Spring is a beautiful time to be in London

In 2013 the winter seemed to go on forever and it was chilly through much of March but April saw the blossom come out at last. The Brits are famous for being obsessed by the weather and this blog seems to be confirming that! 

Spring is a fabulous time in London and I'd like to share some photos taken during April so you can enjoy it too. 

Brits are always out, sitting or laying in a park at the slightest hint of sunshine:

Outdoor yoga - seems a bit public to me but they look like they are completely in to it:
 

My neighbour's front garden is always a delight:
 

And this is just around the corner from me, pink magnolia trees in Notting Hill and a small garden, squeezing some daffs into a corner:
 

Camden Market and Camden Lock are great places to hang out and shop on a sunny day:

You can't beat the Thames on a fine spring day, looking towards the east, on a boat or near the London Eye:

Even an April shower brings its own reward - a rainbow right over London:
 

Another famous sight that shines in the sun is Westminster Abbey. The red buses were on hire for a wedding  so we wondered if someone was getting married inside this great building - it's not just for Wills and Kate!

Piccadilly Circus is a famous meeting and hanging out spot - never more than on a sunny day:

Primrose Hill offers fabulous views over London (how many landmark buildings can you name?) and you can hang out on the grass all day relaxing. The nearby streets have beautiful blossom:

  



Regent's Park is home to an open air theatre that starts in mid May but before then you have the gracious gardens, good for strolling or playing in the fountains:
 

 It's another lovely day today, so I must head out to enjoy it!

Bye for now.
Sue
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk
@itsyourlondon

Cocktails and sunshine!

Last week it felt like summer even tho' it was only spring and it seemed like there was so much going on it was hard to decide where to turn first! Highlights were: the launch of a new cocktail ; a jazz show; 2 new restaurants; and, the beauty of spring!

Firstly the launch of Good Godfrey's at the Waldorf Hotel. I was invited to this but as ever the comments are completely unbiased! The Waldorf Hotel (now part of the Hilton Group) is on Aldwych and is steeped in history, being over 100 years old and is well known for its opulent Palm Court, tea dances and having lots of style. The cocktail bar's name comes from Howard Godfrey who was the house band leader in the 1920s and a household name at the time. The decor aims to evoke the 'opulent and theatrical' past of the hotel and does that rather well. The cocktails and the champagne were wonderful and their mixologists can delight any requests so this bar is well worth knowing about for pre/post theatre or a longer stay!

We've had the most wonderful week of spring weather in London as the trees erupted into a blaze of pink blossom. Good humour always accompanies good weather and these photos give you a glimpse of the beauty and the fun - look closely at the window box where you can see a mini Easter Island Moai head with sunglasses on! The trees are in Notting Hill where I live, which is one of the prettiest areas of London. I had visitors over from America who now believe London is like this all the time as I didn't have the heart to tell them otherwise....

Regular readers will know I love to try new restaurants and there are 2 to report on this week. Galvin La Chapelle is in Spitalfields, which hosts a very fine market, especially on Sundays. The restaurant is set in a spectacular 19th century listed building, which was formerly a chapel so has a wonderful open feel with massive roof space. The food is top notch French so not cheap and we lingered happily for our Sunday lunch which was rather special. Photos show the exterior and interior of this fine building. The second restaurant worth a mention this week is Dishoom which recreates the feel and menu of the Mumbai cafe although I'm sure both are somewhat more luxurious than the originals. These cafes are dying out in their home land but given the Brits' love of Indian food we'll have a good try at keeping them going here! We had a selection of sharing plates, many of which were new to us but they were tasty and zingy. It's a no booking, turn up and reasonably fast turnaround so as long as you go outside peak hours it's a great place to drop into on the way to theatre or cinema as it's right by the West End.

One more event to squeeze in was our visit to Ronnie Scott's, the Soho landmark jazz club where the evening show starred Georgie Fame and his current Blue Flames (his band has seen many changes of membership during his long career). Georgie is a real pro and gave us a lively, varied and polished show ably supported by my favourite trumpeter Guy Barker. Polly Gibbons deserves a mention as a great bluesy jazz singer who was new to me and a wonderful find so watch out for her!

Bye for now,

Sue

www.itsyourlondon.co.uk