EXPLORING MY ADOPTED CITY AND BEYOND
Industrialist and philanthropist Samuel Courtauld played a distinctive role in shaping the United Kingdom’s appreciation for Impressionism, significantly transforming its perception and acquisition during a period when Great Britain was still languishing in its conservative past. His innate inclination towards discretion and a reserved demeanour may explain why he remains a relatively obscure figure today.… Continue reading
The Abbey Approaching from afar, along the winding drive that leads to the magnificent property, the imposing structure that is Lacock Abbey seems to appear suddenly around a bend, bestowing itself upon you like a beautiful, yet illusive mirage. Hints of the abbey’s age and historical importance are evident in the picturesque little village that… Continue reading
Wavy, distorted lines – like those that brandished television screens in 1970’s science fiction movies, alerting viewers to hallucinatory flashback scenes – should prelude every visit to Dennis Severs’ House. Tucked neatly within a row of almost identical Georgian townhouses, the house at number 18 Folgate St is an immersive journey back in time, and… Continue reading
How can one put pen to paper, or, in my case, digits to keyboard, in order to do any amount of justice to the heavenly, naturalistic paradise that Sarah Raven has created at Perch Hill, her home and farm in East Sussex. Cocooned in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the home that Sarah shares… Continue reading
Disappointment looms large in life, and although not always catastrophically so, my tulip dreams this past week were nevertheless, monumentally shattered. But alas, we pick ourselves up in times of crisis, put our big girl pants on, and soldier onwards as best we can with heads held high and spirits triumphantly roused. Such calamitous events… Continue reading
The lines blur incoherently between the changing seasons. In Australia, I eagerly counted down the days until March, when the stifling heat of a long and unrelenting summer was meant to stand gallantly aside, allowing autumn to respectfully saunter in. It never did. The eucalypt leaves, brittle like corn chips, crunched noisily under foot. Months… Continue reading
Alighting from any train station in London is a little like stepping back in time. Of course, the modern city of the 21st century, with its financial beating heart and diverse contemporary architecture has its feet firmly planted in the here and now. Yet one cannot turn a cobbled corner without being jolted back to… Continue reading
Tucked inside London’s inner city north lies an expansive parkland spanning 320 hectares of ancient woodlands and picturesque wild meadows. Hampstead Heath sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the city’s highest points, between the pretty neighbourhoods of Hampstead and Highgate. The Heath, as it is warmly referred to by the locals, is a tranquil… Continue reading
Camera in hand, I have spent the last year or so exploring and documenting my travels around this vibrant and enigmatic city that I now call home. More than simply a travel journal, The Sunday Londoner was created by an inherent need to focus on the beautiful and inspirational at a time when my sense… Continue reading
There are important key factors which one promptly learns when making London one’s new place of residence. Number 1: The city’s pubs and restaurants book out extremely quickly and reservations in advance are almost always a must if you want to avoid disappointment and be left standing on a cold corner clutching a less than… Continue reading