London Life

Saturday morning, brew in hand (Yorkshire tea, strong, just a dash of milk, in case you wondered) and the age old dilemma of what to do on a sunny Saturday in the City. (Apart from watching Saturday Kitchen and going to the pub)

There's actually too much to do in London, when you think about it. I get tired even imagining it and since I've lived here I'm almost anxious about missing out on the things I'm not going to get round to doing. It's like the sensation I had at Glastonbury last year, the volume of amazing experiences is so overwhelming, you miss the things you're not going to see before they've even happened.

So far in London, I've done a lot of cool things. The second day I lived here, I went to a secret Hot Chip rave - brilliant. I've done the Tate Modern/South Bank touristy stuff, the epic, iconic Blur gig in Hyde Park, the 50s style bowling/karaoke/curry in Brick Lane, Sundays spent trawling the musty vintage shops and the flowers in Columbia Rd. The other week I stumbled across a brilliant Insa graffiti exhibition, in fact I'm waiting for my photographic still to arrive - my first real artwork purchase from a show! Exciting.

I particularly love the market culture here and my flat in the East End could barely be better located for Columbia Road, Broadway Market, Brick Lane and Whitechapel. There's something really exciting about the hustle and bustle of the people in Columbia Rd on a Sunday morning, (mostly in their 20s/30s and wearing Wayfarers and skinny jeans, natch) and the din of the cockney flower sellers flogging some of the most amazing plants I've ever seen. The other day a seller yelled "alright darlin', have a whiff of this mixed planter!" and before I knew it, he'd scrunched a load of herbs and shoved the pot in my face. Like being assaulted by a kitchen garden. In the best possible way.

When the sun's shining, it feels like a carnival. People just sat on the pavements with espresso or beers, mingling, dogs running around, lovely food being sold. Last weekend I managed to get a lovely natural shot of an Indian man selling peacock feathers, in fact it's one I might blow up and print.

Broadway Market is a gastronomic delight. But a word of caution. I went there the weekend my Mum came down to visit, the night before we'd had wine on the balcony and I got overexcited that my Mum was here. After rounding off the evening with home measured gin Martinis, as soon as I woke the next day I knew I wasn't going to be very well. The smells and tastes of the market, on one of the hottest days of the year, with a raging hangover - not big, not clever. Being 27 and apologising to my Mum for being so hungover and therefore mute, was not one of my finer moments.

London can be a super expensive city. But last weekend I found a little free delight opposite my house - Hackney City Farm! For a girl who grew up in the country, it was a joy. A cute little cobbled yard with roosters running around everywhere ("that's a massive cock", as the accompanying grumpy Scot pointed out matter-of-factly). Not much to it if I'm honest except a handful of farm animals, but worth it for the smell of hay and being amused by the pissed-off donkey who appeared to be having a stare-out with a simple-looking sheep.

I've invested in the Time Out book of 1000 things to do here for under a tenner. I've set myself a challenge while I'm living in London to accomplish as many as possible. What will today bring?

Musician Scroobius Pip has a recommendation section in this book - fancy attending a poetry gig in a dingy pub? (I swear he cycled past me on the way to Columbia Rd last weekend, that beard's very recognisable)

Or perhaps number 53: smoke a Shisha with some mint tea at a hookah lounge.

Maybe 541: play bike polo.

Whatever we end up doing, as always I'm sure to come across some weird and wonderful people, and some magnificent photo opportunities.

Time to stop blogging now and venture out into the city...

Stay Classy x