A month in London

Another month has passed easily enough in London. April was a terrible month for weather, but spring is lovely in England and I always enjoy the bluebells.

I hadn't been to Camden for years and had a few hours to fill in so I checked it out again. It hasn't changed, full of tattoo places, cheap clothes and Goths, and plenty of food. These people were having coffee watching boats going through the locks

I had a great day at Hampton Court meeting up with my cousins Gill and Rob and their extended families

 From left: Paul, Gill, Gill's daughter Lissa and son Sean and Lissa's girls Isobel and Martha

Others in this pic are: Rob and Corrie and Sean's friend Hannah. The gardens are beautiful there this time of year.

The London Marathon is one of my favourite sporting events, held every April. About 50,000 people took part. There's a fantastic atmosphere that always inspires me to plan to enter next year. It lasts a day or so.

I spotted the royal barge that will be powered by a team of rowers, moored at Richmond on my way back from Hampton Court. I'll miss the big Jubilee event on The Thames as I get back to London a few hours after it. There are plenty of other celebrations planned though.

We had five firemen and a firetruck come to visit to install some smoke detectors and give us safety advice. I was extremely attentive (and more excited than the kids would have been).

And I've thoughtfully saved the art till last, so if you aren't interested, go and look at something else and I'll never know

Conran exhibition at the Design Museum

Yayoi Kusama, Tate Modern

Damien Hirst, Tate Modern

Photography at the Saatchi Gallery

Sculpture at the Saatchi

New and very old Chinese ceramics at the Victoria & Albert Museum

And finally, every year London has over a hundred pieces of painted art scattered around the city. There have been cows and elephants, and this year it was eggs

I also got to see the musical Singing in the Rain, the play Ladykillers, the ballet at Covent Garden and at The Coliseum and more exhibitions than you could shake a stick at.