Reviews and Crayons of Wolfox Savoy Restaurant and Wetherspoons

How To Remember The Restaurant name, Wolfox

How do you remember the name of the Wolfox Savoy restaurant? The name Wolfox is a combination of wolf and fox. But which comes first? Is it wolf fox, or fox wolf which has the initials alphabetically? Shorten the name to one word by using the letter f only once and you get Wolfox. 

Good and Bad Reviews of Wolfox

Reviews from other people about the Wolfox Savoy restaurant were mixed. We ignored the negatives, and the positives. We liked the look and location and wanted to try the food for ourselves. Remembering that we might be ordering different food, at a different day or time, in less or more of a hurry, with diners who were more or less fussy.

Good and Bad Review of Restaurants

Speed of Service

Wolfox - No Crayons, Pencils, Paper

For us the main drawback was no free paper and crayon for kids. Our fault that we forgot to remind each other to always carry something to entertain our grand-daughter, aged four. The only nearby shop had only a plain, lined paper book. She was happy enough drawing letters of the alphabet.

You might think that's a good thing. An oasis away from tiny children, who might be making noise and running around.

On the other hand, providing crayons and paper keeps children sitting at the table, stops them running around.

Wetherspoons For Children

Website photo and click on link above for Wetherspoons.

Our family had visited Wetherspoons pub earlier in the day which provided drawing paper and crayons

If only the parents had saved a crayon or two. But would that be theft? 

Are the crayons re-used? Do you want your small children sharing germs on crayons used by others? The company ought to put their names on the crayons so even if you take them, you are carrying their advertising, so  that taking the items is expected?  

Although you might not take the coloured pencils. the activity paper has the Wetherspoons logo. If you have written on it they cannot give it to anybody else, so it is ok to take it.

Parents Props from Souvenir Shops

The souvenir shops had lots of pictures and dolls with heads of royalty and UK and London symbols, but no games or notebooks and pens or card games for children. You could buy items aimed at smokers of cigarettes - or anything else, somebody explained to me. (I am not a drug taker. My expertise is only food and drink.

So, when all else fails, buy a large notebook and pen. 

Where To Buy Kiddie Entertainment

The mother and daughter left the Wolfox restaurant before ordering, looking for some kiddie entertainment to buy. Luckily the mother had already told us what they wanted to order.

Kiddie Food Options at Wolfox

Kiddie food options were the tea time circular spiral pastry. Chips. Olives - mind the stones!

For kiddie entertainment look in the big bookshops. Or toyshops such as Hamleys in Regent Street, walking down south from Piccadilly Circus station. On our last visit we did not see nor buy any small gifts. Our grand-daughter spied a Pepper Pig Dolls House, at vast expense, a two figure sum, more suitable for her upcoming birthday than a souvenir of the day, or entertainment over tea or dinner in a restaurant.

Wolfox

https://www.wolfox.coffee/buyonline

Wetherspoons

https://wetherspoonmenuprices.co.uk/children/

https://globetotting.com/best-bookshops-in-london-for-kids/

Hamleys Paddington tea set in mini suitcase from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rainbow-Designs-Paddingtons-Toy-Tea/

https://www.hamleys.com/

https://www.foyles.co.uk/category/childrens

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-Tables-Questions-Travelling-

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Photo opportunities & Gifts at Heathrow & Airports - What's In The Caviar Shop? For kids?

 

Angela Lansbury sitting in the Union Jack chair at the Caviar shop, Heathrow Airport, 2022. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Welcome and farewell Photos

At the airport, when departing and arriving, I look for a picture featuring the country. If you have your camera ready, you might catch a welcome sign or statue at the approach road to the airport.

Statues & Symbols

The approach road to terminal 2 at Heathrow has a globe. Symbol of the world. 

Fast Photos

By the time I had turned on my mobile phone, and dialled in my passwo rd to open it, I was too late. My phone has a bypass instant camera symbol for just this reason. I ought to practise using it. Outdoors, in daylight, in theory you get better pictures.

Chair Styles

However, at Heathrow this year, inside the terminal, I found this neat union Jack chair. I could not resist sitting in it for a photo. Later, looking at my photos, I see things which I did not notice at the time. The style is a traditional Victorian armchair with a buttoned back. But recovered with brightly coloured, modern fabric to give it a modern look.

For comfort, it has wide, curved, cloth covered, solid arms with wood at the vertical front. The legs are old-fashioned turned wood legs. 

National Flags

In Duty Free shops there were numerous souvenirs with union jacks. I usually take one photo of myself with the object, and one without anybody. 

Vertical Versus Horizontal

You might also take a vertical picture and a horizontal picture. A vertical picture would be good for a magazine cover or the opening slide in a presentation. But a horizontal picture might suit the top half of a pace or slide with text underneath. 

Souvenir Shop Opportunities

Most airports have bottles of wine, spirits, or non-alcoholic drink, biscuits, sweets (Americans say candies), fridge magnets, soft toys, and magazines.You might choose a newspaper or magazine or calendar to show the date, from a shop, or the flight arrival time

Security

I photograph products to buy, not photos which show the airport. Security might forbid taking photos in airports. 

What about your own caution? You might not want to reveal the layout of the airport, or the fact that you are away from home.

Cyprus Airport

On arrival in Cyprus we saw pictures of local attractions and a map. On leaving, we found shops selling wine bottles and rose sweets (not Turkish delight, not Greek, but Cypriot.

Heathrow's Caviar Shop

In the caviar shop you could buy wine and bottles of booze.

What about children, or grandchildren? I spotted some soft toys. Pink. Aquatic. What were they? Fish? Salmon? They cost ten pounds.

Other shops for families,  biscuit boxes with pictures of H M The Queen. shortbread biscuits. All kinds of food with wrapping depicting the Union Jack.

For Children

For children, the general big souvenir store area with magnets and soft toy bears. Hamleys shop. The Harry Potter shop. Before you enter the escalators to your departure gate, there is a children's play area.

Useful Websites

Caviar Shop

https://boutique.heathrow.com/en/retailers/caviar-house-and-prunier

Caftans Online

Lots of colourful caftans cost from under twenty dollars and postage the same again.

https://www.ebay.com/usr/oussum_shop

Hamleys Toys at Heathrow Airport: bus and taxi toys, drawing or drumming

Problem
What can I buy?

Answers
If you have a child in tow, or expect to see one over Christmas, you can pick up some nifty toys at Heathrow airport.

Hamleys
If you missed out on shopping in London's department stores, you have another chance to buy at Heathrow airport.

 What's moving? Happily hop. Mesmerising.

Ok, but how much?

I saw a delightful variety of London and UK souvenirs. I loved the toy taxis and buses.

Christmas stockings, of course. They used to be red. Now you can get green. Where's the blue?

Drum Kit
Right at the front, ready for you to try them out, the drum kit and drawing board. somebody else drumming attracted my attention.

I already have the electronic fold up horizontalI bought one along with a fold up piano for my humorous stand up comedy act. A drum kit would be great for a child, or teenage, a composer of music or songs, an adult wanting to relieve stress. On the other hand, if you want to sleep, do yoga, or even cook without distraction, somebody else drumming away could be a nuisance. No point in giving children or adults, whistles and musical instruments and drum kits unless you are happy to hear them playing away day or night, and you are confident it won't annoy the neighbours. If so, go ahead.

To good an opportunity to miss. I must say that about £20 seems a reasonable price.

Drawing Board With Concealed and Revealed Colours
Their other try out kit was cheaper, about twelve pounds something. A children can draw on an black plastic imitation slate and reveal the colours underneath. If that stops them drawing on the walls and keeps the sitting on one place, it has to be good. Whatever is drawn on the board can be erased, corrected, replaces. No mess.

That's just four toys which caught my eyes. soft toys, taxi toys, bus toys, sound toys, jumping toys, a drum kit, a drawing board, a Christmas stocking. There's lots more. Just the thing for last minute shopping.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.