Park life - It's nice

So summer's finally made it to London, a few months late admittedly, but better later than never. This weekend it's been all sunshine and blue skies and I've been trying to make up for lost time by cramming all my favourite summer activities into two days: swimming, eating ice cream, making banana smoothies, tennis, beer in the afternoon, reggae and dance-hall music and of course, that most English of summer activities, sitting in the park. I've just come back from a couple of hours lazing in the sun in Paddington Rec and I have to say it is simply delightful. And my favourite part is the simplest thing of all - the grass. It's not the hard, dry, scratchy grass that you get at home - it's soft, sweet-smelling, springy green grass like they draw in children's books. Lying on the grass in Paddington Rec is like lying on a goose-down quilt, except it's outside and it's free. Perfection. And the locals love it - half of Maida Vale must be out there playing frisbee or sun-bathing or kicking a football or just generally lazing. But it's not crowded enough to spoil the fun - it's just right. Park life? Not bad, I must say.