As is becoming traditional in November, I’ve taken a week off to celebrate being so bad at managing my annual leave that I have to take it in November. Coincidentally, Eva had an inset day today so it seemed like a good time to go adventuring. And the obvious adventure was an immersive Korean light show. Why not?
First though, brunch and the usually-reliable Crosse Keys let us down as it was out of hash browns. Maybe it’s time for me to do that Wetherspoons boycott I’m always thinking about. The app would only let us order from the breakfast menu so there was no chance of getting a substitute but my selectively-observant child pointed out that everyone around us was eating chips. So I went to the bar and asked if I could order there, was told they didn’t do chips at breakfast even though the guy before me had ordered a bowl and so I made the same observation as Eva had. Eventually they capitulated….carbs were had. Which is just as well because the halloumi I’d ordered through the app for Eva came *with* my breakfast i.e. dumped in the middle of the baked beans. So she still had a couple of the less beany bits but it would have been a far grouchier morning if we hadn’t managed to score at least a few bits of potatoey goodness.
Once we’d been fed, we wandered across London Bridge, which is always a pleasure and down the steps and through the tunnel to Clink Street. We were a little early but the very genial guy on the door welcomed us in out of the cold and gave us detailed instructions on how to use the app and the augmented reality-type signs you could scan. The app didn’t work on my phone so we missed out on that bit but I saw others using it. It didn’t detract from the experience but it’s worth downloading the “Delight Experience” app in advance if you’re planning a visit.
I won’t give you too many spoilers but you’ve probably seen pictures of some of the rooms on social media already. It’s one of those exhibitions that is perfect for the influencer age as pretty much everything is highly ‘grammable. There were a few people trying to get the perfect shot so we had to wait a couple of times but as it was a school day, it wasn’t too crowded at all so we had plenty of space to enjoy the different zones. There are 12 in all and you’re guided along a path which seems illogical at times – up and down stairs, in and out of what look like fire escapes – but have faith…it’ll get you where you need to go, don’t worry.
As well as being aesthetically pleasing, it’s also informative as there are insights on Korean culture written up in every room. It’s well worth stopping to have a read as you go.
So, here are some of the highlights. You know I love a sunrise and a sunset, so this skyscape room was one of my favourites. Ypou may recognise it from the publicity pictures:
This Matrix room hurt my brain slightly but Eva enjoyed the reunion of the “Eva choir”…..a group made up of infinite versions of herself. Luckily I was there in time for choir rehearsal but hey, aren’t I at just about every choir rehearsal going this time of year?:
I really liked the seascape in this room, which had seats so that you could just stop and be part of the art for a while:
We spent a long time looking at the Zodiac animals and deciding which ones we were most like. We concluded that Nathan was correctly allocated as a goat but that Eva was also a goat. I identified most as a monkey and we reckoned Reuben was a rat. So years of birth aside, we are now a primate-rodent-dual caprine family. Which probably means we’ll eat anything you leave lying around. Approach with caution.
Eva, master of the veiled insult, looked at this wheel and said “It’s depressing that your year is so close to the bottom”. Thanks kid – depressing for who, exactly?
We were both a little weirded out by the “Household Goblins” room:
And later on, Eva enjoyed the signs room and spent a while jumping from sign to sign:
And right next to that was the moon, which involved walking down a gangplank surrounded by water to get the full effect. I didn’t have confidence in either of our co-ordination so we stepped back off as quickly as possibly to avoid either falling in the water or dropping our phones.
Overall, we probably spent about 45 minutes in the experience but probably could have spent longer. The lovely guy in the gift shop offered us a free postcard each, even though we hadn’t completed the challenge on the app. It’s relatively pricey but now that the kids are older, this is the kind of thing they enjoy. Eva took 96 photos as we walked through. I guess that means she had a good time.
A few practical things – the steps mean it isn’t wheelchair accessible throughout (parts of it are but not all) and it would be tricky with a pushchair as well…but then the age restriction is 4+ so it isn’t aimed at the very littlies. There are no toilets as far as I could see and no cafe but Pret is right next door and has a toilet. I mean, we would have ended up there anyway I’m sure as I do like to flex that Club Pret membership but it was handy that the exit came out almost directly by their door.
I think it’s only on temporarily so book while you can! Click here for tickets and more info.
