The Queen’s Rose Garden

It’s set to be a scorcher this weekend.

London will be ablaze in the middle of a long-awaited heatwave.

But if there’s one thing that Londoners love to complain about more than the cold and the wet, it’s the heat. The sticky tubes, the sweaty crowds, the pavements overflowing with smiling visitors and scowling locals.

Londoners head to one of two places when the weather’s good, the pub or the park.

Personally, I’ll opt for the latter.

Just incase you’re in the park club too, I’ll let you in on a little secret. There’s a little slice of paradise that you can have all to yourself.

Pop over to the Regent’s Park Espresso Bar for an Italian breakfast, al fresco.

Then stroll on over to Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens.

Just a hop, skip and a jump away.

Not only is it one of the prettiest spots in London, but it’s all but deserted.

Even on a weekend.

Leaving you to breeze through the clouds of English roses, undisturbed.

Wicker pram

Cat eye shades // Pearl earrings

Floaty summer dress (the more affordable version of this glorious creation)

Raffia headband // Mrs basket

Hermes sandals (similar)

Nappy bag

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There are lakes and waterfalls…

…and mothers clucking around their young.

Roses with their buds.

Fountains for splashing.

Or just cooling off beside, if you’re a bit too little for splashing.

And like I said, it almost feels like a private garden before 11am.

After 11 things tend to ramp up a bit and the park gets busy.

You run into all sorts of riff-raff after 11.

Lily’s godparents, Julia & Thomas.

In spring last year, we had dinner together on Ricardo’s terrace in South Kensington.

After a feast and lots of wine, we tucked into ice-cream drenched in espresso and liqueur. We chatted for hours and laughed until our sides hurt.

My husband and I were soon to be married and we all said how wonderful it would be if we had babies at the same time, that they could grow up as friends, travelling the world together. Trans-Atlantic best friends, someone to write to, someone to visit, and with any luck have the sort of friendship we’ve found in each other, without having to wait!

It turns out the stars were listening in.

Our girls will be born just a few months apart.

We’re already planning our first adventure together, Lily’s very first American Thanksgiving.

I also experienced my first at Julia’s table a few years ago, Thomas is an incredible cook so I’m already drooling just thinking about what he’ll whip up!

Not that it could possibly be as delicious as this of course…

We’re going to recreate this every year ’til you’re 18 my love!

The pics inbetween the “good ones” are always my favourite.

Lily is all about colour at the mo, so the rose garden was the perfect choice for a chilled morning together.

We stopped to let her smell every one that caught her eye.

It’s such a joy to experience the world afresh through her eyes.

Silly things like feeling the grass between your toes.

Babies are an incredible reminder of how incredibly lucky we are to be here, to be healthy, and not to take anything for granted.

They’re also a great reminder to take more naps.

If only we could all be pushed around town in plush beds, eh?