I grew up in the same house, in the same town until I was 18. For the last 8 years I have lived in 12 different areas including 3 different countries: Scotland, Wales & Turks and Caicos - soon to be 4 as we are about to leave for Canada!
I have recently got into following all kinds of fun travel blogs of people living in new countries and having fun adventures so when I saw this 'where I come from' post by Allie over at beauty & the feast I decided it would be fun to join in too!
Whilst my love of America is widely known, and some of my friends have been offended by my lack of patriotism to England (Laur, I'm talking about you! hehe) I do actually love where I'm from!
So without further ado...let's talk about
Harpenden! Harpenden is a small town in the home counties, just 30 miles north of London. It is full of leafy tree lined streets, parks and greens around every corner, more estate agents and hairdressers than actual shops, and people who are even buying second houses and pretending to live in them just to get in to the awesome school I attended - true story! It is full of cute little cafe's and coffee shops and tons of independent restaurants that you won't find in every town like Grafitti, an Italian restaurant my friends and I used to frequent where you could draw on the tablecloths and if it was good enough your artwork would get framed on the wall!
My happiest memories of growing up here are...
...tree climbing at Gilpin Green (despite the concrete sign planted in the ground saying 'No climbing') We would bust out our best french accents when the old ladies would come out and tell us to get down!
...bike riding at the ups and downs!
...living on the swings at old 24 Spenser Rd (my old house!)
...feeding the ducks at The River Lea
...kite flying at the common
...snow days spent sledging at Rothamstead Park
...after school milkshakes at Lassiter's
...summer wasn't summer without a trip to the strawberry p.y.o
...being an Old Georgian meant my tights were green, school hymns were sung in Latin, we played lacrosse and carried our ingredients to school in wicker baskets and we loved it!
...Thorn's tobacconist (which was also a sweet shop) was where we always headed after school to spend all our pocket money!
...road trips to The Waffle House
...beat the clock Monday night's at Cafe Blue Dog
...scaling 'The Wall' in stripey knee high socks to and from various house parties!
...pubbing it up at The Inn On The Green & The George, where I would spend all my 'beer' money on the computerised jukebox
...London being only a 30 min train ride away, which was perfect for fun day trips (My first ever day out recorded in my baby book was to Harrod's in London - what can I say, start as you mean to go on!) We used to love the toy department at Harrod's and gaze adoringly at the little pink Barbie 4 x 4! It also came in very handy for going to see gigs in my teenage years! and for mammoth shopping trips at all our favourite haunts from Covent Garden to Camden to High St Ken and everywhere in between!
