Walking with Dinosaurs | Crystal Palace

A long time ago I used to wile away the hours reading a set of books by Penelope Lively following the life of a Victorian girl called Fanny whose adventures always seemed far more exciting than mine. My particular favourite was “Fanny and the Monsters” in which her trip to see the “Monsters” at Crystal Palace proved pivotal in establishing her views on the world. As is often the way with such items coveted in childhood, the memories of this series had all but faded until I ventured to Crystal Palace last weekend and the rows of grand houses lining the park sparked a feeling of recognition. Like Fanny, I too had made the journey to see the dinosaurs (I mean, erm, be a fit, healthy, cycling sophisticated adult) and whilst these statues did nothing to change my view on the world, I did discover a beautiful park that’s within a mere 30 minutes from where I live. As well as the statues there’s a maze (for fellow sophisticated adults) and a FREE FARM (bye dignity.)

Concrete dinosaurs, real life alpacas and trees that are currently turning shades of glorious gold and red. I highly recommend walking like the Victorians did (they loved travelling on the Overground, right?) and venturing down south to explore this London gem.