Monday 6 June 2011

Slice of goodness

Last Friday felt like summer had finally shown its face in London. It never ceases to amaze me how an extra 15 degrees and a cloudless sky can transform this city. People smile at you and say excuse me. Where feet were dragged there is now a shameless bounce in our strides, faces turned up to feel the full force of sun upon them. On days like this, work seems to grind to a Holt around 3pm as the hordes descend upon pubs, stripping layers and heels as they go. Jugs of pimms, pints of cider, bottles of rose. A sense of liberation as the inner thaw of London winter finally leaves your bones and your left thinking that maybe this isn't such a bad city after all, maybe I could stick it out for a another couple years....

The only place I want to be when we are blessed with such weather is Hampstead Heath Ladies Pond. A far cry from the white sand beaches I was lucky enough to grow up with but there is something quite special about these ponds. Sheltered from wind and enclosed away by ample greenery, the ponds act as a sun trap. The water itself isn't the aqua blue of the med but it is amazingly refreshing ( cold ) and rejuvenating. No cell phones are allowed and there seems to be an unspoken rule of general quiet and respect for each other. Like a an underground sisterhood. A slice of goodness.