secret garden

walking home from work through Regents Park the other day - came upon this hidden garden i'd never seen before.  the garden of St John's Lodge was commissioned by the 3rd Marquess of Bute as a place of meditation - originally they were private but became public in 1928.

the Lodge itself was a private residence till 1918, it then became a hospital for First World War invalids and part of the University of London.  it's privately owned again now by the Sultan of Brunei - thankfully we still get to experience this beautiful garden - what a gem.

 

great wall

the garden is blooming at the moment - have been cutting some lovely peonies and roses lately - long may they last.

my garden variety next to some shop bought!

i also managed to knuckle down and paint the nasty wall the neighbours re-rendered for me - a bit of a struggle on my own and had to be done in two goes...without the help of a tall person i had to resort to a wobbly ladder!

i've started so i'll finish....

all done...

and just before the grey rain-clouds come over!

just need to get the pots in place...looking much better our my side window though

decided to treat myself to a lovely new cocktail (roasted strawberry puree, gin & ginger - yumm!) which is delicious!

home made roasted strawberry puree

all the ingredients for a delicious summer cocktail

 meanwhile some latest mattress spottings....

just opposite the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn

and another one next door...Buckley Road NW6

Bolton Gardens, NW10 - just off the Rise

sent in by Luke - i could actually LIVE here quite happily!

rockin'

last week i purchased this fab oak rocking chair.  it is...hands down...the best investment i have ever made as it single-handedly manages to reduce my stress levels dramatically witin 5 seconds of me sitting in it.  i really wanted to get a rocking chair after returning from my recent US trip - especially as it seems to be the law that every home in Tennessee (all southern states even?!)  must have a rocking chair on its porch - so i became completely addicted to sittin' and rockin' of an evening. my american friend couldn't believe, in fact, that they aren't standard over here!  i'd been searching for the perfect specimen...looking at vintage style with spindles, french style white ones and more modern types - but as soon as i saw this one i knew it was for me.

here's mine....it is soooo comfy!

these days i come home from work wanting to tear my hair out or cry and since buying this beauty all i have to do is just sit...and rock...and i feel totally relaxed.

Vanishing Point Redux

my mate Ed drove from San Francisco to NYC in 12 days with a camera on the dashboard capturing a photo every 30 seconds....he put this little film together when he got home...its awesome (but keep a travel sickness bag handy!)...


here's some great stills too...i want them blown up and on my wall...stunning...

this is my favourite...its like paint by numbers....gorgeous

May

since returning from my fab trip to America in April i just haven't  had the time (or the will) to post, as work has been an all-consuming hectic nightmare - less said the better...but this great little illustration from lizzie stewart  just about sums it up....

according to my iphone camera tho, there have been a few bright sparks of joy (and a lot of quite extreme weather...pouring rain one minute and scorching sunshine the next...more of the latter please!).....

first day back to work ...5 degrees & rain...not a good start!

but the herons in Regents Park seem to be enjoying the wet weather

i manage a post-work culture-fix at the David Hall '1001 TV Sets (End Piece)' exhibition at the Ambika P3 gallery...truly telly heaven, tv hell!

happily May brings RHUBARB season....and i am in a frenzy of rhubarb crumble making

not to mention rhubarb syrup making - for lish cocktails (these were made by Kate during my trip to Brux for her birthday - yum!)

Jubilee celebrations start to show up early in May....London gone mad!

Ed's birthday...glad he likes the Hatch Clown card i sent him from the Nashville trip (sadly, we didn't end up meeting in Nashville, despite us crossing continents to be in the same one for just one night only - but its the thought that counts!)

Kate comes over for a quick weekend and by no means does she "SUCK THE FUN OUT OF EVERYTHING" (as told by a thoughtless friend recently!!)

i ray of sunshine appears in May so I head to Margate and have a lovely day out with Jo, Zak & his mate Joe...Zak asks me to be his godmother...bless his cotton socks!

we visit the Turner Gallery to see the Turner exhibition - i still want to move here!

beautiful views from vast windows in the Turner

Zaki & Joe (aka the Bieber twins) muck about in the gallery!

Basil Brush looking suitably Jubilee-festive...boom boom!

i nip over on the Eurostar to Brussels for Kate's birthday and we have a fab picnic in the Parc du Cinquantenaire

Kate's mates make her a fab Kate Cake!

can't believe how much "the boys" (Ben, Dobro, Will & Santos) are growing into "men" so fast!

meanwhile Kate (& Toby reclining!) look as young as they feel...about 8 and a half!

more delicious rhubarb syrup cocktails...and the first beautiful flowers from my garden!

meanwhile Britain goes barmy for the Queen's Jubilee......but i've had enough after 4 days!

and then of course there were mattresses.....

thru the pouring rain...on the Harrow Road, NW10

down a dark alley in Crystal Palace - from Luke!

live and direct from Kate in Brussells

on Holland Road, NW10

and here's Kate herself...pointing out a mattress beauty in Brussels (on my recent trip over for her birthday!)