Gunnersbury Park is home to a museum, a pitch and putt course, a play area, some ponds, and in the…read morewinter some football and rugby pitches with changing rooms. Because of all these facilities, the actual space left for walking is comparable to nearby Walpole and Lammas parks, with Gunnersbury being a lot more open. The park hosts the Mela Festival, described as the 'Asian Glastonbury' in August. There has been a bit of controversy recently regarding the south end of the park. The park is run jointly by Ealing and Hounslow councils, and in order to pay the bills they have been secretly discussing selling off some of the park to build private mansions.

Halloween night. The Aeronaut. A cabaret show from another dimension…read more Never would have found this place on my own, but holy hell am I glad we had friends in the know. After some time guzzling pitchers of Pimms Cup in the garden, we made our way inside for the show. Hats off to these performers. Maybe I was just wasted, but I felt like I was having a fever dream at the Moulin Rouge - in the best way possible. Get in here. This place rocks.

I had a really fun time at The Aeronaut. It was quite a good concept - a big top inside what used…read moreto be the famous Redback (now unrecognisable and the floors are no longer sticky from snakebite!). For the Friday evening Cabaret you have to book ahead which only cost £5 up to the last 2 weeks before which is when it goes up to £8 and you get to watch some weird and wonderful cabaret acts during the course of the evening. As far as the acts were concerned it was a bit hit and miss and I was expecting a few more. We had a hula hooper and a contortionist which was insane to watch!! An aerial hoop act which was impressive but quite short, a juggler who probably didn't need to be there and the finale .... Rayguns Look Real Enough who were a comedy music mashup duo who were fabulous!! Highlight of the evening! As a while though I think the acts were a but hit and miss and unfortunately the compere wasn't going down too well either!! Oh well!! But the evening was incredibly fun and once they cleared away the stage it turned into a dance floor and the DJ played an array of hits from 50's through to today with a lot of emphasis on 80's and 90's hits which were great to sing and dance along to. Before the show started we did have a table so we could eat food and there was your usual selection of burgers and salads etc. I went for the veggie falafel burger and to be honest it was extremely bland and needed a hell of a lot more tzatiki and condiments to improve it's flavour! It's great that I was subjected to the usual fried vegetable burger and there was a mushroom risotto on the menu but the burger definitely needed more flavour. It was a bit more like mushed falafel and falafel needs to be a little more grainy I think!! The chips were good though, hand cut, crispy edges and soft in the middle - mmm!! As for drinks they do have a selection of ales on tap, some local, a porter and a stout that were exciting some and all the other usual things a pub can offer. Price wise I think it was pretty reasonable. All in all we did have a great evening and I probably would go again. The place is new so it is probably still getting it's sea legs a little but do pop down for an alternative evening of circus acts and then fun music to dance the night away to - we stayed so late it was a night bus home!! Always a good sign!! Xyz

Walpole Park has a lot going for it. It's only a few minutes from Ealing Broadway station and the…read moreshopping areas. It's a good size, and can easily accommodate several football matches while leaving room for picnickers. It has duck ponds, open grassy areas, trees and shrubs, a small gazebo, a (quite busy) young children's playground, lots of benches, and a really nice pond with some small bridges (the latter area often used for wedding photos). There are flower beds here and there, but mostly you just feel it's lawn and bushes and trees. It's well-kept, and I see constant renovation to keep it up (new trash bins and benches are being put in). Come here on any sunny weekend and you'll see families having lunch, people feeding the ducks and squirrels, playing football and frisbee, and people running. I use this park all the time for running. The paved path around the perimeter is almost exactly 1 mile in length (as is Lammas Park, which is just across the street on the south side of Walpole). The Ealing Summer Festival (http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/leisure/ealing_summer/) uses Walpole Park a lot. The Comedy Festival and the Jazz Festival both set up here for a week each. It's a great place to hold large-scale tented events, and miraculously the grass comes back every year! The London Wildcare Field Centre was opened here a couple of years ago, which rehabilitates injured urban animals. Kids can see birds, foxes, and other animals here and learn a bit about them. I see a lot of animals in the park anyway: many birds and squirrels and ducks, and even cranes in the pond by the bridge. Pitshanger Manor is in the park, a beautiful historic home with a free art gallery inside, open 6 days/week. Walpole Park is open 7 days a week, but, like most, its hours vary according to the time of year. It's roughly open when it's light. Downside: like any public place, you do sometimes get people drinking and sleeping in the park. In the evening, teens do gather and inhabit it (even after closing). As a result, there is a blanket order that police can order you not to drink in the park, or ask you to leave if you fail to do so. This order's clearly aimed at troublesome and underage drinking, though, and they never bother those just having a quiet picnic.

A nice park tucked away behind Ealing Broadway shops. It's close enough to the shops that in good…read moreweather you can grab a sandwich and then saunter into the park and locate a bench for a leisurely lunch. There is a cafe in the park but it only opens in the Summer. There is an ornamental pond where a variety of ducks and geese hang out, and a walled rose garden. A small area is given over to rescued animals that can't be released back into the wild, the albino squirrel is unusual, there's also an owl, some foxes and pheasants. A playground geared to pre-schoolers is invariably busy. Expect to see dogs being walked, footballs being kicked and lots and lots of squirrels. (Update: the animal section has now closed.)

Wow, what an incredible venue. I got the opportunity to visit Wembley for a Harry Styles concert…read moreand it was remarkable. Never been to a concert at a venue that large before. We were in the middle of a heat wave, so they made waters half price which I thought was great. Plus, in comparison to American venues, the drinks were reasonable priced. Some male bathrooms were flipped to women for the show too which definitely helped with lines and overall, it was clean! Great show, too!

Going to Oasis at Wembley was amazing. The acoustics and sound was clear and strong from our seats…read moreat the back end facing the stage. Entry was easy, as based on your ticket, you entered through the specific color zone and the security process. You had easy direction to the right level and where the section your seats were located. There are a few drink vendors offering a variety of options such as beer, Pimm's cups, and spritzes. Food options were a little more limited, especially in the gluten free area. They also have bar and restaurant options which are nice as well as a champagne lounge. Bathrooms are plentiful and has no issues accessing with little queue wait. Exiting following the show, it was a little frustrating because they weren't letting people use the escalators and directing people down the stairs that were a little claustrophobic and made you feel someone was going to take a tumble. But once you were out, there are plenty of routes to ensure you get to your destination... unless you are taking the Tube, which in that case, you may need to have patience. But watching shows there are great.