Running from London to Surrey Hills (Reigate Hill)
I had an idea of visiting Surrey Hills National Landscape two years ago, and planned to start from London on foot - running! The route has long been saved on my Strava app. However, the plan has never been fulfilled until this week……
Z Hotel in Bath — paying attention to details contribute to nice staying experience
During my trip to Bath in March this year (2025), I stayed in two hotels. Besides Travelodge on Sunday which had a very great price for SuperRoom, I also tried Z Hotel.
A visit to Crossness Pumping Station
I have longed for visiting this beautiful Victorian pumping station in Abbey Wood, east London, and it finally came true this summer.
Another View Hotel stay in Folkestone this time, following Eastbourne
Remember my previous View Hotel stay for my birthday? About a month later, I stayed another one which was in Folkestone.
The Rise and Fall of the Pier — Bognor Regis
During my trip to Bognor Regis in April this year, I visited their local museum and bought three small books. One of them is called The Rise and Fall of the Pier.
Where did I visit during these two weeks by bus and tram only in London?
In the previous article, I talked about my experience of going all-in bus and tram only in London, with less than £25 per week visiting various places. Here are my list of places I went to in the recent two weeks.
A visit to Caterham — a day trip outside London by London bus only
Bus services in London not only cover the city but also cross the border to other towns surrounding it. Caterham is one of the examples you can escape Greater London with only £1.75!
An experiment of going all-in bus and tram in London
As a person who live in zone 4, I challenged myself to go all-in bus and tram. How was the experience and can I live without railway (aka Underground, Overground and National Rail) in London? I will discuss it in terms of fare, challenges and benefits.
A visit to Croydon Airport
Croydon has had a very reputation for many people: a dangerous place in London when they heard the news. But in fact Croydon is more than that, especially when there was once an airport: Croydon Airport.
My second trip to Margate, and the first time to Broadstairs
I visited Margate in August last year for a day trip, and I knew it was a great place that I should revisit. This time I planned to stay overnight so that I could have more time to visit Broadstairs which is nearby as well!
Some sketches in Croydon
Within a few years, I have accumulated more and more sketches in this borough. In this article I am going to tell some stories starting from some of my sketches.
Trees as natural air conditioners
Nothing is better than planting more trees as dense as possible to not only block almost all the sunlight to reduce heat and the risk of skin cancer, but also provide a cool pathway which encourages walking and even running.
A visit to Wanstead Park
The maximum temperature reached 26-27c in London as of writing so I had an idea to go to somewhere cool down. Visiting parks is always a great idea because of groups of trees, or woods/forests — the natural air conditioner which won't damage the environment by greenhouse effect. Thus I gave Wanstead Park — where I only passed by through running not seriously visiting — a chance.
My Serpentine Pavilion sketches from 2021
Since coming to the UK for my new life, I have been following Serpentine Pavilion every year. If you don’t know what it is, it is a meanwhile public space designed by the architects invited by Serpentine Gallery. Available usually between June and October.
Crystal Palace Park revisited
I have visited Crystal Palace Park many times. This time, I needed to show my new friend around. Although I am already familiar with the park and its history, there were still new discoveries during the revisit.
Bethlem Museum of Mind, Psycho Killer, and speaking of seeking professional help
Bethlem Museum of Mind is located in Bethlem Royal Hospital, which is believed to be the world's first psychiatric hospital. The hospital is still running, while the museum shows the change in the treatment of patients over 800 years, including the therapy through art creation since the 19th century.
My longest run ever: 32km
Last Friday, I ran for 32km, breaking the previous three records of 30 and 31km which were done in 2022 and 2023.
Urban Sketchers London — St Pancras (and other sketches done before)
In May this year, Urban Sketchers London event was held in St Pancras where I have been to many times and have had a lot of sketches so far, but there are still lots to sketch due to wide ranges of places which are worth visiting, from King’s Cross and St Pancras International, to Coal Drops Yard and Regent’s Canal.
A trip to Portsmouth, Gosport and Bognor Regis
Under such the perfect weather in early April, I had a trip which was a little bit different because of visiting more than one place/town at once instead. I started from Portsmouth and ended in Bognor Regis.
Chatsworth Hotel in Worthing — a detailed review of the oldest hotel in the town
Chatsworth Hotel is the oldest hotel in the seafront of Worthing, which is a bit close to Brighton. The family has owned it for more than 200 years, and the Georgian building has already become Grade II listed.