Stop and smell the flowers

"They seemed to be hardly Railway children at all in those days, and as the days went on each had an uneasy feeling about this which Phyllis expressed one day. 
"I wonder if the Railway misses us," she said, plaintively. "We never go to see it now."
"It seems ungrateful," said Bobbie; "we loved it so when we hadn't anyone else to play with..." 
 The Railway Children, E Nesbit


 When I first moved to London I chose my student accommodation based on its proximity to Columbia Road Flower Market. It is one of my favourite places and in my first year I found myself there most Sunday mornings, smelling the flowers and listening to the stallholders calling out the prices of snapdragons and tulips.

If I'm honest though, one of the reasons I would go there was because I didn't have much else to do on a Sunday, or anyone to do it with. Leaving home for the first time was lonely. But instead of feeling lonely in my room I went out and explored. The flowers and coffee shops and markets were my company.

That was two years ago: I now feel lucky to have made lovely friends and to have a busy balance of seeing them and working on my final university project. But this morning I woke up and realised that it has been nearly a year since I visited Columbia Road.

Final year is hectic so technically I should probably have spent today working on my dissertation, but after spending a stressful Saturday at university I decided that flowers would be good for my soul.

I headed to Columbia Road with my camera and enjoyed a day of perfect loneliness. I ate cake alone and smiled at strangers and bought myself roses - because everyone deserves roses every now and then. It is lovely to have other people to make me happy (and even to buy roses for me) but it is also nice to spend days like these by myself, taking joy in the smell of the flowers. Friends make me very happy but it is good to remind myself that I can make me very happy too.

(Cake and roses help.)

Libby

Petals and Poetry

Two of my favourite things about living in London :

Columbia Road flower market where Sundays are painted a thousand fragrantly scented shades, and Notting Hill bookshops where I could curl up among busy shelves and quiet words (dreaming of fairytales and seeing a floppy haired Hugh Grant appearing around a corner).

Luytens and Rubenstein is a bookshop straight from an artist's painting or a nostalgic author's story. Complete with friendly staff, beautiful books, a coffee machine and those near extinct of things - an honesty box.

Libby

All's Well In London Town

All's well in London Town. It has been nearly 5 months since this country mouse packed her bags and headed to Hackney. Life has settled into routine and I refer to London as home without batting an eyelid.

Last week my flatmate Daniel and I headed to Columbia Road. I seem to find myself at the fabulous flower market nearly every week. My head may be full of deadlines and uni work, but there is always time for walking amongst the flowers on a Sunday. After all, it must surely be good for my soul.

And, of course, no trip to Columbia Road would be complete without a visit to my hero's gorgeous shop.

A little bit on student living...

During a crazily busy week I managed to survive purely on mammoth amounts of cereal and toast, only to make up for it the following week by heading to Lidl to purchase my bodyweight in vegetables.

As for fears of exhausting my bank balance, I do my bit to budget. Take washing, for example. First comes waiting until the last possible moment. When I have exhausted the final dregs of my wardrobe (this is when leaving the house decently - ie not naked - would involve an imaginative outfit of bed spread, sock (singular) and running leggings (the only little worn item in my wardrobe)) I begrudgingly part with £2.20 and pack the washing machine full. However, I draw the line at paying another £1 for tumble drying. Therefore on washing days my room becomes filled with drying clothes. Bed sheets hang from curtains, t-shirts tuck under books and hang from my bookshelf and tights dangle from my bunting. I don't own any pegs so instead pin all of my underwear to my pinboard. My room is transformed into a weird modern art installation. I was always pants at art. (Sorry, I had to...)

All of these time / money saving techniques leave more for the important things.

(And by important things I mean clothes.)

Libby

Sunday - "Work hard, be nice to people"

Is it bad that I chose my halls of residence largely because of its proximity to the Columbia Road Flower Market? Perhaps, but it is nonetheless one of my favourite spots. After a hectic few days Sunday was the perfect lazy day. After a deliciously long (and well-needed) lie in I headed to Columbia Road with Angel, my flatmate, and Lucy who lives across the hall.

As soon as we stepped onto the street we all agreed how happy we felt. The atmosphere there is thick and sweet with happiness, laughter and the aroma of more flowers than you could ever imagine. And oh, the flowers...

Columbia Road may be famous for its floral market, but it's not just about flowers. The whole street is lined with quirky galleries, pretty cafés and beautiful shops. I was so happy to see that the gorgeous Jessie Chorley & Buddug Humphreys shop (that I have blogged about before) has moved from a small dark room upstairs to a new, street-level location. Their things look even lovelier in their new, light and airy surroundings.

Inside the shop is an Aladdin's cave of handmade treasures that are heart-achingly sentimental and appeal to an old softy like me. I wanted to buy everything. More than that even, I wanted to live inside the dreamy, softly lit interior of the shop where vintage trinkets hang next to carefully crafted gems, and where love and nostalgia are the ruling forces.

"Love is the flower you've got to let grow", reads the inscription on this vintage brooch. I can't decide which was my favourite, this one or another that read: "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life".

In one corner of the tightly-packed room stood an old dress-maker's mannequin with these handmade rosettes pinned to its chest. "Once upon a time..." read one velvet trimmed version.

Just down the street and tucked into a tiny courtyard were piles of vintage quilts and rolls of fabrics. One shop was alive with vivid colours and 60s style prints, and a rack of rainbow threads hung on the wall.

We were even provided with entertainment as we wandered down the street. Flitting between chat and song they made a charming pair, and I couldn't help but fall slightly in love with the smiley double bass player.

As we continued down the street there were constant feasts for the eyes.

And of course, no trip to Columbia Road would be complete without a visit to my hero's gorgeous shop. Rob Ryan: my love will never die.

I already had 3 of Rob Ryan's laser cut cards attached proudly to my pin board, but I thought it was only right to complete the set. Therefore it was only natural that I bought the one I had been missing, a cute blue card which now tells me each day to "Believe in people".

If your walk down Columbia Road leaves you in need of a sugar break, then head to 'Treacle', where the cupcakes look as beautiful as they smell.

The cupcakes are displayed in an old-fashioned glass cabinet for you to choose. What will it be, gooey chocolate, pink and sparkly, or perhaps one of the desperately cute minature cakey morsels?

In the Nelly Duff poster shop I could have parted with considerable cash. I loved the mottos and the bold designs and could have quite happily brought home several of them to hang on my walls.

There was one, however, that stood out. Printed boldly in one particular frame were the words "Work hard, be nice to people". Now that, to me, sums up succinctly what it is all about.

Perhaps instead of posters, however, I could opt for wall stickers. This shop sold a huge array of fun designs to brighten up your wall and make you smile.

On the way back this sign caught my eye "What you need is love. And coffee, tea, food, oysters..."

If the cupcake hasn't sustained you and you are still in need of refreshment, head to this green gated courtyard for a salmon and cream cheese bagel, or fresh oysters served to you buy the 'oyster man' as my friends named him.

I'm not an oyster fan, but Angel couldn't resist and told me they were delicious.

As Angel enjoyed her oysters we enjoyed the square, with the old shop that looked as though it had stood there forever...

and music from this unlikely yet brilliant trio.

On the way back from the market we stopped off at Hackney City Farm. Now I grew up in Dorset, and by the time I came to leave I was so sick of the countryside I never wanted to see another field again, let alone a farm animal. However after just one week in the big city I was back on a farm, this time rejoicing over the sight of chickens and hay.

It felt so surreal to wander off a busy central London street into a haven of rural calm. We had lunch in the busy restaurant, and my salad (filled with homegrown ingredients) tasted like heaven on a plate. In the room next door pottery classes were taking place, whilst outside arts and crafts stalls were set up on wood chippings under tents.

"Samba classes in the hay barn" announced a loudspeaker as Lucy and I tucked into the homemade chilli and chocolate brownie we had just bought.

For me a farm is nothing new and all in all I much prefer London life, but to see the faces of city children light up as they petted what was probably the first donkey they'd seen in their lives made me appreciate the quirky perks of rural life.

My friends loved the novelty of the farm. I loved it because it felt like home.

Angel and Lucy were quite tempted to take this sleepy pig home and keep him as our flat pet. I, on the other hand, didn't think his belly would fit through our door.

Friday and Saturday: London Fashion Week. Sunday: there I was, back climbing stiles like a pro.

In the field we watched as a calf and a sheep had a headbutting contest. The sheep won. The calf ran back to mum and hid behind a fence as the sheep looked on, victorious. If a sheep could possibly look smug, this one did.

And finally I couldn't help but smile as dad explained to son how to use the gears on a tractor. He may have been a fully-grown man, butyou could tell that deep down he wanted a ride too.

So there you have it, the perfect lazy Sunday in Hackney. I rather like living here. :)

Libby