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Sunday 7 September 2008

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Clemency Burton-Hill

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And another thing

Nothing to beat a garden full of wildfowl and historical memories

Paul Johnson

Wednesday, 24th October 2007

Paul Johnson on his favourite spot in London.

My favourite spot in London is the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens. I like to sit there, preferably early in the morning, and watch the waterfowl. They are of three kinds. The swans are rulers of the pond, as they must be. I once counted no fewer than 90 of them on the water, but the last time I held a census there were only 22. Swans flying over London, as they constantly do, can see the pond from many miles away, and know it to be a friendly water with plenty of donated food, so they decide to alight there for a spell. They do no harm and are not aggressive — and they are beautiful. No creature ever made by God so consistently conforms to its visual ideal. Their beauty soothes and nourishes. But they lack warmth. Whoever made friends with a swan?

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