green spaces

despite it's image as a big, sprawling, grimy city - which to an extent it is - London is also one of the worlds greenest cities. It has more public parks than any other European city, as well as canal paths, city farms, squares and allotments.

This is what lurks behind our house within zone three....

spring

one could feasibly think nothing else happens in London, other than things growing. I'll show more urban images soon enough, but for now I'm just loving spring... here is the flowers on native trees.... rowan, hawthorn, horse chestnut and more.

sounds of springtime

blue sky, sun, "working at home" today... think I need to listen to this...

more harem... or non?

Here is me on Oxford Street last summer end of wearing my beloved harem pants. Here is also me last summer wearing my equally-beloved over sized 7/8 pegs. For both items I obsessively scoured shops and interweb to acquire as they were not yet high street abundant. They got some strange looks. This year there are much better versions around : my 7/8s are linen and need constant ironing (bought on-line from France) and my harems are just looking a bit knackered. Now that everyone is wearing them and there is more choice should I get more? Do they look that good? They are very comfy. Or should I hold out for the next trouser shape I see coming (the sixties cut) so I am not dressed like every other 20 year old?

My darling corset waisted skinnies have died and TS isn't making them anymore. Drat. I got these from Whistles - but tapered leg, faded boyfriend jeans are just too unflattering and a bit 80s housewifey. They were returned post haste. This wash is also popular this summer and I like my jeans dark. Why is finding a pair of flattering jeans the holy grail?

And to top it all off my olive green suede brogues - a sartorial homage to my father - burst (yes, burst) yesterday and the retailer (Toast for information) have sent them away to be "examined". I hunted everywhere for these and hate to part with them. I find few things more irritating than a supercilious shop bitch talking to me like I am stoopid or criminal. Does she think I gnawed at my shoes for a refund?!

On this note anyone seen any good mid-height shoes that aren't made by Chie Mihara for £200 (have they cornered the market or what)? I don't want to pay that much. I have three pairs of mega high platforms and shoe scouring yesterday the shops had nowt else and all that heel is starting to look a bit common. I am over all of them, bar my black suede ones, a my lifestyle no longer accommodates towering heels. Of course if one was to win lotto I'd break the sound barrier to Marni to scoop these bad boys - but then I'd be able to afford cabs to the childminder too.....

blossoms

London is just full of blossoms right now.

Easter

music, sunshine and a chilly wind

day in london

night out at a few places

a lovely day

in the allotment with my spotty wee one. Was going to head off early and hit the west end but I am trying not to spend too much money and days like this don't come often, family time the three of us just doing nice easy things can't be shopped for. It is wonderful down there, new shoots and more leaves unfurling every day.

spring...

Here is my garden, today was just lovely. At home looking after wee un with chicken pox. We managed a boiled egg in the sunshine, warm. Feels more like May than end of March... hang on! It's April. OK, maybe it should be this warm and sunny. Poking around in the soil in t shrits. A dozen chinooks and their chopperey escorts flying eastwards towards the Excel Centre and the G20. Frightening my girl.

Now chap is singing his back catalogue with the lovely Floyd on a sojourn from NYC (Brooklyn).