Hampstead is one of my favourite places outside the city of London. I especially enjoy this leafy area, not just the wonderful Heath but the village atmosphere of the shops and elegant residential areas. I remember the very hot summer of our first visit many years ago, with browned off grasses and boys cooling off in the low waters of the ponds, but there are no photos. We next saw Hampstead in January, 2004, while living in London, and it looked beautiful covered in winter snow.

A London home exchange in 2008 meant another visit to Hampstead, this time covered in mist and the colours of autumn.

2014, We have recently returned for a longer visit, staying 3 nights in a B&B with time to enjoy it again and revisit favourite places, unchanged after all those years. Never too much. Leafy and posh but quietly sophisticated. We enjoyed wandering the streets, the interesting shops and cafes, Louis' Patisserie/Hungarian coffee house, the Spaniards Inn and The Heath, which we walked on a sunny Sunday along with many others. The little graveyard at St John's is always worth a wander. Kenwood House, a former stately home and now managed by English Heritage is one of my favourite art galleries and has recently been restored to its former beauty.

"Hampstead has always stayed aloof from London, looking down from a site on the high ridge north of the metropolis. Today it is essentially a Georgian village...... A tramp across the Heath makes for one of the finest walks in London." Guide