Back in the time when I was living in Walthamstow with the Captain as his tenant, I wrote 100 of my favourite things down. I recently came across the four page list, and thought I’d type them out. Not much has changed in terms of the things I like.
1/ Cup of tea (large)
2/ Sunsets in Walthamstow
3/Sunrises in Walthamstow
4/ Spaghetti Napoletana
5/ Loud stereo music when dreaming or walking
6/ Clean sheets
7/ A roaring fire
8/ Jack Russells
9/ Kittens
10/ Hot Holidays
11/ Horse-riding fast in Spain
12/ Swimming in natural water
13/ Clothes that make me look good.
14/ Large lamps
15/ High elegant heels that are comfortable
16/ The South Bank in London at twilight
17/ Swans
18/ Big, wickedly comfortable sofas
19/ Absorbing books eg The Secret History by Donna Tart
20/ Sushi
21/ Smell of coffee
22/ High maintenance toiletries – Paloma Picasso (admittedly, its changed. Now it’s Interdit, Givenchy)
23/ Large flowers in huge vases
24/ Well fitted but beautiful bras
25/ Stylish handbags – not designer, but unique
26/ A glass of Piper Heidsieck or Louis Roederer Cristal
27/ Cornflowers & Love in the Mist
28/ Tom Yam Soup
29/ Speaking French
30/ Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
31/ Tate Modern – the building, the tube, all of it
32/ Woody Allen Films
33/ View with horizons, especially water
34/ Taking taxis everywhere
35/ Wild enormous extravagant parties
36/ Meadows with poppies
37/ Japanese prints
38/ The King’s Road
39/ Hot days, Cold nights, – Egypt
40/ The sea – giving life back to me
41/ Red, pink, white and black
42/ Frankfurters, potato salad (Mummy’s)
43/ Mummy’s dressing table
44/ Big farmhouse kitchens, herbs in the garden
45/ Light – lots of it – golden, sunny, yellow
46/ Baths – hot, smelling sensuous, steaming
47/ Showers after a workout
48/ Feather boas
49/ Anything that sparkles – diamonds do nicely
50/ Embroidered silk
51/ Mangoes and sticky rice
52/ Miso Soup
53/ Onigiri
54/ Drinking blood-orange juice in Rome
55/ Water-colouring on the beach in Turkey
56/ Cycling to places in Turkey and Switzerland
57/ Breakfast at Tiffany’s
58/ My balcony in Pimlico in 1988
59/ Hats, broad brimmed
60/ Thermal socks
61/ Enormous white embroidered handkerchiefs
62/ Chicken Tikka Massalam
63/ Glass door knobs with something inside them
64/ Blue umbrellas like parasols
65/ Hair on a good hair day
66/Margaritas
67/ Spontaneous nights out in the west-end
68/ Long black gloves that go up the arm
69/ London Eye
70/ Technicolor old movies on a Saturday
71/ Chocolate- dark & melting in the mouth
72/ Cashmere (even though I cannot wear it, allergic)
73/ Gemstones – amethyst, garnet, emerald, sapphire, tiger’s eye
74/ Rowing boats with glass bottoms to see the life underneath
75/ Cobblestone Roads
76/ Big, long-lasting, uniquely shaped candles
77/ Good, volumising mascara
78/ Sexual evening gowns
79/ Mobile phones (especially text messages)
80/ Seasons – especially summer
81/ Large crystal wine glasses
82/ Coloured, non-chip nail varnishings
83/ Fresh bread, fresh jam
84/ Mountain air, but near water
85/ Hilton Windows Restaurant and its consomme
86/ Canadian geese flying in threes across the sky
87/ Pearls on the skin, on necks and earlobes
88/ Kitsch glass paperweights
89/ Polished wood
90/ Space in every aspect
91/ Night starlit skies
92/ Lexington Street
93/ Joe Allen’s
94/ The old Green Room (I add now, that it was the one at 9 Adam Street)
95/ Primrose Hill
96/ Withnail and I & all Bruce Robinson stuff
97/ Improv groups with Spiegel (may he rest in peace now)
98/ Memorable moments in life & in the theatre
99/ Children’s little boots and shoes
100/ Fruit punch at Regent Hotel, K.L
So there you have it. Twenty-five years ago. Some of the loves were not able to come into my life, but most of them have been. I seriously cannot complain. And in the last twenty-five years, there are many many more things I love. Oh dear, looks like I am going to have to write another list…..
Kate Terence's Letters from London 