Last updated on March 29th, 2022Queen Victoria was born in Kensington Palace, Princess Diana lived here with her sons, and Prince William and Catherine have now taken up residence here with their children. But Kensington Palace is more than a royal residence, it’s also one of London’s greatest historical treasures and it’s baroque doors are…
17 quiet and scenic picnic spots in London
Last updated on March 12th, 2021Having trouble finding a quiet picnic spot in London, courtesy of lockdown and with restaurants off the menu? We all know the usual al fresco hangouts: Regent’s, Hyde Park, Richmond and St James’s Parks, as well as Hampstead Heath, Primrose Hill and Kew Gardens. But there are also plenty of…
12 things to do in Kew Gardens when it rains
Last updated on August 16th, 2020My love affair with Kew Gardens began in the rain. It was one of those typical British summertime days, one which promised soggy jeans and the inevitable squelching through mud. A picnic was off the menu and so was lazing around in the summery aroma of freshly-cut grass. We had…
Dale Chihuly’s whimsical art blows into Kew Gardens
Last updated on August 16th, 2020Who needs an Easter Egg hunt when you can spring around Kew Gardens in search of Dale Chihuly’s ludic glass sculptures? You’re going to need something larger than a basket in order to hop home with one of these 32 dazzling works of art which nestle amongst the flora or…
Le Nozze di Garsington Opera
Last updated on February 3rd, 2020The French for twilight is crépuscule, a word which conjures up that gleaming, twinkling time of day which is neither light nor dark, when the Goddess Nyx starts her magic dance. And Garsington Opera puts on a witching hour like no other with the thrilling sound of music and song…
Hello, Goodbye
Last updated on June 2nd, 2021My beautiful daughter Clarissa was born on New Year’s Day, the first of 1990. My little bundle of mayhem came into my world when I was only 21 and she’s kept me on my toes ever since. She helped me breathe life into Diary of a Londoness, a project close…