Before we moved to Devon, I’d been in London for sixteen years. I lived, worked and studied all over the city, but it was when I moved to Hackney that I knew I’d found my London: the place in that sprawling metropolis that felt like home.
We still have a flat in London Fields – one of my best friends lives there now, but it’s been ages since we’ve made it over to that part of town. So as part of our adventures last weekend we thought we’d go back to our old manor to take a stroll.
We wandered through the park, down Broadway Market towards the canal. As an area it’s constantly changing – it has been for as long as I’ve known it – but its spirit remains the same. A vibrant mix of people and cultures, quirky shops and friendly bars, street art and ice cream vans and bicycles and community cricket.
I know there are plenty of people who turn their noses up at its gentrification or self-conscious variety of cool, but there’s something about Hackney that has got under my skin. It was great to be back, to introduce Arthur to the world we were a part of before he came along. It was almost enough to make me want to move back to London. Almost.
Sophie is... 
It’s either this place is beautiful or you know how to take nice pictures 😉
Ah thank you – it is pretty lovely there 🙂
Lovely photos of your old neighbourhood! I’ve lived in a city too all my life and miss the chaos of it, although admittedly every time we go to London, I get so exhausted and then long for the quiet life of our small North Cornish village 😉 #CountryKids.
Yep – I definitely prefer to just be visiting London for a few days from the countryside than the other way around – it seems so super hectic now!
It’s great to take a trip down memory lane and show Arthur some of your favourite places. I do love the hustle and bustle of towns but always like returning to quiet of Cornwall. Thanks for linking up and sharing with Country Kids.
It was strange but lovely to be there with him. A bit of a relief to be back in Devon now though 🙂
I lived in Hackney 🙂 Clapton to be precise, I loved it, and I was walking distance to Stoke Newington which was lovely! I still love to go back to London and visit, I wouldn’t want to live there now, but I really enjoy being back for a few days.
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