Once again the London and Western Home Counties Steampunk Society met up at our adoptive home, the Kew Bridge Steam Museum. The occasion was for one of the guys, Scott to take a load of photographs as part of his university course. He wanted to document the Steampunk in its natural habitat, so where better than this cathederal of brass and steel?
I arrived very late, having had to visit my tailor beforehand to be fitted with a new pair of trousers. My own tailor, the Prime Mark company, Hammersmith could not furnish me with anything other than silver breeches in my size. Silver? No thanks. So I went over the road to Messers Marks and Spencer Gentleman's Outfitters. They're more expensive than the Prime Mark company and I've never patronised this particular emporium before, however, I managed to purchase quite a nice pair of plain black pants for £16. Cheaper than Prime Mark and they fit.
I awaited an omnibus for transportation home for the usual 45 minutes. On my return, I pucked up the Boy King from my sister's dweling place, which she was painting. Armed with a five and a half year old ball of energy, we made our way to the museum.
On arrival, I realised that I'd overlooked that they were holding the Magic Of Meccano exhibition. The Entire place, every availble inch of space was filled with tables covered in whirring, buzzing and clicking contraptions, built by men with beards and adenoids. The kid loved this, but I found that there was only so much meccano you can look at, and so many bearded, adenoidal men who were extremely proud of bolting this stuff together, before it all whiteouts that part of you brain and it all just starts looking like bits of metal with holes in. Enjoyable, but I suppose one just has to have an obsession with the stuff to be able to cope with that volume.
I eventually convinced the boy, after the ninteeenth time around the place and looking at a hundred little tin trains that we should seek the real reason for being there. We met with the rest of the group and went out into the sunshine for some more photos. At this point, he discovered the pump fountain. A metal drum with a handpump on the side which sprays gallons of water all over the operator and anyone within range. Now soaked, he then thought it'd be really funny to hug-and soak- anyone he could catch, including half a dozen immaculately dressed and otherwise distracted steampunks, who all put on their very polite faces and brushed him off as "being just a kid", although, I could tell that they were getting somewhat annoyed. Controlling my nephew, who doesn't listen to me at the best of times, with such a wonderful toy as a device for soaking people was frankly impossible. I took a phone call from Fern who had just arrived out the front which I used as an excuse to get the child as far away from the proceedings and let them get on with it.
This was Fern and her partner's first visit to the museum so naturally wanted to take a look around the place (although there wasn't much museum to see for all the Meccano). We went and got some teas and were told that the group had moved onto the pub. We took the boy for a ride on the train and then went to meet them.
At this point, he began to settle down and we got to relax a little and chat, whilst he latched onto Cubinoid and Tixia like a limpit, his new bestest friends. After some confusion and realisation that in that part of the world, on a Sunday evening, there is no food other than a local "chicken" shop, most of the group went and forraged and the boy settled.
I really regret not being able to have taken part in the day as much as I was absent for the most part. For this reason, I can't offer any report on the day other than an account of my babysitting experience.
That said, I'm glad he enjoyed the Meccano exhibition and museum, I hope Fern and Matt enjoyed the museum and I hope the photographs from the day came out to be what Scott wanted.
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