Create Your Own Calm | London edition

This is a story about finding calm in the most unexpected of places. London is one of the busiest cities in the world and yet taking time to pause, to pay attention, to notice, creates its own sense of quiet. It's quite a nice way of adding a little bit of detail and interest to an outfit. There's a particular kind of morning in London which you wouldn't believe exists. The light comes in low and gold, a warm breeze whispering through the leaves. It's something that reminds me what a special city this is, a jostling mix of people and cultures where diversity sits at ease. And whilst it's at times noisy, full of traffic, congested, one of the great things that sets it apart is the vast open spaces, the green lungs of the parks. They're an invitation to pause, to sit, to reflect. Whenever I can I walk in London, often taking a route from Paddington through Hyde Park, which is quiet and tranquil with paths meandering through the trees. It gives me time to think, to collect my thoughts, to breathe. Belgravia is an open secret in London, a real gem of a place, less obviously glamorous than Kensington, less flashy than Mayfair. It has, you know, a quiet elegance all of its own. The tall white stucco houses with flowers and window boxes and smart front doors. The streets which feel calming, particularly at the weekend. A part of the city which has a village feel all of its own. Independent shops and restaurants, cafes with colourfully painted facades. Stepping into the hotel in Belgravia feels less like checking in and more like an invitation. This is a hotel which feels like a quiet corner and as always it's the people who make it. The restaurant manager who checked if I'd like a table beneath the trees for brunch. The Moldovan lady with the beautiful auburn hair who chatted to me about my dress, telling me that the embroidered rose traditional cross-stitch pattern made her feel a connection to home. So I'm going to the tennis at Queen's today which is always a really lovely event. Anyway, I'm wearing this white shirt dress and it's quite understated and I've been thinking about how I can kind of lift it and give it a little bit more impact. I mean it's a beautiful dress, it's got this lovely broderie detail, you know, it's quite fitted, it's quite flattering, but I wanted to give it a little bit more of an edge, a little bit more theatricality. And one of the ways that I'm doing that is with some jewellery. So I've just put on this necklace by Ottoman Hands. This necklace, I'd kind of forgotten about this one. I haven't worn this for years actually and I thought just layering some gold necklaces is quite a nice way of adding a little bit of detail and interest to an outfit. It just adds a nice little bit of detail. I've got my grey Morton earrings that I wear quite a lot, a few gold bangles and so yeah, some nice hints of gold and warmth. So this dress comes with a fabric belt but I've added this straw belt which I think just adds a little bit more sort of interest and detail. And I'm going to be wearing this with this striped blazer which has a nice embroidered crest on it so I will pop that on in a moment. I'm running slightly behind the clock, I've got a car coming in probably about 20 minutes. Belgravia to the Victorian Albert Museum is a place which reminds me of how diverse London is. The way that it celebrates difference, thrives on it. The way that acceptance of diversity binds us together in a common purpose, a shared humanity if you like. I spent a while at the Rising Voices exhibition which features contemporary South Asian art. A performance of a song written in a dying language which is part celebration, part defiance, part assertion of identity. A Japanese plywood house suspended from the ceiling which felt weightless and majestic and somehow fleeting. It reimagines male sensitivity and reworks through a series of photographs what life might have been like if colonial power was reversed. It's something I noticed too at the Royal Academy, a place which is part traditional institution, part rebellion. The Class of 2026 exhibition, installations, sound rooms, video played in a darkened room, viewers sitting on tiny stools, asks questions about perspective, beginnings and endings, what inhabits the margins and the gaps where documentation fails. It's something I've always been interested in, the things which lie beyond communication, the gaps, the way that language, beautiful as it can be, sometimes strains at the seams. One of the most compelling video installations there seemed to subvert the idea of beginnings and endings, of the blanks in between. It reminded me of the importance of attention, of being present, of sitting with things that challenge you and reflecting on the impact of art on both the mind and the soul. It's a route which took me past Buckingham Palace with its gilded gates glinting in the sunshine. It's an idiosyncratic and iconic expression of British tradition and I thought you'd love to see it too. As an interior journalist, I also always love seeking out beautiful homewares and I'll spend time in stores like Divertimenti, Fortnum & Mason, kind of eyeing up beautiful things, not necessarily to buy but, you know, just to look, to notice, to appreciate, to imagine and, you know, to take in some of these beautiful things. This is where I like to buy my tea and I love the way that the tea is displayed in all these colourful caddies, the teas from around the world. I always buy Royal Blend and Wedding Breakfast, buy them loose, take them home to decant into my own caddies and I love the whole process of selection, of talking about the teas, to make choices, listening to somebody talk about teas from around the globe. I also love to work in a cup of tea or, even better, afternoon tea with scones and jam and this is in the V&A Members restaurant and it's a lovely place to end the day after looking and noticing, observing, taking everything in to sit and relax over a cup of tea. There's nothing quite like it. If you're enjoying this channel, please like, subscribe, hype, send to a friend who you think might enjoy it too and I'll see you back here soon for another episode.