Sometimes casting off the yolk of adult responsibility is the best feeling the world. Having woken up to April sunshine pouring in the windows we threw the rulebook out, grabbed our Sunnies and booked in a Sunday roast dinner. Lately we’ve been trying to leave at least one day a weekend empty in
order to get all the boring #lifemin done and some quality relaxation
in, but sometimes, well, YOLO.
At the moment Spring seems to be unfurling with a vengance – there are birdie babies abounding, blossom heavy boughs and biscuits dunking into beverages at a rate of knots. (Sorry, aliteration too stretched?)
Leaving the house a couple of hours early, we decided that a stroll
through the blossoms of St James and Green Park was in order to “earn”
our feast later and soak up some much needed vitamin D.
St James’s Park and Green Park respectively aren’t places that you can really get lost in unlike Hyde Park and Regents Park, due to buildings busily lining the treetops, but it is still a lovely break.
I was surprised to learn that St James’s is the oldest of the Royal London parks, and the only one surrounded by 3 separate Palaces. The most ancient is Westminster, which has now become the Houses of
Parliament, St James’s Palace and of course, Buckingham
Palace.
Why so glum, chum?
It could probably win the prize for most Tourist value (if there ever were to be a Park’s Got Talent type TV show) with the Mall, Horseguards Parade, the changing of the guard and Trooping the Colour every year. Just don’t accidentally find yourself embroiled in a 10K race around the perimeter like I did one year…
You can listen to Big Ben toll over Westminster, eat pork pies on picnic blankets and sip a bottle of liquid sunshine whilst side-eyeing the shirtless frisbee players who appear as if by magic nearer to Summer.
You could also astound your friends with the knowlege that St James’s (or should that be St James’ or St James) is one of the most argued over park in London (but I’m sure the swans couldn’t give two hoots.) If you’re an uber geek, wander to the tube station platforms where you’ll find the permanent argument on station signs.
Once you’ve dawdled through St James’s, a plod through Green Park is also lovely. We could have taken 15 minutes, but managed to turn it into an hour of slow, silly conversation plus photo time.
Turn up past Buckingham Palace – weaving through the selfie-wielding tourists – just promise me you’ll stop for a moment and drink the pomp and circumstance in.
Green Park is officially the smallest park, but with swathes of daffodils and criss-crossing pathways the peaceful park attracts families with giggling kids.
Birdie babies and Bobbies on horseback. Life is just put on hold for a restful hour or so.
I can never pick a single favourite park – what’s yours?
