Exploring London RSS

The weather here in East London has been wonderful this week. Not too hot, no rain and with a gentle breeze. We thought we'd make the most of it and head out to the park for lunch. It's always great to get away from the desk and outside for a break during the working day. A couple of PACMATs and a bottle of water in the bag, we headed down to pick up a (massive) sandwich on the way from Bread & Truffle and then went on to London Fields to find a suitable spot to picnic.  Basil always like to stay close...

London is full of perfect picnic spots. Starting with the Royal Parks. Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, St James's Park, The Green Park, Regents Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Brompton Cemetery, Victoria Tower Gardens. But not forgetting Hampstead Heath, Battersea Park, Alexandra Park and Palace, Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Crystal Palace, Dulwich Park, Clissold Park, London Fields, Victoria Park, Hackney Downs, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Hackney Marshes. Here's an interactive map, highlighting each park. There are plenty of places to grab a picnic in the city, here are just a few: Watch the boats go...

I'm often asked what a Londoner would recommend for visitors to do in London. It's hard to know where to start. There are just so many things to do... and I might be a little Hackney-centric, but here are some of my favourites. London can be very tiring, covering a lot of ground. Up and down escalators, hopping on and off buses and pounding the pavements for miles. Plan your days well so you're not trekking back and forth. It's a big city and travel within it can add up. One of my favourite ways to see the main sights is by river boat. The...

   A fascinating evening around Wapping with Rachel Kolsky from The Bishopsgate Library I cycled to Tower Hill tube to meet the walking tour group by the coffee tram. Kicking off with taking a look at the sundial outside the Tower Hill tube station. (If you haven't seen it yet and are in the area it's worth a look). We then set off on our walk. Visiting St Katherine's Dock first, hearing the history of the rise and fall of the docks and then onto see the fantastic views of the river Thames. By this time it was almost dark, the bridge was lit up making a spectacular view....

The lovely Lilith Piper sketches in Highgate Cemetery, surrounded by peace and nature in the city. Highgate Cemetery is one of the Magnificent Seven. Opened in 1839 in Highgate, London. The Magnificent Seven came about after an act of parliament was passed in 1832 to encourage the establishment of private cemeteries outside of central London. Kensal Green, West Norwood, Highgate, Abney Park, Brompton, Nunhead and Tower Hamlets. Previous to this, for hundred of years, almost all London’s dead were buried in small parish churchyards, which had become dangerously overcrowded. Highgate, like many of the Magnificent Seven, became a fashionable place for burials....