In Ten : Highgate Village

Location : Highgate Village

Tube : Northern line - Highgate or Archway, 

Buses : 210, 271, 263

Highgate Village is walking distance from my home & it's probably my most favourite place in North London....it's where I'd buy a house if I won the lottery.

It's a great place for just wandering around....plenty of coffee shops, some decent restaurants, some great pubs (The Flask does good food & its garden is packed most week-ends).

Or you can just sit peacefully in Pond Square in the centre of the village enjoying the views....

there is plenty of history, lots of trees and it definitely has a village atmosphere.

Waterlow Park, located at the top of Highgate Hill, is a gorgeous space, very popular with locals & on a sunny day.

My husband used to play here when he was small, we spent numerous afternoons here with a picnic and a pile of Sunday newspapers pre-children & now we take our own children here.

It also has a very good cafe, lots of hidden secluded spaces, a pond with ducks and a play area.

You can find some of the most beautiful and elegant houses in London in Highgate....

lots of character, beautiful old stone, brightly painted front doors & gardens to die for. 

Highgate Cemetery is very popular with tourists and is an interesting place to explore....

and you are walking distance from Hampstead Village and the Heath.

It's a perfect afternoon destination for the week-end.

In Ten is my Instagram photo series of London   

In Ten : The City of London

The City of London....also known as the Square Mile.

It's London's Wall Street, the financial district.

A fascinating mixture of very very old buildings sitting right alongside super-new ultra modern buildings such as the building below known as "The Gherkin".

The City has always been a place to work hard & play hard....

lots of lovely old genuine London pubs will be full of bankers after work....

although after 9pm the streets are usually empty, as they are every week-end.

It has its own very unique atmosphere....

tradition, business, old & new, energy, hustle & bustle and history.

lots of young people mix with "city gents" in pin stripes and bowler hats....  

my father worked in the City for over 30 years & it was where I had my first job as a graduate too.

It is also a short walking distance from the Tower of London, the River Thames, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, Borough Market....

definitely a great area to explore. 

(Ten In Ten is my Instagram photo series featuring London locations.) 

In Ten : Soho, London

I have such a soft spot for Soho and when I spent the day walking around it today, memories of so many lunches, evenings out & summer sandwiches sitting in Soho Square above came flooding back to me.

I've worked in and around Soho many times over the years.

Located within easy walking distance of Oxford Street, Regent Street & Leicester Square, 

Soho is a vibrant & busy cluster of streets.

Narrow streets & pavements, full of traffic which seems to consist mostly of delivery vans to-ing & fro-ing to the many restaurants & bars.

It's full of cool media types, magazine offices and film companies.

It's cool but not chic, it's an effortless cool I think, a relaxed kind.

It's not expensive or genteel like Chelsea, it feels "real" & a little bit grubby...

it feels like you're in the centre of a city, in a good way.

In the summer, Soho Square - which isn't really that big - is completely packed with office workers & students covering every inch of the grass, soaking up the sun's rays.

I used to sit there every lunchtime that I could, hanging on for a few extra minutes.

There is a huge range of really good restaurants, cuisine of every different kind....

new places open frequently.

today I noticed lots of "street food" which looked really good too.

There are very old traditional London pubs, gay bars & super-modern bars.

At nights, people spill out onto the pavements, restaurants are fairly small here, 

there is a lot packed into every street. 

Berwick Street fruit & veg market still sits alongside the Indian sari shops full of bales of brightly coloured silks and satin.

Bar Italia does a great espresso and you can sit outside many of the cafes on the pavement people watching. It's a great place to have a quick coffee or a late supper after a theatre date.

There are also lots of homes there....

hidden away, up on the 3rd or 4th floor, doorways hidden down narrow alleyways, 

basement flats & rooftop gardens.

It's the great place to visit for a real taste of London.  

 

In Ten : Tower Bridge, London

 

no.2 in my "In Ten...." London photo series

one location, ten Instagram photos

Tower Bridge is one of the most iconic London sights.

Built 1886-1894 the bridge is both a suspension & a bascule bridge.

It was painted red, white & blue in 1977 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth 11's Silver Jubilee.

I have lived in London most of my life but - foolishly - thought that the bridge only opened on rare occasions.

It turns out that it opens on average 1,000 times a year, it needs only 24 hours notice from ships who wish to pass through it & it was in fact open a couple of times yesterday when we were there, although we missed it!! 

I've only ever seen it open in photos so will definitely plan better next time, it would be very cool to see it opening.

If you want to know when it's due to open, you can check here for bridge lift times.

as you see my wish for sunshine came true, the weather was gloriously sunny yesterday....

In Ten : Hampstead Heath

 

I've often spoken about my love for Hampstead Heath....

it's my happy place.

You could walk it every day of the year & take a different route each time,

it's an enormous green space....

a true escape from the hustle & bustle of London.

Its cafes are usually busy but within minutes you can be walking along, 

totally alone & lost in your own thoughts.

Much loved by dog-walkers, runners, children and people of all ages. 

it's a beautiful place all year round. 

I took these photos earlier today and they are mostly around the Kenwood side of the Heath....

London is pretty cold right now but we were treated to a little sunshine which just about made my day....it's April, bring on the spring!!

Kenwood House is a stunning 18th century stately home which also houses a stunning art collection. It is now owned by English Heritage & has also featured as the backdrop to many films. 

You can approach Hampstead Heath from many different directions -

Hampstead Heath overground station, bus from Archway Underground, walk up from Hampstead Underground or several buses pass it.

The parks in central London are great for walking but I would recommend the Heath for some fabulous views of the city & also for a bracing walk any day.

"In Ten...." is my new series in which I will be exploring London & sharing it via Instagram....

one location, ten photos

 

tree stump happy face :)