God the crowds

Easter Monday I was meeting up with a friend of mine and his brother. My home town being a convenient centre between their respective homes in Cheshire and San Francisco. Indeed last time I had seen the brother was in San Francisco more than 20 years ago. Then with girlfriend since which he has acquired an American wife, two children and an accent. The latter is the more surprising. I just can't quite get people acquiring a new accent.

Plan was to meet at the Science Museum early afternoon, so I took the opportunity for another stroll around the V & A beforehand. Pretty busy given it was wet Bank Holiday, but not too bad. I particuklarly like the plaster cast gallery.

This is a really nice juxtaposition don't you think? Stern old bishop on the wall condemned to spend the rest of time gazing obn the cavorting naked couple. Obviously, he is enjoying it really, even though he has the expression one normally reserves for sucking lemons.

And generally you can find somewhere quiet, and here it is a matter of going high enough. On the top floor is the new ceramics gallery which is well worth a trip. They have found ways of displaying the vast collection of pots in an attractive manner.

But then with the aid of a mobile phone I managed to ascertain that the others had decided that the Natural History Museum would be a more entertaining place to take the kids. This is what I can only describe as a mistake of staggering naivety, unless one has children who have a particular love of standing in long queues. Of course, the problem was there is a vast number of other naive parents who all think that the Natural History Museum is the ideal place to go on a wet Bank Holiday. At the same time. Needless to say the queues were humongous. And having spent ages snaking one's way in through the doors one only got met by a further snaking queue to see the dinosaurs. So we never did. There are only so many queues one can enjoy. Actually less than one. And two breaks the camel's back, let alone a child's patience.

And the kids were more excited by the idea of an ice-cream. An ambition we satisfied in Harrods. Indeed in their frozen yogurt bar. Incredible place Harrods (with suitably incredible prices - £6.50 for a Harrods beer). But nice surroundings. And infinitely better than the Natural History Museum stuffed with tiny children and fractious parents.