Discovering London's hidden beaches

So I've been in London for, say almost 3 years now, and I've always missed home most in the summer. I still do... the air especially - so fresh it catches in the throat. Or the kaleidoscopic landscapes, colours and shapes rolling by through the window of a car, framed by the sea or lavender mountains.

The beauty of West Cork and stunning wildness of Kerry are a plane journey away, but I've found a little haven just that bit closer to my London home. At Bankside and along Southbank, temporary shores appear at certain times of the day, where the Thames rolls back its dreary water to grant us with little beaches... complete with driftwood, sand, stones and seagulls.

As the sun is setting, usually around 9-ish these days, I find myself wandering down to my favourite spot. With my back to the Tate and St. Paul's directly opposite and to the right of my eyeline, I take all in and watch the sun set over Blackfriars bridge. I love the colours the sun dabbles with as it descends. Soft fluffs of pink, acquamarine and gold dust the sky and ripple the water with a silvery shimmer, reminding me of the silky winter light as it hits the sand and sea at Inch, Kerry.

Sitting out by the steps that lead down to the sand, I relish dangling my toes out over the edge of the high drop, watching miniature waves as they flop onto the sand. There's something universally soothing about the sound of water crashing, churning, washing back and forth and the faint smell of sea in the air. I sit and breathe and enjoy... Like a gentle rub or tender hug, sitting out here can help to still my emotions... calming... relaxing... Or sometimes, to heighten them, churning like the waves, with the residue of foam left to simmer on the shore.


There are other spots too, further up by Gabriel's Wharf, where an old stone and wood pier reaches into the water. I can't believe it's taken me 3 years to discover these hidden wonders of London, this amazing city which always has something to surprise, even when you think you've seen and done it all.
Here are some of my favourite shimmering, ethereal skylines....



Heston Blumenthal

A conversation held in the shadowy basement of a City pub last week was the first time I stumbled properly onto the subject of Heston Blumenthal. I had heard his name bandied about with the words 'science', 'nutter' and 'genius' before but never really engaged with any of his tv shows or recipes.


It was a friend telling the secondhand story of his friend's experience at The Fat Duck that made my ears perk up. I listened intently to tales of a recreated seashore and misty mossy log. It just so happens that the first episode of his 'Feasts' series aired on Channel 4 this evening and I was intrigued.

He is an alchemist indeed, bringing delight and amazement into in the art of cookery. Theatrical, avant garde and incredibly creative dishes inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland blew my breath away. The idea of the Drink Me potion was so inventive, those different layers of wacky flavours in one drink. My favourite is a toss up between the delicately stunning Mock Turtle Soup and the Edible Garden. The turtle soup with the gold-leaf pocketwatch teabag containing the stock of the soup.... insane! The edible garden looked like so much fun to explore, reminiscent of Willy Wonka's amazing garden.


I've since you-tubed some of his previous shows, including the In Search of Perfection: Peking Duck episode. It made me want to fly to Beijing just to sample the real thing. A night at The Fat Duck has also been added of the list of things to do before I die

Next week it's the Medieval Feast with blackbirds and edible cutlery. Can't wait....