This is London….with a toddler

Now, this is a funny day to start this blog. I’ve had this kinda idea for a while – a record of my trips round London with my adorable(ish) 2-year-old, Reuben. But I’m going to start with a justification.

You see, yesterday there was a shooting on my road. Outside a local pub, next to the convenience store, at lunchtime. No-one was killed but it was all over the news and the phrase “hail of bullets” was used repeatedly. I’m hoping my parents don’t see, as it would only add fuel to the “leave London and move back to the countryside” fire. It’s shaken me a bit but not as much as the story of the little girl who got shot in a convenience store in Stockwell a  few weeks ago. If you read the Metro, it seems like South London is a no-go zone for small children.

So, why do I stay? Well, this is my home. I’ve been here since 2002 and my husband since 2000. We want this to be Reuben’s home too. Was I nervous walking around Stockwell with Roo after that little girl got shot? Well, yes. Was I scared getting on a bus on July 8th 2005? Yes. But I had a store to open on Oxford St and a team of staff that needed reassurance and guidance. So I went.  And this afternoon, after Roo’s nap we will be walking past the crime scene. Because life goes on.

London is an amazing city to be a child in and I hope this blog goes some way towards proving that (if I keep it up which is -quite frankly – unlikely). I have a deep mistrust of the countryside, which is why I don’t plan to move back there any time soon. And tell the people of Whitehaven that you don’t get shootings in the countryside.

Enough of the introspection. On with the fun stuff. Welcome to my latest blog…!