"Don’t we all want to live in Kensington – even just temporarily?"

Don’t we all want to live in Kensington – even just temporarily? It’s a part of London with wonderful parks and a discrete charm. Apartments overlooking garden squares are in great demand – gated and surrounded by iron railings you can only use the garden if you’re a resident. So, if you like being somewhere special with benches and manicured flower beds where you can relax but don’t have to worry about the weeds yourself, then a garden square is the place to be.

There’s no need to be disappointed though if you find yourself, as I always have, living somewhere without that special key to open the gate. Kensington is home to many parks including Kensington Gardens and my favourite: Holland Park. A quirky space that manages to retain a feeling of intimacy, it’s well worth exploring. You’ll find peacocks and rabbits hiding in the shrubbery, play areas for children and formal rose gardens. There’s an old Ice House and Orangery left over from the previous inhabitants of the Stately Home, which hosts free, informal exhibitions often by local artists.

Most of the Stately Home was destroyed by bombs during the Second World War, but one wing still remains as well as an open air theatre where operas are performed in summer. It’s not actually as foolish as it sounds - the auditorium has a tarpaulin roof so you can watch in comfort if the British weather turns nasty and still look up at the stars. My favourite spot is the Kyoto garden, a tranquil oasis celebrating the 1992 Japanese festival in London. I can sit for hours watching the water feature and reading a book.

The southern edge of the park backs onto High Street Kensington and I love wandering through the park as a precursor to a little retail therapy. There are plenty of high street shops and London’s largest Wholefoods is right by the station, which is great for organic food. I love the delicious food at Kitchen W8 and frequently have the set lunch there. It must be one of the best value Michelin star meals in town at £21 for two courses.

The Northern exit will take you to the edge of Notting Hill. If you’ve seen the film you’ll know exactly what to expect – retro-style shops, cafes and bars and a real village vibe. It’s a mixture of shabby chic and ultra-modern with boutique shops alternating with vintage book and clothes shops like the massive Music and Goods Exchange on the corner of Pembridge Road. I love the Notting Hill Carnival for its intense, vibrant atmosphere - it’s overwhelming and like nothing else I’ve encountered. I only recently discovered that the Carnival’s origin was an attempted solution to racial tension in the 1960s. Now it’s just one big party, though perhaps not for the faint hearted!

I’d recommend dining at The Shed, which is run by the three Gladwin brothers from Sussex. One acts as chef, another front of house and the third is responsible for sourcing and foraging. Much of what they serve is from their parents’ farm including delicious, award-winning sparkling wine from their own vineyard. If I’m craving a more exotic tipple, the Caribbean cocktails at Rum Kitchen hit the spot (though perhaps avoid the 63% proof Wray & Nephew Jamaican White or you might end up staggering home as I did once).

I love browsing through the eclectic antique stalls on Portobello Market before popping into the Electric Cinema for a bite to eat. It’s somewhere to go star spotting and has a number of famous residents like Robbie Williams and Claudia Schiffer.

If, like me, you are useless at putting a name to a face and don’t see anyone you recognise, you can at least spot some famous locations – scenes from films beyond the eponymous Notting Hill have been filmed here including A Hard Day’s Night, The Italian Job (Charlie Croker’s swinging London pad is in Denbigh Close) and Quadrophenia. You can even still visit the famous Notting Hill Bookshop that featured in the film. Although it’s no longer a travel book shop, you’ll find a little plaque outside to let you know you’ve found the right place.