Life living in the Big Smoke!

---

Living in London was something that I really enjoyed and glad to have done it. So this is just a review of some of my best bits from my time here.

In October 2011 I commenced my career with British Airways as cabin crew, which meant moving to live in London as I was based at Heathrow Airport. For the first year of flying I shared a flat with crew in Hounslow. I loved who I was living with and we had such a laugh, but I did not enjoy living in this area at all! However at the time it was the best option for being close to work and rent was quite cheap. We only got 9 days off a month, so it never really felt like I lived in London. I treated it more like a holiday destination, or a place to crash after trip. I feel that in this first year staying here that I didn't make as much of London as I should have. We did go into the city a couple times to main places like Leicester Square, Covent Garden,Hyde Park; or had trips to Windsor which was quite nearby. I had a couple of nights out in Camden as I have a friend that I met in Australia who lives there. Love Camden! Such a quirky part of London. Also in that first year in London my dad on his 50th birthday ran the London marathon - what a legend. Such a great event, he did it again this year, and the atmosphere is just so amazing. I actually managed to pass my driving test, on the first attempt, in Hounslow; which to this day still amazes me! The London Olympics were on this year too, so it was quite a fun time to be living in the city. I think in that first year I was just finding my feet with London and where I stayed just felt too far from the city. All of us in the flat at the end were Scottish, so it was so much fun with many wild nights together. Was sad to leave but when our lease finished we all went back home to Glasgow to try commuting. I lasted 9 months doing this, and so glad that I did. I loved finishing work and being able to fly home afterwards to my friends and family. However it did take it's toll on me as was so tiring constantly flying up and down and got to be very expensive.

Therefore last year (in the August, 2013) I made a move back down south, got a room in a house in Isleworth again with crew ( one of my friends, Colin that I had lived with in my last flat) for pretty cheap. And so glad that I did as the past year that I have lived there I have gotten to know the city so well and explored so much of it. From where I have lived there is such great links to the city with tube, rail, bus and there was even a night bus that runs all night from city centre and drops me at literally at my doorstep for £1.45! Smashing! I don't have a car, and didn't need one here. Got myself a bicycle last year which had been a great set of wheels to get about on, and even has a little basket for when I head to Tesco for my shopping! I'm in the middle of Hounslow, a Richmond and Chiswick. Richmond had to be one of my favourite parts of London and love that it is so close. It's such a gorgeous town by the river with lovely bars and restaurants. The White Cart by the river does a brilliant Sunday lunch! I would walk or cycle to here often for the day, and Richmond park is great too in the summer. Chiswick is just down the road too and such a lovely place too. Down by the river there are nice little bars to sit in and by the train station there is place called Station Bar that was voted 'Best new pub in England' in 2012. Again, delicious Sunday lunch here. Along Chiswick Main Street there is an abundance of shops, bars, cafés and restaurants. Both here and Richmond have such a nice chilled vibe about them.

Spent so much time in the city the past year with great outtings to Camden, Hyde Park, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Clapham etc. One of my main ventures when heading into the city would be to go on a really nice touristy/scenic walk from Southbank to Trafalgar Square and then onto Covent Garden. I would tend to get the train to Waterloo which is by Southbank. There would usually always be a food event on at Southbank with outdoor tents with a variety of foods and some little bars. My favourite was the Caribbean chicken stall! Can then walk along the river passing the London Eye and London Dungeons, walk over London Bridge and see Big Ben and Westminster, and then down along to 10 Downing Street, continue on and you would come to Trafalgar Square. Then Leicester Square and Covent Garden are just down road. Both these areas are always buzzing with tourists. My friend Samantha (who I went to school with in Glasgow and also has been living in the London for the past year whilst working at British Airways) and I had a Bloody Mary tour of this route starting at Trafalgar Square and ending at Southbank. We had our own supplies so could sit out in the sunshine to enjoy our drinks. Ended slightly disastrous with worcester sauce leaking all over my handbag, so beware if trying this for yourself. Samantha and I had many an outting together including a night to The Big Easy in Chelsea where on a Thursday night you can get a steak and lobster dinner with a margarita cocktail for only £20! Bloody brilliant! We'd often just go for wanders and coffees, and enjoyed a vino! Most recent event being us going for coffee and cake in South Kensington which ended up with us in Hyde Park and having a bottle of wine. Civilised to absolutely steaming! Can take the girls out of Glasgow! Really enjoyed having her down in London, many good times.

Any season in this city is brilliant with so much going on. Last winter I had a couple of ventures to Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park. It's open all day until 10pm at night. At night time it is like a big adult fun world with loads of stalls, bars with mulled wine, cider and beer, and loads of rides. Also absolutely loved the pulled pork and stuffing rolls with gravy! One time here came across a big indoor barn with a huge bar where they did litres of beer and there was a German man called Joseph singing on stage. Definately gets you into the Christmas spirit going there! Also in the winter I had some visitors to stay with me. Firstly was my friend Jodi who I lived with in a crew house during training. We had a favourite bar at Canary Wharf called Be At One cocktail bar that does a happy hour buy one get one free cocktail and they are so good - Johnny Cash is my favourite; a spicy rum based cocktail. They have Be At One bars located all over London in Richmond, Covent Garden, Hammersmith, Clapham - these are all the ones that I have gone to, and there are many more. Jodi and I would often start here and head elsewhere after, on one outting we went to Brick Lane to a curry place called Alladans which allows you to bring in your own bottle. Brick Lane is cool place to go to. My friends Holly and Amy came to visit one weekend too. We had a night out in Clapham on the first night, went to Camden the next day which we loved with all the markets and had outdoor Christmas bit with food and drinks. There is a food stall in Camden that is always there called Bang Bang chicken, the guy shouts 'bang bang chicken' in hilarious accent and allows you to try before you buy. Great stuff. Us girls also had a night out in Shoredicth to Bedroom Bar, and were going to go to Cargo which was open until 10am but was full when we tried to get in at 3am. Then for their last day with me I took them into Richmond to The White Cart for Sunday lunch. My stepmum and aunt also visited in the winter and we had outtings to Richmond for drinks, Harrods for prosecco, wander around Covent Garden and Leicester Square and took them to Chiswick to Station Bar for Sunday lunch. Loved having people down to stay as means I get out in the city more and be a tourist myself.

However, London is even more fun in the summer, and we had a scorcher this year! So I wanted to make sure I had the best time possible in my summer in London and I definately did! There's always events on somewhere and things going on. One being for Bastille Day (French National Holiday) I went to Borough Market as they had mini French food and drink festival on. Borough Market is food heaven for me with numerous stalls with worldwide foods. All fresh merchandise and produce, great place for foodies! Clapham Common was another fun place to head in summer. My housemate Colin and I had a belter of a day out here. We sat in the park with drinks, went for dinner to a place called Honky Tonk, then Be At One (my favourite) for cocktails and ended up making friends with couple of guys and partying with them in Vauxhall. Clapham is great fun to go to with loads of bars and restaurants in the main street, and it's quite close to Brixton.

Along with food my other top love is music! London has been fantastic for this. The best ones being, firstly a couple of years ago when I first lived down here I went to SecretSundaze closing party which was in a secret location in the east end of London. East End of London is best place to go for a music and nights out I think. Been some cool great bars and clubs such The Egg and Fabric where I got to see one of my faves - Apollonia. Then this summer I went to LoveBox Festival at Victoria Park and SW4 at Clapham Common. My friend, Danielle from school came down to stay with for Lovebox. Was a weekend in the summer here London was 30degrees! Felt like we were abroad. Lovebox was brilliant day with great weather and atmosphere. Afterwards we went into Shoreditch to a couple of bars then ended up at a random club called Plastik People. Dancelfoor was in darkness and played a mix of house music. And SW4 was again another fantastic day, with brilliant music and atmosphere! My friend Amy came down to stay again for this. The day after that was Nottinghill Carnival so we powered on and went there for the day. So glad we did, was great fun! We went on family day, and was going to go on the adult day as well but weather was torrential! Everyone was just upfor partying, with people cooking up jerk chicken in their gardens and set up bar areas. Random music stands and dj's all over the place, and there was the parade with everyone dressed up and dancing away. We got right into the spirit! Had some jerk chicken, rice n peas and rum punch! Probably one of the best things I have gone to in London.

Could write about so much that has happened in my time living here. These are just some of the main highlights! The people that I lived with in both my houses were all brilliant, and I made so many great friends from work who lived in London too. It is a such fast paced city, where you can never get bored and I have really enjoyed being here. Will be an experience I wont forget. However time for the new chapter and I am so excited to now go and live in another fantastic city - Barcelona. Going for five weeks intially to do a TEFL course, home to Scotland for Christmas (first one at home in over four years!) then hopefully have a job lined in Barca to go back to in January. So I shall try and keep up with the blogging on my latest going ons on wherever I may end up!

---

Photos

Trafalgar Square
Love this one, no filter needed!

Go on Kev
My dad running London Marathon

Barclays bikes
Riding around South Kensington