Birthday on Tuesday in Hampstead

It wasn’t anything fancy. Just a simple get together at 10pm in the evening, with an ordinary birthday cake as usual, with 30 over people singing the all-too-familiar birthday song, with 30 over guys of different nationalities giving their wishes and blessings deep from their heart, and also in different languages as well.

Prior to that, Neil, Ben and I had a nice evening walk around Hampstead after dinner. Neil, who knows Hampstead like the back of his hand, brought Ben and I to another part of Hampstead that we’ve never been before, even though it is really near our house. Christmas trees, lights, carols make Hampstead more appealing than ever. No wonder so many people want to live here. For instance, George Orwell worked in Hampstead and Keats stayed here before. Sigmund Freud stayed in Hampstead before as well, just opposite my house. I’ll write about Sigmund Freud House next time.

After which the three of us had 1.5 pints of Stella each at this simply gorgeous traditional English pub in Hampstead called Holly Bush. The pub is situated on a small hill, the interior of which is really cosy and lovely. This is the first time I went to this pub and I really adore it. Holly Bush has a history of more than 200 years, which reminds me of Trout Inn in Oxford (Trout Inn is 900+ years old). I really love Trout Inn as well and I hope to go back when I re-visit Oxford again. Old traditional pubs just exude an inexorable charm on me that I can’t resist.

I’m loving Hampstead more and more. Neil says Hampstead is even better than Mayfair and I absolutely have to agree. I’ll write about Hampstead crepes (I’ve tried 30 over different crepes so far, a few more to finish everything on the menu!!), Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House among many fabulous things in Hampstead in the near future.