WE have had a dreadful summer; London has had the wettest August on record. But just as we thought all was lost, out of the blue — and to help combat those post-summer blues — the hottest weekend all year takes place!
Last weekend, I had arranged to meet my good friend Andrew. We had planned lunch in a nicely sheltered pub followed by a movie and a spot of shopping, but given that the sun was making such a spectacular appearance we decided to make the most of it.
Sunday morning: 10.30am, as I’m on my way to my Pilates class (rain or shine that posture must be in perfect alignment) Andrew calls to see whether we are still meeting in the pub. We decide to have a picnic instead and to go to Hyde Park, skipping the movie. The shopping, however, remained part of the plan — I made sure of that.
The atmosphere in the streets is fabulous, people are smiling and wearing skimpy clothes with flip-flops and sipping Starbucks frappucinos. I meet Andrew in Notting Hill and we walk to Queensway catching up on each others’ news (work, flat-mates, dates). In Queensway, we go into Marks and Spencer for some supplies: strawberries, pitta bread, olives, cheese, orange juice, water and vine leaves. We then buy The Sunday Times and The Express in a small, narrow and busy newsagents and set off towards the park.
Once there, we settle down under a tree and watch the world go by. Squirrels are climbing up and down the oak tree and families are sitting around or playing frisbee. All of a sudden I smell something that seems somehow out of place: coconut body oil. This is a scent that I have only ever noticed before on a beach. I take a closer look and see hundreds of people wearing just a bikini or a pair of trunks, which I find rather surreal, as there is no beach or pool in sight.
I point this out to Andrew who bursts out laughing and tells me he feels exactly the same way! We tuck into our delicious food and read the papers, discussing politics and while putting the world to rights we hear the sound of the ice cream van. Time for an ice cream and a freezing cold Diet Coke.
Refreshed and cultured, we are now ready to hit the shops. My plan is to look for products that will prolong the wonderful summer, sun-kissed feel, so off we go to the wonderful Westbourne Grove area to discover what’s on offer. We walk in and out of boutiques and designer stores and finally into Space NK.
I feel like I have died and gone to heaven, the products are exquisite and I am spoilt for choice. After close inspection I decide to buy a Baby Blonde shampoo and conditioner for blonde hair by Frederic Fekkai, which promises to maintain the highlights you will have picked up from the sun, and their own Space NK dry body oil, which will stop your skin from drying out and peeling and give you a summer glow as it’s slightly bronzed and shimmery.
By now, Andrew is more interested in the convertible car parked outside than anything in the shop, so to show my appreciation and to round off our day together we go for a quick drink at The Bonaparte pub. In the pub, we get some drinks and sit by a window. Andrew’s phone rings and I watch his blank expression as he takes the call. ‘OK, 9o’clock,’he says. He looks confused and I ask him if he is all right. He replies that he had asked a girl to dinner this evening, and totally forgot about it. I laugh and tell him I think all this sunshine has gone to his head, so I order a glass of water for him… it’s this Indian summer!
Laia Farren Graves
n Space NK www.spacenk.co.uk
