London Today : A Very Special Royal Baby

Such an exciting couple of days in London....

and just minutes ago the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital Paddington with their newborn son who arrived yesterday at 4.24pm, July 22 2013.

I am huge fan of this couple, their happiness and compatibility is clear for all to see, I believe in the Monarchy and feel that William and Catherine will be so good for the future of our Royal Family.

I can remember Prince William being born....

it's almost impossible not to think of his mother at this time....

I think many people will feel the same. 

I'm sure she would be so proud, he's a wonderful young man.

And now, we just have to wait and see what name they have chosen....

I am thinking George or Henry....or Charles?

All images via the Daily Mail....doesn't the Duchess of Cambridge look absolutely radiant? 

Such a happy sight....     

London, last night....July 22 2013

Dream Homes : A Stylish London Family Home

I love the style of this four storey late 19th century west London home.

The lower ground floor has an open plan living-dining-kitchen space, bathroom & utility space while the ground floor has a entrance hall, drawing room & playroom.

The first floor has a master bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, en suite bathroom & family bathroom and a second floor houses the children's bedrooms and bathroom.

So many stylish details, I particularly like the windows including the industrial look of the black steel windows they have used throughout the house.

Such a great amount of space too, wonderful to have such defined living areas within a home....

and who wouldn't want a walk-in wardrobe & a whole floor for the children?

   

  

via House to Home

For more London properties, check out estate agents UK .... 

Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge : Week 4 "Splash About"

Week 4 - the final week - of our Mark Warner Family Fitness Challenge was a very busy one all round.....and due to reasons beyond our control - colds, ear infections (yes, in May I know!!), we had to change our plans slightly.

The theme for Week 4 was "splash about" & we had planned to head for a super-duper swimming pool for some fun but in the end we decided to plan a walk along the River Thames, the challenge being to walk as far as & to cross as many bridges as we could.

We started at Tower Bridge, the plan being that each time we came to a bridge, two of us would cross the bridge - and to add a bit of healthy competition to it, we would time ourselves & see who could cross the bridger (there & back the quickest) :)

The bridges....

Tower Bridge

London Bridge

Southwark Bridge

Millennium Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

Hungerford Bridge

Westminster Bridge

There are more bridges than you think!

The quickest crossing was in fact Tower Bridge - not sure if that was because it was the first one or  because someone thought it might open up as they were crossing it & so went very fast indeed ;)

London Beach....these shoes were made for walking ;)

We stopped at Borough Market (where else?!) for some lunch supplies and headed in a westerly direction.

It's a great walk, I'd recommend it to those who live in London or, on the other hand, those who have never been simply because it gives you such a great sense of London as a city, from Tower Bridge to Westminster you have some fabulous views of London and also I think a great sense of history as you follow the Thames along, there is so much to look at.

The path is wide enough that you can go at your own pace, children could even use their scooters or bikes....you pass The Shard and get a wonderful view of the City of London, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament.

When the tide is out, as it was when we walked along, you can actually go down on the "beach" and wander along & see if you can find any "treasure"....my children loved this part!

There are cafes & various food stops along the way and numerous seats where you just sit & take in the view.

Just before you come to the London Eye, you reach the South Bank....always lots to see here.

Skateboarders & cyclists show off their acrobatic skills & there are some fantastic food stalls.

We finished our walk at Westminster Bridge....we took a couple of hours to do this, although we took our time, you could walk or run it faster though if you chose to do so.

I always love walking along the river, every time you see something new & I love that it gives my children such a fascinating insight & sense of the city that they live in.

We have loved taking part in the Mark Warner Active Family Fitness Month....

it has encouraged us to get out & about, try some new activities & it's just been a huge amount of fun.

It is definitely something we will continue, it's given us some new goals for the summer.

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   

Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge : Four Go Cycling in Hyde Park, London

Sunday afternoon found us in London's Hyde Park as part of our May "

"Active Family Month" Blogger Fitness" challenge.

The theme for this week is wheels....so cycling was our unanimous choice.

I've never cycled in central London (but always wanted to) & as Hyde Park is full of cycle lanes, it seemed perfect.

We took my son's bike with us in the back of the car but my husband, daughter & I rented "Barclays Bikes".

This has always seemed such a fun idea & something recommended by friends.

The bikes are available all over London (check their excellent website for all details) & Hyde Park itself has 12 pick-up points for the bikes.

It was a brilliant idea & we can't wait to do it again.

Before we left home, I went online & booked an access code for 3 bikes.

When we got to the park, I entered the debit card that I'd booked with into the card machine at the bike pick-up point & my ticket (with release code) was printed out immediately.

All we had to do then was unlock our bikes - such a simple & quick process

Hyde Park is London's biggest park and on Sundays it's full of people but we had no problem at all cycling around the many cycle paths & were able to go as fast or slow as we wanted.

We cycled round the Park Lane side of the park to Speakers Corner and then back around, ending up in Kensington Park Gardens.

It was a sunny day & the park was full of skaters, cyclists and runners.

We saw baseball, rounders, football & rugby matches going on....

my children absolutely loved it, they now want to go there every Sunday! 

I have grown up in London and love the energy of the city - cycling around the green heart of the city filled me with happiness & pride - and I loved the fact that my children were able to cycle along the wide paths confidently whilst getting a sense of the city at the same time.

There is something about cycling which connects you with your childhood....

it's such a freeing and happy activity....

going out yesterday definitely made me feel I want to do more. 

I can't remember the last time we cycled together as a family & the children loved us all being out together....they can't wait to go again. 

Nor can I, I had forgotten how exhilarating cycling is!

Cost : bike rental £2 per bike for 24hr access (during which time you can use the bikes as many times as you wish) 

 + £6 per bike for the 2 hours that we used them 

(as we were only spending time in the park, 2 hours was perfect - it was both a good work-out & fun).

You can pick up & drop off the bikes wherever you like around the city & if you are only using the bikes for 30 mins or less, it's free.

It's a great way of seeing the city, we will definitely be doing it again & I would recommend it to anyone.

(The bike seats are adjustable & are very sturdy & comfortable.

Bikes can be rented on a casual basis or for as long as you like ie, a week or more, it's totally flexible).  

This month my family & are taking part in the 

Mark Warner "Active Family Month" Blogger Challenge....

we have pledged to participate in one activity per week as a family. 

The Mark Warner campaign is focusing on families to get fit together whilst participating in fun activities.

(all photos my own)

Happy Week-end....

magnolias in Central Park NYC

lemon ricotta thyme pancakes with blueberry sauce

 

San Francisco

a creative garden in a small space

I've had a lot of fun this week taking part in Jenni's Blog Every Day in May challenge....

Lori, Victoria, Mary & Cathi have also joined me in writing their blogs each day according to Jenni's prompts....

Glorious weather in London right now for this 3 day week-end.

I spent today deep in a Hampshire forest exploring gorgeous new holiday cabins - more of that to come - and tomorrow we are heading out on bikes as part of our fitness challenge.

Happy Week-end!    

Some lovely links....

French Toast with Maple Syrup

Rainbow Carrot Summer Rolls

A Few Links

Garlic parmesan knots

Gorgeous London instagrams

Five blogging things you shouldn't be doing

A stunning London home

This video is absolutely lovely...."Good People"

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.)