Not being a Londoner, I was pretty surprised when my Underground train from King’s Cross to Golders Green was suddenly illuminated with light.
I had learned something new. Not all Underground stations are underground. Fancy that.
For today’s adventure I tasked Claire with showing me the green bits of London. Cos I’ve been to London a few times and I associate the place with bricks, metal and a big browny-grey river. Claire’s Instagram story always seems to suggest that London has trees, streams, and the like. She prepared for me a splendid itinerary that detailed our stops for the day.
First up, Golders Hill Park, just a 12 minute walk away from Golders Green station and part of the Hampstead Heath Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, or Hhsomifnc for short.
Some of you with keen eyes may have noticed some unusual colours in the trees. That’s because in England we experience meteorological changes in quarterly stages throughout the year. Stage Three, otherwise known as “Autumn” is commonly associated with cooling temperatures and, you’ve guessed it, leaves that turn brown/red/yellow/gold.
In short, this tour designed to primarily focus on London’s greener parts would be less green than usual.
Golders Hill Park features a deer enclosure; home to some deer that only look at you when you’re not taking a photo.
There was also a mini zoo housing birds and lemurs, a small pond and a stumpery (like a rockery, but made from dead trees).
Claire led me up a hill and into a wood.
Suddenly, I felt transported back to Cheshire’s Delamere Forest. We soon arrived at The Hill Garden and Pergola.
The Pergola was built during the early 20th Century as an example of Edwardian extravagance.
Even on a cloudy day, it’s picturesque here and we inevitably bumped into photographers on a shoot.
Ahhh but if only the sky was bright and lighting up those autumnal colours. You’ll just have to use your imagination peeps.
We walked on to Hampstead Heath.
And kinda got lost. We went off itinerary, which annoyed Claire greatly. But she had mentioned there was a grand house in these parts and naturally I had suggested we find it. Granted, we later realised that Claire’s original plan would eventually take us to Kenwood House, saving us time and muddy shoes.
As an apology, I decorated Claire’s head.
It went well with her hair. A vast improvement to her image, I must say. I should work in fashion.
Just an 8 minute walk from Kenwood House is The Spaniard’s Inn.
On the opposite side of the road is an old toll house, as the pub once served as the entrance to the Bishop of London’s estate. The road is reduced from two lanes to one, and there are no traffic lights, so Londoners have to act incredibly out of character and allow other cars to come through. This was too much for some drivers (usually in Range Rovers) who continually honked their horns as if sound waves would halt the tide of oncoming cars. Impatient bastards.
The Spaniard’s Inn is also famous for potentially being the local of Dick Turpin, whose father had once been the landlord. Isn’t it crazy how we Brits celebrate legendary criminals? The Kray Twins… Ronnie Biggs… those old blokes who stole from the Hatton Garden Heist… We elected Boris Johnson ffs.
When in London.
Refilled, we walked back into Hampstead Heath. Just over a mile from the Spaniard’s Inn is Parliament Hill.
Apparently so named after the troops loyal to English Parliament, who occupied the hill during the English Civil War in the 17th Century. Legend also states that Guy Fawkes and the members of the Gunpowder Plot planned to watch Parliament’s destruction from this hill on 5th November, 1605.
There is a sign at the top of Parliament Hill that acts as a key to the London skyline, annotating all the buildings you can see, including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin and the London Eye.
One day I’ll buy a decent camera worthy of such a skyline. I promise.
Claire and I walked towards Hampstead town and passed Wentworth Place, AKA Keats House.
Apparently, the famous Romantic poet John Keats wrote “Ode to a Nightingale” in that garden. Unfortunately, as is the norm in these Covid Times, the writer’s house museum was not open.
In Hampstead bought a bottle of prosecco (that I mostly drank) at a pub called King William IV. Unbeknownst to us at the time, this is one of London’s oldest gay pubs, and is known by the locals at The Willie.
We caught the Tube at Hampstead station and rode into central London. The plan had been to alight at Marble Arch and walk through Hyde Park. However, I was starting to get hungry and my Hampstead Heath detour earlier in the day had thrown Claire’s itinerary back by an hour. Instead, we got off at Hyde Park Corner and walked through Green Park towards Buckingham Palace.
We chilled at the Victoria Memorial for a bit, watching tourists and a brave taxi pull up beside the palace and immediately joined by an undercover police car.
Liz wasn’t in so we knew not to wait around for her to say hello. You can tell if she’s in if the royal standard is flying above the palace, rather than the Union Jack. We headed back to mine to get ready for the evening.
BUT FIRST!
Another stop at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Claire hadn’t been before – and can’t you see how happy she is!!….
For tea that night we headed to Piccadilly Circus.
We walked through a busy Soho to L’Antica Pizzeria that featured a very relatable piece of decoration.
As nice as this pizza was… I can’t help but wonder where all the cheese went… Or is that the Italian style? I wouldn’t know – I’ve never been to Italy. Leave a comment down below and I’ll add Italy onto my already lengthy to-do list…
After pizza, Claire took me to a disused Underground station.
The former Kingly Court station/air-raid shelter is now the setting for a 1940s-themed cocktail bar called Cahoots.
Cocktails on offer include the Winston Churchill, the Judy Garland and the Ginger Rogers. I got myself a Vera Lynn that came in a hollowed bust of her head.
Tanqueray No. 10 Gin, apple juice, pear puree, ginger, elderflower and lime. Delish.
The Cahoots bar staff were also giving out free sausage rolls, just for the sake of it. Definitely worth a visit if you like history/a 1940s vibe/getting drunk/savoury pastry snacks!
The next morning before I caught the train back to Cheshire, I decided to check out another nearby Harry Potter location.
It was a short detour, only 18 minutes from Kings Cross (or 5 minutes from the Angel Underground station). This is Claremont Square, the filming location of Grimmauld Place. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place is somehere in the middle.
As I walked back I noticed a coincidentally named street.
And I thought I’d finish off the Harry Potter morning by trying to photograph a Ford Anglia that floated into the air outside St Pancras.
Unfortunately, it vanished as I clicked the shutter. Sad times.
Anyhow that’s London for you. Some green bits and some Harry Potter bits. Hopefully one day I’ll return when the world is not covid mad. Still waiting for that London night out. I’ll be an old man by the time I actually manage it.
#VidOnTour 