Vince's good things about London (4): Parks

In Paris we have half a dozen tiny parks in the centre. Until recently they had little grass space and it was forbidden to sit on the grass. Parks are basically places for grannies and nannies, with flowers beads you could only contemplate from afar. It is a bit better now that you are allowed to sit down and picnic in Paris’ gardens but it remains they are ridiculously small compared to those of London.

Just to take Central London we have Hyde Park, Regent Park, Battersea Park, Victoria Park, Hampstead Heath…at least five enormous and casual parks. And tens of smaller one like my local Highbury Fields. In the middle of the big ones, one can barely see or hear the city outside. And the centre of Hyde Park is, like some parts of New York’s Central Park, quite wild.

And there is a park culture. As soon as the temperature hits, say, twenty three degrees (ie four or five week-ens a year), Londoners of all ages immediately improvise picnics, and don't move from there for the whole week-end. Groups gather until late. Girls play football ; Indians play cricket. People borrow tire-corkscrews to neighbours. People drink white wine in glass glasses, sometimes moderately. It is really really nice.