Spring at Regent's Park

Before we get started, I feel compelled to share with you all, this photo:

Somewhere in there you are looking at the First Leaf on the tree outside my house. All of the trees in the street have been pruned within an inch of their life, and its debatable whether we'll get any decent greenery. Still, this is hopeful.

This weekend is apparently "The Hottest Weekend of the Year" (at tops of 26, one assumes this is "so far"), and the week leading up to it had its share of lovely sunny days. And so on the advice of my cousin (and now seasoned traveller) Vivienne, I went to Regent's Park.

I've never been. Sure, I've been to the zoo, which occupies one of the top corners of the park, but never the park itself. It's lovely. One can only assume that the people who live nearby are the luckiest (richest) in the city. Imagine being able to take your lunch break here each day.

The park is divided into a bunch of different gardens and ovals and fields - people eating, jogging, training, walking their dogs...and then there's this guy:

I had to zoom in from the other side of the park (God bless 12x optical zoom) but oh my, was it worth it. At one point he stood on his head for a full two seconds before he overbalanced and went back to waving the staff around and (for some reason known only to him, but clearly something for which you need to be topless) juggling one of his shoes.

After this lunchtime entertainment I was free to view the rest of the park, taking advantage of people in close conversation in order to get these shots:

This next one I especially love - I suspect the guys knew they were being photographed, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. What a resourceful couple of businessmen. What an obliging tree.

Well, enough of the human residents of the park. Because in the Queen's Gardens section there was a pond, and in that pond (apart from INCREDIBLY large fish) were ducks. This one is rocking the punk look:

This one is asleep, foolishly unaware of how close I am.

I feel this next one requires an explanation. The swan is not dead. Promise. He is just dabbling, something I have never seen a swan do this before.

And then, a little turn down past some tennis courts (perfect weather for it too, unfortunately, as the best I could have managed was running REALLY fast around to the other side of the net to return my own serve), there he was! Squirrel!!!

Followed him for a bit, then stopped harassing the wildlife (before they get organised and start protesting) and got back to the gardens:

Over the bridge to a little island, just for this view of some curly willow leaves over a welling:

Then just when you think it's all Victorian hedges and flowerbeds (not that that's a bad thing - exhibit a:)...

...you come across a gorgeous little thicket like this:

And with that, it's off to the Honest Sausage for an icecream.