Having lived in the delightful Wood Green and surrounding area of Turnpike Lane for four years, I finally decided to leave my comfortable little burrow and seek out a new and more peaceful dwelling.
My feet landed in West Hampstead, and what a glorious little bubble it is to live in. I feel like I've stepped out of London and now live in a fantastic little village, filled with quaint stores and friendly people.
Gone are the days of endless police sirens, instead I hear the twitter of birds, the buzz of bees and the occasionally sound of the over-ground thundering by.
After living in Turnpike Lane for some time, I had learnt to watch my back, always remaining aware of those around me. I'm no longer concerned that the man crossing the street is going to rob me, instead he wishes to smile and wish you a nice day.
I no longer feel the London call to walk quickly, avoiding bumping into a steam of others who wish to walk directly into you if you do not get out of their way immediately is no longer a concern. There is simply no-one to collide with, those who you do meet will shuffle out of the way and continue with their casual pace. A casual pace that I too find myself adopting just days after moving here. I am content with simply wandering and no longer feel the pressure of the crowds to reach my destination quickly and efficiently.
For those of you that have never visited West Hampstead, I suggest you do so now. Aside from it's great location, West Hampstead has a lot to offer. Just today I went out on a little meander into some of the shops.
If like me, you love thrift shopping then the main high-street is the place to visit, there are endless charity shops to explore.
My favourite of them all was run by two loud Italian gentlemen. The store was jam-packed with goodies. It was a treasure trove spilling with vintage items, all for under £10. Unlike many charity shops in London, this shop was oozing with character, with stuff thrown everywhere and covering every surface. The best thing about the place; was it's vintage section, which was by no means small. Each vintage item was priced at £5 and under! And all were genuine vintage, minus the usual ludicrous price tag attached.
That's all from West Hampstead today. I plan on selling heaps of clothing, new and vintage next weekend so I will let you know how that escapade goes in the following weeks.
I'll leave you with some pictures of the gems I picked up today, and the view from my bubble...
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| Vintage tea-dress £5 |
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| This dress has wonderful straps, the photo does not justify them |
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| A timeless white blouse |
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| Adore a good collar |
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| Window bliss |
