The other day I watched the movie Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, which was produced in 1999. What impressed me most about the movie is the delineation of the place where the story is set --- Notting Hill, which seems to be a suburb of London. It is vibrant with lively people. I was wondering whether it is still what it appeared in the movie? After all, almost 10 years have passed, lots of changes may happen.
Is Notting Hill still what it appeared in the movie?
Notting Hill is a very interesting part of London, and yes, it is mega vibrant, very lively in character, much like the the people who live in that part of London (district postcode W11) and the eponymous film pretty much showed the area as it is - it is full of the type of bookshops shown in the film, many a whole lot wackier than that one, great for browsing round, not to mention all the other very fashionable and very trendy shops, restaurants, bars and goodness knows what else in all its little streets as well as the main ones like Notting Hill Gate, the Bayswater Road and Holland Park Avenue.
Notting Hill hardly ever goes to sleep, so it's pretty much a 24/7 place, and to the north of the area, around Ladbroke Grove , and the Westbourne Park Road, come the late August Bank Holiday weekend (the last Monday in August in England and Wales - but not here in Scotland - we have ours on the first Monday of August - the Late Summer Bank Holiday) - then Notting Hill stages Europe's largest and most colourfully spectacular Carnival - the Notting Hill street Carnival, with a "cast" of thousands with an "audience" of over a million packing the streets. The largely Caribbean population of the northern part of Notting Hill stage the whole show, and rehearse for it throughout the year, and the costumes and mobile displays of music and dance are just fantastic.
The Metropolitan Police of course maintain a strong presence "to help maintain order" throughout the three day Carnival, and it's not at all unusual to see some of the coppers joining in the fun with their helmets festooned with decorative ribbons and stuff, and dancing alongside the very colourfully dressed performers. As for all the noise - only one word for it - phenomenal, but it's all great fun.
The southern part of Notting Hill, down towards Holland Park, is home to a great many famous and very wealthy people, and property prices are horrendously expensive. You need to take out a mortgage to secure the deposit needed to secure a mortgage just for the garage before you even get round to the house itself.....
Aye, Notting Hill is good fun - I liked going down that way when I was working in London - and I'll do the same again if or when I'm working down in London the next time. You see the most interesting things! :-)
Notting Hill hardly ever goes to sleep, so it's pretty much a 24/7 place, and to the north of the area, around Ladbroke Grove , and the Westbourne Park Road, come the late August Bank Holiday weekend (the last Monday in August in England and Wales - but not here in Scotland - we have ours on the first Monday of August - the Late Summer Bank Holiday) - then Notting Hill stages Europe's largest and most colourfully spectacular Carnival - the Notting Hill street Carnival, with a "cast" of thousands with an "audience" of over a million packing the streets. The largely Caribbean population of the northern part of Notting Hill stage the whole show, and rehearse for it throughout the year, and the costumes and mobile displays of music and dance are just fantastic.
The Metropolitan Police of course maintain a strong presence "to help maintain order" throughout the three day Carnival, and it's not at all unusual to see some of the coppers joining in the fun with their helmets festooned with decorative ribbons and stuff, and dancing alongside the very colourfully dressed performers. As for all the noise - only one word for it - phenomenal, but it's all great fun.
The southern part of Notting Hill, down towards Holland Park, is home to a great many famous and very wealthy people, and property prices are horrendously expensive. You need to take out a mortgage to secure the deposit needed to secure a mortgage just for the garage before you even get round to the house itself.....
Aye, Notting Hill is good fun - I liked going down that way when I was working in London - and I'll do the same again if or when I'm working down in London the next time. You see the most interesting things! :-)
"Notting Hill" - the film is being shown on TV this evening Thursday 06/03/08
23:30 - 01:50 Film Four, Freeview Channel 32
Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant and Rhys Ifans (the Welsh guy who poses at the front door in just his underpants - that's Notting Hill for you!
23:30 - 01:50 Film Four, Freeview Channel 32
Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant and Rhys Ifans (the Welsh guy who poses at the front door in just his underpants - that's Notting Hill for you!
Wow, that is very kind and careful of you to have that reminder.
But unfortunately I cannot receive any British TV channel where I live.
Notting Hill is indeed good movie worth repeated viewing.
I found the sister of Hugh Grant in the movie very interesting too.
Anyway, thanks to Damian in Edinburgh!
But unfortunately I cannot receive any British TV channel where I live.
Notting Hill is indeed good movie worth repeated viewing.
I found the sister of Hugh Grant in the movie very interesting too.
Anyway, thanks to Damian in Edinburgh!