The Flowers of The Churchill Arms Pub

First, if you have two secs, vote for me in the Little Blog Awards? (It will make my day.)

And now – I didn’t realise how often I photograph the Churchill Arms (a Fullers pub) on Kensington Church Street until Time Out London posted one of my most recent photos on Facebook and people seemed to enjoy it. I walked by this building every day for about a year when I was working in Notting Hill. And this weekend we ended up there again. It never fails to impress. In the summer, it’s overflowing with gorgeous flowers, always in bloom. In the Winter, there are Christmas trees and white lights in their place. They were, deservedly, “London in Bloom” winners two years in a row. Inside you’ll find loads of Churchill memorabilia, walls and ceiling covered with all sorts of bits and pieces to look at. There’s also a Thai restaurant in the back.

Here’s some photos of the pub from this weekend:

Jorge by the pub

And a little glance at the inside from matogrosso961 from the Flickr pool:

Care for a drink?

The Churchill Arms
119 Kensington Church Street
London W8 7LN
Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate

Summer Nights in London

Isn’t London a wonderful place to be right now? Warm evenings, a slow setting sun, pubs overflowing into the streets, everyone wearing summery dresses and sandals and smiles. Here’s a bit of iPhone fun, a shot I took in Hyde Park a few nights ago alongside a few friends and a bottle of wine.

What’s your favourite way to pass a summer evening in London?

Flowering Tree Near Hampstead Heath

Have you noticed all of the pretty pink flowering trees lately? Came home a last weekend and my camera was full of photos of this one in Hampstead:

Isn´t it beautiful?

A Sunday in Columbia Road Flower Market

If you’re looking for something to do tomorrow, a Sunday is never badly spent in Columbia Road Flower Market with lovely scents, quirky crowds, live music and Cockney vendors shouting for business. Last weekend, one of them held up a tray of herbs and yelled, “Get your marijuana! We’re allowed to sell it here by the tray!” which brought a few giggles from passersby. The flowers are cheap, the shops behind the market stalls worth a browse and it feels like Spring, especially if you can find a patch of sunshine to lounge in for a while with a cold drink. Here’s some photos from last weekend.

I had to save my favourite shot till last. This blinged out vendor turned around and looked at me the second I took the shot.

So, tell me… how are you spending your weekend?

Any plans to visit the market tomorrow? Do you have a garden to plant flowers in in London?

Pockets of Peace: Phoenix Garden

Built on the site of the old St. Giles Leper Hospital which existed from 1117-1539, Phoenix Gardens has quite an interesting history. It was also once the site of a charity school, a tragic WWII bombing and a car park. It’s also the perfect place to escape Covent Garden crowds and find yourself a nice patch of shade.

It’s now a beautiful little sanctuary full of sweeping wildflowers, wooden benches with quirky inscriptions, a lively little fish pond and, as I was pleased to discover, some Stik figures standing guard over the far end.  

It was only a few weeks ago that I discovered this little garden, lovingly looked after by a team of volunteers. My friend J and I were walking back from a documentary screening in Leicester Square about the Forgotten Women of India. This has nothing to do with the garden itself, but here’s a preview of the documentary we had been to see before discovering it.

We were on our way to find some dinner in Covent Garden and discuss the film.

His trusty iPhone map isn’t always so trusty so we managed a slightly wrong turn down New Compton Street and ended up here. There were a few people dotted about reading or chatting with a friend, but it was peaceful.

We walked the winding little dirt trail through heaps of pretty flowers and made a note of its location – at the end of Mercer Street – sure we would come back.

The garden has its own website, blog and facebook so the public can follow its events and planting workshops.