Indiana University

Indiana University School of Journalism

Summer in London: Sampling London’s parks

Thirteen honors students from the School of Journalism are spending their summer in London, working in British media and studying British culture.

‘Parking it’ in London’s parks

May 28, 2008

Jackie Kochell

Jackie Kochell
Courtesy photo
Jackie Kochell says students are taking advantage of London’s many lavish parks.
During my time in London, I’ve enjoyed marveling over artwork at the Tate, strolling down Portobello Street on a Saturday afternoon and sampling food at Borough Market. But my favorite activity in London has been simply sampling the parks.

These parks are much more than open fields of grass; they’re sprawling with London life and culture. We’ve been blessed with a record-breaking sunny weather streak (except for today. I guess it rains in London after all), and going to the parks on a bright day is something most Londoners take advantage of.

Roller-skating break dancers, beautiful flowers and historical monuments are just a few of the reasons why I love the parks so much. Though life in the big city is fascinating, these clean parks provide a break from the craziness of London’s urban atmosphere.

And these precious gems of green space are everywhere. Even at work, I can eat my lunch in a park across the street and watch kids play football, which makes me think back to my own youth soccer days. (Actually, I should say “day.” The only game I ever played was in fourth grade and I kicked mud around for 15 minutes. Thank you, equal playing time regulations).

In the three weeks our group has been here, the parks have become some of our favorite London hot spots. We have taken the time to enjoy sunsets after class in Green Park, treated ourselves to high tea at Kensington Gardens and learned the hard way that you can’t sit in the chairs for free at St. James Park.

I hope the rain clears up soon. We’ve still got a lot of sitting to do.