Off to Hampton Hill

London truly is a collection of villages each with its own identities and prejudices. And like most locals I can see all the attractions of my own area and all the faults with others.

Because of this I have previously been tempted to spend any time in Hampton Hill despite it being just a couple of miles away.

The prospect of some new gardens changed my mind and I headed off there by bike choosing to take the longer but much prettier route through Bushy Park.

Three gardens were on offer and they were an interesting combination; one was packed with flowers and shrubs, one was packed with one of the oddest assortments of outdoor decorations that I have ever seen and one was large, luxurious and languid.

This last garden not only offered a glass of wine to drink but also a bewildering collection of seats in which to relax in while doing so.

It also had this frog.

If this was my garden then the frog would have been a pivotal feature but here he had been banished to a greenhouse and seems to accept this as fair punishment for some nefarious deed.

The wine, comfy seats and frog meant that I lingered there longer than intended and had to cycle home the quick way along the main road to and through Teddington and then over the lock.

This helped to remind me why I live where I do surrounded by wild open spaces that are a far cry from the common suburban ribbon development that conspires to make town centres all look much the same. This reinforcement of my previous prejudices was tempered by my experience of the gardens just enough for me to consider venturing that way again. Or even to Isleworth.