The heat of the day

Regent's Park, London, NW1

By Julia Revitt Photography

July 7^th, 2018

I've never been to Regent's Park before. One very hot Saturday afternoon I set out to rectify that. The day didn't start very well. I was late back from my Pilates class and missed the train. Ended up eating a tasteless sandwich on the platform of the train station whilst killing an hour for the next train. Did I mention it was hot? Very hot.

The park is only a short walk from Euston station and I was soon within sight of it. Set in the heart of London, surrounded by high rise buildings and stucco terraced houses that must be worth millions, it is a oasis of calm. It's massive too. Covering 410 acres, it has a zoo and open air theatre and is home to the Zoological Society of London.

The title of this little article comes from the book of the same name written by Elizabeth Bowen (1948) which features the park in autumn.

Come and take a stroll with me through this most English park...

Stucco terraced houses surround the park

Willow trees provide much needed shade in the heat of the day

Wild and exotic plantings can be found around the park

Fountains full of plants and water are everywhere in the park

Such beauty in the planting and the sculpting of the fountain

When Londoners want nature, they seem to all come to Regent's Park. It was packed. Everyone is out to enjoy the sunshine, having a stroll and an ice cream. Sitting by the boating lake, in the shade, dozing off. On the phone, chatting with friends and of course, as this is England, kicking a football around.

All manner of life is here. I wonder if people are aware of the park's history?

In an incident at the boating lake in 1867, 200 people plunged into the water when the ice collapsed, killing 40. Or the more recent IRA bombing of the bandstand in 1982 which killed 7 soldiers.

The park has featured in many story lines too. The previously mentioned Elizabeth Bowen's book and Ian Flemming's 'James Bond' books which frequently mention MI6 as a 'tall grey building near Regent's Park'. From Agatha Christie to J K Rowling, Regent's Park is certainly appears in a lot of literature.

How can he be on the phone with this in front of him?

Everyone and anyone can enjoy the park on this summer's day.

The open air theatre was out of bounds but I sneaked a peek through the locked gate!

Deckchairs for hire. It was very tempting...

So come and pay the park a visit when you're next in town. It's free, full of plants and flowers, manicured and wild at the same time. Birds, ducks, squirrels and the occasional person will make it well worth your time.