Spring has Arrived in London

The weather has been warming up a lot these last few weeks and I have been taking advantage of the nice weather while I can and enjoying some beautiful outdoor activities. I cant believe it is the end of March already! This semester has been flying by and now that my classes are coming to an end everyone is in super stress mode trying to finish all their assignments. It has been a huge weight off my shoulders not having midterms or finals to study for this semester but the assignments are very time consuming.  One more marketing report on H&M, an essay for my Theoretical and Social fashion studies class, finishing off my journal for my Historical and Contemporary studies class, creating a shoe launch for my fashion public relations class, and a project for my trend forecasting class are the only things standing in my way before my semester at London College of Fashion comes to a close. I can’t wait for graduation, (which will be taking place on a penthouse rooftop) so I really can’t complain!

These past couple weeks I have been trying to get in all the touristy things that have been on my “list” that I have to do before I leave.  Last week was our final British Cultural Studies class and our tutor Michael took us for a walk around Primrose Hill, a very beautiful and expensive area of London that is known to be inhabited by many celebrities. The painted houses are probably one of my favorite parts about the London décor and the neighborhoods in Primrose Hill are full of them! Michael told us the houses in his particular neighborhood were originally painted all white but in later years were painted a wide array of different colors.

We then walked to Regents Park where we climbed to the top of a huge hill which gave us an amazing view of the city. It was a beautiful day so the view was even better. Michael gave us a motivational speech and we said our goodbyes.

Over the weekend I went to see The Hunger Games at the Electric Cinema on Portobello Road. I love old fashioned movie theaters and this has been on my to do list since leaving the States. The cinema first opened in 1910 and is one of the longest running cinemas in the country. It offers new films in a vintage-feel environment. The wide, red leather seats were really comfortable (they even have stools to put your feet up) and the screen unwound from inside the proscenium arch. There is even a bar in the back to buy food and drinks. It was definitely the coolest theater I have ever been in.

Monday was one of the warmest days to date, so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and head to Regents Park which is one of eight of the royal parks in London. It takes up a good amount of space and stretches from the city of Westminster and partly into the Borough of Camden. I walked around the inner circle area of the park and got to see Queen Mary’s gardens. The landscaping in the park was beautiful and many people were stretched out on the lawns enjoying the nice weather as well. I walked along the lake area where many herons were standing by the water.  This park is also the home of St. John’s Lodge, another garden area that was designed for peace and relaxation.  Regents Park is 410 acres and you could easily spend a full day there walking around, I wish I could stay in London longer to enjoy it in the nice weather.  The parks of London are definitely a highlight of the city. 

Later on in the week my public relations teacher took us to a PR company where a press event was being held for various clothing and shoe brands. Many displays were setup throughout the venue with people presenting their products to clients. There was also an area for clients to get their hair done, spray tans, and mani/pedis. It was interesting to see what goes on during a press event and how it all works. 

Finally, at the end of the week I crossed off a few more touristy things off my  to do list and walked across the Millennium Bridge. After seeing it get destroyed by deatheaters at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I knew I had to visit it. It was actually much cooler than I expected and started at St. Paul’s Cathedral and ended at the Tate Modern. This bridge crosses the Thames River and is a steel suspension bridge that curves as you walk. When you are walking with your back facing the Tate Modern you get a great view of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The best part of the visit was seeing a man walk down the bridge with an ipad to his face skyping someone. After seeing the bridge I took a walk down Fleet Street, made famous by Sweeney Todd, one of my favorite movies. There were no barber shops around but there was some great castle-like architecture down the road that I discovered was the Royal Court of Justice.

My semester in London is quickly winding down. It is going by so fast, and there is still so much to do. Let’s hope I find time to accomplish it all before April 18^th.