IN THE SECOND week of May, just after the Bank Holiday, we decided to spend some time back in London. We normally visit several times a year, but since 2020 was the year of the Great Lockdown, the last time we had been was the May previously to meet up with a friend from Spain—it was hot then and perfect for traipsing about. P had heard that there would be a heat wave this time around
THIS PAST WEEK, we were back in London, thinking it might be the last time in a long time again that we would be able to be out and about before another national lockdown. We were also there to celebrate the holidays and two anniversaries. When we were last here, it was May, and things were only tentatively opening up again. All the pubs and restaurants were outdoor seating only, which mean it was difficult to find a table without booking the good places in advance through an app. The weather was unseasonably rainy and cold and we wondered if it had been a good decision to come ...
THE LAST TIME I did a Life Lately was way back in February, and a lot has happened since then. Here is the latest photo diary⏤a few snippets from the past days and weeks, from the pink peonies and tulips in Fulham (just before we stopped in at the charming Fox & Pheasant pub) to sailboats on the Thames, the Tate, chestnut trees in Bushy Park, and more...
BEFORE P’S brother came to visit last July, he asked for London tips, and one of the places we recommended was Gordon’s Wine Bar on Villiers Street. We hadn’t even been yet, but we heard good things.
A LITTLE COUNTRY pub tucked away in a corner of Chelsea is how The Fox & The Pheasant describes itself. When we first arrived in mid-May, we hadn’t realised that it was match day...
WE STOPPED by The Kings Arms in down-to-earth Bethnal Green after P‘s hair appointment, which was nearby. It may have been one of the pubs that was on the list compiled by the Substack that he subscribes to, so I think that’s how we found it.
OUR FIRST visit to Mc & Sons was actually by chance. We were walking out of Vauxhall station and passed the pub along the way, P thinking it was the one he’d been telling me about that serves Thai food...
WE WERE actually really looking forward to visiting Horse and Groom a traditional English pub in the heart of Belgravia, as we’d come across it on Instagram and thought it looked positively idyllic...
THERE ARE literally over four thousand photos on my phone at the moment, many of which I'd meant to sort through and file away into digital memory boxes but forgot about when new photos took their place. I may be feeling crushed by their spatial weight as an unfinished task in my mind, so I've decided to share a few a them here in a series of Life Lately photo diaries...
ONE OF our favourite things to do in London is stroll the down tree-lined streets of Mayfair, amongst the Georgian townhouses with their grand façades, all intricate architecture and delicate wrought iron detailing.
WE HAVE been meaning to get to Hampstead for a while now, mostly for The Holly Bush, but also to have a look around the neighbourhood, which we heard was lovely.
MAYFAIR was our last Life Lately, at the beginning of October, and it was all beautifully laid out in wide-screen format⏤best viewed on a desktop⏤but now more of you are here via your phones, so we’ll make this one (which is actually in two parts) a single layout to fit your screens while you’re out and about.
AS PROMISED, the follow-up to Part One, this second instalment is a photo diary of our life lately, turning leaves in Hyde Park, beautiful Mayfair in the rain, the Viewing Poing in Richmond Hill, a festive cheese shop in Bloomsbury, an insanely delicious "luxury donut"...
YES, I KNOW, the holidays are over, and we (sadly) took down the tree yesterday and all the lights, but there are still so many beautiful photos we took in the past month that just didn’t think it would be right not to share them.
IT WAS a beautiful sunny day in late December when we stopped by The Orange gastro pub, an historical gem nestled in the heart of Belgravia. Thought to be named after William of Orange, its origins trace back to the 1800s when it was originally established as a brewery on the grounds of a former coffee house.