Before I go on to share some ways to make the most of a summer in London, I want to welcome those of you who have newly subscribed this week. You may have arrived here via this Forbes piece published on 1 July. I had no idea I was being mentioned so it was very unexpected and lovely. Thanks
!For the record, I do not have a 7-figure income from Substack (yet?!) and I very, very much appreciate anyone upgrading to a paid subscription in support of my writing.
The piece referenced was this one from a few months back:
All of this is an excellent reminder that we never know who is reading our work or where it might be shared. Writing honestly and authentically has always been my mantra and this is yet another confirmation that I’m on the right track!
☀️ Summer in London
Summer is well and truly underway here in London and so far there has been no shortage of sunny days and long balmy evenings. Long may that continue!
It’s giving me a sense of energy, and I feel alive right now.
Like I’ve woken up from a long sleep and suddenly realised that there is SO much going on around me that should be soaked up, enjoyed and made the most of.
I plan to do just that this summer. Here are some of the ways I’m making the most of London this summer. I hope you will find something to inspire you if you find yourself in the capital over the next couple of months. These are not necessarily the sorts of things you will find in a guide book, but instead are my Londoner’s take on spending summer here.
1. Wimbledon 🎾
I’ve caught up with several friends over dinner in recent weeks, each time being able to make the most of the excellent choices on offer in London. This week I met up with an old teaching colleague in nearby Wimbledon. We booked a table at a rooftop bar-restaurant and due to it being day 2 of the tennis championships, the town was buzzing. The rosé was flowing and everyone seemed full of life and energy.
We do try to get tickets for the tennis every year (as we live so nearby), but we’ve been unsuccessful for court tickets in the ballot this year. That said, it is possible to queue up and get a grounds pass so we are planning to do that today. Cross your fingers for us that we manage to get in as reports are saying that it is particularly busy this year. Being in Wimbledon the other day reminded me that this excitement only comes around once a year and if you blink it will be missed. I don’t plan to blink this year. Life is too short!
The Wimbledon tennis championships continue for another week until Sunday 13th July and there is more information about planning an impromptu day there here.
2. Leighton House
A few weeks back I visited Leighton House for the first time. It’s a gallery and museum in the home of Sir Frederic Leighton, Victorian artist and president of the Royal Academy. The house is in leafy Holland Park, now a very well-to-do area of London. Leighton made the downstairs of his home into an incredibly opulent, colourful space designed to impress those coming to have a portrait painted. I can’t image it disappointed anyone. Conversely, Leighton’s bedroom was a very simple affair with just a single bed and plain walls. He clearly knew what he was doing!
It costs £14 for an entrance ticket to the house (free with an Art Pass), but if you’re nearby and don’t have time for a full visit I would recommend stopping by the cafe. They offer a small but delicious selection of sandwiches and cakes and excellent coffee. On a sunny day, the beautiful garden can be enjoyed and this is all accessible without an entrance ticket. Anyone can visit the café. London is full of places to eat and drink and yet sometimes it can be challenging to find the right place to eat and drink. This is one of those places to remember in case you’re nearby!
3. Southbank Gems
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is part of the Southbank Centre and if you ascend the bright yellow staircase near to its entrance you will find yourself amongst the flowers and plants of the roof garden. Seats are nestled amongst the foliage and there is a bar serving drinks and snacks but it’s completely free if you BYO.
I met a friend for drinks there last week and it was such a chilled vibe. We had a table overlooking the Thames and it was perfect.
After a couple of drinks, we then headed down to the nearby BFI - British Film Institute - for some food in their restaurant. It has a terrace and they offer a pretty good range of food - think pizzas, burgers, fish and chips - for fairly affordable prices (in relative London terms 🥴) It’s another excellent place to meet friends or to find a spot to work or read. And of course there are many films on daily.
On a super hot day, sitting in an air conditioned cinema for a couple of hours is certainly not the worst idea. I didn’t watch them at the BFI but I’ve watched two films recently: The Ballad of Wallis Island and The Salt Path. Both were excellent!
4. Food for thought
One of the benefits of living on the outskirts of London is that we can spend the day wandering and seeing exhibitions and then be home sitting in our garden within 40 minutes. As people who appreciate good food, we have some regular stops in the city where we know we can get excellent produce to take home and cook. Here are a few of our favourite ports of call:
Neal’s Yard Dairy - if you like cheese then you must head here. On special occasions we order for delivery, but sometimes it’s nice to go and browse and try a few options before choosing one or two cheeses to bring home. In my option British cheese does not get the attention it deserves. It absolutely holds its own amongst French and Italian options. My personal favourites include Appleby’s Cheshire and Baron Bigod.
Brindisa at Borough Market - I know, I know, Borough Market is not exactly a hidden gem. You often have to fight your way through the selfie-stick posing tourists, but if you manage that then there are a couple of stalls that you really shouldn’t miss. Brindisa is one of them. Wonderful Spanish ingredients are sold here and the prices are very reasonable. We always stock up on cooking chorizo and tins of Perelló olives but there are many other delights to be had there.
De Calabria also at Borough Market. This stall selling southern Italian produce is THE place to buy ‘nduja, the fiery spreadable salami that pops up in lots of recipes. We’d previously bought it in a tiny pack from Waitrose and it was fine, but didn’t seem to live up to the hype of the recipe writers. That was because it was completely different to this stuff! At De Calabria it comes in large packs that seem expensive, but then you realise that recipes often only use 50 or 60g and so we portioned it up and froze it. Genius.
Paul Rothe & Son - probably one of the best sandwich shops in London. The choice of fillings is vast and there will be a queue out of the door, but stick with it and you won’t regret it. Pick up your lunch here and then wander up to Regent’s Park to find a bench to sit and enjoy.
I was going to mention the wonderful I Camisa & Son, an Italian deli which seemed increasingly out of place in the throng of Soho on Old Compton Street, but was the most fabulous place for buying genuine Italian produce from Italians at not-an-over-inflated price, but unfortunately it has recently closed. That is a very sad loss for London as it had been there for over 60 years.
Another worthy foodie mention is of
’s new Marylebone restaurant which is soft launch opening from Wednesday 16th to Wednesday 23rd July. Hartnett’s Café Murano in Bermondsey is one of my favourite places to eat out in London; the food is of course excellent, but the interiors are SO stylish! Last time I went there was to an event hosted by the brilliant celebrating a favourite food writer of mine, Meera Sodha.When I heard that Angela was opening a new restaurant, I wanted to try it. During the soft launch week, there is a whopping 50% off food. Book your table here. But do it quickly because I can’t image those slots will hang around (I have mine!)
Before I sign off for this week, I want to ask you a favour. Creative Career Change, my podcast series featuring women who have made mid-life work shifts now has 27 episodes. There are still more episodes to come, with a fun ‘revisited’ mini-series coming in the autumn. I’d love to grow the listener base further and I’d be super grateful to anyone willing to leave a review on Apple podcasts (if you enjoy it, of course!).
Follow this link: Creative Career Change with Hannah Ashe and scroll down to the ‘Write a Review’ button.
Thank you so much in advance!
Wish me luck for getting into Wimbledon, when you read this I’ll probably be queuing up in the rain…
Hannah x
You are making crave a visit to London, it's been so long. Such a variety of places to visit. The South Bank Centre is such a great place 😁 And I would love to try Angela Hartnett's restaurant. I am a big fan of hers, from seeing her on the TV. And you did get tickets for Wimbledon. So lucky. 😉👍
I've only been to Neal’s Yard Dairy once, but I'd love to get back there. I've worked in and visited my fair share of cheese shops that have an off-putting elitist vibe, so it was an absolute joy to experience NYD where they're just really lovely and excited to share good cheese with you. And you're so right, Hannah, British (and Irish!) cheeses are top notch.