January's Photo Winner!

Congrats to Kenneth William Adams for his winning shot: Robin in Hampstead Churchyard near John Constable’s Tomb!

The picture was taken in 2010 when visiting my brother who lives in London.  My mother moved from Northern Ireland to Hampstead in 1964. I visited her many times over the year and I, also, lived in Hampstead in 1973 and 1974. I loved the village, the pubs, the restaurants, The Coffee Cup  and of course The Heath. I used to see Peter O'Toole in The Flask from time to time and other movie and TV stars.

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January photo winner

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I still love to visit Hampstead as often as I can. There is nothing like walking around Hampstead in the early spring--there are magnificent carpets of crocus everywhere and hosts of golden daffodils, which reminds me another of my favorite locations, the Lake District. But I am getting side tracked. When I think of Hampstead so many memories come to mind.

[Like] enjoying a pint of beer in the garden at The Spaniards Inn with my dear mother. The Inn is very old and in a showcase is a lead ball from a pistol shot fired by Dick Turpin at the London to York stagecoach. A walk to the Vale of Health and then on the Heath, enjoying views of London. Enjoying a ploughman's lunch at the Holly Bush with a pint of bitter in front of a roaring coal fire. Watching Now Voyager starring Bette Davis at the Everyman Theatre. People watching at The Coffee Cup. Window shopping on High Street. Hampstead was a very desirable place to live in Victorian times due to its elevation. Hampstead underground station is the deepest in the whole system. And of course, you must visit Hampstead Church and churchyard. As you are walking towards the church coming from the direction the underground, on the right hand side you will be passing headstones, and if you look carefully, facing the road one will read "Kay Kendall, beloved wife of Rex Harrison." You have not seen London unless you have seen Hampstead Village.

Thank you for sharing those memories, Kenneth! If you want to see your photos and stories online and in the print magazine, click here.