The London Dungeon - excellent fun

So whose bright idea was it to visit the London Dungeon today? Mine I guess. We took the train to London Bridge, then walked out onto Tooley Street. By eleven o'clock in the morning, the queue stretched several hundred yards back towards London Bridge. Two and a half hours, two Capri Suns, a Snickers Duo, a bag of Cheesy Wotsits and a small cheap radio to keep from getting bored later, at 1.30pm we got to enter the front door. But it wasn't over yet. Another half hour queuing inside for the ticket booth, then a further half an hour waiting for our tour to begin in the "Labyrinth of the Lost"...

The Torture Chamber, the Great Fire of London, Jack the Ripper, Sweeney Todd, all were realistically propped and acted out. The sights, smells, even temperatures. And then there were the actors - realistic and always in character.

And the piece de resistance - the rides. Unbelievably in this cramped arch under London Bridge Station, there was a "Boat Ride to Traitors' Gate" along a pitch black waterway. And finally - well I won't spoil it for anyone, but the "Extremis: Drop Ride to Doom" was unbelievable. Although as you'll see from the picture above, I look quite chilled - bored almost, although those either side of me were clearly terrified. I guess I must have been tired by then!

My advice if you decide to visit is to go to the website (click here) and pre-book a time slot to avoid the wait. But all in all, despite the eternal queueing, despite the not inconsiderable entrance fee - over twenty pounds for adults, over fifteen pounds for kids - it was still excellent fun.