“If you lived on Neptune, you would have to wait 165 years to celebrate a birthday,” says Carlos, one of the Explainers in the Wonderlab at the Science Museum in London. He says this is because it takes that long for Neptune to orbit the sun. Then, the concept of light years is considered; the distance light travels in one year, which is about 5.88 trillion miles. Stars, even the closest ones, are billions of miles away, making them appear very small in the night sky.
Carlos is full of facts, including “Saturday is named after Saturn…” To be fair, this more simplistic fact is lodged in my mind, because despite his addressing me as a scientist, I confess that I am not. He talks about the moon and how it does not make its own light, but reflects sunlight. This man is a mine of information, and he waxes lyrical about the planets: how Pluto is actually a dwarf planet, while Venus is the hottest in the solar system.
Another Explainer takes us into a lecture theatre and demonstrates explosions, which are a rapid expansions of gases, often accompanied by a release of energy, sound and heat resulting from a sudden and forceful reaction. She talks about what’s needed to create an explosion (fuel, oxygen and heat), and then she tells us to put our hands over our ears while she creates some very loud bangs. Great fun! The Explainers certainly bring science to life…
We travel to London for the day with National Express, from Southampton to Victoria Coach Station. Parking on the outskirts of Southampton, there’s about a twenty-minute walk to Southampton Coach Station. We each have a rucksack and Henry (9) has his scooter, which goes in the hold. His scooter is vital for the five or six miles we must walk in the capital, from Victoria to Kensington, where the Science Museum is located. National Express is our preferred way of getting to London because it’s so easy and reliable – it’s also very easy to book over the phone. Once we’re on that coach, the 032, we sit back and relax. Inside, our five seats are all close together.
A stone’s throw from Victoria Coach Station is Bleecker. In 2024, Bleecker’s Bacon Double Cheeseburger won the National Burger of the Year award, securing its second win in the UK. Bleecker is known for its simple, high-quality burgers. They use rare-breed, grass-fed, dry-aged beef from small farms, which results in a deep, beefy flavour. The burgers are cooked when ordered and feature a sesame seed bun, scratch burger sauce, onions and American cheese. We’re certainly ready for lunch and when we arrive, we’re met by really friendly staff. We order four cheeseburgers and a special bacon bun for Henry. Fries and fresh milkshakes are winning accompaniments. My cherry milkshake is delicious and Henry really enjoys his double chocolate one. “That’s the best bacon bun I’ve had,” says Henry.
Well done Harriett for being our tour guide and getting us to our destinations and back so expertly.
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By Tim Saunders
Tim Saunders is a travel writer and photographer regularly contributing to publications with a combined audience exceeding 100,000 readers. You can read more from Tim on his website travelwriter.biz and www.testdrives.biz.
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