London’s most photogenic neighbourhood really does live up to the rom-com movie hype – pastel hues, cobbled mews, and enough Instagram moments to red-line your phone’s staying power.

Hello, lovely readers,

We’re in Portobello Road for the markets – I mean, who can beat Hugh Grant’s life depicted via four seasons’ worth of stroll through those markets, huh? Cinematic genius right there. But I digress. After a quick once-over, the boys toddle off to a bright yellow pub to toast an Aussie nephew crafting a ‘fund my travel’ beer-pulling career in the quaint pubs of London, while I immerse myself in streets filled with colour and charm, but with a surprising act of rebellion. Here’s a guide to the best of Notting Hill’s most colourful corners:

1. Portobello Road – The Big One

Portobello’s the beating heart of Notting Hill – part market, part movie set, part technicolour daydream, an ode to 60’s rebellion. We are here on a Saturday, a prime market day best avoided if you’re here for the houses; try sunset instead – the whole street glows. And don’t forget to duck down the side mews… that’s where the magic hides.

2. St Luke’s Mews – The Love Actually One

Yes, that pink house. Yes, that mews. Yes, the one from Love Actually. St Luke’s Mews is a postcard come to life – cobblestones, candy-coloured façades, and the kind of quiet charm that makes you want to move in immediately. Mews houses were once stables… now they’re some of the most coveted (and cutest) homes in London.

3. Lancaster Road – Crayons on Steroids

If pastel isn’t punchy enough for you, Lancaster Road brings the bold. Head to the stretch near Portobello Road for houses painted in unapologetically loud colours – yellows, blues, greens, the whole rainbow. Just watch the traffic while you snap… London buses don’t slow down for Instagram.

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4. Colville Terrace – Colour With Attitude

Start at the Portobello end for the dramatic trio: periwinkle, tomato red, and brilliant blue. Wander further along and the colours soften into dreamy pastels. When you need a recharge, pop into Ottolenghi (Ledbury Road) for pastries that should come with warning labels!

5. Elgin Crescent – Easter Eggs in a Row

Every house here looks like it’s dressed for spring –  soft pinks, baby blues, buttery yellows, all lined up in a storybook row from the 1800s. Even Boris Johnson once lived here (feel free to skip that fun fact when taking photos). Finish your stroll with a cocktail at Trailer Happiness – a retro tiki bar that’s as colourful as the street outside.

When the Pastels Fight Back

Not everyone in Notting Hill is thrilled about becoming the backdrop to the world’s Instagram feed. A few locals – understandably over the daily parade of influencers, tripods, and “Can you just take one more?” requests – have taken matters into their own paintbrushes. Literally.

In a quiet rebellion against stoop-squatters and selfie-seekers, some homeowners have repainted their iconic pastel façades black. The message? “No photo here, darling – move along.” Can’t blame them, really. When your front step appears in 10,000 Reels a week, even the prettiest pink can lose its charm.

With phone battery sucked dry, I finally make my way back, sans Google Maps, thanks to the boy’s vibrant yellow pub glowing like a beacon in the early evening sun, and slip gratefully onto a stool just as our Aussie friend slips an ice-cold G&T into my hands and whispers – on the house, mate!

Notting Hill is the kind of place that reminds you London really is one giant, glorious film set – a neighbourhood where you can paint your house, your door, or the family dog whatever colour your heart desires, and no one bats an eyelid. It’s also where our Aussie kids, carving out their lives in this big, wide world, show London exactly what good service should look like.

All in all? A fabulous, joy-soaked spot to toast our very last day in this fine city. Honestly, could there be a better finale? 

Hi there lovely readers,

The last time I wandered Windsor’s cobbled streets, the village was wrapped in a winter mist so thick you could almost taste it. We’d nestled in a café window, steaming hot chocolate in hand, to watch the fog slowly lift to reveal the castle – regal, ethereal, majestic – then learnt that there’d be no entry that day – Her Madge was in residence. This time? King Charles is elsewhere, and the heavy Oak gates are open.

No cameras allowed, permission to simply immerse ourselves in the grandeur – masterpieces by Michelangelo and Rembrandt, armour fit for a king (literally Henry VIII’s), rooms dripping in gold, the cutest little doll’s house and the famous bullet that felled Nelson (our full circle moment!). This castle is Britain’s most glorious time capsule – equal parts history, opulence, and human quirk. Of course we’ve gathered a few fun facts!

Did you know…

1. It’s been home sweet home to Royalty for almost 1,000 years!

Built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Windsor is Europe’s longest-occupied palace – 40 monarchs and counting! Henry VIII used it as his personal party palace, and Queen Elizabeth II adored it as her weekend retreat.

2. It once went up in flames

A 1992 fire (nicknamed Annus Horribilis, remember?) tore through 100 rooms. The £67 million restoration was partly funded by opening Buckingham Palace to the public, which, in hindsight, feels like a royal “garage sale” gone right.

3. One man, 300 Fireplaces

Meet the King’s Fendersmith – possibly the world’s best job title. He’s been tending Windsor’s 300 fireplaces since 1984, just as his father did before him. Talk about keeping the home fires burning!

4. Clocks, Clocks, Clocks!

There are almost 400 clocks at Windsor – all maintained by one dedicated horological wizard. When daylight saving time hits, he spends 16 hours moving them forward and twice as long winding them back. Imagine explaining that timesheet! Hah Haa!!

5. A Kitchen fit for a King – Literally

The oldest working kitchen in England still hand-rolls every pat of butter with the royal crown stamped on top. Even the kitchen clocks are set five minutes fast – because in a royal household, dinner waits for no one.

6. A Castle so grand it named a family

Once upon a time, the royals were called the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – catchy, right? During World War I, they decided a rebrand was in order (thanks to some awkward German connections), so Windsor it became. The castle didn’t take its name from the royals – the royals took theirs from the castle. Now that’s what you call a power move.

7. The longest driveway in Britain – Literally

The approach to Windsor Castle stretches a stately 2.65 miles. Perfect for royal processions… or a marathon. Legend has it that delivery drivers insisted that the late Queen met them at the front gate – hmmmm…’’hey Jeeves, I simply must draw the line at carrying the takeaway that far, would you be a pet?’

Windsor Castle is proof that even in the grandest castles, it’s the quirks that make it human – from bling and butter pats to one poor bloke keeping 300 fires burning. Long live the sparkle (and the fendersmith).

Of course, at G&T o’clock we just had to try the Fish ‘n Chips at ‘the best fish n chips in the UK’ pub? Meh! That misty morning, with hot chocolate on the other hand….yeah!

Every night at exactly 9:53 pm, the gates of the Tower of London are locked in a ritual that’s been running for nearly 700 years – the Ceremony of the Keys.

Hi there, lovely readers,

And, at precisely 7 pm, we assembled in our refinery – dress shoes essential (the boys moaning after days in sneakers!) – and reverently followed our guide over the moat, past glowing fields of poppies, the raven’s luxurious home, and into the bowels of the Tower.

Led by the Chief Yeoman Warder (yes, one of the famous Beefeaters), we were regaled with the bloody yet fascinating history of the Tower: the warders’ homes, their duties, the lavishly feathered ravens, tales of ghosts and of discovery in 1674 of the remains of two young missing princes, thought to have been murdered by Richard the III, their heritage yet to be proven until current royalty agree to DNA testing (requests declined by both the late Queen and King Charles)

Over drinks at their mess, we learned that all Yeoman Warders are retired Warrant Officers (and above) from the Armed Forces. The big G and our buddy chuffed to hear this, given they too were former Warrant Officers, and the three of us were there thanks to the request of our London host, himself the Australian Attaché to the Navy. The Yeoman Warders are part historian, part storyteller, part tourist-wrangler – with a generous dash of humour – which makes them the perfect keepers of this nightly ritual.

And then… the Keys

At last, lantern in one hand and the King’s Keys in the other, our Yeoman Warder strode out with his Foot Guard escort to begin the rounds. The air was electric as we filed behind until we reached the Bloody Tower archway.

“Halt! Who comes there?”
“The Keys.”
“Whose Keys?”
“King Charles’s Keys!”

And with that, the gates were locked, the keys returned to the King’s House, and the Last Post echoed through the Tower: ten minutes, a lifetime of tradition. No photos. Respect.

This ritual has been carried out without fail for centuries – interrupted just once, in 1940, when a bomb blast blew the Chief Warder clean off his feet. He picked himself up, dusted off, lantern still lit, and carried on. How’s that for the stiffest of stiff upper lips?

Top 5 Fun Facts about the Ceremony of the Keys

1. The Oldest Military Ritual in the World – It’s been performed nightly for over 700 years. Historically, crucial for protecting monarchs who resided in the Tower and preventing prisoners from escaping. While no longer a royal residence, it continues to safeguard valuable artefacts, including the Crown Jewels.

2. Boom! Carry On – Only once interrupted, in WWII, when a bomb threw the Warder off his feet. He finished anyway.

3. Military Precision – It always starts at exactly 9:53 pm. Not 9:52. Not 9:54.

4. No Latecomers – Miss your slot, and that’s it – not even the King’s Keys will get you in.

5. Free, but Coveted – It costs nothing to attend, but you’ll need to apply well in advance.

After battling sunburnt, tetchy crowds by day, the Tower by night felt ethereal – shadows whispering through the cobblestones, every step echoing with centuries of history.