Kenwood House

I loved A.J. Goodhead’s letter on Kenwood House and Golders Green, etc. (Feb. ’05, pg. 81); it could have been written by my husband and me. We go there on every trip to London — not just for the fantastic collection of art, though that is indeed phenomenal, but because the grounds lend themselves to many nice walks (even in the rain!).

The Brew House Café’ is great; we always plan our lunch around that. It is so nice when we can sit on the terrace. (We go April or October, as a rule.)

“101 Dalmations,” parts of which were filmed on the Kenwood House estate, is special to us, as Dad’s best friend was the screenplay writer and Dad sat in on the filming. We saw “Notting Hill” being done there.

We also go to the nearby Spaniards’ Inn, the first time for the history of it and after that for their delightful menu. Spaniards Inn is haunted by the ghost of the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin.

We like Golders Green. We are not shoppers, but their pubs are nice, and even as nonshoppers we enjoy browsing the bookstores and different kinds of shops — some character and charm in them.

Kenwood House should be a “must” for London visitors. It is free, and it is on the outskirts of London so there’s lots of fresh air. I haven’t been there in a year. Must do something about that!

JOAN BARGAMIN
Richmond, VA