Today was the start of a weekend in London with my Godson (GS), though we only got as far as Kingston upon Thames today as we visited the impressive Hampton Court Palace.

Here we signed up to become a member of Historic Royal Palaces, saving £10 by setting up a direct debit and gaining 15 months membership instead of 12. We have a number of properties to visit before it expires.

Hampton Court Palace was the main home of King Henry VIII, and easily the grandest site my GS has seen, describing it as awesome. We took advantage of the free audio tour, which took us through the impressive and vast kitchens, into King Henry VIII's apartments and then onto King William III's equally impressive abode.

We then ventured outside to have a look at the formal gardens, and to tackle the maze. GS soon led us to the centre.

After nearly four hours, it was time to leave. There's plenty more to do, so we will take full advantage of our new membership.

We drove to my Mum's house where we enjoyed a Meat Feast Pizza from the local takeway.

Tomorrow, we head into the centre of London.