And so to London on a secret mission...

We love going back to London. After 10 years away (of course, we go back from time to time, and in the past couple of years, our visits have become more frequent) we have started to miss it quite a lot, and we really still feel like Londoners each time we are there. Dorset has always felt like some kind of temporary home, whereas London IS home.
 
The things that we miss the most is to feel that you are in a place that matters, where the most important decisions take place. For people like us who love (social) history, architecture and anything to do with culture, London is the place to be. When you live and work in London, you can’t help to feel that buzz and excitement to be in one of the most iconic places in the world. Matt ArtPix’s family all come from London back several generations.
  
For example, we have tried over the past few years to go to gigs outside London. I'm very sorry to say: it's not the same (and very few people turn up for bands that have a full house in London, even in a big city such as Bristol!). 
We knew things would be different when we moved to Dorset, but we had given ourselves 10 years before reconsidering and moving on to pastures new. With that time almost up, we have started thinking about what to do next… We will never be able to go back to London 100%, but it would be nice to get closer to it and be able to reach it within a 2-hour drive maximum!

This time, we were in London on a secret mission with a bag of books. I’m happy to say that said books are now in the hands of a reputable London auction house and will go under the hammer some time in the autumn…
​Fingers crossed!

London is an incredibly green capital and its parks provide very welcome respite from the heat.
We went back to Battersea Park – it was quiet and cool, with an end-of-school year feel to it!
Our favourite bit of the park has to be the Festival Gardens which retain a little bit of the structures built for the Festival of Britain. I have found a fantastic blog about it HERE (the whole site is fascinating, I can’t believe I haven’t come across it before! It’s called “A London Inheritance” and is well-worth exploring for anyone interested in the history of the capital). Near the Fountain Lake, you can find a small kiosk where you can purchase drinks (hot and cold) as well as food. It’s a fab location for a nice tea stop!
Incidentally, this year if the Festival of Britain's 75th anniversary and there is... nothing to show for it! I had a look at the Southbank Centre website and there is very little going on of any interest, really... I have the feeling that the powers that be just couldn't be bothered with it. In 1951, the festival was a brilliant showcase of the country's creativity, with brilliant designs and ideas. Can't we do something similar now? It feels like a massive wasted opportunity... 

We wanted to go and walk along the river at Chiswick but we didn’t quite make it down to the Thames in the end (it had been a long day!) So instead, we decided to make our way to the wonderful Chiswick House (one of our favourites) and sit by the lake looking at the geese, coots, moorhens, ducks and occasional hot dog enjoying the coolness of the water. It was simply divine after such a hot day!
 
We’ll be back in London in early August, and I can’t wait... ​

Chiswick House

The welcome *almost green* grass near the lake in Chiswick House gardens.