When I turned 21, I decided to go and live in the UK. It was a big deal for me at that time. It was just a couple of years after my country went through the
Velvet revolution, so we were finally allowed to travel. After that event and before moving to the UK I only went for vacation in Greece. It was my only abroad experience.
This was very different, and it took all my courage. I was going to stay there for a year working as an au-pair, but mainly improving my English skills. So I did, and arrived in London. I could hardly communicate, I had only textbook English, and literally almost everything was new to me, but today I can say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
My host family was not originally British, but I actually didn't mind. On the contrary. It was quite an 'international house' :-), and they were great. I stayed in touch with them for years.
At first I lived in
Mill Hill (A), and later moved to
Totteridge (B). Both of these areas are part of the
London Borough of Barnet in North London.
(Note: Unfortunately, my photos from this time aren't digital yet. I am planning to convert them in the future. So, I am using pictures from the internet)
Mill Hill
"The area's name was first recorded as Myllehill in 1547 and appears to mean "hill with a windmill". However, the workings of the original Mill are in the building adjacent to the Mill Field. Mill Hill Village is the oldest known inhabited part of the district, a ribbon development along a medieval route called 'The Ridgeway'. It is thought that the name 'Mill Hill' may be derived from a mill on The Ridgeway, built on an area of open ground (now a park) known as The Mill Field.
The village is bounded on the north and the south by Green Belt land, and its High Street, at 100 yards, is the shortest in London. The area's proximity to the city made it popular as a country retreat from the 17th century onwards, and large houses and quaint cottages survive.
William Wilberforce (MP, and abolitionist of the slave trade) and Sir Stamford Raffles (founder of colonial Singapore) both briefly resided here, the former being the patron of Mill Hill’s first church, Saint Paul’s. As late as 1960 five shops existed in the Village (Griffin's sub-Post Office, The Blenheim Steps, Cook & Son (sweets and groceries), Hawes Brothers (grocers) and Vincett's (butchers)) but although the buildings survive, they have all since been converted into private houses, as the retail focus in the area shifted to Mill Hill Broadway." - Wikipedia
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| Mill Hill Broadway |
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| Mill Hill Broadway |
Totteridge
"Called Tatarige in the 13th century, the settlement is probably named after someone called Tata. The ridge is the high ground between the valleys of the Dollis Brook and Folly Brook. Over the centuries the rural qualities of Totteridge have attracted well-to-do families. Cardinal Manning was born at Copped Hall in Totteridge in 1808. With the opening of Great Northern Railway station in 1872, late-Victorian and Edwardian mansions were built around the old village. In line with overall trends in the late-1930s, following the conversion of the railway station (in operation from 1872 until 1941) into an underground station (from 1940) on the Northern Line, smaller properties were built within walking distance from the station (Totteridge and Whetstone tube station). In 1968 much of Totteridge was designated a Conservation Area, and no major developments have taken place since then.
Totteridge was a civil parish of Hertfordshire covering an area of 1,604 acres (6.49 km2) and formed part of a thin protrusion into Middlesex. It became part of Barnet Rural District and had a parish council from 1894 to 1914. It then formed part of Barnet Urban District from 1914 to 1965. In 1965, the parish and urban district were abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and the area was transferred from Hertfordshire to Greater London, to become part of the London Borough of Barnet.
Saint Andrew's church stands on the ancient circle site, with a chapel known to be located here from 1250. The ancient yew tree in the churchyard is about 2,000 years old (as estimated by Kew garden's experts) and is the oldest tree in London (also included in the book "100 Greatest Trees of London).
Totteridge has many spacious detached properties in a green setting that are highly valued; some of them are among the most expensive houses in London. Thus its past and present residents include the rich and famous, such as Arsène Wenger, Frankie Vaughan, Des O'Connor, Cliff Richard, Mickie Most, Hank Marvin, David Dein and many top footballers." - Wikipedia
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Totteridge Lane - my way home, almost at the house
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When I wasn't spending time in the
West End = central London I would hang around
Hendon,
Edgware,
Finchley, or my favourite
Hampstead Heath.
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| Hampstead Heath - a large, ancient London park, covering 320 hectares |
In the end I stayed for almost 3 years, it felt like home. I had a great time, but it wasn't always easy and fun. I guess I was experiencing typical ups and downs, but it definitely changed my life.
I have so many memories! I have just remembered how I tasted the typical British black tea
with milk for the first time and immediately loved it. It was also in London where I had for the first time
salted butter - on my croissant, and immediately hated it. I just couldn't understand that combination. I guess that my topping it with jam didn't help :-)
....It was just a begging. I had so many experiences!
