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For the wanderers

London Survival Tips

A Jane-Style Field Guide to Thriving – Not Just Visiting 

London is magnificent. Historic. Grand. Cinematic. Having spent four weeks wandering this fine city with the Silver Fox, I have come to learn this. So too my feet, Google Maps overload and the bank balance.  

Yes, it’s…
• Expensive
• Enormous and…
• Occasionally damp
• And wildly committed to making you walk far more than you think is reasonable

So here it is – my personal, lovingly road-tested guide to surviving (and thriving) in this glorious city.

1. The Shoe Situation Is Not a Suggestion

You will walk.
You will walk more.
You will look at your step counter and briefly question your life choices.

Pack shoes you have already worn in.
This is not the city for “they’ll soften eventually” optimism.

Blisters are not cultural immersion.

If you’re tubing to a glam gig, do what the savvy London woman does – carry those heels in little drawstring calico bags in your tote for a quick swap and bag check before deftly accepting that first glass of champers!

2. The Tube Is Your Friend (But She’s a Bit Moody)

The Underground is brilliant. Fast. Efficient. Iconic.

But:
• Stand on the right of the escalator (or risk public shaming by eye contact).
• Avoid peak hour unless you enjoy full-contact commuting.
• Download Citymapper. It will save your sanity.
• “Mind the gap” is both practical advice and philosophical wisdom.

She’s also a bit frenetic when trying to find your particular line, the direction you need to head on the loop and the best stop to jump off. That map just inside the door will keep your sanity in check. AND…the tube is sooo much cheaper than a cab! (I can already hear my travel buddy Jenny muttering, ‘yeah nah,’ I’ll wear the expense! 😄)

Bonus tip: Sometimes walking one stop above ground is faster and far prettier.

3. Book the Big Stuff Early

London does not reward spontaneity when it comes to:
• West End shows
• Afternoon tea
• The London Eye
• Popular exhibitions

If it’s iconic, assume it books out.
Future You will thank Organised You.

4. Afternoon Tea Is a Strategy, Not Just a Treat

This is not simply cake.

This is:
• A rest stop
• A morale booster
• A blood sugar stabiliser
• A cultural institution

If you’re doing 20,000 steps, schedule tea like it’s mission-critical.

5. Weather: Dress in Layers, Always

London can:
• Drizzle
• Shine

• Gust
• And pivot emotionally within 40 minutes

Layers are your armour.
A light waterproof is your best friend.
Sunglasses and umbrella in the same day? Entirely plausible.

6. Museums Are Free (Pace Yourself)

The British Museum.
The V&A.
The Natural History Museum

They are enormous.

Choose your highlights. You do not need to absorb 4,000 years of civilisation before lunch.

I made it my mission to view Britain’s big family photo album – The National Portrait Gallery -in one swoop, a heroic effort simply demanding that high tea reward!

National Portrait Gallery – London

7. Don’t Try to “Do” London – Let It Happen

Yes, see:
• Buckingham Palace
• Big Ben
• The Tower

But also:
• Wander a quiet mews
• Duck into a pub
• Sit in a park
• Watch the world go by

London reveals herself slowly. She rewards curiosity over checklists.

8. Markets = Lunch Solved

Borough Market.
Portobello Road.
Camden.
Spitalfields.

If you’re stuck for lunch, find a market.
Street food in London is elite-level.

Spitafields Market – London

9. Plan Big Days + Soft Days

Alternate:
• Landmark-heavy days
with
• Neighbourhood wandering days

Your energy (and your feet) will last much longer.

10. End at the River Whenever Possible

There is something about the Thames at sunset.

Walk the South Bank.
Take a riverboat.
Sit outside a pub and watch the light shift over the water.

It’s one of London’s quietest magic tricks.

After a visit to Ted Lasso territory (Richmond) our darling host held up the ferry while we raced to the dock with heartfelt apologies to the patient punters aboard, settled in with G&T in hand to enjoy a lazy Friday sunset cruise back to the city…ahhhh!

Peggy Jeans – Richmond – London

Final Word from the Field

London is not a city you conquer.
It’s one you experience.

It will exhaust you.
Delight you.
Surprise you.
And almost certainly make you want to come back.

And when your step count reads 23,487, and the Silver Fox says, “Perhaps tomorrow we rest?” That’s when you know you’ve done it properly.

What are your favourite tips for big city vacays? Drop them in the comments!

Scroll away for more tips, a super blog and a few snaps and chats from our time in London…

Epilogue: One Wild and Precious Life: The UK Chronicles

Our wild & wonderful UK wanderings…

Hello, lovely readers!

The big G (he’s the tall one), travel buddy Ian (he’s the short one) and me

And just like that, our grand romp across the UK comes to a close – a tapestry of misty mornings, midnight ceremonies, pastel streets, castles perched on volcanoes, and more belly laughs than we ever expected.

From Westminster’s sunlit grandeur to Windsor’s royal sparkle…

From punting mishaps on the Cam to ghost tales in York…

From scarlet-coated storytellers to Ted Lasso pep talks in Richmond…

From Viking digs to volcanic heights…

From art that stirred the soul to history that tugged the heart…

Every chapter gave us something: a moment, a memory, a quote, a giggle, a pint, a surprise, a story to retell later with dramatic embellishment (as is our right).

And woven through it all was the simple truth we keep circling back to – that this is what we choose to do with our one wild and precious life. To explore. To wonder. To laugh. To feel history beneath our feet and possibility in our pockets. To spend time with people we adore, in places that ignite something inside us.

So here’s to the UK – for its charm, its chaos, its courage, its characters…and for reminding us that adventure doesn’t need to be perfect to be extraordinary.

It’s not a ‘selfie’ if there’s more than one in it, ok?

Until the next journey, lovely readers.

Bags at the ready. Hearts wide open.

More stories await.

Dive into our chapters with a lazy scroll through…
  • London’s Blinged-up Beating Heart – Westminster – where the Houses of Parliament compete with Big Ben’s brand new bling
  • Cannons, Captains & Clever Engineering – Portsmouth – three warships that rewrote history in wood, sail and steel
  • Scarlet Coats & Sparkling Stories – meeting the Chelsea Pensioners over a well-earned G&T
  • Lions, Lamp Posts and London Legends – Trafalgar Square – where Nelson keeps watch, lions have cat paws and lamp posts moonlight as police stations.
  • Brains, Bridges & a Bed to Die For – Cambridge – from King’s College Chapel to a punt gone wrong
  • When Monuments Speak – what London’s memorials whisper if you pause long enough to listen
  • Britain’s Family Album – The Portrait Gallery – from Shakespeare to Bowie
  • Dreams, Breaths & Blue Light – Somerset House’s luminous lady invites us to pause and imagine.
  • Keys, Lanterns & Late Night Rituals – The Tower of London’s nightly Ceremony of the Keys.
  • Pints, Punts and Plenty of Ghosts – York – a weekend in the UK’s most haunted (and most pub-filled) city.
  • Pints, Pubs and Pub Runs – From Ted Lasso’s ‘Believe’ to a mad dash along the Thames
  • A city of Stories, a Castle of Secrets – Edinburgh – witches, wars, and a sneaky spy hole in Britain’s most besieged fortress.
  • Crowns, Clocks and Cozy Cafes – Windsor – from bling and butter pats to one poor chap lighting 300 fires – Windsor Castle at its royal best.
  • Pastel Homes and Aussie Hospitality – Notting Hill – where the pubs are bright, the Aussie service fantastic and every street’s ready for a close-up.

And a barrel of thanks…

And! A barrel of thanks and gratitude to our fabulous hosts, Adrian and Christine. There to greet us as we popped out from the tube at Westminster, there for that very last pint at Notting Hill, you were our guides, chauffeurs, planners, and partners in mischief.

You gave us the best of London – from surprise French cannon bollards (the last ones standing!) to VIP Tower of London key handovers, from drinks on Thames-anchored ships to Richmond river cruises, a peek inside the Australian Embassy, and even the secret tip for Horizon 22 – the city’s best complimentary view.

Add in perfect pub roasts, route-planning apps and endless laughter over a Charcuterie board at the end of a long day, and you made our trip extraordinary.

Thank you, dream team! Our door is always open when you next land in Oz.

So lovely, readers… grab your bevvy of choice, kick back, indulge in a spot of escapism, and feel free to share your own fun stories and recommendations in the comments!

Pastel Homes and Aussie Hospitality

Notting Hill…where the pubs are bright, the Aussie service fantastic and every street’s ready for a close up.

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.

NottingHill
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? 

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