April – Spring Unfolding

April arrived in full bloom.

It was a month painted in soft purples and vibrant blues — wisteria tumbling over garden walls in fragrant cascades, and bluebells carpeting woodland floors like something out of a storybook. The kind of scenes that make you slow your pace, linger a little longer, and take the long way home just to pass them again.

There were also yellow daffodils weaving through it all, as Easter arrived in the midst of it, bringing its own sense of pause and gathering.

Blue skies carried the quiet turning of the season. Coats were shrugged off, tables spilled out onto pavements, and dining out took on a different rhythm. Evenings stretched, glasses clinked a little later, and there was that familiar London magic of spring, when the city collectively exhales and steps outside again, with a flurry of events signalling the start of busier months ahead.

And in the midst of all the movement and colour, there were quiet moments too. A small heart and a ‘D’ tucked into an Easter basket. Darcy’s name, unexpectedly found among the wall of names at Chanel. A chance meeting with a new friend who spoke gently and openly about loss. Little things, easily missed, yet impossible to ignore, reminders that felt like Darcy, appearing when least expected and most needed.

There was a celebratory shift in the air, too. A birthday escape to Cornwall brought sea breezes, big skies, and that unmistakable sense of occasion that comes with marking time somewhere special. Days felt expansive, shaped by coastal walks, good food, and the simple luxury of being away from routine.

April, in all, was about emergence. Blossoms, celebrations, longer days, and the gentle return to outdoor living, a month that felt like a deep, colourful breath before the fullness of summer, and the beginning of a busier, brighter stretch of months ahead.