Do you sometimes yearn to free your children from the daily rigours of cerebral training ? Then a mid - week trip to the Tutankhamun Exhibition is what you need !!  How could any school say 'no' to such an , albeit thinly veiled , glorious educational opportunity ?

So with the sweet scent of freedom , and that of the Thames , in our family nostrils , we arrive at the 02 in time for coffee and slabs of chocolate cake.  Star I , aged 10 , then  manages to set Anglo/Japanese relations back by ten years  by leaping into the sushi bar to order whale and chips .

Then it's swiftly on past the obligatory ice rink, where a minor tantrum from Star II , aged 5 , is averted by persuading him that all things dead and Egyptian would be of more interest.

Having queued, we equip Star I with Omar Sherif - narrated sat - nav. ;'Turn left at Ra , first right to exhibit 7 , etc ', and then we proceed to journey back in time to the life , death and discovery of  King Tutankhamun.

Picture , if you will, 11 dimley lit galleries where one gazes in silent awe at the wonders of the ancient world..........accompanied by the sound of Star II on his imaginary quad bike, "Vroom , vroom ,kneeooow KNEEOOW, just going to park my bike over here Mum .!"

"Mum make him shut up !! I'm going on to the next one ."  All said at 180 decibels having neglected to turn dear Omar down, Star I speeds through the exhibition having "done the Egyptians in year 4".

I manage to cajole Star II off his bike long enough to engage with the 'funny man' with the body of a snake and wings of a bird , and even recieve a sympathetic smile from a fellow viewer as i assure him that King Tut. really did play  with the miniature papyrus reed boats in the bath. All this was no match  for the 'yummy mummy' - very much alive - in gallery 9 who had her angelic brood drawing hieroglyphics into their matching sketch books.

With an authoritative pat on my shoulder a guide requests that i prevent Star II from touching .........and kissing ....... the glass, and we are shadowed by a lady with polish and a cloth for the rest of our visit.

Decamp to Covent Garden where their educational day is rounded off by ordering an Italian meal from a waitress formerly of the Ukraine. Excellent