2nd Heald Green Brownies and Guides visit London

In early April, 2nd Heald Green Brownies and Guides had a fantastic long weekend in London. We saw various highlights at the British Museum before heading off to our base at Pax Lodge.

After a very early start on Saturday morning, we took the tube to see the Monument to the 1666 Great Fire of London before heading to the 35th floor of the Walkie-Talkie building to the Sky Garden where we had amazing views over central London. Next stop was the Tower of London where we visited the Crown Jewels and the Dungeon before posing for a photo with a Yeoman Warder! After a picnic in the beautiful sunshine, we walked over Tower Bridge to the Jubilee Walkway on the South Bank. We saw the Golden Hinde, Clink Prison, HMS Belfast and the Globe Theatre before crossing the Millennium Bridge. Walking past the dragon that marks the entry to the City of London, our walk carried on past Cleopatra’s Needle as we headed for Leicester Square. We really enjoyed our tea at Pizza Hut before arriving at the Cambridge Theatre to see Matilda, which for some of the girls, was a highlight of the trip.

Another early start on Sunday saw us heading off to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard and then through St James’ Park to Horse Guards Parade and Whitehall. We walked past the Cenotaph, Downing Street and onto Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament with a welcome break in Victoria Tower Gardens for our packed lunch. The sun continued to shine as we finished with a cruise from Westminster to Greenwich. A guided commentary pointed out the many historic sites along this stretch of the River Thames.

Photos were posted on the private Facebook group set up by the leaders, which meant parents could be kept right up to date with what the girls were doing. The live feed on the boat was a great opportunity to say hello!