One weekend, two very different museums

Saturday we headed into London, with the aim of seeing Exquisute Bodies at the Wellcome Collection. Although the website warns some of the items in the exhibit may be upsetting to younger-than-18s, we decided to manage anything we as parents didn't want Bailey to see, as we saw the exhibit. I'm glad to report the visit was a huge success. The models in the exhibit were fascinating, and we each enjoyed it on whatever level we could.

We also visited the two permanent exhibitions in the Wellcome Collection, Medicine Man all about Henry Wellcome and Medicine Now about how we understand health and medical care. Both were interesting and engaging to the three of us, and contained loads of interactive displays to engage Bailey. To make it even better for her, the lovely gallery assistant gave Bailey a discovery pack full of all kinds of fab activities for the younger ones. My fav was a hunk of real modeling clay, to be used to recreate the viewer's favourite votive (see the second imagine in Seeking Help if you'd like to learn more). Huge WELL DONE to the Wellcome Collection for reaching out and engaging the young visitors.

The rest of the fine Saturday was spent browsing the bookshops of Charing Cross Road. It's not at all the book lover's paradise that it used to be; even when I arrived in 1995 there were countless independent booksellers along the road. Today most of the little ones are gone, but we made the most of Foyles and Blackwell's, where I again marvelled at the Espresso book machine.
Today's Bank Holiday Monday museum visit was to the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden. This museum has figured it out; draw in the families who are all reading Roald Dahl, make small but very fun and interactive gallery exhibit, then finish it with a huge hands-on room of creating fun book-related crafts. There was even a little station to make a short film, which Bailey did and I attach to this post. The museum also includes a reading room, for individuals to relax and read Dahl stories and for groups to enjoy story-telling sessions running throughout the day. To top it off, there's a lovely and well-stocked shop and a fab cafe including patisserie quality treats. What more could we need?