I am lucky enough to live just around the corner from Portobello Road – home of the world-famous Portobello Market and the heart of Notting Hill.
A good friend of mine edits a number of lifestyle magazines in the West of England and asked me to take some photos of the area for an article she is writing on weekend breaks to London. It was a glorious early-spring day and the colours were just zinging. I think I was having a Mario Testino day-glo moment…
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decor8 says
Can I post these on my site Thursday? I’d love to show people where you live… Notting Hill is glorious, I use to visit there every single year, religiously in the Fall. I miss it!!!
xo,
holly
Paola says
Of course you can use them. I love Notting Hill to bits – love the fact that I can just step out my front door and into a little bit of street theatre. I’ve lived here for over ten years now and can’t imagine living anywhere else.
It IS gorgeous in the Autumn but personally I think it’s at it’s very best in the Spring when the streets are lined with blossom-laden trees. I’ll post up some more pictures when Spring finally gets here.
alison says
Oh Wow, wow, wow! Lucky you!Would you think me desperately sad if I told you, you were living my dream? I adore London.
lissie says
I took almost identical shots – steel drummer guy, fruit stalls, pastel-coloured rows – but yours are about a million times better. Do you have any idea how much it pains me to admit this?
Pics are also far superior to those sent over by London Tourist board (though full marks must be awarded for their choice of London Calling as holding music).
Lxx
Paola says
Alison, I think the grass is always greener. Sometimes I think I’d be much happier with a huge garden for Lulu and windows which weren’t always grimy with pollution…
L, He he! I’m revelling in your pain – though yesterday the weather was so glorious it would have been difficult to take a bad shot.
Sad to hear though that my choice of subject matter was so cliched. If I’d been being more realistic you would have had lots of pictures of road works (they’re digging up the water main on Westbourne Grove) and scaffolding.
Entirely approve of the Tourist Board’s hold music.
Pxx
camilla says
Can’t think why that good friend didn’t ask me for shots of Putney High Street. Tesco Express, Starbucks, Superdrug and Woolworths.
Bitter in the suburbs, moi?
xx
Paola says
Can’t think. Of course you’d never find a Tesco Metro, Starbucks, Woollies, etc. etc. on Portobello. Never.
Pxx
Wendy says
You’re so lucky! I’ve visited London on a couple of occasions but have yet to make it to Notting Hill. The shops do look fab!!
lissie says
“Entirely approve of the Tourist Board’s hold music.”
Yes, though technically all wrong. Really it was ‘Bath calling’ and ‘Bored London receptionist paints nails rather than answering phone’. You’d think that with Jo Strummer living for so long in Wiltshire, he might have revisited lyrics to introduce regional variations; never mind. Dead now.
Camilla, you are meant to be my ROYAL correspondant. And since juicy morsels of Palace gossip have been noticeable by their absence, I am unlikley to extend your remit. Hmm?
Lxx
Tongue in Cheek says
colorful lively street! Gee how fun to be greeted with excitment like that each day!
cally says
Hi, Hard to believe you had all that sunshine and spring colour while we had snow and sleet! My email isn’t working, something to do with my broadband connection, but thanks for your comments. I had such a great bloggy day yesterday, a real indulgence while it was so cold outside. And I appear to be doing it again today!Posted some porcelain birds that may interest you.
Paola says
Today is all grey grimness and I would definitely prefer to be looking over timeless WARM Provencal hills…