August in London 2018 brought a wonderful summer to a rather soggy bank holiday weekend. I set out from South Kensington with Notting Hill Carnival in mind. However, the weather had other ideas. This episode follows two attempts to make the journey, with a museum visit, a walk through the parks and a plate of jerk chicken along the way.
The footage comes from the August bank holiday weekend, and I originally published the video on 16 September 2018. It captures that moment when summer starts giving way to autumn. Carnival is one of my favourite events of the year, so I was keen to catch its closing party atmosphere.
A rainy start in South Kensington
South Kensington makes a useful starting point for a day like this. Around the station, there are restaurants and cafés, while the museums are only a short walk away. I point out the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum as I head through the neighbourhood.
My plan was to continue through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens towards Notting Hill. Instead, the rain kept getting heavier. A walk that sounded lovely on a sunny day suddenly looked rather less appealing.
Sheltering inside the V&A
I ducked into the Victoria and Albert Museum and spent about two hours waiting for the rain to ease. The sculpture galleries gave me plenty to look at while I stayed dry. It was a different kind of culture from the music and dancing I had set out to find.
Eventually, I tried heading outside again. The rain still showed no sign of stopping, and I ended up back near the station. Rather than spend the rest of the day getting soaked, I decided to return tomorrow. The museum had saved the afternoon, even if Carnival would have to wait.
August in London 2018: back for the bank holiday
On bank holiday Monday, I started again at South Kensington. This time it was dry. Yesterday I had been cold in shorts and a T-shirt; now I had put on layers and found myself getting warm. That changing weather became part of the story.
South Kensington was deliberately the scenic starting point for this trip. I wanted to share the green spaces on the way, so I walked up towards Hyde Park and continued around the lake into Kensington Gardens.
A peaceful stop at the Italian Gardens
The lakeside walk led me to the Italian Gardens, where fountains, planting and stone details made a lovely place to pause. After the rain of the previous day, it felt good simply to be outside. The views along the water were worth taking the long route for.
There were small distractions along the way, too: an ice cream van with a Rolls-Royce front and a dress photo shoot beside the gardens. Meanwhile, I could already hear Carnival faintly in the distance. The peaceful surroundings were about to give way to a very different atmosphere.
Arriving at Notting Hill Carnival
Leaving the gardens, I passed Queensway and Bayswater before joining the crowds heading towards the parade. In the video, I explain why I liked approaching Carnival from this side that year. The park walk had certainly been the long way round, but it had made the journey part of the day.
At the edge of the route, I caught my first glimpse of the parade. Colourful outfits, feathered costumes and dancing filled the street, with spectators watching from both sides. After waiting through the rain the day before, it was great to finally be there.
Jerk chicken, rice and peas
All that walking had left me hungry. I returned to food stalls by a church where I had eaten in previous years. I do not identify the stall by name in the footage, but the chicken cooking over the barbecue looked promising.
Lunch was jerk chicken with rice and peas, plantain and a little salad. I had gravy and hot sauce on the chicken, which was really good and quite spicy. The plantain was good too. Sitting down to eat gave me a welcome break before exploring more of Carnival.
The summer party continues
I finished the episode ready to find friends at one of the soundstages. The party was carrying on into the evening, and there was still plenty happening in the streets. From a rainy museum afternoon to gardens, costumes and Carnival food, it had been a memorable August weekend.
