Bright lights, big city and an even bigger adventure

Aboard the Caledonian Sleeper, Robin and his family find that even getting to London is exciting – and then the fun really begins

I’m with Samuel Johnson on London. He famously quipped: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. I’d be more inclusive and extend this to woman and children, too. I headed back with my family to the capital to savour the blend of old favourites and new attractions that make London such a compelling destination.

Getting to London was all part of the fun, as we let the train take the strain on the Caledonian Sleeper. My nine-yearold daughter, Tara, loved going to bed in Edinburgh dreaming of waking up in the heart of London, while my six-year-old, Emma, remained unconvinced daddy was telling the truth! We loved our cabins and the good news is that the whole fleet is getting a major revamp next year so watch this space. Look out for a greater range of accommodation, an enhanced bar car and a few wee pleasant surprises.

We had a couple of bases in London. First up was the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel (www.jumeirah.com), a plush abode right in the heart of equally plush Belgravia. The kids were immediately charmed as they joined the Toy Box Club – a set of proper, age-appropriate toys awaited our arrival. They were brilliant because the kids loved them but they also kept them occupied and gave mummy and daddy a bit of peace while we settled in.

Our second hotel was the Hilton London Metropole (www. hiltonlondonmet.com), a massive tower hotel that boasted a raft of eating and drinking options, as well as a swimming pool and a rooftop bar. I loved the large room and we all appreciated the views out over the city from the feature windows. My kids loved that the hotel was full of people and languages from all over the world, one of the key attractions of London, for me, that helps make it such a thrilling city.

We dined in one night, at the Jumeirah, at their Lowdnes Bar & Kitchen, which proved a wise choice. I savoured well cooked Scottish scallops spiced with chorizo, before an equally well cooked steak, while the kids enjoyed food from a kids’ menu that somebody had actually put real thought into. The staff were great with the kids, too, which is sadly not always the case in London restaurants.

Two other restaurants stuck out on our trip. First up, Balthazar in Covent Garden brought the kind of genuine Parisian brasserie vibe to London that is so hard to find in Scotland. I feasted on oysters and a superb ribeye steak with bone marrow, a really decadent treat. Again, the staff treated the kids like real madames and happy kids always make happy parents at mealtimes.

The other culinary highlight was Leong’s Kitchen, which has just moved to a new address in Chinatown. This lip-smacking Taiwanese restaurant is spot on and impressively managed to cater for our mixed party of five with adults craving spice and strong flavours and the kids looking for something milder. The steamed dumpling dishes were delicious, as was their take on my daughter’s favourite dish of sweet and sour pork.

I lived in London from 1999 to 2003 and one of the biggest improvements I notice when going back is the continuing rebirth of the River Thames. London saw what Paris – and Glasgow, for that matter – were doing with their riversides and have impressively followed suit. One of the most dramatic changes under way is down at the massive disused Battersea Power Station, which is now being totally transformed as a sparkling new urban quarter woven around the distinctive quartet of towers.

The week we visited a new pier had just opened by the power station, another sign that Londoners and tourists are starting to use the river more and more for getting around. We handily had an MBNA Thames Clippers Roamer pass, which gave us the freedom of the Thames. Over the weekend we bulleted up and down, enjoying some breathtaking sightseeing as we travelled between attractions. Big Ben may have been clad in that controversial scaffolding, but the whole Westminster complex always looks its best from the Thames.

One old favourite of mine is the Sea Life London Aquarium on the banks of the river next to the London Eye. It was even better than I remembered and it even managed to trump another old favourite, Hamleys, in the affections of my girls. Now that is really saying something. They loved the penguins and ‘Nemo’, while I was awestruck by the giant sharks gliding around in the massive central tank and my wife was a fan of the graceful turtles slipping by just inches away from us.

We were soon back on our MBNA Thames Clipper ferry to ease on down the Thames again. Our destination this time was the Tate Modern, free to enter and housed in another giant former power station on Bankside. Whether you like art galleries or not, this is a London must.

The Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern is arguably the most striking arts space in London and that is, again, really saying something. We loved playing on the giant swings that the whole family could enjoy, the sort of temporary installation that gets ‘normal’ people, not just art critics, interacting and discussing art. It was also brilliant to tour the avant garde galleries, seeing what the girls made of it all.

Our last afternoon brought ‘daddy’s little surprise’. We headed to the Cambridge Theatre, where I’d heard a musical that blows away kids and adults alike was currently creating a storm. We were not disappointed. Roald Dahl’s classic, Matilda, has been brilliantly transformed as a musical into nearly three hours of breathtaking entertainment and emotion. It’s superb and I’d recommend it to anyone.

All too soon it was back to Euston to board the Caledonian Sleeper. Samuel Johnson would no doubt have approved of our trip, as we’d certainly not been bored, not even for a split second. London is that sort of city, a constantly impressive, world-class destination that suits all tastes and all ages. Next time you hear someone grumpily complain that they don’t rate London, suggest some of the things mentioned here. If that someone is you, I suggest that you jump on that sleeper train tonight!