London: The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum was the final attraction we visited in London. Like the V&A and Science Museum it's located around South Kensington in a very imposing building both inside and out. As you enter, the foyer has an enormous whale skeleton hanging overhead which creates quite an impression as you enter.

The museum has a huge and very valuable collection of gems and minerals. The best specimens of precious and semi precious stones are kept in a vault like room obviously to deter thieves from breaking in after hours.

This beautiful old room was the home of some of the more ordinary geological exhibits

To celebrate 50 years since man walked on the moon, there was a whole room dedicated to a sculpture/map/exhibit of the moon hanging overhead. The museum encouraged quiet contemplation in the room however this was hard with the myriad of children visiting during the holidays.

Some of the most interesting exhibits were the fossilised remains of various flora and fauna.

The exhibits relating to animals, both living and extinct were a real highlight. They went through the life cycle and key characteristics of many animals, supported by models that must have kept a whole army of taxidermists busy for a long time.

There was an interesting animated T Rex to frighten the kids in the dinosaur exhibit (apologies for the lurid lighting)…

After the museum visit we had only to go a few hundred meters to the Imperial College next door, but this time not for sightseeing. The London Orienteering midweek series race for the week was around the college which made for a very interesting and exciting event (Eric was almost run over by a Moped which was a bit too exciting).

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