I didn’t always hold London in the high esteem I do today. I first visited around ten years ago and the burn was slow; I wasn’t impressed with the blanket of clouds, nor charmed by the Sunday roast, and I was positively ignorant to the Blighty news and culture.

Until the day I visited Portobello Road.

Once a small country lane home to hayfields, orchards and other open land, today Portobello Road is a composition of the Victorian era. The road meanders with poise for most of it’s span, and is enclosed by fabulous shops, restaurants, pubs and bars. It is also quarters to one of Britain’s oldest cinemas, Electric Cinema and the celebrated Hummingbird Bakery.

I’m not sure whether it was the iconic colourful terraced houses, the deliciously cluttered market stalls or the infinitely grand streets that surrounded this famous thoroughfare, but something in me clicked that day and I knew I would return. Fast-forward five years, and I was back living in Notting Hill, and loving every moment.

My first home in London was just a few streets from Portobello Road, and I revelled in my weekly visits to the market. Whether it was for fruit and veg for the week ahead, or browsing around the Saturday antiques stalls, there was always something buzzy going on. If you’re visiting London, be sure to add a visit to Portobello Road.