No Vaccination for London’s Spring Fever

Londoners revel in the rarity of sunshine at Kensington Gardens.

Anyone visiting or moving to London has been clued in on its weather stereotype: cool, grey, wet. Well, there’s a reason why stereotypes exist sometimes, and London is no exception.

Having faced the coldest winter it’s had in 30 years, London is only just now unfurling its buds and blooming into action. We had a gloomy introduction to Spring that held us at bay, pressing our faces to the puddled pavement with its oppressive cloud-cover and cold temps, as we just gritted our teeth against it and compliantly grunted, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?!”

This past weekend, though…*sigh* Now we’re talkin’. With temperatures creeping closer to 20 degrees Celsius (that’s in the upper 60s, for us Fahrenheit folk) as the sun shined on and on through clear skies (yep, still clear of airplanes, too, because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland; SO strange to see during such otherwise clear weather), residents and visitors alike were reveling in the euphoric freedom of it all.

An obvious response to this shift is when, delighting in their liberation as they scamper through the city parks, people perhaps liberate a lot of their skin. This same phenomenon made me laugh back in Chicago, when on a nice Spring day, people would be dressed in shorts and tank-tops, when in reality if it were that temperature during the Autumn, they’d be layering up in sweaters and jackets already. People are always so eager that they jump the gun, and it is sometimes the innocent onlookers that become the victims of others’ strip-downs, when they really overdo it and practically need a censor to blur certain parts out for a PG-rated audience.

Now, I’m just teasing about how some people choose to dress in their excitement over nicer weather; others around the city are in uproar over an extreme of this—namely, the current controversy going down regarding Hampstead Heath and a petition circulating around in favor of allotting more space for nude sunbathers. The Heath currently maintains a pond for male nude swimming, but naturists complain of the insufficient space for sunbathing, arguing that the area could be easily obscured from the rest of the public if the display would make others uncomfortable to view. The UK is quite more stringent on public nudity than continental Europe in this respect; ironically, as I recall from past travels, the English Garden in Munich has an extensive meadow for naturists. When you move to the UK, you’ll find there are quite a number of cultural differences between this island and mainland Europe; for as much as it’s different than the States, the British share many similarities with Americans that other Europeans don’t, so I suppose this relative prudishness is one.

In what ways might you enjoy the weather if you’re relocating to London in time for late Spring or Summer? If you’re seeking to situate yourself near pleasant outdoor spaces, let us help you find a fine indoor space as well by contacting London Relocation Ltd. with any relocation questions you may have!

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