On the Saturday I took James and Emily for a day trip to London. It was the furthest they had been from home in their lives (by a factor of about 4) and the first time they had spent time with me on my own as opposed to in company with their mother, their grandparents etc. And for me, it was the longest time I'd spent with 8- and 9-year-olds since — well, since I was that age myself.

We went on the London Eye, saw the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, and rode on double-decker buses and the tube. But I misjudged the time it would take to get around London, and several of the things I had planned, like a visit to the Natural History Museum, had to be dropped from the agenda.

Overall, though, I think everyone had a great time — a day to remember all round!