The London Weather Station

For those of you who are thinking about going to see the Chelsea Flower Show - not surprisingly it has now sold out, you will have to be a little faster next year. I only got the idea to visit it now that it is up and running – and I have missed out too.

For those who have never heard about it, here is some info on the world's most prestigious garden expo.

On their own website it says about the expo: "The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the ultimate event in the gardening year. It sets the latest gardening trends, features the newest and most desirable gardening products and creates an explosion of colours and scents."

You even get to see plants for the very first time! My favourite are the beautiful gardens that are created by many different people and companies. This year an Australian urban garden has won the gold medal in the urban part of the competition.

The garden, the first at Chelsea with all Australian native plants, features a dry stone wall of Kimberley sandstone, a fireplace and a large pond with an "infinity edge" that gives the illusion that the water disappears at the edge.

Sounds very pretty. My garden does not have an infinity pool, although I have some beautiful blossoming red rose bushes – will try and take a picture and post it!

I don’t know. Another weekend with fairly good weather and I still cannot wait for the “real summer” to arrive. At the weekend I went out for a ride with my new bike – a so called “beach cruiser” bike for a very leisurely ride. I went to Victoria Park where I observed this lovely young duck family:

And then on to Hackney City farm, where there was a sheep-shearing display. Obviously the place was packed with families and their kids. I moved on and had a look at these pretty calves.

They seem so calm and friendly, it really makes me want to quit beef all over again. Last time I felt like this was when I visited Dublin Zoo and stroked a very friendly cow… I did not last very long. ?

So next weekend is a bank holiday weekend and I am planning a surfing trip to Croyde in Devon. We will be staying in a holiday park that is pretty good value. For once I am not even that concerned with the weather – more with the surf – but sunshine ads a whole different level to the surfing experience, especially when the waves aren’t that big. At the moment the forecast is for rain, but hopefully that will ch-ch-change, whole universes can shift in a week of Great British weather after all!

Today I stumbled over two very different articles related to the perception of Londoners and the British by the "outside world".

One is the Anholt City Brand Index and the other the new edition of the Rough Guide to England.

Firstly, the Anholt City Brand Index has just confirmed something that those of us living in London already know. London is the most stylish city of the world! Yay!

According to them cities are basically brands and while Paris is romance, Milan is style, and New York is energy. On the overall stylish rating the city of London comes first!And it seems that even the stereotypically wet weather that we are known for couldn't take that crown away from us!

The survey was based on a survey of 18,000 people from 18 countries. 40 cities were judged on lifestyle, buzz, multiculturalism, cultural life and attractiveness. For example, those surveyed were asked to rank the cities on climate and weather, pollution, the physical attractiveness of buildings and parks. Further on how warm and welcome they expected the people of each city would be, and how important each city's contribution to the world has been over the last 30 years in the areas of science, culture and government.