Everyone knows the health risks around the use of asbestos in an industrial setting, but not many people realise that the dangers of asbestos may be lurking within their own home. Asbestos was used in the construction of millions of homes during the 20 th century, and therefore many homeowners and their families are at risk. Having found this out, we decided to get asbestos testing done on some areas of our home that we were worried about. Unfortunately the asbestos testing came back positive, and it was confirmed that there was asbestos present in our home. The asbestos testing specialist advised us that because the product was damaged, we would need to have it removed straight away. Of course, we were very worried by this news, because we had already heard lots of horror stories about what can happen to people who come into contact with asbestos, so we decided to take our family on an impromptu to England, until the removal could be arranged. Most people don’t need to do this after the asbestos testing process, but we were looking for an excuse for a trip to see friends and family there, so this was the push we needed.
We have relatives in Oxford, so decided to make that our base. It is only an hour away from London, via public transport, so we flew to Heathrow, as this was the easiest option. Arriving in the city we were amazed by the number of old buildings on show. Every college at the university seems to be based in a building that is at least 100 years old, and some of the colleges were founded over 900 years ago. Some of the colleges are open to visit, and the children felt as though they were in Hogwarts when we entered them. In fact, some of these places were inspiration for the Hogwarts sets.
Another great place to go with the children (or even without them) is a very unusual caf© in the center, called Thirsty Meeples. This is a board game caf©, where you pay a set entrance fee, and then you can play any board game that you want from their vast collection. Thousands of games line the walls, and the knowledgeable staff will help you to find a game that you want to play. The caf© also serves a range of tasty foods and drinks.
A trip we took just outside of Oxford was to Blenheim Palace, which was build in the 18th Century, and is now a world heritage site. The building was the ancestral home of Winston Churchill, who was in charge of Britain during World War Two. The building is spectacular both inside and out, and there is lots to see here for everyone.
Once we got home, all the asbestos in our house had been safely removed. I am glad that simple asbestos testing spurred us on to end up taking the trip of a lifetime to visit Oxford with our family. It is thoroughly recommended.
