Back to Balham

A friend once told me that you always end up where you first started when you move to London. She couldn’t be more right in the case of Geoff.

Three weeks ago, Geoff, Mike and Ben moved into a new house in Balham, a suburb south of Central London. Geoff stayed there when he arrived in London 5 months ago (see blog entry here).

After a lengthy search, numerous property viewings and some price negotiations, the Balham house was settled and the guys couldn’t be happier.



It’s a great house, sunny, spacious with tonnes of living areas, a small backyard and of course a BBQ. Some of its more unique features include an automatic fireplace (flick the switch and you got fire) and a glass conservatory dining room with a painted mural scene.



The location is another great thing. A five-minute walk to the Tube (very important because no one has cars here) and a minutes walk to supermarkets, shops, boutiques, pubs, bars, cafes, restaurants and the markets.

Geoff and I tested the closest restaurant just down the street called Dish Dash that serves up Persian food in a cosy and intimate setting.



But none of this came without the trials and tribulations of finding a rental property in London.


I noticed the other day the SMH published an article on the difficulties of finding a rental property in Sydney these days, but I don’t think it quite compares to London. The guys learnt lots, to say the least, in their search for the Balham house. Here’s a few pointers for those who are thinking of making the move over:

• Be clear with the agent about what you want in a property, otherwise they will waste your time taking you to unsuitable properties they are trying to get off their books.

• Don’t trust an advertisement which doesn’t show you photos. The property is likely to be in a dodgy area, not what the advertisement says it is and undergoing renovations, which are ‘promised’ to be completed in 3 days (and you know it definitely won’t be completed by then)

• Don’t expect anything near good customer service from a London real estate agent (I don’t think they are very familiar with the phrase)

• Finally, London properties are expensive, but keep in mind that it is because most of them a fully furnished (which is really the best thing if you are a foreigner here)

In fact the Balham house is more than fully furnished, the landlord provides items such as crockery and a mixed assortment of original artwork (small pieces of photography, hand drawings etc), though the tenants decided to add a few of their own…


So after a long search and living out of suitcases for months, it’s time to call Balham home.

Two Weekends in London

While the travel back and forth can be a bit hectic at times (especially when it takes you twice as long to get back due to wire faults), I love popping down to London to see Geoff, friends and explore the great city.

My first weekend down was to spend some relaxing time with Geoff, and take some time out from study.

The following weekend was spent out and about London town. I arrived to a stunning Spring day in London (it’s still winter here but the temps were in the teens and the sun was out and it very much felt like Spring was in the air). We couldn’t bear to stay indoors, so we took a visit to the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square.



This was very much due to the enthusiasm of our friend Tom, who raves about the National Gallery to anyone and everyone. But we now appreciate why.

The National Gallery is a huge gallery in one of the busiest parts of London. Admission is completely free and you could literally spend a whole day there, wondering (and getting lost) through the maze of endless rooms of original paintings.



You’ll find Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Turner, Monet and Van Gogh among many others. I have to say Van Gogh’s yellow and ochre Sunflowers is a stunner in its original form. The intensity of colour makes it both a memorable and stand-out piece in the room and entire gallery.

If one does visit all the rooms, then recharging batteries is a must. We found a wonderful café, Peyton Byrne, on the Lower ground floor. The cakes and treats here are not to be missed.



Sunday was another stunner of a day. Mid-morning we set out under the clear blue skies to Kew Bridge to have lunch with Geoff’s cousin, Scott, his wife Tina and their 9-month baby girl, Lara.



They found a wonderful little pub right on the banks of the Thames where one can soak up the sun and enjoy a cold beer, especially perched on the river walls and public footpath which runs right outside the pub.



It was such a lovely day we decided to spend the afternoon at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew Garden is a huge park with lots to see. It is immaculately maintained and it takes a few good hours to walk around. Some places we visited were:

Kew Place and its parterre garden



The Temperate Houses



filled to the roof with tropical plants from all over the world



The Japanese Gardens and Pagoda



The lake, its ducks and crossing


The Palm House


And the spotting of numerous Henry Moore sculptures peppered throughout the gardens, such as this one here with the backdrop of the Kew Gardens Gallery.



By the late afternoon, the sun was setting and the temperatures were cooling down considerably so we wrapped up our our busy weekend with some relaxation on Sunday night.

Monday continued more busy activity for me in London. I spent the day at the Design Council for a catch up with my supervisors on the progress of my research, attended a talk at the Royal Society of Arts and had dinner with intrepid traveller, Adam, fresh from the French snowfields.



We dined at Chez Gerard in Covent Garden and I just have to recommend the steak there having had that twice now. It was great to catch up with a familiar face from home.

Sometimes in London, I can't help but to think about how amazing it is to spend time and meet with people from home, on the other side of the world. What a great city!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Kong Hei Fat Choi! The new year wishes are a bit late (Chinese New Year was on the 7th of February this year) but as I write, I know the family at home is gathering for the annual Chinese New Year dinner at Istana.

It’s the Year of the Rat, a lucky year being ’08, and while I am missing out on the red packets, I didn’t miss out on tucking in some Chinese food at the Happiness Inn, Newcastle with some great company. Thanks Joyce for organising a great night out...