The large English gardens situated in the capital, such as Regents Park and Hyde Park, have such strong personalities that they resonate in my mind as symbols of England just as much as Big Ben and Trafalgar Square. I have always been fascinated by the Royal Parks of London where people can escape from the intensity of the busy streets and lose themselves in another reality, places where the mind has room to breathe and wander freely. I am intrigued by the fact that London has more green space than any other major conurbation in the world. In a city renowned for its chaotic noise and rush, it is surprising how many quiet retreats of tranquillity can be found within the heart of London. One moment I am in a district of bustling activity bursting with colour, crowds and vitality, the next I am led into a scene of restful solitude where it is difficult to believe I’m in the centre of such a boisterous metropolis. One of the joys of walking across London is that sense I have of drifting from one world to another through an endless parade of contrasting wonders. We too have been there we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.” – JM Barrie For Barrie, who had no children, it was a providential meeting which would develop into a deep friendship and would inspire the characters in his best known work, especially the young boy with magical powers who first appeared in his 1902 novel The Little White Bird.“On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles. In 1897, while walking his St Bernard dog (later to become Nana in the story) in Kensington Gardens he made the acquaintance of the Llewelyn Davies family, Arthur, Sylvia and their three boys. After completing his studies at Edinburgh University and a brief period as a journalist, he moved to London where he started to have some modest success as a playwright. At the age of six he was devastated when his elder brother, David, died in a skating accident and, young though he was, set about filling the 14-year-old’s place in his mother’s affections. Peter’s creator, James Barrie, one of ten children, was born and raised in Scotland.

“Second to the right and straight on till morning”: can there be anyone unfamiliar with those famous directions to the enchanted and imaginary world of Neverland? The story of Peter Pan-“the boy who wouldn’t grow up”-was only written just over 100 years ago and yet it somehow belongs among the timeless classics of children’s literature which have delighted young and old alike for generations.

Peter pan kensington gardens book