For the last few days I've had my brother, his girlfriend and their three kids staying at mine. I have one spare room so that means the kids (12, 13 & 14) have all been sleeping in the living room and the house feels pretty full.
As I'm the only one of 4 brothers not to have kids I kind of enjoy my role as the slightly "cool" uncle and I guess being based in London fits in with that. This is the first time these children have ever been to London and I've found it exciting to see them so excited by what London has to offer. Especially as some of it is stuff I take for granted.
On their first evening here it was a warm summer's evening so we opened a bottle of wine, picked up a few badminton rackets and walked to the local park and sat around chatting with everyone commenting on how nice and peaceful it was and how they'd expected London to be more aggressive and in your face. As if on cue, one of the various football games going on around us broke into a bit of a fight.
"It'll soon blow over," I said not wanting their view of London to be damaged by that kind of nonsense at which one of the aggressors ran to the side of the field, picked up an empty glass bottle, smashed it and then ran, full-tilt back into the affray.
The next night I was delayed on my journey back home to meet them for a meal because several Central Line stations were closed after someone threw themselves under a train at Lancaster Gate.
It's not quite the impression of London I wanted them to go away with.
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In other news; this rocks:
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As I'm the only one of 4 brothers not to have kids I kind of enjoy my role as the slightly "cool" uncle and I guess being based in London fits in with that. This is the first time these children have ever been to London and I've found it exciting to see them so excited by what London has to offer. Especially as some of it is stuff I take for granted.
On their first evening here it was a warm summer's evening so we opened a bottle of wine, picked up a few badminton rackets and walked to the local park and sat around chatting with everyone commenting on how nice and peaceful it was and how they'd expected London to be more aggressive and in your face. As if on cue, one of the various football games going on around us broke into a bit of a fight.
"It'll soon blow over," I said not wanting their view of London to be damaged by that kind of nonsense at which one of the aggressors ran to the side of the field, picked up an empty glass bottle, smashed it and then ran, full-tilt back into the affray.
The next night I was delayed on my journey back home to meet them for a meal because several Central Line stations were closed after someone threw themselves under a train at Lancaster Gate.
It's not quite the impression of London I wanted them to go away with.
-------
In other news; this rocks:

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God, that's mean of me about her *sorry God!*