Another Emma and Liz Reads book finished (if you want to find them all, click here) I bought this one in January when we decided that, because of various life stresses, we wanted a nice easy book rather than the slightly more challenging ones we had in the pile and I’ve now read two of the books I bought that month. We’d prevoiusly read Davies book on Hampstead Heath and I’d spotted he had one about parks in the capital more generally so it seemed like a good option. Of course I ordered it from The Heath Bookshop, having bought a copy for Emma via their Bookshop.org page.

Hunter Davies – “London Parks: A Stroll Around the Capital’s Greatest Glories”

(28 January 2024, The Heath Bookshop)

And the good news is that London parks are still growing, despite the temptation to build offices and homes for mighty profit in any spare square yard. Yet I can think of five major parks that were not here before the war, which together have added over 1,000 acres to London park life. Three I have included in this book – Burgess Park, Olymipic Park and the Wetland Centre. Add to those Northala Fields and Beckenham Place Park. Amazing. Five new London parks … (p. 3)

In this likeable book, the somewhat elderly Davies chooses a number of parks to visit: he goes around himself but also chats to whoever manages the park. He divides himself between North and South London, often making a bit of a fuss about going South of the river, and covers ten main parks plus a piece about the royal parks and their chief executive. He explains that he had to choose from the parks over 20 acres (and lists all of them in the back) and there are a lot so many of them don’t make the cut (Peckham Rye, for example).

Some of the parks we know well between us, others were a mystery, and we’d certainly like to visit or revisit many of them so the book has done its job! It was nice to be reminded of St James’ Park, where we used to go when Matthew and I lived in London, and lovely to read about details like the monk who lives in Battersea Park and keeps the Peace Pagoda clean and tidy. Each chapter has a nice list of the best things about the park at the back which is a handy reminder.

Emma’s favourite chapters were the ones on Burgess and Victoria Parks, whereas I chose Burgess and The London Wetland Centre. Our favourite actual parks in London are Highgate Wood and Hampstead Heath for Emma and Highgate Wood and Telegraph Hill Park for me (that’s the nearest park to where I lived in my flat in London).

Our next book is Raynor Wynn’s third book, “Landlines” – we’ve read the first two together. We’ll start that the week after next …