Spring in Hyde Park was beginning to feel possible again in March 2015. The days were getting longer, there were daffodils and blossom in the gardens, and I had an errand in Piccadilly that gave me a reason to walk across the parks rather than disappear onto the Tube.
The destination was Prestat in Princes Arcade, where I wanted to buy a chocolate Easter egg for my girlfriend. Before that came Kensington Gardens, the Italian Gardens, the Serpentine and a short ride towards Hyde Park Corner.
From the Roberts London archive. The original film was published on 29 March 2015. The shopping and hire-bike details describe that outing.
Spring in Kensington Gardens
I began in Kensington Gardens, although, as I admitted in the film, I often casually referred to the whole stretch as Hyde Park. On foot, the green spaces felt like one long escape from the streets.
The trees were still partly bare, but flowers were adding colour to the lawns and paths. It was the sort of day when a simple shopping trip could become an excuse to stay outdoors for longer.
The Italian Gardens and a closer look
The route took me past Queen Anne’s Alcove and into the Italian Gardens. I stopped to look at the fountains, the water and the building beside them rather than just walking through.
That became a small theme in the vlog: filming was making me pay attention to things I might otherwise pass without a second glance. I paused at the Edward Jenner statue and noticed details around the water, while other visitors walked, exercised or watched the birds.
There was no complicated plan to the morning. I was heading across town, but taking the slower route gave me time to enjoy the park itself.
The Serpentine and Diana Memorial Fountain
I continued beside the water towards the Serpentine. There were already people out in pedal boats, while the birds provided their own small distractions along the way.
At the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, I tried to explain why a photograph never seemed quite enough. The flowing water, open space and the possibility of walking around it gave the place a feeling that was difficult to put into a single frame.
I found it peaceful. The sound of cascading water softened the background noise, and I stayed long enough to take in the setting before continuing towards the bicycle docking station.
A hire-bike ride towards Hyde Park Corner
There were bicycles available near the fountain, so I hired one for the next part of the journey. After walking diagonally through the gardens, the ride offered a change of pace.
The film catches a particular moment in London’s cycle-hire story. I was talking about the change from Barclays branding to Santander, while still using the familiar nickname “Boris bikes”. The prices and hire instructions in that old commentary belong to 2015.
I followed the cycle path beside Rotten Row towards Hyde Park Corner, with the park opening out on either side. Then I returned the bicycle and continued on foot towards Piccadilly.
Easter shopping at Prestat in Princes Arcade
The final destination was much smaller and considerably more colourful: Prestat’s shop in Princes Arcade. The window was full of bright boxes, ribbons and Easter chocolate.
My girlfriend liked Prestat’s pink champagne truffles, but for Easter I had a different idea. Before setting out I had spotted a London Gin Truffle Easter Egg, and I wanted to see whether the shop had one.
In the original film I described its lemon-flavoured milk chocolate and gin truffles, along with the bright packaging. Finding it in the shop was the successful end to the errand that had started the whole journey.
The smell inside was as tempting as the displays. I also chose a pecan and maple chocolate bar for myself, which seemed a fair reward for carrying out the Easter shopping.
A London walk with chocolate at the end
This is one of those outings where the journey became as much of the story as the destination. A walk through the gardens, the sound of the fountain and a short cycle ride turned a shopping errand into a small London day out.
The full film keeps the route together, from the first signs of spring in the park to the colourful shop window in Princes Arcade.
