I politely thanked the estate agent after our first viewing, doing my best to conceal my enthusiasm for the property as I spoke.
‘Ummm… I’ll speak to my husband and, well, I guess we’ll be in touch,’ I stammered.
It was a warm summer’s day and Jesse and I walked slowly in the heat, unable to muster more than a gentle stroll. I was under strict instructions to explore the area surrounding the house, to get a feel for the locale and do my best to figure out if it was somewhere we would like to live.
We followed the narrow pavement back to the busy main road and turned right. The traffic was sparse, but still loud and imposing. A huge double-decker slowed to a halt beside a nearby bus stop, filling Jesse with vehicular glee. I lowered myself to his level and we watched as a handful of passengers disembarked.
Soon the pavement grew busier and the neat terraced houses morphed into shops and small businesses. The beginning of the high street was satisfyingly grubby, rough around the edges in a way I had craved since leaving London 8 years earlier. Then, through a tangle of traffic lights, cars and pedestrians I caught a glimpse of vibrant green.
‘The park mummy, we found the park!’ Jesse cried.
The leaves had just started to fall from the trees in St. George’s Park by the time we finally moved in mid-September. The sun was still warm the first time we ventured beneath the impressive avenue of London Planes, its dappled light painting a myriad of patterns on the grass below. 
We explored the entire park that day, silently creating a weekend ritual as we traversed its many paths and committed its layout to memory. I was in awe of its vastness, the huge expanse of undulating green terrain and the trees too numerous to count. The children loved the playground immediately and I foresaw countless summers filled with the same unbridled enthusiasm. 
Soon it was colder. The weather demanded we trade our summer attire for winter coats and sturdy boots, but our visits to the park remained just as frequent as before. I learnt to take a shortcut to town along its main path at every opportunity, because even the most fleeting glimpse of its natural beauty would lift my mood.
I took a million photos of the children basking in glorious autumn sunshine and swelled with happiness as they stomped through mountains of crisp, fallen leaves. 
‘This can be our life now,’ I thought. ‘A park life.’
Love Audrey xxx
I live 10 min away from a hill and I love it, but my Irish Setter even more so. Keeps dragging me to the hill. This park looks wonderful, would love to take a walk anytime of the year. Is it far from your new home?
It’s a mere 10min walk away, a wonderful extension of our back garden if you will!
xxx
This post made me feel all warm and fuzzy, you write so beautifully and the photos are stunning. I love the last two especially, they look like they’re having so much fun! xo
Rosie | A Rosie Outlook
Oh they were Rosie! All smiles and giggles 🙂
xxx
Great pictures! They look so natural and easy but are really difficult to get! Lovely website – I’m glad I came across it, good luck and keep up the good work!
Thank you Andrew, very kind of you to say 🙂
What gorgeous pictures and ever so elegantly put. It has made me want to pop to our local woods/park if it wasn’t for it being so cold out and I’m all snug inside. 🙂
Thanks so much Jo! xxx
Beautiful photos. I love the color of your lipstick! Would you mind sharing the brand/color?
Thanks Kristen. That photo was taken a while ago, so I could be wrong, but I think it’s a Chanel shade called Lover. One of my favourites 🙂
xxx
We live right near a big park here in Liverpool and it’s the best thing isn’t it?! I love how we’ve got to know it and how it changes throughout the seasons.