Kids in London – Getting wet at Somerset House

Last week, in the sweltering heat, I had a short time between meetings and decided to sit in the sunshine at Somerset House. I had noticed a few of the posters advertising the latest exhibitions and had toyed with the idea of looking in at The Courtauld Gallery on the one featuring Victorian drawings.

However, as I walked through the entrance arch from Aldwych (a little hard to find at the moment, hidden as it is amongst all the construction works) my ears were assailed by the joyful shrieks and happy whoops of children having a thoroughly marvellous time.

In the centre of the courtyard are fifty jets that gush out gallons of water in a pattern. And running in and out of those jets were lots of kids having the time of their lives. There are a few chairs and tables around the periphery of the courtyard but most of the families there were sat on blankets and towels enjoying picnics in the sun trap while their kids played in the fountains.

I sat at one of the tables for a while and nearby where some more elderly folk enjoying what looked like a delicious lunch from Tom’s Kitchen – the former Navy Office. These folks looked on with huge smiles at the kids playing in the water too.

The sun was dazzling against the white brickwork, and the buildings prevented any breeze from disturbing me and I let my thoughts drift off to the recent films which had used Somerset House as a backdrop – the marvellous “Duchess” with Keira Knightley and the less critically acclaimed “Last Chance Harvey” – but it was good to think of Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in the huge space. It was also fun to watch the many business folk entering the court yard in a big hurry and then slow down, smile and watch the kids playing in the water.

Many people would not think about taking their kids into the centre of London in the summer. But there’s a lot for kids to do on the South Bank – the London Eye, the London Aquarium and the BFI Imax to name three. And just down the road from Somerset House is Covent Garden with the flagship Apple Store for the older boys, the fashion shops for the older girls and the street entertainers for the adults and younger kids. Further along is Trafalgar Square – which is still a fun place to go despite the lack of pigeon feeding (I'm still upset at the pigeon feeding being banned - surely all the traffic pollution must do more harm than a few pigeon droppings? I've lost a major part of my time as a kid in London without those pigeons)- and all the galleries.

It costs nothing to go to the Courtyard at Somerset House and they say that the best things in life are free. And those fountains sure did look inviting!