

And here I am outside the main gates to Buckingham Palace! It's not possible to go inside (although sometimes, when the Queen is away, people are allowed to pay some money and look inside at the State Rooms.

He looks very fierce, doesn't he? This soldier is standing outside Buckingham Palace to guard the Royal Family - there are several of them and they stand still for hours, even though it's really hot, and they're wearing long-sleeved uniforms and those great big helmets!

When they change positions (so they can get a bit of rest), it's called the Changing of the Guard, and it's very popular, so lots of people watch them.

Luckily for me, though, I don't have to stand still for so long! So I could look at this golden statue, which is part of The Queen Victoria Memorial. It's right outside Buckingham Palace, and it flashes in the sunlight so everyone can see it.

Eww. This was smelly. It wasn't by me, honest! I'm a very well trained elf.

There are lots of horses in London. Sometimes the police ride horses around London, so maybe one of their horses saw the golden statue and pooped in surprise!

I'll see you later (I need to find some perfume),

E. D.

St James's Park: Swans and Pigeons

There are lots of swans walking around St James's Park, and I stayed as still as I could whilst this one paced leisurely behind me. It was really big (though it's hard to tell from the picture). All swans belong to the Queen, so I made sure I was very polite around it.

And here's a duck from the lake. They're not afraid of people at all! If you stand by the edge of the lake, they swim towards you, hoping that you might have a little treat for them. This one is preparing to wade back into the water, perhaps to cool off.

Mr Pigeon here is laying down the law! I don't think it was talking to me in particular though, since I prefer to walk rather than cycle (there's more time to enjoy the view).

See you soon,

E. D.

St James's Park: Sunshine and flowers

Mmm. I love the feel of the sun on my skin!

Lots of people were thinking the same thing; there were loads of families and couples laying on the grass and soaking up the rays. Since the park is so big, though, there was room for everyone, including me!

I bet you can't find me! I'm hiding in the long grass.

There are many public walkways through the park, and this fence I'm climbing on (it's okay, it was very low so I was quite safe) separates off the area reserved for wildlife.

Some people were feeding the ducks and squirrels; I'll write more about them later!

I'm now going to walk across the bridge.

There's a little lake in the middle of the park, and a sky-blue bridge crosses it. Can you see in the background? Just to the side of me is my first glimpse of Buckingham Palace! There are so many trees that it looks like the Palace has been framed by them.

And opposite is a view of the London Eye! I tried waving at the people in the capsules but I wasn't sure if they could see me.

Phew. A well-earned rest, I think. There are quite a few benches throughout the park, so I could take a leisurely stroll without fearing I'd tire myself out.

Well rested now, I'm trying to fit my hand inside this pink foxglove. Summer in London means the flowers are looking beautiful, and there are many flowerbeds in St James's Park.

There are even some blue ones too, which are taller than me!

Whilst I gather my notes on the wildlife, I'll sign off for now.

E. D.

Walking towards St James's Park

Well, isn't this patriotic?

I'm walking towards St James' Park, and couldn't resist taking a photograph with this Union Jack. There are loads of flags all along the road, which isn't surprising since at the end of the road is Buckingham Palace!

And here I am, being a bit cheeky and riding Mark Wallinger's 'The White Horse Sculpture' which is visible on the right when approaching St James' Park from the Charing Cross side. There is a sign on the ground saying , 'Do not climb on the horse', but I couldn't resist! The horse was okay, though, and I don't think she minded!

This is the approach to St James' Park - I took this as a crossed the road from the horse sculpture. Look at the blue sky! It was such a sunny day.

Above my head you can see even more Union Jacks fluttering in the breeze. I'll finish crossing the road, and then I'll show you some more.