We love our local mums! Each month we feature a London mother who shares her favourite places in her community. This month we talked to Kim Vrensen, who lives in West Ealing with her husband and teenage daughters. We asked Kim what she loves about her ’hood.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Kim Vrensen, and although I am from the USA, I have lived in West London for nearly 17 years, 11 of them in West Ealing. I stayed home to raise my daughters for most of that time, but I’ve recently gone back to work with local market and events organisers Eat Me Drink Me on the Crafted W5 monthly markets in the Ealing Broadway Centre, and the new bimonthly W5 Food Market in front of Ealing Town Hall.
Which area do you live in, and what do you love about it?
I live in West Ealing, and love that the Queen of the Suburbs is such a green place! We are really spoiled with all of our parks, and I feel Ealing has a great sense of space, considering we live in a major world city.
Where’s your favourite neighbourhood place to hang out as a family?
My daughters are both teenagers, so family time is at a premium. We all dote on our lovely Welsh Terrier dog, Winnie, so you might well find us walking her in Pitshanger Park. My older daughter recently began working with me at W5 Food Market, so that’s going to be a new twist on spending time with her!
Where’s your favourite place to escape in your area for a little ‘me’ time?
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to cook. I find it strangely relaxing to get lost in preparing a good meal, and I enjoy experimenting with new ingredients. I think that’s why I’m so excited about working with the vendors at the food market; I recently tried fregola sarda, a pasta with a similar result to risotto from our Sardinian trader, and just acquired Estonian birch syrup. I’m not yet sure what I’ll do with that, but I can’t wait to try!
What local activities do you and your family take part in?
My husband and I (and Winnie!) recently walked a portion of the new BEAT (Borough of Ealing Art Trail), and we were so bowled over by how many interesting artists live and work right under our noses! For a break on the trail, we tried the new café, The Moon and Maybe on St Mary’s Road, which is a charming little place. They’ve taken a lot of care with the refurbishment and decoration, especially the garden! Although none of us run, we went down to the Ealing Half Marathon race village to cheer on the runners. What a great atmosphere! And I loved seeing local artist Charlotte Berridge’s new marathon print—so clever that it can be personalised with runners’ finishing times!
Is there a little hidden gem in your area you’d like to share?
It’s not exactly hidden, but the entire family can always agree on a meal at Kiraku near Ealing Common tube station. A trip to Japan is on our collective bucket list, but until then, Kiraku hits the spot!
Do you love your ‘hood? Want to be featured in our spotlight? Get in touch!
