I just can’t resist dropping in a couple of images of a favourite London space that naughtily we hide out in for a few nights on each visit.  Although the weather was perfectly glorious this time, it doesn’t matter how gloomy it may be outside, the eye popping freshness of Kit Kemp’sFirmdale Ham Yard Hotel is always a thrill to step into.

On day one when I arrived too early for the room to be ready, I had to use the Library for an office and hang out here for a couple of hours.  One of the most delightful rooms in London, it wasn’t exactly difficult to take!

And just look at the evening light on the rooftop garden!  Not that there was much time to linger….

With Skye Gyngell’s Salon Series discussion on current trends in gardening, landscape design and floral arrangement to attend…..with Juliet Roberts (just ex-editor) of Gardens Illustrated, Clare Foster (gardens editor) of House and Garden, landscape garden designer Jinny Blom and leading UK florist Nikki Tibbles at Skye’s lovely restaurant Spring – where she is doing all kinds of exciting things as well as putting delectable morsels onto plates….like this simple yet perfect Tartine of goat’s curd, cucumber, leaves and flowers. A visit to London isn’t without eating at Spring.

And then there were all manner of visits to design and antique shops, catching up with friends, daughter, mother’s 80th Birthday, pop-in to DaylesfordPetersham Nurseries – whoops so engrossed in conversation didn’t take pics….it was a whirlwind week of the best of British really…..and then…..